Categories
Club News

News Release: Spartan Track Stars & Two more Sub 3 at MK

Spartan Track Stars: Women Win, Men Move Up To Third; Two More Sub 3 At MK

It felt more like winter than the start of a summer track and field league at Ridlins on Wednesday but the Fairlands Valley Spartans veterans athletics team enjoyed their finest performance to date with the womenā€™s team winning and the men a comfortable third in the opening match in the Eastern Veterans Athletics Club (EVAC) central division. In the contest with six other clubs the men showed how much they have improved since last season. If they can keep that up they could qualify for the East of England finals in September.

This was the first ever track and field home match hosted by Spartans who organised a successful event in difficult weather conditions.

The ladies won twelve events in total with some surprises coming in the field events where the Spartans often struggle against specialist athletics clubs. Ladies captain TESSA STEPHENSON lead the way, dropping down an age group, winning the women 35 plus (F35) Long Jump, High Jump and Shot. MONICA BROWN also had a hat-trick of 1st places, in the F45 100m, High Jump and Long Jump. There was a clean sweep for the team in the Ladies Hammer, with wins for STEPH MAYFIELD in the F35, SHARON CROWLEY F45 and CAROLYN SHORTLAND whose 18.41m for the F55s was the longest ladies throw of the night. Steph followed up with a surprise win in her first ever attempt at the 100m hurdles.

On the track IRIS HORNSEY won the F55 1500m to add to her 2nd place in the Long Jump. ROSIE CANHAM was twice beaten narrowly, but had the consolation of a new personal best (PB) of 14.3 seconds in the 100 metres and an excellent 67.5 in the 400 metres. Second places were also earned by CHRIS FEELY in the F45 sprint hurdles and in the 2km walk by SHARON CROWLEY F45 and JAN FRY F55 whose 15:01 beat her previous PB by 26 seconds.

The men enjoyed mixed fortunes and were forced into several last minute changes. In the opening event, team captain DAVE STEPHENSON won the men 40 plus (M40) 2km walk then withdrew from competition to help officiate. Injury restricted DAVE BOWKERā€™s participation, but he made it a double in the walk winning the M50 in a new PB of 11:23. STEVE MAYFIELD registered just one jump before injury also cut his evening short, however it was good enough to claim 1st in the M40 Long Jump.

As a result of these setbacks, several new team members took on more than they expected; some at very short notice! JOHN HARRIS stepped in to do the 100m, 400m and High Jump, and ANDY NEATHAM produced one of the best performances of the night with second in the 1500m in 4:43.4 pushing an exceptional Milton Keynes athlete all the way. BARRY OSBORNE also recorded a superb 1500m time of 5:41.3 to claim maximum points for the M60s after coming 3rd in the Long Jump. JOHN TYRELL and BARRY KING were the other debutants, the latter being summoned from tea making duties to lead off the M40 relay team. MICK SHORTLAND dropped down an age group to help out the M50s and despite the heavier weights achieved 2nd places in the Hammer and Shot.

The evening ended with the medley relay races which consisted of 2 x 200 metres, 1 x 400 metres and 1 x 800 metres. They were some of the most exciting relays seen for a while. In the male vet 40 plus event Andy Neatham swept past several runners in his 800 metres to finish second. In the vet 50 plus race DAVE BOWKER handed over to JIM BROWN who gradually caught a Bedford and County runner before kicking past him at 600 minutes to take second place by eleven seconds and gain lots of valuable points.

In the womenā€™s medley Julie Simmons ran a great final 800 metres to win the race by just 1.3 seconds. JULIE SIMMONS ran a fine 800m leg on her EVAC debut for the Spartans to bring them home first in the F45 medley relay. In the women 35 plus race Rosie Canham passed several runners to lift the team into third place.

PAUL PICKARD and PAUL HOLGATE completed the menā€™s team and ensured it fielded an athlete and collected points in all bar three of the 26 events.

The team scores:

Women ā€” Fairlands Valley Spartans 159; Marshall Milton Keynes 143; Kettering Town Harriers 84.5; Bedford & County 81; Corby 51.5; Biggleswade 12 and Wellingborough 6.

Men ā€” Bedford & County 146; Marshall Milton Keynes 125; Fairlands Valley Spartans 105; Kettering 74; Biggleswade 54; Corby 42 and Wellingborough 34.

The Spartan womenā€™s team consisted of MONICA BROWN, SHARON CROWLEY, CHRIS FEELY, JAN FRY, IRIS HORNSEY, STEPHANIE MAYFIELD, CAROLYN SHORTLAND, JULIE SIMMONS, TESSA STEPHENSON while DAVE BOWKER, JIM BROWN, JOHN HARRIS, PAUL HOLGATE, STEVE MAYFIELD, ANDY NEATHAM, BARRY OSBORNE, PAUL PICKARD, MICK SHORTLAND, DAVE STEPHENSON and JOHN TYRELL competed for the men.

Stevenage and North Herts Athletics Club played a huge part in facilitating this fixture for Fairlands Valley Spartans and supplying officials, with STEVE FEELY in particular working incredibly hard behind the scenes. The next EVAC match is at Bedford on May 9th.

Christopher and Lee Excel In Rain and Wind

Another two Spartans have beaten the three hour marathon barrier. Following Grant Ramsay and Simon Jacksonā€™s achievement in London CHRISTOPHER WESTCOTT and LEE THORP went sub three on Sunday. Whatā€™s more both were running their first marathon! It was windy and incredibly wet for the inaugural Milton Keynes Marathon. So wet that part of the course had to be changed due to flooding. A fantastic twenty three Spartans completed the race. A huge success for Fairlands Valley only a week after the London Marathon. In April 68 different Spartans ran a marathon. They clocked up 76 marathons between them!

Chris Westcott was 17th out of the 2,923 finishers in 2 hours 57 minutes 17 seconds and Lee Thorp 21st in 2 hours 29 minutes 3 seconds.

DAVIE STAFFORD (3:44:47); STEVE GREEN (3:48:41); ANDY PRIOR (4:26:35); VISHAL SHAH (4:31:20); STEPHEN BLOCK (4:32:11); TREVOR SETTERFIELD (5:13:06); HANNAH SYPULA (5:19:06) and SARAH HUKIN (5:33:31) were also running their first marathons. That makes 26 new marathon runners in just two weeks for Fairlands Valley Spartans.

Despite the conditions five Spartans ran new personal bests ā€” JAMIE DRACKFORD by 23 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes 7 seconds; NIKKI ANDREWS to 3:50:07; MARK GOODWIN to 3:54:14; STUART HAYCROFT by 14 minutes to 3:54:25 and BARRY KING by a huge 57 minutes to 4:26:36;

FVS Club Chair GRAHAM BLACKBURN ran a good time at London then just a week later he finished this marathon in just 3 hours 33 minutes 31 seconds. ROB SHAW and PAUL HOLGATE ran their best times for 2012 ā€” Rob at 4:31:14 and Paul 4:36:53:

The other Spartans who waded MK were TODD GRAY (3:16:44); MARK BEASLEY (3:46:03); PHIL RUSHTON (4:31:40); ROGER BIGGS (4:42:30) and TONY ARGYROU (5:33:29).

Full results for all Spartans:

Position Name Time Comments
17 CHRISTOPHER WESTCOTT 2:57:17 1st marathon
21 LEE THORP 2:59:03 1st marathon
139 TODD GRAY 3:16:44
311 JAMIE DRACKFORD 3:30:07 PB by 23 minutes
377 GRAHAM BLACKBURN 3:33:31
570* DAVIE STAFFORD 3:44:47 1st marathon
592 MARK BEASLEY 3:46:03
689 STEVE GREEN 3:48:41 1st marathon
780 NIKKI ANDREWS (F) 3:50:07 PB
899 MARK GOODWIN 3:54:14 PB
859 STUART HAYCROFT 3:54:25 PB by 14 minutes
1794 ANDY PRIOR 4:26:35 1st marathon
1795 BARRY KING 4:26:36 PB by 57 minutes
1834 ROB SHAW 4:31:14 YB
1807 VISHAL SHAH 4:31:20 1st marathon
1903 PHIL RUSHTON 4:31:40
2047 PAUL HOLGATE 4:36:53 Yearā€™s Best
1932 STEPHEN BLOCK 4:32:11 1st marathon
2100 ROGER BIGGS 4:42:30
2571 TREVOR SETTERFIELD 5:13:06 1st marathon
2634 HANNAH SYPULA (F) 5:19:06 1st marathon
2754 SARAH HUKIN 5:33:31 1st marathon
2755 TONY ARGYROU 5:33:29

Jim Moves Up In Hyde Park

It was blustery and wet underfoot in Hyde Park on Friday but Fairlands Valley Spartansā€™ JIM BROWN ran his fastest 5K race for many years. Having run his last 5K in 22 minutes 56 seconds he worked out an ambitious plan to take 22:30 for the Serpentine Last Friday of the Month 5K and finished in 21 minutes 49 seconds! Thatā€™s a yearā€™s best by 1 minute 7 seconds and could qualify him for the ā€œAā€ race next time.

Coming Events

Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including the:

– EVAC Track and Field event in Bedford on Wednesday 9th May.
– Herts County Track and Field Championships on Saturday 12th May.
– Mid Week Road Race League 10K in Stevenage on Tuesday 15th May.
– Mid Week Road Race League fixture in Welwyn Garden City on Thursday 31st May.
– EVAC Track and Field event in Kettering on Wednesday 13th June.
– Mid Week Road Race League 10K in Harlow on Wednesday 20th June.
– Spartans v NHRR ā€œOlympicā€ Fun Event on Sunday 24th June.
– Mid Week Road Race League Seven Miles in St. Albans on Thursday 28th June.
– Mob Match at Trent Park on Wednesday 11th July.
– EVAC Track and Field event in Milton Keynes on Wednesday 11th July.
– Fairlands Valley Challenge (Off Road) on Sunday 15th July.
– Relays in the Park (3K legs) on Thursday evening 19th July.
– County 5K Championships in Stevenage on Sunday 9th September.
– County 5 Miles Championship in Stevenage on Sunday 23rd September.
– Stevenage Half Marathon on Sunday 4th November.

Join The Spartans

Live in or near Stevenage? Like running? Fairlands Valley Spartans is your local running club and is on the up! The club was voted the UKā€™s Best Running Club in 2010. It now has over 400 members and encourages participation by all. The Spartans have a varied training programme to suit those who want to run 5 kilometres through to full marathons.

The Spartans weekday training sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Go along to drama studio next to the gymnastics centre at Marriotts School ā€” a Sports College, Telford Avenue, Stevenage (SG2 0AN) at 7p.m. Up to five running groups go out on training nights ā€” there will be one to suit you!

The Spartan Starter group starts from Marriotts at 7.30p.m. every Monday (except public holidays) and 7p.m. every Thursday.

