Kenilworth Runners

AAA Mem. No:

M2402AWA

Race Results - for February 2003

Sunday 2nd Feb	Charnwood Hills Race - Bowline
Sunday 2nd Feb	Chelmsley Wood Grand Prix - Race 4
Sunday 2nd Feb	Worcester County Multi Terrain 10
Saturday 8th Feb	Wyre Forest Multi Terrain 8
Saturday 8th Feb	Globe Inn 5, Sandhurst, Gloucester
Sunday 9th Feb	Winter League- Race 5 Temple Trot
Sunday 16th Feb	Stamford 30K
Sunday 23rd Feb	Winter League - Race 6 Barford Belter
Sunday 23rd Feb	Bourton on the Water 10K
Friday 28th Feb	Letter from America

2/02/03 - Charnwood Hills Race - Bowline

A cracking race today saw Mike Johnson take 3rd place over all, (Martin Yelling of Bedford AC won), Mick Williams take 1st prize in the Mens V45 category and the first four back, - Mike Johnson, Mick Williams, Julian Simpson and Roland Smythe take 2nd prize in the team competition(If Roland had finished some 29 places higher, then we would have won first prize!)

On a course that was change from previous years, it still made it a tough race. The distance this year may have been longer than the 12 miles as advertised - but at least the weather was kind to the runners. Only in a few places was the ground still frozen, whilst other parts were ankle deep in sticky mud!

All in all 11 Runners took part and all were pleased with their times. A total of 411 had entered the race although just under 400 actually finished.

Results - 2003	Place	Time	2002 - Place	Time
Mike Johnson	3rd	1:24:34	-	-
Mick Williams	9th	1:28:17	17th	1:31:52
Julian Simpson	12th	1:30:19	19th	1:32:07
Roland Smythe	84th	1:44:42	78th	1:44:28
Rebecca Kendall	113th	1:47:44	75th	1:44:18
Celia Mills	125th	1:48:43	148th	1:54:57
Julian Tombs	152nd	1:51:49	-	-
Mary Joyce	258th	-	-	-
Bob Griffiths	302nd	2:17:31	-	-
Mick Morris	305th	-	-	2:11:46

02/02/03 - Chelmsley Wood Grand Prix - Race 4

The Dables were out in force today, competing in this, the 4th race of the series. Run in strong winds - it was Tom who was first back in 34 mins 43 secs. Pauline finished the course in 42 mins 50 secs, whilst Kristy Dable completed in 45 mins 17 secs.

02/02/03 - Worcester County Multi Terrain 10

Jane McNally took part in the “Stourbridge Stagger” which is a 10ish mile multi terrain race and was a Worcestershire County Multi Terrain Championship race. The terrain was very up and down and hard going through sand and mud! Jane completed the course in 1:34.44. Unfortunately, husband John started the race but had to pull out at about 4 miles due to injury. Janes' performance was good enough for 5th senior lady.

08/02/03 - Wyre Forest Multi Terrain 8

Jane McNally continues to find the off road race to her liking as she tackled the ROC Fencing Wyre Forest Multi-Terrain 8. Her time of 1:13 was not as she had hoped for, but then the course is run through the Wyre Forest entirely on forest tracks and paths were extremely muddy.

08/02/03 - Globe Inn 5, Sandhurst, Gloucester

Tom & Pauline are on their travels yet again - this time down to Sandhurst in Gloucester. In this 5 miler - Tom finished the race in 32:52 whilst Pauline finished in 40:33

09/02/03 - Winter League - Race 5 Temple Trot

On Sunday 24 members of Kenilworth Runners and two guests took part in the 5th race in this fiercely contested series of 8 races. Conditions were good for this 5 mile race, cool with a light breeze . This race started at the cross roads near Fen End and headed downhill towards Temple Balsall where the runners turned left and after a short distance turned left again into Temple Lane where the going got tougher as they climbed along this pleasant lane to turn right at Chadwick Cottages and so to the final mile along Oldwich Lane East and to the finish at the cross roads. New member Lucy Nott took the full 50 points with an excellent run on this tough course. Tim Payne, who had been quietly catching the leaders in the four previous races, took full opportunity to take the lead with a spectacular run to take his points total to 290. Determined Tim has now set a stiff challenge to his pursuers and it will require a superb effort from the pack just behind him to take away the title he won last year. As a result of this race the group positions are as follows:-

Group A: Mick Morris 263; Robin Groves 220; Bob Griffiths 218.

Group B: Stef Shillington 275; Roger Wilkes 268; Jayne Gillard 226;

Group C: Roland Smythe 282; Richard Steel 218; John McNally 169;

The 6th race in the series takes place on the 23rd February 2003 and starts at 11.00 am in Barford just opposite the Granville Arms Public House. It is a four mile race with a short bit of cross country in it.

