Sunday 3rd January
Westbury Harriers – Weekly News
Editor’s Piece
A happy New Year to you all! Fingers crossed that 2021 is a lot better than last year and things return to some sort of normality soon.
I had a nice and relaxing Christmas break, although I did drink and eat far too much, but let’s be honest, we only have Christmas once a year so why not let your hair down? I managed to get a few runs in and even started January with a race! Well, a virtual race and running solo is never easy. I was of course running the British Masters Athletics Federation (BMAF) 10k. Initially, I was planning on running laps of the Aztec business park, then realised I would have to do 6 loops which was far too depressing to contemplate. I therefore opted for an out and back Portway run, on a grey and drizzly afternoon. Hopefully the days of racing in a group will be back with us soon as I prefer to have somebody to chase!
Member of the Month
Just a reminder that the committee will be meeting this Thursday via Zoom. Please send in your junior and senior nominations to member.of.the.month@westburyharriers.co.uk
Group Training
Fortunately Bristol remains in tier three meaning we can continue training in small groups. Group runs and the Thursday interval session are back for 2021 (although may change, depending on the latest government guidelines) and can be booked using RunTogether. See below if you are unfamiliar with the system.
RunTogether Booking System
I appreciate everyone’s individual circumstances and feelings are different and meeting others for runs is not for everyone at present. However, for those that would be interested in coming along to sessions further details are below.
Due to Covid, the seniors, have moved to using the RunTogether booking system so we can manage numbers at and spread out sessions over a variety of days, times and locations. Most groups have been regularly meeting. With group 6 due to start back in January and further development of group 1 sessions. There are regular Thursday interval sessions and in addition there are various lunch time runs. We run in small groups and follow the England Athletic guidance. Our Westbury Harriers Covid polices are available on our website.
I know technology and booking systems can be a bit of a pain for some people. However, it is making life behind the scenes much easier to manage and allowing us to offer a wider variety of sessions than pre covid. So RunTogether – what do you need to do?
You need to register yourself on RunTogether https://runtogether.co.uk
Once registered make sure you have completed your emergency contact details – in the top right corner click on my RunTogether, go down to edit my details and then the middle tab ‘my group run details’ and enter your emergency contact information and any medical information if relevant.
Once you have done this you can then search for Westbury Harriers Running Club and our group will come up – if you look on Our Runs it will show any upcoming runs. To book on a run just click on the book tab. https://groups.runtogether.co.uk/WestburyHarriersRunningClub/Runs
The run description should make it clear what type of run it is and who it is aimed at. If you are unsure of which group is best for you check with Tamsin or the group leader first. The pace chart may also help you decide. https://westburyharriers.co.uk/training/seniors/
There is an app ‘RunTogether Runner’ – once downloaded you can view/book/cancel runs from your phone. https://runtogether.co.uk/about/runtogether-apps/
If you have any questions or need any assistance please contact me as I am more than happy to help. Kind Regards, Tamsin.
Editors Note. Contact me via this e-mail and I can provide contact details for Tamsin
Social Runs
There were a few social runs over the Christmas break. A few snapshots of these are below.
BMAF Masters 10K
Well done to all those that have run their 10k so far. Due to the weather conditions the organisers have extended the deadline so you have until today to complete your run. Good luck.
Club Intervals
I’m not sure where we will be on Thursday. We will meet at Coombe Dingle sports centre but then may head off in our separate groups for some road work, instead of being on the field. Check facebook near the time for details. If we are on the field, or perhaps you decide to do some solo intervals then Vicky has the following suggestion for us: 4 x 1min, 3 x 2min, 2 x 3min, 1 x 4min with 1min recovery after each repetition.
It goes without saying that you need to do a short warm up, then warm down and stretching afterwards. If really keen have a go at some running drills too.
Membership Renewals
You may have seen a reminder in your inbox that membership renewals are due in January. It’s also worth noting that your membership includes an England Athletics registration fee which provides insurance cover.
Although Covid 19 has meant the club has had to operate differently we are still organising training, social runs, interval sessions and other challenges, such as treasure hunts, quizzes, and running challenges. In fact for the seniors there are more sessions on offer, most of which are advertised on the RunTogether app.
I’m also hopeful that we may also see the start of some proper racing later in the year.
Strava Results of the Week
Well done to Sandra Williams for a 7th overall on Strava segment ‘Metro mile outbound’ in a time of 7:12. Sandra was having a second attempt at her 10K BMAF virtual race when she took this cup, her 10k time was a fast 46:25.
Diary Dates
January 2021 – Virtual Rollick Although we are disappointed not to be holding our typical Riverbank Rollick in January 2021, Thornbury Running Club are delighted to be holding the inaugural ‘Virtual Rollick’. To make sure that the spirit of the infamous ‘Rollick’ is not lost, we expect at least half of your run to be off-road and to involve an acceptable level of mud wind and water.
To enter please go to Race Nation:
https://race-nation.co.uk/register/thornbury-running-club/virtual-rollick-2021
Editor this Week
Ian Gawinowski is Westbury Harriers Communications Officer and can be contacted via communciation@westburyharriers.co.uk