Most long Sunday morning training sessions start 9.30a.m. sharp. Spartan track training sessions are held at Ridlins Athletics Track, Woodcock Road, Stevenage most Saturdays from 9.15a.m. There are events to enter every Sunday. Newcomers are very welcome ā€” those who have not done very much running yet might prefer to start with a Thursday, Saturday or Monday session.

Try a few sessions before joining. Membership is only Ā£27 per year. Concessions are available. Membership forms are available on the Spartans website www.fvspartans.org.uk Please ask if you would like a paper copy.

If you want to know more about the Spartans please contact Jim Brown (01438 354505 or 0793 968 7509), Stephanie Mayfield 01438 815859 or visit their website www.fvspartans.org.uk

E N D S

More from Jim Brown (Press Officer) 01438 354505 / 0793 968 7509 or Stephanie Mayfield (Secretary) 01438 815859

www.fvspartans.org.uk

Categories
News

CHANGE OF TRAINING SESSION – ASTON HILLS 3rd MAY

Please note that theĀ Aston Hills session that was originally scheduled for Thursday 3rd May has been moved to Thursday 7th June for safety reasons.
A 4-6 x 800 metres training session will be run this Thursday in its place.

Thank you

 

Coach Leigh

Categories
Recovery

Recovery after a race

The following comments are written in relation to recovering from a marathon race.Ā  However, the general principles apply to any race distance.Ā  Basically the longer the race the longer you need to recover.Ā  A rough guide often quoted is 1 day per mile.Ā  So to FULLY recover from a marathon it takes around 26 days, for a half marathon 13/14 days and so on.Ā  You will of course be back in training long before that.Ā  Fully recovered means back to your racing best.

Remember we are not all the same.Ā  Some of us have memories of coming down stairs on our backside the next day after a marathon because it was the only way we could get down stairs! Other people are walking and even jogging gently the next day. Some of us can remember both.Ā  You will even hear tales of runners who ran a PB a week after their marathon.Ā  We are definitely not all the same. An example of a schedule for recovery from a marathon over a 4 week period is shown in the link below.

The time to start GENTLY stretching is immediately after your marathon finishes. This is true of any race finish.Ā  Those of us who have actually run marathons know how difficult this is. However, difficult as it may be, try to GENTLY stretch as soon as your mind will allow.Ā  Note as soon as your mind will allow.Ā  Your body will probably object but it will be worth the effort.Ā  Keep stretching as often as possible during the next 10 – 14 days.

Whether you are male or female the same applies, do not be macho. You are not trying to prove you are the toughest/hardest runner in the club, or the stupidest. You are, presumably, trying to recover from the marathon and get back to racing and running as well as you can as soon as you can.Ā  As I have said already some members will be back to racing and training flat out within a few days.Ā  Let them, it is their body, you look after your own body, no one else will.Ā  Remember you only get one body, treat it like a friend, not something to be punished.

Gradually build up your running mileages over the recovery phase (i.e. 4 weeks for a marathon, 2 weeks for a half marathon and so on).Ā  Start on race week + 1 by incorporating walking as well as running.Ā  This is particularly true of those who have just raced a marathon.Ā  Active recovery is the key. If at any time during the recovery phase you are feeling particularly tired or have any sort of grumbles in your legs etc, listen to your body and take a rest day!

Example-of-marathon-recovery-schedule

 

Categories
Club News

NEWS RELEASE, MASSIVE 38 SPARTANS FINISH LONDON MARATHON

TWO SPARTANS SUB THREE AT LONDON

Massive 38 Spartans finish London Marathon

Lyndsey and James win 5K

Ā Spartans GRANT RAMSAY and SIMON JACKSON both beat the three hour barrier in Sundayā€™s London Marathon.Ā  Grant was in the top 1% of the 37,000 plus runners.Ā  He was 314th overall in a magnificent championship qualifying time of 2 hours 43 minutes 57 seconds – his best time for three years.Ā  Simon was 687th in 2 hours 53 minutes 38 seconds.

They were among a massive thirty eight Fairlands Valley Spartans who completed the 26.2 miles.Ā  Sixteen were running their first marathon and eight others ran new personal bests by big margins ā€” a real demonstration of how well the club helps runners prepare for the marathon.

STEPHEN BIGGS was running his first marathon and beat his dad, ROGER by 43 seconds.Ā  Stephen was 9,851st in 3:56:08 and Roger 10,068th in 3:56:51.Ā  That 217 runners crossed the line in those 43 seconds shows how busy the finish is at that time.

The other first timers in the Virgin London Marathon were DICLUM LOY (2,783rd in 3:02:11); PAUL WADESON (11,082nd in 4:00:05); GARY CRETTON (18,823rd in 4:30:49); KAREN PALMER (19,207th in 4:32:24); ANNE-MARIE NEATHAM (21,724th in 4:42:11); SALLY BEASLEY (22,302nd in 4:44:37); LEE POTTER (22,665th in 4:46:04); RODGER McPHERSON (24,069th in 4:51:44); ANDY INGRAM-TEDD (25,748th in 4:58:56); MARIA RUSHTON (26,589th in 5:03:26); LARYA BARTON (27,638th in 5:08:31); ELEANOR GLADING (28,819th in 5:10:42); JO CAHILL (31,921st in 5:39:13): HILARY DAVIES (32,601st in 5:45:23); and DAWN TAYLOR (36,631st in 8:001:11).

Two Spartan women improved their personal bests by more than eleven minutes to beat 3 hours 30 minutes for the first time.Ā  They were KERRY JAMES (4,296th in 3 hours 28 minutes 32 seconds, an improvement of 11 minutes 13) and SAM PRETTY (4,316th in 3:28:38, an improvement of 11:01).

The other Spartan personal bests (PBs) were by MICHAEL GREEN (2,864th in 3:17:17, an improvement of 4:13); ROB EVANS (7,075th in 3:44:14, an improvement of 10:46); HELENE MILLER (8,524th in 3:51:02, an improvement of 10:43); JON SYPULA (11,890th in 4:03:34, an improvement of 26:57); STEVE KEMP who improved by more than an hour to 4 hours 15 minutes 34 seconds (14,781st); and KAREN LIDDLE (24,124th in 4:52:02, an improvement of 22:44).

SHARON CROWLEY (20,837th in 4:38:42) was running her 14th London Marathon.

Results for all the Spartans in the London Marathon:

Position

Name

Time

Comments

314 GRANT RAMSAY 2:43:57 Champ time.Ā  Top 1%.
687 SIMON JACKSON 2:53:38  
1379 SIMON BELL 3:02:11  
2783 DICLUM LOY 3:16:33 First marathon
2864 MICHAEL GREEN 3:17:17 PB (4:13)
3334 GRAHAM BLACKBURN 3:21:33  
4296 KERRY JAMES (F) 3:28:32 PB (11:13)
4316 SAM PRETTY (F) 3:28:38 PB (11:01)
7075 ROB EVANS 3:44:14 PB (10:46)
8236 RICHARD HAZLEDENE 3:49:47  
8524 HELENE MILLER (F) 3:51:02 PB (10:43)
9851 STEPHEN BIGGS 3:56:08 Son beats father in 1st marathon
10068 ROGER BIGGS 3:56:51  
11082 PAUL WADESON 4:00:05 First marathon
11840 AMANDA BROOK (F) 4:03:22  
11890 JON SYPULA 4:03:34 PB (26:57)
14070 KEVIN SMYTH 4:12:44  
14395 BEV HARLOW (F) 4:13:59  
14781 STEVE KEMP 4:15:34 PB (over an hour)
16006 MARK GLADING 4:20:05  
18592 TRICIA HOPPER (F) 4:29:46  
18823 GARY CRETTON 4:30:39 First marathon
19207 KAREN PALMER (F) 4:32:24 First marathon
19238 RICHARD MOORE 4:32:29  
20837 SHARON CROWLEY (F) 4:38:42  
21724 ANNE-MARIE NEATHAM (F) 4:42:11 First marathon
22302 SALLY BEASLEY (F) 4:44:37 First marathon
22665 LEE POTTER 4:46:04 First marathon
24069 RODGER McPHERSON 4:51:44 First marathon
24124 KAREN LIDDLE (F) 4:52:02 PB (22:44)
24748 CRAIG SNOWDEN 4:54:45  
25748 ANDY INGRAM-TEDD 4:58:56 First marathon
26589 MARIA RUSHTON (F) 5:03:26 First marathon
27638 LARYA BARTON (F) 5:08:31 First marathon
27819 ELEANOR GLADING (F) 5:10:42 First marathon
31921 JO CAHILL (F) 5:39:13 First marathon
32601 HILARY DAVIES (F) 5:45:23 First marathon
36631 DAWN TAYLOR (F) 8:00:11 First marathon

Dozens of other Spartans helped at the finish.Ā  Without the volunteers the London Marathon would be impossible to organise.

Lyndsey and James Win 5K

Thirty one runners braved the weather on Thursday night to take part in the 63rd running of the Fairlands Valley Spartansā€™ Handicap 5K.

Ā LYNDSEY CARLISLE was first to finish.Ā  She claimed her second Handicap 5K victory by running a new personal best (PB) time of 31 minutes 51 seconds, 1:40 quicker than her previous PB and 4:39 ahead of handicap.Ā  LOUISA BILL was second female, and third overall in her first race with a time of 28 minutes 46 seconds and VICTORIA SEALY was third woman, in a new PB of 27:33 – 53 seconds faster than before.

The winning man, in second position overall, was newcomer JAMES COOPER in 27:33, 3:26 faster than handicap.Ā  Another first timer, CHRIS HILTON, set a handicap new course record time of 16 minutes 33 seconds to finish second male and fifth overall.Ā  This was three seconds quicker than the previous record.

RICHARD BATE was third man in a new seasons best (SB) time of 16:57, five seconds quicker than previously.

Chris and Richard were also fastest and second fastest runners on the night, with ROB WILLIS third quickest in a new PB time of 18:31.Ā  LIAM HERBERT (18:41 YB) and STEVE WILLIAMSON (19:11) were also inside 20 minutes.

TRACY PEZ was the fastest female equalling her yearā€™s best (YB) time of 22:22, with MADDIE PRITCHARD second quickest in a new YB time 23:21, and SARAH PIKE third fastest in 26:03.

In addition to those already mentioned above, Sarah Sapstead also took 29 seconds off her PB time to 30:05 and Amanda Vickers 0:51 to 36:58, while there were SB times for Steve Pike (+0:05) and James Day (+0:07), and YB times for Selvan Naicker (+0:26), Matthew Holgate (+0:38) and Andy Jay (+0:16).

The start and finish was superbly organised by Graham Blackburn, Mike Crowley, Jim Brown and Jayne Pinner.Ā  Barry King, Sharon Crowley, Kerry Setterfield and Lee Reynolds supported runners around the course, and the Spartan Starter Group provided lots of vocal encouragement.

Next up is the first midweek league race, in Stevenage, on Tuesday 15th May.Ā  The Handicap 5Ks will return at the end of this yearā€™s league races in the Summer.