16/02/03 - Stamford 30K

In very cold conditions, on a rural course with relentless hills for whole of 30k it was Pauline who led Tom home for a change. Although it must be pointed out that Tom was supporting Kristy for the duration. Pauline finished in 3 hours 07.00 whilst Tom & Kristy finished in 3.14.44. Pat Noonan also ran, but his time was not available.

23/02/03 - Winter League - Race 6 Barford Belter

Yet another large turnout of twenty seven Kenilworth Runners competed in the sixth race of the series which was held at Barford on Sunday morning. Conditions were excellent for running, mild and slightly overcast. The 4 mile race started just inside Wasperton Lane and head out along the lane climbing slightly until after a mile or so the race took to the footpath and became a cross country for a short while. Passing Plestows Farm on the right the runners emerged onto the road and turned left into Hareway Lane and up Watchbury Hill and so back into Barford and the finish in Wasperton Lane. With only two races left in the series the situation could not be tighter with six runners with a mere twenty points separating them.


Tim - determination	Roland - elation (at being in front of John)	Robin - perspiration


Mike - concentration	Stef - desperation (?)	Zoe - jubilation

Zoe Greenhalf who is running the London Marathon this year took the full 50 points with a superb run but Tim Payne is still the leader with 295 points after an excellent run in which he maintained the lead he had after the last race but others are coming up on the rails, notably Robin Groves, the Club Chairman, which will make the last two races very exciting.

The group positions are as follows:-

Group A: Mick Morris 272; Robin Groves 269; Bob Griffiths 224.

Group B: Stef Shillington 280; Mike Cruickshank 279; Roger Wilkes 276.

Group C: Roland Smythe 287; Richard Steel 223; John McNally 169.

The 7th race of the series takes place on the 16th March 2003 starting by the New Inn Public House in Norton Lindsey at 11 am.

23/02/03 - Bourton on the Water 10K

Fresh from yesterdays unexpected win over Roland Smythe, Tom Dable found the going a lot easier today. Completing the course in 40 mins 54 secs he was comfortably ahead of Jayne Gillard - 47 mins 20 secs and his wife, Pauline 53 mins 02 secs.- who received the prize for 1st over 55 lady

28/02/03 - Letter from America

Life here in sunny Johnson City, Tennessee, is great. The location of the 12,000 student campus is set just beneath the Appalation mountain range. Where the stereotype of trailer houses and broad southern accents are lived up to. Our Mens team is made up of myself, another English lad from Newbury, three Irish boys and a guy from New York. It is no doubt apparent that our coach sees the Americans in the same light as most of us...overweight and lethargic. This isn't really true,as the sole Yankee on our team is one of the most dedicated and slight runners you will see. We have a great bond between us. We all live together in apartments for two. Basic but real clean and ideal for the average runners needs...a nice warm shower, heating and a firm bed. We live on campus and we are situated really close to our class rooms and the student union.

Our basic schedule is a tough one. We all rise at 6 am, for an easy 5 mile run, to shake out the work from the day before. We run around the outskirts of the campus, and when the mornings are light, we run in the woods on the trails. Back for a shower, then breakfast. We get 19 meals a week free, so that's plenty. The food in the canteen is of buffet style, we can eat anything and everything. Cereals in the morning normally go down a treat. By 8 am I'm normally in class. In the US, you have to take core subjects to start off your degree. So math's first thing on a Monday is tough, but all in all the variety of subjects keep my in check. By 11.30 am I'm done with classes. So we go off to lunch, where once again we eat sensibly, pasta etc. In the afternoons, I normally find time to sleep and e-mail my friends and family. Before being picked up in a big white minibus to go to run. During cross country season we run a lot of miles over a lot of hills. Normally a minimum of 80 miles a week, but during track season we stay just below that mark. Three days a week we do speed work. In England, my speed work would entail a short warm up, then some medium to short length reps. NOT HERE, try a 9 mile run in around 50-53 mins, then 8x800m on grass off 2 mins recovery. On the other days, we do 10 miles at 6 min mile pace getting quicker at the end.

Our coach is old and tough, a disciplinarian and a friend. He has coached many great Irish distance runners over the past 40 years, from Ray Flynn (89 sub 4 min miles and three Olympic finals), to Mark Kusac (who at 17 years old ran 2.14 for the marathon, then at 19 won Boston Marathon in 2.12- while still at university!) So he knows his stuff. In the evening we play pool and relax. We all get on well, and talk running 24/7. This is an opportunity I'm glad I took, although a tough one, it is definitely worth while. A free education, food, house, trips and a laugh. We also get a lot of kit, the school pays for Nike Pegasus for us. I'm not a big Nike fan, but they've kept my feet blister free and going well.

My results haven't been great, I was 4th/5th counter in most of the cross country races. Although when an exact 5 mile cross country course is won in 24 something, I know these boys are tough. We have had a few track meets at Kentucky, Virginia, Appalation State and our own stadium (which is a 25 thousand seater indoor track facility). Were off to Miami and Florida over the next few weeks, so I'll let you know how the running and sun tan goes!

Regards to all, don't hesitate to let me know how you are