Monday 28 January 2013

G3#1 and Epsom Perch 2013 now live

The Runners Need G3 Race #1 with free downloads are now available here:
http://bit.ly/G3-Race1-2013-race-photos

Just click on the download button or disk icon next to the images.
Results should be available on the http://allabouttriathlons.co.uk/ website

The Epsom Perch Race gallery is now live here:
http://bit.ly/Epsom-Perch-2013-Photo-Gallery

Results are here: http://www.sportsystems.co.uk/ss/results/Perch%20XIV/1027


Saturdays adventure up and over the snow covered hills of the Pilgrims way just south of Guildford from Newlands Corner was a very different day to Sundays muddy cross country around Nonsuch Park in Epsom. Both have their own special moments - but fortunately both of them were bathed in sunshine. This fact alone made it quite special - with the forecast for the rest of the week showing rain, rain and more rain I've noted that the local technical college was starting an Ark building course this term. With the Snow having now been washed away, at least it doesn't look like I'll need the snow chains on the car any more.


Quick last minute call for entries:
Next Sunday we will be out at these races - come rain or shine, but hopefully at best dry, even if cloudy - check the entries out below:

Watford Half
http://bit.ly/watford-half-2013-Entry

Bookham 10k - Surrey
http://www.eventstolive.co.uk/events/information/bookham-10k

Ashford and District 10k - Kent
http://bit.ly/ashford-district-10k-2013-entry


High on the hills of the G3 on Satuday,
It wasn't that cold, it's only FROZEN SWEAT ICE ON HIS HEAD

Scenic paths through the woods after the hills

The hills are alive with the smiling runners, downhill from here

The fear of the slopes...

All ok here

The sun-rise breaks over the graveyard, ridding it of Zombies so it's all clear for the race

melting ice frost on the trees in the morning sun

Running past St.Martha's church at the top of the hill

Tough running early on into the course

Caption suggestions for this one please

All good timing must come to an end

Early leaders out over the hills

Meanwhile on Sunday over in Epsom...

A busy start directly into the sun made it tough  on the start straight

Now which way was it ?

Never has mud and water been so much fun

The water didn't warm up

some chose not to walk on water

some kicked on through it 

ta-da she stayed upright !!

Get ready for the prizegiving or feel the force of my loudhailer

Mens Winner with Nicky from Run-to-Live

Ladies Winner with Nicky from Run-to-Live

They have a van too, for when they aren't running

The Oddballs conga closed in on Dulwich...

So, don't forget the free downloads for the G3, checking out your teams photos from the Epsom Perch, and get yourself out there for some decent races next week. Remember the next G3 is on Feb Saturday the 9th if you're thinking it looks fun and the Deal Half is on Sunday the 10th too..http://bit.ly/Deal-half-marathon-2013-entry

until next time,

Anthony







Thursday 10 January 2013

January 2013 - The Last Weekend Off


Welcome to January 2013.
What now ? because it's January 

By now you have re-discovered the world of work, schools have returned and everything is pretty much settling back into a routine.

We await the January pay packet and hope to stretch things out that long, we look at the long repeats of weight and diet adverts as well as "discover the new you" gym and fitness marketing campaigns which avoid pointing out that it is in fact just you, just older, and by the way you could be fitter. This is all a marketing myth.

Unless your name is something like Mo Farrah, Bradley Wiggins or Jessica Ennis and the date is July 2012, then the answer to these adverts is always going to be yes, perhaps I could be a bit fitter and lose a bit of weight. It is a rhetorical point by these marketing wizards and it is a question you should not be lead astray into subconsciously answering as you play into their hands and ultimately - their products.
We await the snow down south like last year...in early Feb

The questions you should be addressing at this time of year are pretty simple -
1. "why am I doing this when I should be out running ?"
Closely followed by :
2. "what do I need to do right now to make sure I can go running at some point today?"