Madrid Marathon

Ā For the first time in twenty years CAROL PAUL was not running the London Marathon.Ā  But she was running 26.2 miles in Madrid.Ā  On a hot day and on a hilly course Carolā€™s third marathon in two weeks was completed in 4 hours 28 minutes 50 seconds.Ā  KEVIN LAWLOR finished in 5:18:43.Ā  MIKE NEWBITT and DAVE PAUL came in together in 5:19:24.

Mayor of Hertfordā€™s 10K

Eight Spartans competed in the recent Mayor of Hertfordā€™s charity race which was over about 10 kilometres.Ā  DUNCAN MARSHALL was third overall in 37 minutes 5 seconds.Ā  The others were SIMON BELL (40:30); ANDY JAY (51:55); DYFED THOMPSON-SMITH (53:29); JEANETTE COLLINS (1:00:27); TRACY STILES (1:02:30); and KATIE and ANNETTE BELL finishing together in 1:03:40.Ā  This was Katieā€™s first 10K.

They said it was a lovely run, along trails and road, well organised with some nice goodies at the finish.

Coming Events

Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including the:

  • EVAC track and field league match in Stevenage on Wednesday evening 25th April.
  • Serpentine Last Friday 5K on Friday 27th April.
  • Herts County Track and Field Championships on Saturday 12th May.
  • Mid Week Road Race League 10K in Stevenage on Tuesday 15th May.
  • Fairlands Valley Challenge (Off Road) on Sunday 15th July.
  • Relays in the Park (3K legs) on Thursday evening 19th July.
  • County 5K Championships in Stevenage on Sunday 9th September.
  • County 5 Miles Championship in Stevenage on Sunday 23rd September.
  • Stevenage Half Marathon on Sunday 4th November.

Join The Spartans

Live in or near Stevenage?Ā  Like running?Ā  Fairlands Valley Spartans is your local running club and is on the up!Ā  The club was voted the UKā€™s Best Running Club in 2010.Ā  It now has over 400 members and encourages participation by all.Ā  The Spartans have a varied training programme to suit those who want to run 5 kilometres through to full marathons.

The Spartans weekday training sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.Ā  Go along to drama studio next to the gymnastics centre at Marriotts School ā€” a Sports College, Telford Avenue, Stevenage (SG2 0AN) at 7p.m.Ā  Up to five running groups go out on training nights ā€” there will be one to suit you!

The Spartan Starter group starts from Marriotts at 7.30p.m. every Monday (except public holidays) and 7p.m. every Thursday.

Most long Sunday morning training sessions start 9.30a.m. sharp.Ā  Spartan track training sessions are held at Ridlins Athletics Track, Woodcock Road, Stevenage most Saturdays from 9.15a.m.Ā  There are events to enter every Sunday.Ā  Newcomers are very welcome ā€” those who have not done very much running yet might prefer to start with a Thursday, Saturday or Monday session.

Try a few sessions before joining.Ā  Membership is only Ā£27 per year.Ā  Concessions are available.Ā  Membership forms are available on the Spartans website www.fvspartans.org.ukĀ  Please ask if you would like a paper copy.

If you want to know more about the Spartans please contact Jim Brown (01438 354505 or 0793 968 7509), Stephanie Mayfield 01438 815859 or visit their website www.fvspartans.org.uk

E N D S

More from Jim Brown (Press Officer) 01438 354505 / 0793 968 7509 or Stephanie Mayfield (Secretary) 01438 815859

www.fvspartans.org.uk

Categories
5k FVS Handicap

Handicap 5K results – April 2012

Handicap 5K results – Thursday 19th April 2012

A very big well done to everybody who braved the weather last night to take part in the 63rd running of the clubā€™s Handicap 5k.
Thank you to Graham Blackburn, Mike Crowley, Jim Brown and Jayne Pinner for their superb organisation and support at the start and finish, Barry King, Sharon Crowley, Kerry Setterfield and Lee Reynolds for their support for runners around the course, and also to the Starter Group for their vocal encouragement also.Ā  A massive thank you, as always, to Paul Holgate for his organisation, support and work behind the scenes in getting the results out so promptly every month for this club event.

First of the 31 runners to finish was Lyndsey Carlisle to claim her second Handicap 5k victory in a new personal best (PB) time 31:51, 1:40 quicker than her previous PB and 4:39 ahead of handicap. 2nd female, in 3rd place overall, was debutee Louisa Bill in 28:46, 2:29 ahead of handicap, and with Victoria Sealy 3rd lady, in a new PB of 27:33, 53 seconds faster than previously.

Winning man, in 2nd position overall, was newcomer James Cooper in 27:33, 3:26 faster than handicap, with another debutee, Chris Hilton, 2nd male, in 5th position overall, in a new handicap 5k course record time of 16:33, 3 seconds quicker than the previous record, and with Richard Bate 3rd man in a new seasons best (SB) time of 16:57, 5 seconds quicker than previously.

Chris and Richard were also fastest and 2nd fastest runners on the night, with Rob Willis 3rd quickest in a new PB time of 18:31, and with Liam Herbert (18:41 YB) and Steve Williamson (19:11) also inside 20 minutes.

Fastest female was Tracy Pez, equalling her yearā€™s best (YB) time of 22:22, with Maddie Pritchard 2nd quickest in a new YB time 23:21, and with Sarah Pike 3rd fastest in 26:03.

In addition to those already mentioned above, Sarah Sapstead also took 29 seconds off her PB time to 30:05 and Amanda Vickers +0:51 to 36:58, while there were SB times for Steve Pike (+0:05) and James Day (+0:07), and YB times for Selvan Naicker (+0:26), Matthew Holgate (+0:38) and Andy Jay (+0:16).

The difference between the fastest runner and slowest time was 23:22, while the difference between the 2nd runner to cross the finish line and the 30th was only 3:46, and just 2:20 between 3rd-29th, and 77% of finishers crossed the line within 1 minute of their adjusted handicap time (90% within 1:36).

The full results can be found here: Handicap 5K Result 19Apr12

Next up is the first midweek league race, in Stevenage, on Tuesday 15th May, and the Handicap 5kā€™s will return at the end of this yearā€™s MWL in the Summer.

Categories
Calculators Calculators

Calculators

Race time predictor

The following link takes you to the RunnersWorld calculator that predicts your race time from another recent race time at a different distance.Ā  For example, if you are racing a 10K and have recently run a 5K race you can use the 5K time as a means of predicting your 10K time.

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/general/rws-race-time-predictor/1681.html

Training pace calculator

The following RunnersWorld calculator provides you with a range of training paces from a recent race time.

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/general/rws-training-pace-calculator/1676.html

As a general guide, you can quickly calculate paces for workouts and races from your 5K race time.

Long intervals (e.g. Tuesday) ā€” run at 5K pace

Tempo runs (e.g. Tuesday or Thursday continuous) – 5k pace + (30-45 seconds per mile)

Short intervals Ā (e.g.Ā  Saturday track) ā€” 5K pace ā€” (10-15 seconds per mile)

Long runs (e.g. Sundays) ā€” 5K pace+(45 seconds ā€” 1:45 minutes per mile)

Easy runs ā€” 5K pace + 1-2 minutes per mile

10K race ā€” 5KĀ pace + (15-20 seconds per mile)

Half marathon ā€” 5KĀ pace +(45 seconds to one minute per mile)

Marathon ā€” Double your half marathon and add 10-20 minutes

 

Categories
Stretching

Stretching

There is a wide variation in stretches available for post run/training. The following eight-stretch routine is simple to follow and will keep you flexible in all your main running muscles. Follow it after every run or exercise/workout.

Remember:
Ā· Donā€™t stretch cold muscles. Itā€™s far better to stretch after a run than before.
Ā· Do stretch lightly before speed work, after a 10-minute warm-up jog.
Ā· Ease into each stretch: donā€™t bounce or force it.
Ā· After a run, hold each stretch for 30 seconds; repeat once or twice on each leg.

1. Lying hamstring stretch
Keep your upper body relaxed and both legs straight as you pull one leg towards you (illustrated using a band but you can do this stretch by holding behind the knee or calf of your raised leg).

2. Lying gluteal stretch against wall
Keep the ankle of your front leg just below your knee and ensure that youā€™re close enough to the wall for your lower back to be off the floor. As gravity gently brings your lower back towards the floor, youā€™ll feel a stretch in the muscles around the side of your buttocks. Adjust the angle of your hips and front knee to intensify the stretch. If you havenā€™t got a wall to press against then using the arm on the opposite side of the leg bent at right angles, reach through the gap and holding the leg bent at right angles pull that in towards your chest until you feel a stretch in the side of your buttocks.

3. Groin stretch
Hold your feet and gently use your leg muscles to move your knees towards the ground. Keeping a straight back and bringing your feet closer to your body intensifies the stretch.

4. Gastrocnemius (upper calf) stretch
Keep the back leg straight and push the back heel into the ground. Keeping a straight upper body and gently lifting up your hips helps. There shouldnā€™t be much pressure on the front foot. If there is not a wall available then push against an imaginary wall or do the stretch with a partner, face on, pushing against each others shoulders.

5. Soleus (lower calf) stretch
Stand closer to the wall and bend one leg, keeping the foot flat on the floor. You should feel a stretch in your lower calf. Leaning towards the wall intensifies the stretch; there should be little pressure on the other foot. Again, if there is not a wall available then push against an imaginary wall once you have bent into the stretch or do the stretch with a partner, face on, pushing against each others shoulders once you have each bent into the stretch.

6. Iliotibial band stretch
Place one foot around the other, with both feet flat on the ground. Keeping both legs straight, lean your hips towards the side of your rearmost foot (so, if your right foot is rearmost, lean your hips to the right). You should feel the stretch down the outside of your leg and around your hip ā€” if you are very stiff, it may take a few times before you feel anything. If a wall is not available then practice doing this stretch with a partner.

7. Hip flexor stretch
Keep your hips squared forwards and your upper body vertical; slumping forwards reduces the stretch.

 

8. Standing quadriceps stretch

Flex your foot and keep your body straight to maximise the stretch through the front of your leg. You can put one hand on a wall if you need balance.

 

Categories
Mobilisations

Mobility exercises – why do we do them?

A few years ago the chairman of Fairlands Valley Spartans and the Head Coach were having a chat and being mischievous the Head Coach bet the chairman he could get the members to do anything he asked. The Chairman accepted the bet and instructed the Head Coach to get members doing ā€˜ballet exercisesā€™ in public, to this day it was the easiest pint he ever earned…..

But seriously why do we do mobility before all of our sessions?

When running most of the major joints used are synovial joints (or articulating joints) which have a cavity between the bones which make up the joint. The bones are separated by a synovial membrane which secretes fluid when activated.

This fluid acts as a shock absorber and lubricator to the joints, which in turn can help to protect the bones, cartilages and ligaments from damage in the long term.

The fluid isnā€™t released immediately, which is why in a normal session we warm up for approximately 10-15 minutes and then complete the mobility exercises to further stimulate the release of fluid and joint movement, before going into the main session where the hard work is completed.

