Author Archives: Matt Pillinger

CSSC Road Relays

Yet more medals for OS Runners

The Road Relays is a pretty simple concept, 4 in a team, each person running 2 laps of Finsbury Park (~ 2.8 miles) before handing over to their team mate and collapsing in a heap

With each lap being only 2.8 miles there is very little pacing or common sense involved, go out really hard, just try and hang on up the hill, stretch your legs out and push on the down hill, then onto the finish straight (every one is watching can’t slow down now), then do it all again. If you were hurting on the first lap the second will feel like agony. If you weren’t hurting on the first lap you probably weren’t going fast enough!

Baz and Alan didn’t know any of this, as they were first timers to the Road Relays, but all the rest of us have run multiple times so were more accustomed to the pain-train.

Teams were established before we left OS, James C, Mark A, Mark S and Tony K in one team and Baz, Matt, James N and Alan in the other. What was discussed in more detail was the running order. Theoretically there is a fastest order (usually fastest last as it is better to be chasing down than be chased), but there is also a certain amount of horse trading as to who would like to run when. After negotiations were complete the order was Mark A, Tony K, Mark S, James C and Baz, Matt, James N, Alan.

At about 5 past 2, the race started, with Mark and Baz both running strong legs, with Mark handing over in 3rd place and Baz just a couple of minutes behind the first place B team. Tony K lost one place (but crucially stayed in clear sight of 3rd), while Matt gained a place. James N ran almost 2 1/2 minutes quicker than last year, but was unable to hold off the National Crime Agency (who had their fastest runner in 3rd position), while Mark regained 3rd overall. Over to James C, who was being chased down by George Dollner (HASSRA) a previous ‘fastest lap’ winner, while James N handed to Alan, who managed to maintain the gap to NCA. James crossed the line in 3rd place overall (with George just 13 seconds behind him), with Alan bringing the B team home in a commendable 87:20 (for 11.2 miles)

A few performances to particularly draw out

James C ran the fourth fastest leg overall (15:46)

Tony K ran 1:18 faster than last year

James Norris ran 2:25 faster than last year

Now for the running pictures, thank you to Baz for being compos mentis enough to take pictures after he’d run

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OS Handicap January 2019

RED January 2019 – its over!

The January 2019 handicap saw an attendance record. Despite the cold wind, 39 runners took part. This beating the previous record of 38 from January 2018. Numbers were of course buoyed by 25 RED Runners, all resplendent in their t-shirts (which must by now surely need a wash!) There were lots more RED’ers who were out doing a shorter run or walk and joined us at the finish line. Here’s hoping they have all seen an improvement in their mental and physical health during the month and continue this throughout the year.

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30 minute challenge

Lots of little stories to note today

  1. We welcomed Chloe and Liz as first timers to the event.
  2. James, Emily and Kieran all achieved distance PB’s during the event.
  3. There is only 1 remaining ever-present (after 8 events), the sequence went 14 (all attendees at event #1), 9, 4 (Diane B, Tim, Karen, Matt), 3 (Lost Diane), 3, 3, 2 (Lost Tim), 1 (Lost Karen) – Matt will definitely miss the July event so the run has a known end date.
  4. This is the first time since event #1 that no one has missed the time cut off.

I also like to look at the achievable distance for the challenge – essentially how far you could have run in 30 minutes and how much you left on course. Unsurprisingly the earliest to return, Emily, Kevin and Liz all left nearly 1/2 a KM on course.

If your distance is highlighted in green you either could have PB’d (Kevin) or PB’d by more (the rest)

Finally, a big thank you to Ian Robinson for volunteering to time the event and hence enabling it to take place. There were also lots of other volunteers whose services we didn’t need (Ian volunteered earliest) but we will ask for assistance in future challenges and handicaps.

Stubbington 10k – PB’s Abound

Stubbington 10k is a well attended event for OS Runners with 23 OS Runners taking to the start line.   It was a bit of a cold day, which is perfect ‘vest’ running conditions for some runners, while others were wearing base layers, long sleeve tops, gloves and all other available accoutrements.

We would have been allowed to wear Stubbington race shirts for this picture as it was ‘post run’
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