As someone who recently broke their 9 month duck of no running, merely to get to the garage and pick up the fixed car (it was only about a mile there), I did faff about it a lot, but I was surprised how nice it was just to get out, even for those short meters and turn over the legs. I had missed it. Even in the cold and the rain, it was surprisingly ok. We are all OK, and you will continue to be OK, OK ? Just do some running to prove it OK ? Good !
The Start of the Roding Valley Half 2012

Some of you will have had your London marathon entries accepted or dashed in December, but depending on your perspective that is either a blessing or a terrible injustice. My brother finally got in after about 7 years of trying, and the scale of the task is slowly beginning to dawn on him. He now needs to get out and do a bit of training and a bit of running. This I find OK, and even a bit amusing (He doesn't read this blog) in a brotherly love kind of way...you understand what I mean.
The Rain will stop soon. Apparently.
So depending where you are in preparation for the spring, and getting out for even longer runs you might want to consider the following races in your training plan and build ups. Click on the links to go to the websites and enter them ! You'll be surprised how fast your training mojo returns with a race to aim for.

You'll notice a general lean towards 10, Half and 20 mile races through the build up phase to April.
We're not at all of these races - but most of them, so I hope to see you at at least one of them !

January 20th - The Fred Hughes 10 - St.Albans

January 27th - The Epsom Perch - Epsom

February 3rd - the Watford Half Marathon
February 3rd - the Ashford and District 10k - Kent
February 3rd - the Bookham 10k - Surrey

February 10th - the Deal Half Marathon - Kent

February 17th- the Brighton Half Marathon - Sussex

March 3rd - the Steyning Stinger (Half and Full Marathon) - Sussex - free image downloads
March 3rd - the Spitfire 10 / Tempest 20 - Surrey
March 3rd - the Roding Valley Half - Essex

March 10th - Finchley 20 - London
March 10th - Lydd Half Marathon - Kent
March 10th - Worthing20 - Sussex

This is my last weekend off until June, and it's not really off - I'll be working in the office instead, so have a good weekend especially if you are at any of the remaining county cross country champs speaking of which 

The Sussex XC Champs gallery is here if you missed the action last Sunday - hopefully we will have a few more sales from that gallery - as four isn't enough really ! Remember you elite club athletes - one day you'll want to remember how good you were !! (I speak from sad experience)
The Mens Senior Sussex XC race 2013

In other news, the job description is ready if your interested in a part-time administrator role here in the office - we close applications on the 15th of January so get in touch by email and ask for a copy.

And if you're ever thinking of sponsoring free download images at a race on behalf of your company, I've prepared a guide that includes how to get the most out of it for your company and brand - get in touch if you'd like to have a read of that.

Almost finally, just in case if you hadn't noticed, that lovely other company we get compared to has put the price of their single digital images (that are at a lower resolution of 3Megapixels) up to £19.99 for their events in 2013, so no more complaints to us please and don't tar us all with the same brush ! We had to add VAT last year, but apart from that we've stayed at the same price for about 4 years (£9.99+£2VAT for a 6 Megapixel image), plus our in-focus quality guarantee.

And really, finally, a thought for Jessops going into administration today and the ~2000 jobs involved. Never nice to see, but there have been some jobs on internet camera sales created as well so the conclusion was almost inevitable, but still sad. Websites like http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/ keep price competition tight, but not the advice on what kit you need to do the job you want. It's been a death spiral that took at least 4 years to play out.
 They were however one of the few remaining walk-in print shop chains available - so it will now become increasingly difficult to get 1hr printing achieved if you are ever in a hurry.  Sometimes you do need a print immediately !

Get your 20 miler in for marathon training at Dunsfold and the Spitfire 20
So until next time, just go for a run and we'll see you soon, I'm going to spend Saturday with my Dad on an early birthday meal. Sunday, well that's going to be working isn't it, the last weekend "off" until June.

laters
Anthony

Monday 7 January 2013

Sussex XC Champs 2013


The Sussex XC Champs 2013


Race Gallery is now live here: http://bit.ly/sussex-XC-champs-2013


A great write up by Reg Hook on the SCAAA website here, so I can't really match that.
http://www.sussexathletics.org.uk/news.php?id=1267

We now have the pleasure of using a new (to us) canon 1DmkIV which helped with shots in the very dark woods - for the camera geeks ISO5000, f3.2, 1/500th anyone ? and also the joy of no buffering compared to the 1Dmk3's we usually use, and obviously you get the benefit of shots on the course where we wouldn't usually be able to venture.

The best bit about the Sussex XC Champs is meeting the marshals, officials, volunteers, the Oat Hut, and of course the competitors who all make it one great big running family at Stanmer. It can be a bit of a pain having to break off a good catch up with someone to dash off into the woods with the kit and get the shots you're there to get - work eh, always getting in the way of a good chinwag and gossip. Hello again to everyone - great to see you !