By completing the exercises you are protecting your joints, helping you to avoid long term damage and remain as injury free as possible.

All the exercises we use are approved by the UKA and when combined with the mobility drills practiced on a Saturday morning at the track, will really help to not only keep you moving for longer but also improve your running form and efficiency.

So contrary to common belief Chris Leigh is not a ballet dancer, he does care about our joints and avoiding injuries, might own a tutu although will always deny it in public!

Andy Prior, Personal Trainer

Categories
Diet and nutrition

Diet and Nutrition – the basics

Diet and Nutrition ā€” some basics

With so many different diets available to us it is easy to chop and change what we eat to try to get a quick fix, which can work in the short term as the body is an amazing machine, but over the long term the Food Standards Agency recommends that we use the ā€˜Eatwell Plateā€™ below to ensure we have a balanced diet.

The plate is divided into the five basic food groups

– Bread, Rice, Potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods

– Fruit and Vegetables

– Milk and dairy foods

– Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non dairy sources of protein

– Foods high in fat and/or sugar

The divisions are the rough percentages of the diet you should consume each day to achieve balance.

Unfortunately just getting the percentages right is not itself sufficient as you also need to consider the volume of what you are eating and drinking.

The term metabolism and energy balance is often used with regard to diet and nutrition and a basic understanding can be useful when considering ā€˜why am I no longer losing weightā€™ or ā€˜why do I run out of energy at the end of a marathonā€™. Metabolism is the range of internal activities that takes place in our bodies and the amount of energy that is required to drive these at rest is known as our ā€˜basal metabolic rateā€™ which is measured in calories. Your BMR is individual, although the general guidelines are 1500 kcal for ladies & 2000 kcal for men, as it is dependent on how much of ā€˜youā€™ there is.Ā  Other factors are our body weight, how active we are and the ratio of fat-free mass to fat mass (body composition). One thing to remember is that fat-free mass (made up of fluids, bones and muscle tissue) are more metabolically active and therefore burn more calories than fat mass.

So what happens if you get the balance of energy used and calories consumed out of balance?

When food is consumed the body converts it to energy, if there is an excess of energy it is stored as fat weight. The key to losing fat weight is to create an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure.

Energy in > Energy out = weight gain

Energy in < energy out = weight loss

Energy in = energy out = weight maintenance

To lose fat weight a deficit needs to be achieved, a rough guide is to lose a pound of fat you need to burn approximately 3500kcal, which is best achieved by a combination of increased activity & reduced calorie intake.

People can get quite hung up on what to eat and when to eat but if you follow these simple guidelines you can concentrate on the training and getting faster;

  • Eat predominantly complex carbohydrates
  • Eat 5-7 portions of fruit and vegetables
  • Moderate intakes of protein
  • Restrict intakes of food containing high levels of saturated fat and sugar
  • Drink at least 2 litres of fluid a day
  • Reduce salt intake
  • Foods high in fat and sugar are not essential to a healthy diet (but do taste nice)
  • Most people learn when to eat by trial and error, keep a diary and try different times to see how it affects performance.

But the most important thing is whatever you do, to have fun doing it and smile a lot!!

Andy Prior, Personal Trainer

Categories
Club News

NEWS RELEASE: CHARLIE IS CiRF’d

Over the weekend (14th/15th April) our Assistant Head Coach,Ā Charlie Paterson, put the finishing touches to the Coach in Running and Fitness (CiRF) course by passing through the assessment phase.Ā  This now means that Charlie is CiRF qualified and a ‘fully fledged’ coach within the coaching team.Ā  The course is particularly demanding, requiring a commitment to attend workshops over two weekends as well as building up a comprehensive coaching diary with training plans and relective notes.Ā  The course is completed with a written test and practical assessment.Ā  Congratulations to Charlie!

Categories
Race Preparation

Race Preparation

As the saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail!!!

Nothing is truer with racing. Hereā€™s the ideal approach:

The day before the race

1. The most important thing to remember is to relax.

2. Prepare all your race kit .If you have your number already, pin it to the front of your race T-shirt. Double-check the start time and travel directions.

3. Decide on a race plan. If youā€™re aiming for a specific time, work out your target mile splits for the race. Choose even splits or a slightly faster second half. Copy the splits upside down onto your number, or keep the plan with your kit and copy it onto your forearm when you arrive at the race.

4. Drink plenty (but steer clear of alcohol). (You can use the urine test! It should be almost clear if you are properly hydrated). Have two glasses of water when you get up, and carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go. Have a tried-and tested pre-run supper, and if itā€™s a long race (half-marathon or more), take special care to eat plenty of low-fat, high-carbohydrate food during the day, such as bread and pasta. But donā€™t get bloated.

5. Donā€™t plan a day of hectic shopping, gardening, or anything else that will keep you on your feet for most of the day. Just relax.

On the morning of the race

1. Start with a shower to wake you up.

2. Drink 500-750ml of water to replace any fluids you have lost overnight.

3. Make sure you have breakfast. Your body will have burnt 400-600 calories overnight. These need to be replaced with easily digested foods (porridge, bread and honey or jam). Avoid anything greasy, heavy or that you know from experience leaves you bloated.

4. Head to the race. Aim to arrive 60 minutes before the start ā€” just remember to factor in plenty of time if there may be parking difficulties or you have to collect your race number. This will give you time to use the loo, get changed, drop off your kit bag, find the start line, and warm up.

5. About 25 minutes before the race starts, do an easy jog to warm up. Try to remember that your warm-up should be inversely proportional to the race distance i.e. if you are racing a 5K then a 2 min jog is not enough whereas racing a half marathon may only require a light jog to the start as you can use the opening of the race to ease up to your race pace.

In the race

1. Donā€™t go off too fast. If youā€™ve made a pace chart of your mile splits, make sure that you follow it.

2. If things start to go wrong, donā€™t worry ā€” just ease down and assess how you actually feel.

3. Walk through the drinks stations to ensure that you hydrate properly. For races over 10 miles, consider taking energy gels to restock your energy reserves (but practice using them in training first).

4. Enjoy the work. This will sound strange, but even if youā€™re having a slow race, have fun. There will always be more races on other days.

5. Only speed up in the last mile (1-2km) for a 5K, two miles (3km) for a 10K, and three miles for a half-marathon.

 

Categories
Race Tactics

Race Tactics

Some race tactics can be prepared well in advance but often you will need to respond to situations as they unfold, such as a competitor making an unexpected surge. You can practice stressful tactical moves in training workouts and mentally rehearse tactical possibilities so that you are more prepared for various situations that can arise in races. Here are a series of additional tactical points to consider in your racing and preparations:

One option is to pace to run your best time and be confident this will be good enough to beat your main competitors. This wonā€™t exactly pit you in racing duels but can be the most effective way to compete for many of us;

Take the lead from the start, whether leading the entire race or just the set of competitors you are pitting yourself against. You can push for the first part of a race, say the first mile, before easing into a pace you can handle to protect the lead you have established. This tactic can undermine your competitors confidence and boost your own. This tactic is not without risk because it demands that you can break away and maintain that lead without faltering during the remainder of the race. You can adapt this tactic by forging ahead early on in a race but without pushing ā€˜all outā€™ and aim to wear down your competitors over a longer period of the race.

You can run with your competitors and look to push on ahead of them at a key part of the race. This could be at a particularly challenging point, for example on a hill, where the sight of you passing them and holding a lead can be a psychological killer blow. You need to practice putting in these surges as part of your training. The best opportunities for this are either in interval sessions or on fartlek runs. Start the session using a fast but controlled pace and somewhere in the middle of the session put in a faster interval. You can then finish the session pushing through with the remaining reps, feeling tired, to mimic the finishing conditions of a race.

Responding to a surge ā€” if your competitor puts in a surge during a race then you will need to be ready to respond. Try mentally tossing out a line to them and gradually pull them back into contact. Resist the temptation to go all out by responding immediately and donā€™t panic or give up. Try and remain calm and consider how you will respond by gradually increasing your pace and drawing them back in.

Remember to adjust your tactics for different race distances. The tactics you use in a 5K race will not necessarily service you well in a half marathon. In a 5K race you need to be in contact with your competitors from the start whereas a half marathon distance gives you longer to respond to gaps that emerge between yourself and your competitors.

Don’t let others psych you out! Focus on yourself and what you need to do rather than letting others get into your head! Remember, you run the race with your legs and not your mouth!

Try running as part of a pack in the race. You can use other runners in this way to hold or push your pace, use them as a wind break or help you up hills.

Use runners as tow ropes ā€” drop in behind someone who passes you and stay with the pace as long as possible. If you have to let go, take a break and then try to hook up with another runner.

Set passing goals – set yourself small goals of passing runners as the race progresses. See how many runners you can catch over the second half of a race, for example. You can play games with yourself by keeping a mental score – +1 for each runner you pass and -1 for each runner that overtakes you. By setting yourself scoring targets in final sections of races you can also help this to hold your concentration on the race and get the best out of your performance

Donā€™t get bogged down with the ā€˜pecking order syndromeā€™. If you analyse your competition and work out that you should be placed behind certain runners than that is what is likely to happen. Challenge the pecking order ā€” dare yourself to move up to a new level!

Experience of racing will give you a greater understanding of what works for you in different situations. Practice different situations in training so that you are better prepared but donā€™t forget ā€” donā€™t leave your race in the training session! (i.e. donā€™t over cook your training so that you are spent for that big race coming up).

 

Categories
Club News

NEWS RELEASE: 15TH APRIL 2012, IRIS & STEVE WIN TRACK & FIELD


IRIS AND STEVE WIN TRACK AND FIELD

Fast at Flitwick

IRIS HORNSEY and STEVE MAYFIELD were the winners at a chilly Fairlands Valley Spartans Track and Field Championships on Sunday afternoon.Ā  There were even the odd hail storms at the event which was kindly hosted by Stevenage and North Herts AC as part of their meeting at Ridlins.Ā  Several Spartans were taking part in Track & Field for the first time since schooldays and everybody enjoyed the event.Ā  Each athlete completed a sprint, a middle distance event, a jump and a throw and the results wereĀ  age adjusted and then points awarded.Ā  Following on from her recent National Masters Indoor Titles, IRIS HORNSEY won the Womens event with MONICA BROWN second and TESSA STEPHENSON third.

In the menā€™s event STEVE MAYFIELD finished just ahead of DAVE STEPHENSON with BILL TUCK third.

The scoring system was based on taking the performance, age grading it and then using tables to provide a points score for each event.Ā  Points were added up for the four events and the person with the highest total wins.

Overall the results were as follows:

Women – Iris Hornsey 314; Monica Brown 308; Tessa Stephenson 301; Julie Simmons 240; Sharon Crowley 236; Steph Mayfield 195 and Jo Laing 182.

Men ā€” Steve Mayfield 337; Dave Stephenson 329; Bill Tuck 306; Andy Neatham 305; Kieran Feetham 272; Paul Holgate 237; Mark Cheadle 208; Simon Harris 147 and Matthew Holgate 43.

