Fast Friday, club record and Herculean efforts

There were relatively few races to report on this week, suggesting that the Brexit referendum had even influenced the running community.  The highlights include Adam Kirk-Smith's run in Fast Friday, where he set the track record, Satu Hietanen’s record-breaking performance in Hyde Park and Jo Irwin’s dramatic come-back in the Herculean triathlon.

Road races

Fast Friday

Several Heathsiders went to  Fast Friday last Friday, an event organised by Orion Harriers for speedy people with qualifying times  (sub 40 and 42 minutes for 10K for  men and women respectively) to set PBs.  Many also come for the atmosphere and food, with Indonesian street food served this year. 

Dan M reports:  “The evening began and ended with 5k races: Sue went in the first and won a good battle for first lady with18:39. In the second, Adam won with a track / meet record of 14:53, cheered on by a raucous Heathside rabble in lane 3. In the 10k races, Dan Johns ran out a gritty 3rd place (37:14) in the 'B' race, despite coming under pressure from messrs Shulman and Litchfield.”

Dan also had some dubious reasons for enjoying his run, confessing: “In the 'A' race, I had the pleasure of watching the guy I was racing misjudge the distance and conclude lap 24 with a heroic sprint before stopping, only to realise his error when I was three-quarters of the way round lap 25.” 

Last Friday of the Month 5K

Meanwhile, five Heathsiders had an enjoyable run last Friday in Hyde Park at the last Friday of the Month 5K.  The group was led home by Pete Crockford (19:46) followed by Nick Dodd, who set a new PB (20:58), showing that his recent extra speed sessions are paying off.

There were also interesting developments in the female V45 5km saga, as Satu demolished the controversial month-old V45 club record at the distance by just over 30 seconds, finishing in 21:09.  She was disappointed not to have kept up with Nick, suggesting that she will keep Sam busy with updating the club records over the next few months.  With a dramatic comeback from another potential future challenger to the V45 record, Jo Irwin, in another race (see below), it looks like it’ll be a fascinating summer for record-watchers.

Sticker 5 mile road race, Sunday 26th June 2016

Laura Boothman also may (or may not) have enjoyed her 5 mile road race in Cornwall, reporting:  “.45:45. Up hill down dale. Pasty at the end. Hurrah.” 

Hercules Festival of Sport triathlon

Gavin sent in the following report from the latest event in the club triathlon championships:

"This was a race of wrong turns and personal bests. First, with the PBs. Jo Irwin put in a stonking performance coming in as the third woman, regardless of age, the first vet and 18th overall (out of 55 finishers) in a time of 1:25.03. She completed the 750m swim in an impressive 16:34, the 20k cycle in 42:02 and the muddy, twisty-turny off-road run in 23:37.

The main victim of the wrong turn syndrome was Marco Luna, who would have been the second man had it not been for an errant marshal, no doubt with Brexit sensibilities, sending our resident Italian in the wrong direction. Marco ended up running an extra three kml. He was first out of the water in a remarkable 11:16 and a comfortable second after his 39:08 cycle but his 32:34 run relegated him to 20th place.

The first Heathsider home was James Dark who came in at 1:24.37. A slowish swim (17:34), led to a quickish cycle (41:39) and a decent run (21:42).

Ruth Miller and I somehow managed to forget our goggles at home. She borrowed Dave Walton’s oversized ones, which filled up with water. I swam goggle-less and, pathetically, did a panicky breaststroke in the first half for a PW swim. The sparsely signed cycle route had several dangerous wet spots. I watched in horror as the cyclist ahead of me had what looked like a heavy fall. I pulled in to help, but the young man didn’t need it, leaping up full of grazes, shouting a hearty thank-you and shooting off into the far distance.

The run was tricky and Marco wasn’t the only one to go the wrong way. Obviously, I was one of them – going astray twice (though in my case, Brexit can’t really be blamed)."

LoveSwimRun, in Llanberis, Wales

Finally, Matt Cotterill escaped to Wales for the week-end for the inaugural LoveSwimRun event in Llanberis, and was delighted with his result (1st) and that the Sunday runs were useful preparation, commenting:   “Relatively tame in distance terms conpared to the Ötillö epics (4 swims and 4 runs totalling 4K in the water and 10K on land), but it did include an impressive switchback climb up to a mountainside quarry. Turns out the Heath and Horrid Hill are not such bad preparation - that hill helped me put some distance into the opposition who had been on my toes throughout the first swim.  And I agree with Francois, this is a fine new multisport - time for a Heathside SwimRun squad?”

Results

Fast Friday, Walthamstow, 24/6/2016

5,000 'A'

1 Adam Kirk-Smith 14:53

5,000 'B'

8 Sue Rust 18:39

10,000 'A'

11 Dan McKeown 35:07

18 Mario Cadete 36:25

10,000 'B'

3 Daniel Johns 37:14

5 Jonathan Litchfield 37:47

6 Steve Armstrong 38:15

8 Rob Shulman 38:26

11 Joe McKeown 38:38

12 Jim Connell 38:39

Last Friday of the Month, 5K, Hyde Park, Friday 24th June 2016

Pete Crockford             19:46

Nick Dodd                    20:58 (PB)

Satu Hietanen                21:09 (PB and club V45 record)

Alun Nash                     22:22

Cathy Jeremiah             23:28

Sticker 5 mile, Cornwall, 26th June 2016

Laura Boothman                        45:45

Hercules Festival of Sport Sprint triathlon, Merchant Taylors School, North London  (55 finishers)

16th. James Dark – 1:24:37 (17:53; 41:39; 21:42)

18th Jo Irwin – 1:25:03 (16:34; 42:02; 23:37) – 3rd woman

20th Marco Luna – 1:25.32 (11:16; 39:08; 32:34)

28th Ruth Miller – 1:28.08 (16:52; 43:07; 25:14)

29th Gavin Evans – 1:29.42 (18:28; 46:44; 20:57)

Love SwimRun Llanberis, 25th June 2016,

1          Matthew Cockerill          2:13:30

Parkrun results

http://www.parkrun.com/results/consolidatedclub/?clubNum=2017&eventdate=2016-06-25