If you're planning your next effort in Sussex then the next race in the local area is the new pebbledash10k on wednesday evening, and the east sussex XC league at Snape Wood, Wadhurst at the weekend on Sunday.

We're going to be continuing our planning for 2013 and hope to see you out and about sometime soon !

Here's a few pictures from todays fun on the hill at Stanmer.

That first leg round to the short sharp climb - if your lungs arn't warmed up, then you're in for a shock

Forgot your race number ? We have solutions

Hello Izzy... as she waves on the way round thanking the marshals

Running through the trees, Kate Bush style

Strong running into the finish

Winning into the finish straight

keeping it fast at the last

The start of the mens race

Mr Pepper takes it from the front
 

strong to the finish in the U20 Mens

Defending champion and winning again this time for Worthing, just ahead of Arena

Well done everyone on a great days racing, the gallery is here, fully indexed by Hayley and Holly here in the office this evening/tonight : http://bit.ly/sussex-XC-champs-2013

Until next time, keep trining
Anthony






Friday 4 January 2013

Serpentine RC New Years Day 10k 2013





 The Annual Serpentine New Years Day 10k Gallery is now live and online here:
http://bit.ly/serpentine-nyd-2013-race-photos


Race website
http://www.serpentine.org.uk/pages/nyd10k.html

Race results with bib numbers: 
10k : http://www.dbmax.co.uk/assets/results/1170/original/Brooks_Serpentine_New_Year_s_Day_10k.html?1357067225

3k: http://www.dbmax.co.uk/assets/results/1169/original/Brooks_Serpentine_New_Year_s_Day_3k.html?1357045632

The Annual NYD hangover clearing fresh air festival after christmas run that is the Serpentine RC 10k took place last Tuesday. Excellently organised by the countries largest Running Club, over 568 runners took to the paths of Hyde Park to enjoy the bright sunshine and fab break in the rain !

For most of us it was a little bit special, but for one person it was very special all the way round, and for two people it was very special, just after the finish.

Now it's not after every race this happens. Sure you might swear a bit about how hard it was, get high on the endorphins and get a little over excited, stagger about in a sweaty out-of-breath-mess and generally complain, and there has been the unfortunate occaisional ambulance case or two through the years, but no, I've never know anyone to make a proposal of marriage.

Can you tell which of these below was the happy couple on their way round the race ?

The Radical choice

She knows too much

She has no idea

non-consecutive numbers ? but innocent faces and a shiny watch... nope.
 So if you haven't figured that out - here's some more from around the race

Hello Heather xx

Happy lifestyle facebook profile picture type shot Heather ?

Mens winner, pushed all the way
Richard Kowenicki 
Thames H & H 
0:32:23.1
 
  








Ladies winner - cruised in at the finish
Imogen Ainsworth  Bristol & West AC 

0:35:39.7

Airplanes at the fountains

Watch the birdie

And Congratulations to the happy couple ! (the red colour cast is from the light reflecting off the large Red finish arch) You can just see the engagement ring on her hand round his waist...- click to enlarge. (and yep the right answer to the quiz above was - none of them...). If they get in touch and let me know your favourite picture and I'll sort it out for you.

So the gallery is now live (well it was on wednesday, but I've only just had a chance to write the blog) so all of you entering into a new years fitness regime or just want to keep tabs on your 2013 training - now is the moment to get that benchmark photo to show how you improved.

And for everyone out there who needs a bit of motivation for 2013 and a bit of running - you can still get photos from your 2012 races on the gallery from as far back as the 12th of August 2012. We can also do archive searches from any race from 2008 by race number - but they do cost a bit more than the normal current gallery.

New year resolutions and motivation
If like me you're at least half a stone overweight - and perhaps like me - not run a step since your last race (bad boy me), then a race picture on the fridge might be what you need to remind you what to do - here's mine...*embarrased face* to set the tone from last march...
my Cambridge - Mid life crisis - Half marathon 2012




Best get on then, I've a database to write, event organisers to contact, photographers to pay and the Sussex Cross Country Championships on Sunday to prepare for. And a part-time office administrator to recruit. At least I've just paid the VAT bill. *sad face* (goes to eat bread for lunch). Oh and half a stone to shift.


Happy New Year, I hope you all manage to tweak your lives just that little bit more in the right direction in 2013. Whatever direction that may be !

until next time,
Anthony