Ā 

Fast at Flitwick

Fourteen Spartans were at the Flitwick 10K on Sunday.Ā  For some it was a last bit of preparation before the London Marathon.Ā  The Spartan runners included PHIL GALE (54th in 40:35); MATT JAMIESON (158th in 44:50); TRACY PEZ (213th in 46:28); CRAIG SNOWDEN (320th in 49:26); DAN SIMS running his first 10K (324th in 49:55); RICHARD MOORE (326th in 49:35); PAUL HOLGATE (451st in 53:33); NICK WITCOMBE (478th in 54:15); KAREN PALMER (521st in 55:35); JOHN WILDEN (576th in 56:33); TONY OSBORNE was running his first road race since June 2011 and was the fifth ā€œVet 70ā€ (659th in 60:23); KERRY SETTERFIELD (728th in 64:15); LEE MORRIS (782nd in 68:58) and HELEN MORRIS (783rd in 68:59).

Ā 

Brighton Rocks for Carol

CAROL PAUL ran her second marathon in six days at Brighton after running her best time (4:15:40) since November 2008 at Utrecht, Holland the previous week.Ā  She ran the Brighton Marathon in windy over cast conditions in a time of 4 hours 18 minutes 4 seconds.

 

Two Inaugurals for Roger

On Sunday ROGER BIGGS ran the inaugural Worcester Marathon in 4 hours 4 minutes 54 seconds.Ā  It was on a hilly two lap course in sunny but cold conditions.Ā  Last week he ran the inaugural Humberside Marathon in 4 hours 6 minutes 58 seconds.

Ā 

Cambourne for Dania

DANIA HEATH ran the Cambourne 10K in Cambridgeshire on Sunday in 58 minutes 26 seconds (620th).Ā  RHIANNON HOWE was 890th in 66:51.Ā  There were 1,001 finishers.

 

Ā 

Andrenalin War

MARC GREEN completed the Andrenalin War army assault course 10k on the Dunstable Downs on Saturday.Ā  Rope swings, tubes, netting, slides, see-saws, balance bars and hills did not stop Marc finishing in an excellent 54.30

 

Bests for Grant and Liam

Ā 

LIAM HERBERT, GRANT RAMSAY and DON GREGORY ran the Victoria Park Open Five with a fleet of exceptional runners.Ā  To put it into perspective, the winning time was 23 minutes 28 seconds and the fastest woman crossed the line in 27:04.

Both ran new personal bests (PB).

Liamā€™s PB time of 30 minutes 28 seconds represented an improvement of 2 minutes 59 seconds, coming off the back of last weekend’s improvement over 10K.Ā  He was delighted to take approximately 3 minutes off his last 5 mile personal best time which was set at the same race last year (33:27).Ā  Just goes to show what a difference a year, and being coached to run the distance specifically, makes.Ā  Liam placed 76th out of 174 finishers.Ā  This was his second personal best in six days and third PB of the year.

Meanwhile Grant Ramsay finished in a superb time of 27 minutes 37 seconds.Ā  That he was 34th shows the quality of the entries.Ā  He improved his PB by ten seconds.

Don Gregory was 110th in 35m 41s.

There was a bit of a head-wind which meant the long expansive flats around the park dragged and that was off-putting.Ā  All in all, it was a great fast competitive course and he look forward to returning back there for a third attempt in 2013.Ā  Well worth the trip to Hackney.

Ā 

First Saturday

Spartan JOHN HARRIS was fifth overall in the North Herts First Saturday of the Month 5K with a time of 19 minutes 17 seconds ā€” a new seasonā€™s best.

Ā 

Ultra Ladies

On Saturday (7th) Sharon Crowley,Trica Hopper and Karen Liddle took on the challenge of ‘The Bedford Clanger’ a 28 mile ultra trail marathon around the Bedfordshire countryside.Ā  They were all delighted to finish in 5 hours 55 minutes 7 seconds.

Karen and Tricia then completed another 21 miles in training on Sunday as they continued their preparations for the 70 mile Hadrian’s Wall weekend event in June.

 

Carolā€™s Best Marathon Since 2008

CAROL PAUL did the Utrecht Marathon in Holland on Sunday and ran her best time since November 2008.Ā Ā  She completed the flat, wet and windy race in 4 hours 15 minutes 40 seconds.

 

Running, Jumping, Throwing

Spartan MATTHEW HOLGATE enjoyed a great day at the Olympic Challenge organised by Stevenage and North Hertfordshire Athletics Club.Ā  He threw the shot putt 4.44 metres; achieved 1.30 metres in the long jump and ran the 100 metres in 20.38 seconds.

 

Dozens of Spartans will be running the London Marathon and dozens more will be helping at the finish.Ā  Without the volunteers the London Marathon could not take place.

Coming Events

Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including the:

  • Handicap 5K in Stevenage on Thursday evening 19th April.
  • London Marathon on Sunday 22nd April.
  • EVAC track and field in Stevenage on Wednesday 25th April.
  • Serpentine Last Friday 5K on Friday 27th April.
  • Mid Week Road Race League 10K in Stevenage on Tuesday 15th May.
  • Fairlands Valley Challenge (Off Road) on Sunday 15th July.
  • Relays in the Park on Thursday evening 19th July.
  • County 5K Championships in Stevenage on Sunday 9th September.
  • County 5 Miles Championship in Stevenage on Sunday 23rd September.
  • Stevenage Half Marathon on Sunday 4th November.

 

Join The Spartans

Live in or near Stevenage?Ā  Like running?Ā  Fairlands Valley Spartans is your local running club and is on the up!Ā  The club was voted the UKā€™s Best Running Club in 2010.Ā  It now has over 430 members and encourages participation by all.Ā  The Spartans have a varied training programme to suit those who want to run 5 kilometres through to full marathons.

The Spartans weekday training sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.Ā  Now the clocks have changed they will be even more popular.Ā  Go along to drama studio next to the gymnastics centre at Marriotts School ā€” a Sports College, Telford Avenue, Stevenage (SG2 0AN) at 7p.m.Ā  Up to five running groups go out on training nights ā€” there will be one to suit you!

The Spartan Starter group starts from Marriotts at 7.30p.m. every Monday (except public holidays) and 7p.m. every Thursday.Ā 

Most long Sunday morning training sessions start 9.30a.m. sharp.Ā  Spartan track training sessions are held at Ridlins Athletics Track, Woodcock Road, Stevenage most Saturdays from 9.15a.m.Ā  There are events to enter every Sunday.Ā  Newcomers are very welcome ā€” those who have not done very much running yet might prefer to start with a Thursday, Saturday or Monday session.

Try a few sessions before joining.Ā  Membership is only Ā£27 per year.Ā  Concessions are available.Ā  Membership forms are available on the Spartans website www.fvspartans.org.ukĀ  Please ask if you would like a paper copy.

If you want to know more about the Spartans please contact Jim Brown (01438 354505 or 0793 968 7509), Stephanie Mayfield 01438 815859 or visit their website www.fvspartans.org.uk

 

 

E N D SĀ 

More from Jim Brown (Press Officer) 01438 354505 / 0793 968 7509 or Stephanie Mayfield (Secretary) 01438 815859

www.fvspartans.org.uk

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Tempo Training

Tempo training

What are they?

Tempo runs are the simplest of all speed workouts. Just warm up, run at a challenging, steady pace you can hold for the set distance and then cool down. They are also known as lactate, anaerobic or fatigue threshold runs. When you go above your threshold, lactic acid builds up, breathing becomes laboured, running form gets ragged, muscles tense and tighten as fatigue sets in. With tempo runs, you train close to your threshold without exceeding it. As a result, youā€™ll raise it, enabling you to run faster and farther before fatigue sets in. Holding a tough enough pace is the key to performance.

Tempo runs offer many advantages. Although your lactate threshold can be improved with shorter, faster intervals, tempo runs allow for a higher quantity of threshold training per workout, and at safer speeds. Since the pace of tempo runs is not as hard as other types of speed training, recovery is quicker and injury less likely. Its less stressful than intervals. Tempo running by its nature is controlled so it guards against the tendency to train as hard as you can. Tempo training will help you develop a feel for even pace (hence the term ā€˜tempoā€™) so youā€™ll run more evenly in races.

Tempo pacing

The key to tempo training is to strike the correct balance between speed and mileage. You should be aiming to complete runs (after warm up) between 3 to 5 miles at a challenging pace that you can hold for that distance. You can judge the required pace by ā€˜perceived exertionā€™. You should be running hard enough for breathing to become faster but you should not be gasping for air. Tempo pace will put you in a two strides-in, one stride-out rhythm for your breathing.Ā  If you are breathing in and out with each stride then you are going at interval pace, so slow down! You should be able to think clearly and talk, but not in full sentences. You should be running in some discomfort but not so much so that it causes you to bring your run to an abrupt end. Tempo pace is usually approximately 15 to 30 seconds per mile slower than your 10K pace or 30 to 45 seconds slower than your 5K pace. If using a heart rate monitor the training should be at approximately 85% of maximum heart rate. A quick and easy rule to use is that of the ā€™20:20ā€™. Most runners will get a great deal of benefit from a 20 minute tempo run ran at 20 seconds per miles slower than their 10K pace.

You wonā€™t get it right first time! Practice is the key until you find the pace that you can maintain throughout the tempo run that is hard enough for you to get the benefits in respect to your lactate threshold.

You can run tempo runs anywhere. They can be, for example, completed off road or even on a treadmill. Just ensure you follow the pattern of (i) adequate warm up (ii) timed tempo run with a focus on pace and form and (iii) adequate cool down.

 

Categories
Hill training

Hill training

 

Hill Training has a strengthening effect as well as boosting your power. In hill running, you are using your body weight as a resistance to push against, so the driving muscles from which your leg power is derived have to work harder. The technique to aim for is a “bouncy” style where you have a good knee lift and maximum range of movement in the ankle. You should aim to drive hard, pushing upwards with your toes, flexing your ankle as much as possible, landing on the front part of the foot and then letting the heel come down below the level of the toes as the weight is taken. This stretches the calf muscles upwards and downwards as much as possible and applies resistance which over time will improve your power and elasticity. You should look straight ahead, as you run (not at your feet) and ensure your neck, shoulders and arms are free of tension. Many experts believe that the “bouncy” action is more important than the speed at which you run up the hills. Hill work results in the calf muscles learning to contract more quickly and thereby generating work at a higher rate, they become more powerful. The calf muscle achieves this by recruiting more muscle fibres, around two or three times as many when compared to running on the flat. The “bouncy” action also improves the power of the quads in the front of the thigh as they provide the high knee lift that is required. It can also mean higher running speeds and shorter foot strike times. Hill training offers the following benefits:

– helps develop power and muscle elasticity
– improves stride frequency and length
– develops co-ordination, encouraging the proper use of arm action during the driving phase and feet in the support phase
– develops control and stabilisation as well as improved speed (downhill running)
– promotes strength endurance
– develops maximum speed and strength (short hills)
– improves lactate tolerance (mixed hills)

Donā€™t blast up hills in the early part of your workout as this can stop you working through subsequent miles. The idea is to run constantly at a hard but not super fast speed. You should not feel like you are racing but as though you are running just slightly slower than your lactate threshold. Alternatively, if you are using a heart rate monitor this should be at around 85% of maximum during at least the last two-thirds of your run. The benefits of short, medium and long hills are quite different, and can be used at different times of the year.

Short hills

A short hill is one which takes no more that 30 seconds to run up and has an inclination between 5 and 15 degrees gradient. Your energy source on short hills is entirely anaerobic. You should focus on a running technique which has vigorous arm drive and high knee lift, with the hips kept high, so that they are ‘running tall’, not leaning forwards. The session is anaerobic so the recovery time can be long, a walk back down the hill, or a slow jog of 60 to 90 seconds. The total volume (number of repetitions) will depend on your overall fitness and the reason for doing it. A sprinter looking for strength might do 10 repetitions of 15 second duration up a steep slope with a long recovery where as a distance runner who is trying to improve sprinting speed might do 30 repetitions of 15 seconds duration. Example of short hill sessions:

– 8 to 10 repetitions over 50 metres (sprinters)
– 8 to 10 repetitions over 150 metres (middle distance athletes)
– 8 to 10 repetitions over 200 metres (long distance athletes)

Medium hills

A medium hill is one that takes between 30 to 90 seconds to run up. This is the length of hill that is a good distance for the middle-distance runner, because it combines the benefits of the short hills with the stresses on muscular endurance and tolerance of lactic acid. Use a hill as steep as one in six to one in ten, so that you can run at something near race pace. The energy source is both aerobic and anaerobic and you will experience the build up in blood lactate as you go further up the hill. A run up a hill combination along Martins Way in Stevenage, for example. Scuttling up the hill with a short stride and forward lean may be the best way to get up in a race, but in training, we are trying to develop particular qualities. It is better, therefore, to go for a longer stride and higher knee lift: running tall with the hips pushed forwards, keeping the back upright. Generally volume will depend on overall objectives again but a session of between 8 to 12 reps of 60 seconds is suitable with a slow jog back to the bottom for recovery.

Long hills

A long hill is one which takes from 90 seconds to three minutes plus. Here most of the energy comes from aerobic sources, but if parts of the hill are steep and you are running them hard, there will still be an accumulation of blood lactate. There will be muscular fatigue in the leg muscles, and possibly in the abdominal muscles too, but the main limiting factor will be your cardiovascular system. As these hill sessions are aerobic, you will not use as much power per stride as the shorter hills. They are particularly good for the cross country or road runner who is running distances of 10,000m and upwards. A session of, say eight times three minutes, with a run back of four or five minutes will make a good hard workout.

Mixed hill running

The attraction of mixed hill training is that it can be fitted in with the terrain you are running on and can, therefore, be interesting and full of variety. Two advantages can come from this type of hill training:

– Race simulation. It is a good principle to rehearse in training the situations you are likely to meet in a race, such as trying to break open a gap by running hard over the top of a hill and keeping the pace going instead of easing up, as many runners do.
– Downhill running. This is something that often causes jarring and strains. Repeated fast downhill runs are not advised but you should practice them within a mixed hills session to find the most relaxed way of running downhill without strain (see the section below on downhill running for further details on the appropriate running style).

Mixed hill running can also be used to improve running economy and boost your VO2 max level. A typical mixed hills session would be over a six or seven mile undulating hilly course, starting the session jogging at a modest pace and gradually picking up the intensity as you move through the hills.

Downhill running

For most races you spend as much time going down hills as you spend going up them so it makes sense to practice running down hills, even just a little. Used with caution, downhill training can be very beneficial, strengthening the quads and preparing them for the uphill training and racing you will be doing. A runner going down a hill can experience as much as 40 per cent more leg shock than on the flats so it pays to take care in your downhill training. The trick is to develop a feel for good downhill running form by practising it until it becomes subconscious to relax and almost throw yourself downhill at quick paces. That is not to say throw yourself recklessly down hills! For optimum downhill running your body should be perpendicular to the ground and relaxed. That is leaning forward by exactly the slope of the hill. This not only helps gravity give you forward momentum but it ensures that each stride carries you parallel to the running surface rather than bouncing you jarringly up and down. Avoid leaning backwards because this will result in a braking action, increasing impact through your legs and will lead to greater impact through your joints, particularly the knees. It also wastes a great deal of energy and speed.

Kenyan Hills

This is a method of running a series of up and down hill efforts using a constant effort. Unlike their European and American counterparts who tended to blast up hills and use the downhill sections to recover, the Kenyans would train using a constant effort through the ups and downs. This meant that they were not necessarily climbing hills at such a quick rate but were in better form during the downhill sections and achieved better pace overall. Kenyan hills training consists of finding a series of hills and running these as a series of repetitions, usually over a total timed effort e.g. 20 or 30 minutes. The training takes a degree of discipline in order to ensure that the whole session is run at a constant effort, holding back slightly in the uphill sections and using good downhill form (see above) to keep up the pace. These can be tough sessions because there is no perception of a recovery period throughout it if they are completed correctly but they have huge benefits in training the muscles for the hill repeats as well as the mind and body into maintaining a good, consistent running form and pace.

Categories
Mental Training

Mental training

Mental TrainingĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 

Tips for fighting off fatigue and pain

Fatigue and pain limit performance.Ā  The following are some mental tricks that you can play on yourself to keep your mind occupied just at a time when it is searching for reasons to concede to distress!Ā  You canā€™t outrun fatigue but the idea is that you can bluff your way through it.

1. Recognise any discomfort and talk your way through it (not out aloud otherwise you may get locked up!).

2. At the first sign of any discomfort or fatigue heighten your awareness in that area.Ā  If you feel tightness, for example, in your quads late in a race tighten those muscles momentarily and then let go.Ā  This reduces anxiety, helping fight off fatigue with relaxation.

3. Try repeating a relaxation slogan such as ā€˜calm, calm, calmā€™ if you feel fatigue or discomfort setting in.Ā  Find a slogan or set of words that work for you and be ready to use them at key points in your runs.

4. Control discomfort by use of controlled breathing.Ā  If you are struggling focus on deep, steady breathing.Ā  This relaxes you so that you are able to concentrate on effort, not pain.

5. Practice talking to yourself!!Ā  Remind yourself how well you have trained for this race, how much you have been through, the milestones you have achieved on the way etc.Ā  Experiment and find what works for you.

6. Segmenting a race into chunks.Ā  Try counting down distances rather than clocking them up.Ā  In a 10K work down the remaining distance so that you are coming closer and closer to the end of the race rather than thinking you have completed 2,3,4 and then 5 miles etc.Ā  Setting time targets for each mile and then banking those before moving on the next one is another technique you can adopt.

Go on and give it a go.Ā  What have you got to lose????

Visualisation

This is a fancy word for daydreaming.Ā  The difference is that rather than letting your mind wander, you take conscious control and entertain only thoughts that will help your running.Ā  Memorise what it feels like to run correctly then replay that memory over and over again, concentrating on rhythm and flow of good form.Ā  If nothing else, this should make it easier to distinguish good form from bad in actual workouts.Ā  Visualisation is a great technique to use in race preparation runs and then races themselves.Ā  It aids your focus and optimises your ability to perform at your best.Ā  However, just like running itself you need to train your mind to make the most of visualisation.Ā  Try it in lower key training sessions and perfect it before key races.

Crushing those negative thoughts

As runners we will come across a wide range of situations where negative thoughts and self doubts creep into our heads.Ā  The result is impact on our performance and disappointments.Ā  Here are some common scenarios with tips on how to deal with them:

Scenario – Pre-race nerves tend to get the best of you

SolutionĀ  – Laugh it off. The butterflies can stike on the night before a race or on the way there.Ā  What we call nerves is actually heightened adrenaline. If you are really nervous before a race you will spend an excessive amount of mental energy thinking about it. If you suffer from race day nerves turn your attention to something that will elicit a completely different emotion.Ā  For example, download your favourite comedy moment to your phone and play it before you race.Ā  Laughing helps restore emotional balance and reduces stress.

Scenario – You always struggle with hills

Solution – picture yourself. get a running partner to take a picture of you running up a hill.Ā  Smile broadly as if you are loving it! (even if you are not!)Ā  Save the picture as a screensaver or home page and every time you use your phone/mobile device you will see yourself running the hill and loving it!

Scenario – you’ve hit a racing or training plateau

Solution – get your head in the books. Take comfort in the fact that the very best athletes go through periods where they struggle to reach their performance potential.Ā  Read up on famous athletes who have coped with challenges over the course of their career.Ā  Learn from the best and get inspiration!

Scenario – you want to give up during a race

Solution – stick it on!Ā  Think of a time when you have wnated to give up but have stuck at it and seen it through.Ā  Write down those thoughts on a post it pad with comments as to what you did to overcome the challenge.Ā  Stick the note inside your running shoes. The note will be there every time you go training.

Categories
Fitness Tests

Multistage fitness test or ‘Bleep Test’

Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 

Multistage Fitness Test or ā€˜Bleep Testā€™Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 

The test has become recognised as one of the most popular and valid tests of aerobic fitness and can be used to estimate a personā€™s maximum oxygen uptake, or VO2 max[1].

Maximum oxygen uptake has been shown to increase with appropriate training.Ā  However, for an individual a large component part of their VO2 max level is determined genetically so improvements will reach a ceiling level.Ā  The most accurate way of measuring VO2 max levels is in a laboratory but this involves the use of expertise and specialised equipment.Ā  The bleep test is a means of obtaining an approximate VO2 max level for individuals through the use of a simple test that requires very little equipment.

The Test

The person carrying out the test has to carry out a series of shuttle runs between two lines exactly 20 metres apart, keeping in time with a series of audio signals (or bleeps).Ā  The timing begins very slowly but becomes progressively faster each minute so that it becomes harder to maintain the set pace.Ā  When the running speed increases at the start of each minute the test enters a new level.Ā  The runner stops when he or she can no longer maintain the running speed and his or her score is recorded as the final level and number of shuttles completed (for example, 4 shuttles completed on level 9, 10 shuttles on level 11 and so on).Ā  This score is then used to obtain a VO2 max estimate from the table below and also can be used as a reference point against which future changes can be monitored.

Prior to carrying out the test runners should carry out a thorough warm up and mobilisation programme so that their bodies are ready for the test conditions.

Table of predicted VO2 max for the Multistage Fitness Test
Fairlands Valley Spartans overall summary of results

[1] A personā€™s maximum oxygen uptake value represents the maximum amount of oxygen which can be extracted from the external environment (the air breathed in) and transported to the working muscles.Ā  This is measured in millimetres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute.

Categories
Routes & Session Plans Routes and Session Plans

Routes and Session Plans

Tuesday

Autumn/Winter training routes

Route E 5.8miles
Route H 7.4miles
Route I 7.4miles
Route J 8.1miles
Route K 8.1miles

Thursday

Starter Group 3mile

ā€˜Technicalā€™ sessions
200m shuttles
300m intervals
400m intervals
600m intervals
800m intervals
1000m intervals
1mile intervals

Speed endurance

30, 45, 60 seconds hills

Sunday

Less than 9 miles

5 mile circuit from Marriotts
Graveley loop
5mile circuit from Lytton Arms Old Knebworth
5mile circular route through Aston
6.2miles from John Henry Newman
Chesfield Loop 5miles
John Henry Newman to Great Wymondley loop 6miles
Knebworth loop from Fairlands Valley Showground 8miles

9 to 15 miles

10mile Hitchin loop
10mile circuit from the Lytton Arms
13mile fitness run
14.5miler
11mile circuit of Royston Heath
10mile Aston/Bennington via the Village Hall
11mile Circuit from Sharpenhoe Clappers through Streatley
10mile JHN to Preston
11.5mile Knebworth/Nup End/Shaws Corner
11mile Minsden Chapel
10mile Old Knebworth, Nup End, Codicote and Rabley Heath
10mile Pirton/Hexton
11mile Weston and Halls Green
11.5mile Willian and Weston Hills

Over 15 miles

18mile round trip of Stevenage
17.5miles SMT Cromer Windmill circuit
18 miles Hitchin/St Ippolitts/Gosmore/Preston

Off road

10mile Graveley and Willian
Bragbury End/Beane Valley loop (10.1 miles)
Willian Cross Country circuit (5.5 miles) ā€“ an additonal 5-6 miles can be added by running from JS Coreys Mill, Stevenage through Graveley and back
Weston loop via Roman Road (9.87 miles)

Categories
Club Motivation News

Spartan Jukebox!

GET MOTIVATED WITH MUSIC

We need your help to top-up our Spartan jukebox!

Getting out and training is one thing, but what helps to motivate you to start your run and to want to keep on going?

You might have a target time or distance in your head, but getting from start to finish might seem like a bit of a chore.

Running to a beat or musical tempo might help you to maintain your tempo pace and to spur you on until the very end!!!

Many runners regularly take out an iPod or MP3 player with them on a solo run. Of course, we ask our club runners NOT to bring these to training as wearing earphones mean that you will not be able to hear our coaches’ instructions and warnings relating to oncoming traffic, pedestrians or hazards. Similarly, most race organisers ban the use of personal MP3 players from their events for very much the same reason.

Enjoy listening to, and running to, music in our own time as we understand that it does have benefits but just be careful out there! šŸ™‚

You may have noticed that we have placed a Spotify Music Player on the home page of this website. It holds a list of songs which we hope we motivate you to get out there and run. Give them a good listen if you ever need inspiration before that next long training run.

We are going to compile regular play-lists of YOUR favourite motivational running songs, so we need your input!

If you would like to share your musical choices with the rest of the club, please write a comment on this page and we’ll do our best to include them in an upcoming play-list!

Or if you have made your own complete playlist on Spotify, even better!
Please make sure that the playlist is ‘published’ and then copy and paste the Spotify URI into a new comment and I will update the widget so we can all hear your motivational music. If you have any anything to say about the songs themselves, please include them in your comment.

If you need help doing this, let me know (generally all you need to do is create a new playlist and then right click on that playlist in the menu bar on the right, and select ‘copy Spotify URI’). I’ll alternate the playlists so that everyone gets a go!

Our current play-list for April 2012 includes the following contributions from our members:

To get you motivated, we asked ‘PB Machine’ Liam Herbert to share (and talk through) some of his favourite running songs, so over to Liam:

  1. The Launch – DJ Jean (get way to get to ‘launch’ yourself off at the start of your run. A classic song which builds nicely as you settle into your pace)
  2. Good Luck – Basement Jaxx (dance songs motivate me to run more than any other genre … and Basement Jaxx are fantastic at this! This song remind me that I’ve only just set out but to keep my focus on the road/cycle path and to continue working hard)
  3. We Speak No Americano – Yolanda Be Cool (possibly my favourite dance song at the moment – only slightly behind on trends! Love the quirkiness of the bouncy beat which really makes me want to shuffle on)
  4. Lose Control – Missy Elliott (this song sounds like some sort of deranged video game and generates a great hard base beat to get me to push on)
  5. Morning After Dark – Timbaland (yes this is the hip-hop section of my run! Another song with electronica influences and a crazy BPM to try to get up with!)
  6. SexyBack – Justin Timberlake (a drop in speed on this, but this song has an almost mechanical consistency which helps when I feel like I’m dropping off the pace ever so slightly … by making me remember the need to maintain a consistent pace)
  7. Sandstorm – Darude (firmly back into classic danceĀ  music territory, this is a great number for that part of the run where you have been going well but feel the need to explode out and increase your pace. Energetic!)
  8. Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) – Backstreet Boys (the optimal boy-band to run along to! Not as full-on as some of the earlier dance numbers, but catchy sing-a-long lyrics are great for keeping your mind off of the evitable fatigue you feel as you get towards the end of your run)
  9. Fireflies – Owl City (the pace is slowing down, but you don’t want to drop off completely. This song had a ploddy beat but explodes back up in the chorus. Almost time to wind down and wrap up a good training run…)
  10. Porcelain – Moby (my premier cool-down track. Its keeps a strong beat to remind you to keeping moving and not to stop immediately at the end of your run. The song is also very pretty and relaxing and gives me a great calming assurance that I’ve just enjoyed a great run).

Can you do better than this? If so, post a comment and let us know the song(s) that get you motivated!

Soooo get your groove on Spartans, and share some beautiful sounds! šŸ˜‰

Our current play-list. Give it a listen!!!

Please note that you will need to have the Spotify software installed on your PC before you can use this feature. You can download it for FREE by following the instructions in the box below.
[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:user:1122177190:playlist:03cMAIbwLkiwkY4JF3VFkn”]

Categories
Club News

News Release: 8th April 2012, Bests for Grant & Liam

BESTS FOR GRANT AND LIAM

Ultra Women

LIAM HERBERT and GRANT RAMSAY ran Saturdayā€™s Victoria Park Open Five with a fleet of exceptional runners.Ā  To put it into perspective, the winning time was 23 minutes 28 seconds and the fastest woman crossed the line in 27:04.

Both ran new personal bests (PB).

Liamā€™s PB time of 30 minutes 28 seconds represented an improvement of 2 minutes 59 seconds, coming off the back of last weekend’s improvement over 10K.Ā  He was delighted to take approximately 3 minutes off his last 5 mile personal best time which was set at the same race last year (33:27).Ā  Just goes to show what a difference a year, and being coached to run the distance specifically, makes.Ā  Liam placed 76th out of 174 finishers.Ā  This was his second personal best in six days and third PB of the year.

Meanwhile GRANT RAMSAY finished in a superb time of 27 minutes 37 seconds.Ā  That he was 34th shows the quality of the entries.Ā  He improved his PB by ten seconds.

There was a bit of a head-wind which meant the long expansive flats around the park dragged and that was off-putting.Ā  All in all, it was a great fast competitive course and he look forward to returning back there for a third attempt in 2013.Ā  Well worth the trip to Hackney.

First Saturday

Spartan JOHN HARRIS was fifth overall in the North Herts First Saturday of the Month 5K with a time of 19 minutes 17 seconds ā€” a new seasonā€™s best.

Ultra Ladies

On Saturday (7th) Sharon Crowley,Trica Hopper and Karen Liddle took on the challenge of ‘The Bedford Clanger’ a 28 mile ultra trail marathon around the Bedfordshire countryside.Ā  They were all delighted to finish in 5 hours 55 minutes 7 seconds.

Karen and Tricia then completed another 21 miles in training on Sunday as they continued their preparations for the 70 mile Hadrian’s Wall weekend event in June.

Running, Jumping, Throwing

Spartan MATTHEW HOLGATE enjoyed a great day at the Olympic Challenge organised by Stevenage and North Hertfordshire Athletics Club.Ā  He threw the shot putt 4.44 metres; achieved 1.30 metres in the long jump and ran the 100 metres in 20.38 seconds.

Fairlands Valley Spartans Track and Field Championships take place at Ridlins Track, Stevenage between 12 noon and 5p.m. this Sunday 15th April.

Coming Events

Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including the:

  • Spartans Track and Field Championships on Sunday 15th April.
  • Handicap 5K in Stevenage on Thursday evening 19th April.
  • London Marathon on Sunday 22nd April.
  • EVAC track and field in Stevenage on Wednesday 25th April.
  • Serpentine Last Friday 5K on Friday 27th April.
  • Mid Week Road Race League 10K in Stevenage on Tuesday 15th May.
  • Fairlands Valley Challenge (Off Road) on Sunday 15th July.
  • Relays in the Park on Thursday evening 19th July.
  • County 5K Championships in Stevenage on Sunday 9th September.
  • County 5 Miles Championship in Stevenage on Sunday 23rd September.
  • Stevenage Half Marathon on Sunday 4th November.

Join The Spartans

Live in or near Stevenage?Ā  Like running?Ā  Fairlands Valley Spartans is your local running club and is on the up!Ā  The club was voted the UKā€™s Best Running Club in 2010.Ā  It now has over 430 members and encourages participation by all.Ā  The Spartans have a varied training programme to suit those who want to run 5 kilometres through to full marathons.

The Spartans weekday training sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.Ā  Now the clocks have changed they will be even more popular.Ā  Go along to drama studio next to the gymnastics centre at Marriotts School ā€” a Sports College, Telford Avenue, Stevenage (SG2 0AN) at 7p.m.Ā  Up to five running groups go out on training nights ā€” there will be one to suit you!

The Spartan Starter group starts from Marriotts at 7.30p.m. every Monday (except public holidays) and 7p.m. every Thursday.Ā 

Most long Sunday morning training sessions start 9.30a.m. sharp.Ā  Spartan track training sessions are held at Ridlins Athletics Track, Woodcock Road, Stevenage most Saturdays from 9.15a.m.Ā  There are events to enter every Sunday.Ā  Newcomers are very welcome ā€” those who have not done very much running yet might prefer to start with a Thursday, Saturday or Monday session.

Try a few sessions before joining.Ā  Membership is only Ā£27 per year.Ā  Concessions are available.Ā  Membership forms are available on the Spartans website www.fvspartans.org.ukĀ  Please ask if you would like a paper copy.

If you want to know more about the Spartans please contact Jim Brown (01438 354505 or 0793 968 7509), Stephanie Mayfield 01438 815859 or visit their website www.fvspartans.org.uk

E N D S

More from Jim Brown (Press Officer) 01438 354505 / 0793 968 7509 or Stephanie Mayfield (Secretary) 01438 815859

www.fvspartans.org.uk

Categories
Training

Be safe, be seen and be a Spartan!

Be safe!

Never assume that because you have heard/seen a danger/obstacle that your fellow runners have. Make the call to advise them. If leading a run, set a positive example by practicing the advice set out in these guidelines.

Where possible run in pairs or groups. If you haven’t got anyone to run with, ask another member of the club if they will run with you. There will always be other runners in the club that are training for similar races/events. Networking will help forge opportunities to buddy up with other runners, one of the many benefits in being in a running club.

Whenever you venture out, even if it is for only 20 minutes, you should always let someone know where you’re going, your exact route and approximately how long you expect to be. If you’re heading out from an empty home or office, call a friend, partner or relative to advise them of your plans, and call them again to check in when you return.

Plan your routes carefully. That doesnā€™t mean you should avoid your favourite routes because they go across remote areas or miss out on some spectacular scenery, but that you should take care with your choice. Try to limit danger points on your runs. For example, areas where you would be difficult to spot if you had a fall or injury, dark alleyways, or known local black spots.

Carry Identification. ICE Tags are available from the kit team.

Route planning

  • Circular routes are safer because you don’t have to retrace your steps.
  • Vary your route to minimise chances of being targeted.
  • Try and avoid deserted areas or places where people could easily conceal themselves. For example: paths surrounded by bushes.
  • Choose well lit, populated routes, especially if you are running after dark.
  • Be aware of running on cycle paths ā€” the cyclists may not be expecting to see you. Stick to the left when in a group. Where a path has dual use, make sure you run on the pedestrian side.
  • Look for places on or near your route where you could be sure of finding people and where you could call for help. For example: shops, garages etc.
  • If possible, check out your route first on foot or by car. Look to see if there are other people using your route ā€” this is a good sign.
  • See if you can run with a friend or in a group. Is there anyone that could perhaps cycle with you instead?
  • Before agreeing to exercise with someone, take time to get to know and trust them.
  • Carry some form of identification with you.
  • When running on your own, always face oncoming traffic (unless running round a blind bend). This way you can see oncoming vehicles and take avoiding action if necessary. On blind corners take extra care and run where you can get best visibility. If you need to cross the road to do that be decisive and then cross back to face oncoming traffic as soon as it is safe to do so.
  • Cross roads at crossings and always be aware of traffic lights. If using a crossing, regroup before the entire group crosses as one (i.e. do not press any buttons until all the group are there!). Make sure you make eye contact with the driver before crossing in front of a car. When approaching an intersection/T-junction, make eye contact with the driver who is waiting to proceed onto the main road. If the driver does not see you, pass behind the car.
  • Be careful if anyone in a car asks you for directions – if you stop to answer, keep at least at arm’s length from the vehicle.
  • MP3/iPods may prevent you from hearing trouble approaching and distract you from your surroundings. Expensive equipment could also make you a target for thieves.
  • Do not wear earphones to group sessions. You will not be able to hear the coachā€™s/group leaderā€™s instructions or be able to communicate effectively with your fellow runners.
  • When running with a group, ensure that all members of the group return safely. Start and finish together. If you need to finish early, let the group leader/coach know you are leaving. Do not leave the group without letting someone know what you are doing.
  • Listen to the coach/group leader at all times. This ensures that the group hear and can follow consistent instructions.
  • On steady/slow runs (e.g. Sunday training runs), faster runners must regularly return to the back of the slower runners. You should not leave the group before first speaking to the group leader/coach about what you are doing.

Be seen!

Precautions to take while running at night/low light levels

We always need to think about safety and being seen at night. The most important thing is to make sure you can be seen. Dark clothes and shoes can make you virtually invisible to motorists, particularly if you’re trying to cross a busy road or if you’re running along the edge of a narrow road without a footpath. You may also not be visible to other runners and/or pedestrians and cause an accident as a result.

  • Wear bright clothing and light colours; at the very least wear a white t-shirt as a top layer. You are also best to look for wind jackets, tops and tights with reflective strips that are highly visible even on the darkest road. The club kit team have a great range of hi-viz tops and jackets. See Club Kit for further details.
  • Invest in a lightweight reflective running bib in a luminous colour with reflective strips around the middle. These are cheap and readily available at all good running shops. You cannot be missed in these even if you are padded up in many layers on the coldest of days, they will still fit.
  • Obtain a flashing LED armband. These are cheap and effective. Please see a member of the kit team.
  • Avoid using the roads unless you have to. When you are on a road watch the surface – wet or icy patches are considerably harder to see in the dark.

Be a Spartan!

We pride ourselves on being a friendly and considerate club. Look out for your fellow runners as well as yourself on training runs. Follow the advice in the Be Safe and Be Seen sections above and always lead by example.
During ā€˜speedā€™ sessions run at your own pace. Faster runners when finished should encourage slower runners until they have finished or continue with the speed session set until the last runner has finished. Then warm down together.
Remember that our training runs are just that (even ā€˜speedā€™ sessions). Donā€™t run so hard that you are putting your health, other runnerā€™s health or members of the public at risk. Donā€™t leave your race on the training ground/route!!
Be aware of members of the public and other road/cycleway/path users when you are running. Donā€™t expect them to move out of your way, make room for them at the earliest opportunity so that there is no chance of any accidents. This means that when you are out in a group that you will need to be prepared to run no more than two abreast and be ready to get into single file to accommodate other cycleway users at appropriate times. This applies to runners of all capabilities. Above all be polite and remember that you are representing the club. 
Listen to your coachā€™s/group leaderā€™s instructions during the session.
Above all enjoy your running and support those runners around you so that our reputation gets passed on!

Categories
Club News

News Release: 1st April 2012, Olympic Five

OLYMPIC FIVE

PBs at Twenty and 10K

Four Spartans were among the first ever to finish a race inside the new London Olympic Stadium.Ā  They were taking part in the National Lottery Five Mile Race on Saturday.

ANDY NEATHAM was 70th in 29 minutes 41 seconds (10th MV45); NICKY GILMORE 1,965th in 41:28; BEV HARLOW was 2,476th in 43:21; and JAN FRY 4,377th on 51 minutes exactly.

Bev, the Spartans Vice-Chair, said it was a real privilege to take part in the Olympic Park run.Ā  It was well organised with the 5,000 runners going off in four waves.Ā  The course meandered around the Olympic Park before entering the stadium through the athlete’s tunnel with the final 300metres on the athletics track.Ā  It was very exciting to enter the stadium to the music from Chariots of Fire.

Still on an Olympic theme could we be seeing DAVID BOWKER on TV this summer?

At last the rating and paperwork is complete and he can officially try to qualify for the Paralympic Marathon by running a target time in the London Marathon.

Starting with the elite runners heā€™ll be aiming for the ā€œAā€ standard of 2 hours 55 minutes or better.Ā  Three ā€œAā€ standard places are available.Ā  The ā€œBā€ standard is no slower than 3 hours 15 minutes but only one ā€œBā€ place is available and only the fastest will get it.

Oakley 20

KERRY JAMES completed Sundayā€™s Oakley 20 mile road race today in a time of 2hrs 32 mins 36 seconds!Ā  That’s a personal best (PB) by almost four minutes from the same course two years ago.Ā  She was fifth female veteran (40 plus).

BARRY KING also enjoyed the perfect running conditions and took 6 minutes 47 seconds off his old PB when he finished in 3 hours 11 minutes 13 seconds.

PAULETTE ELDRIDGE ran her first twenty mile race in 2 hours 55 minutes.

PB Machine Runs Again

LIAM HERBERT recorded another personal best (PB) Sunday morning at the Regents Park 10K.Ā  He was kept alert by having to hurdle over a dog chasing over a squirrel on the first lap

Liamā€™s 38 minutes 38 seconds made him 15th out of the 430 finishers.Ā  His previous best was 39:39 at last yearā€™s Standalone 10K.

PETE SMITH was 62nd in 43 minutes exactly.

Last Friday

SIMON JACKSON enjoyed the hot and sunny weather on Friday lunchtime when he ran the Serpentine Last Friday of the Month 5K.Ā  He was very happy with his time of 17 minutes 3 seconds and 11th overall.

Yakima River Canyon Marathon ā€” Saturday, 31st March 2012

While the UK was warm & Sunny, ROGER BIGGS started the scenic YAKIMA RIVER CANYON MARATHON in light snow.Ā  The course followed the River Canyon south to Yakima, and while it was mostly downhill, the course got its vengeance with two long and tough hills.

Roger struggled to find his recent form, but dragged his time down nearer to 4 hours with a fast three mile downhill section, finishing in 4:05:15.

 

Dozens of other Spartans enjoyed the club twenty mile training run as they prepared for the London Marathon which will be on Sunday 22nd April.

Coming Events

Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including the:

  • Spartans Track and Field Championships on Sunday 15th April.
  • Handicap 5K in Stevenage on Thursday evening 19th April.
  • London Marathon on Sunday 22nd April.
  • EVAC track and field in Stevenage on Wednesday 25th April.
  • Mid Week Road Race League 10K in Stevenage on Tuesday 15th May.
  • Fairlands Valley Challenge (Off Road) on Sunday 15th July.
  • Relays in the Park on Thursday evening 19th July.
  • County 5K Championships in Stevenage on Sunday 9th September.
  • County 5 Miles Championship in Stevenage on Sunday 23rd September.
  • Stevenage Half Marathon on Sunday 4th November.

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Join The Spartans

Live in or near Stevenage?Ā  Like running?Ā  Fairlands Valley Spartans is your local running club and is on the up!Ā  The club was voted the UKā€™s Best Running Club in 2010.Ā  It now has over 430 members and encourages participation by all.Ā  The Spartans have a varied training programme to suit those who want to run 5 kilometres through to full marathons.

The Spartans weekday training sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.Ā  Now the clocks have changed they will be even more popular.Ā  Go along to drama studio next to the gymnastics centre at Marriotts School ā€” a Sports College, Telford Avenue, Stevenage (SG2 0AN) at 7p.m.Ā  Up to five running groups go out on training nights ā€” there will be one to suit you!

The Spartan Starter group starts from Marriotts at 7.30p.m. every Monday (except public holidays) and 7p.m. every Thursday.

Most long Sunday morning training sessions start 9.30a.m. sharp.Ā  Spartan track training sessions are held at Ridlins Athletics Track, Woodcock Road, Stevenage most Saturdays from 9.15a.m.Ā  There are events to enter every Sunday.Ā  Newcomers are very welcome ā€” those who have not done very much running yet might prefer to start with a Thursday, Saturday or Monday session.

Try a few sessions before joining.Ā  Membership is only Ā£27 per year.Ā  Concessions are available.Ā  Membership forms are available on the Spartans website www.fvspartans.org.ukĀ  Please ask if you would like a paper copy.

 

If you want to know more about the Spartans please contact Jim Brown (01438 354505 or 0793 968 7509), Stephanie Mayfield 01438 815859 or visit their website www.fvspartans.org.uk

 

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More from Jim Brown (Press Officer) 01438 354505 / 0793 968 7509 or Stephanie Mayfield (Secretary) 01438 815859

www.fvspartans.org.uk

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Newsletter

April 2012

Catch a Coach newsletter April 2012