BITS: One Year On and Many Miles Travelled!

News
APRIL 2013
Birmingham Running Athletics & Triathlon Club Newsletter
BITS: One Year On and Many Miles Travelled!
The BRATs In The South (BITS) project was
launched in the Bromsgrove and Redditch
districts in January 2012, supported by the
expertise and enthusiasm of the BRAT Club,
in partnership with Triathlon England and
the David Lloyd Centre in Bromsgrove. As
BITS celebrates its’ first birthday, we take
a fond look back on what made for such a
successful year in the south.
Despite persistently challenging weather
conditions, the first year of the BITS initiative
saw wide participation in the full range of
triathlon activities. Training varied from
track running at Bromsgrove’s Ryland
centre, cross country running around the
lovely Waseley hills though to fun but “hard
core” bike spinning sessions and road rides.
Swim training was also catered for with well
attended coach-led sessions at David Lloyd
Bromsgrove, Redditch’s Abbey Stadium and
for the wetsuit-clad, Barnt Green Sailing
Club at Bittell reservoir.
Stefan Pearce, Triathlon England added,
“We were able to support a triathlon coach
training programme resulting in a locally
based group of knowledgeable triathlon
coaches who will continue to expand the
number of triathlon training sessions
available to the general population of
Bromsgrove and Redditch during 2013
and beyond.”
New BITS who dabbled with triathlon in
2012 included James Parker and Stacey
Tauny Southwood, Chairman of the BRAT
Moloney Bamford. James, from Redditch,
Club comments “The highlight was the
said, “I’ve been training with the BRAT Club
emergence of a dedicated band of regular
for a year and have improved significantly
participants who became triathletes for
in all disciplines. Thanks to the efforts and
the first time during the 2012 triathlon
enthusiasm of the BRAT Club coaches
season. Their energy, enthusiasm and
and members, I went from complete
sense of fun has contributed hugely to the
beginner to completing an Olympic
success of the project and ensured that
distance triathlon (in a respectable time).
it is sustainable into the future. Everyone
I finished three triathlons and a half
is welcome and everyone can become a
marathon in 2012 and already have a
triathlete, and become fitter and happier in
schedule planned for this year including
the process!”
a half ironman. I can’t praise the BRATs
enough; everyone is so motivated and
friendly. I’d encourage anyone interested
in any of the triathlon disciplines to come
along to the training sessions. You won’t be
disappointed.”
Stacey, from Bromsgrove, who also had no
prior triathlon experience, joined BITS when
it was launched and from a standing start
completed the Welsh Ironman challenge.
At a 2.4m swim, 112m bike and 26.2
run, this was a huge achievement! Stacey
commented, “I stupidly signed up to do an
Ironman triathlon having never ridden a
road bike and completely unable to swim
front crawl. The key to my success and
completion of Ironman Wales was the
structured training, support and advice
given to me by the Brats-In-The-South.
With swim technique sessions and long
enjoyable group bike rides, I was well
prepared to take on the Irish Sea and
undulating hills of Pembrokeshire”.
In 2013 the BITS continue to go from
strength to strength. If you would like to join
their sessions, check out the BRAT website
for details of BITS session times and give it a
go, Southern-style!
The original version of this (now edited)
article was written by Jamie Arrowsmith
and published in the Bromsgrove Standard
on Thursday 24th January, 2013.
1
Contents Page
One Year On and Many Miles Travelled!
pg 1
Raising The Bar
pg 3
My Games Maker Journey
pg 4-5
Mortimer Forest
pg 6
Wasely Wobbler
pg 6
BRAT WIN Team Awardpg 7
The BRAT Club Awards Night
pg 8-9
National Club Relayspg 10
Aquathlon Series 2012
pg 11
The Showdown
pg 12
Mud, Glorious Mud...
pg 13
A Word from the Chairman
pg 14
The EL-ditorial pg 14
Sponsor
pg 15
Photo Gallery
pg 16
Birmingham Running Athletics & Triathlon Club Newsletter
“Raising the Bar:
Citius, Altius, Fortius”
A few weeks before I ran the London
Marathon in 2002 a colleague looked me
up and down, and said, “I hate to be the
bearer of bad news, but you will never be
a good runner. Your Q angle is too big”. A
nice way to urinate on my fire. I still haven’t
got a clue what such an angle is, but,
regardless, I feel I have since managed to
defy his ideas of what was possible for me
and my big Q. I am sure many of you have
had others place limits on what they think
you can do, or maybe you cripple yourself
with self-doubt. Your bar is set limbo-esque
low, rather than being pole vault high. This
then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. So,
is it our body or our mind that places the
greatest limitation on performance?
Channel, beating the fastest man’s existing
record by nearly two hours and dispelling
conventional wisdom about women as the
“weaker sex”. All are equivalents of running
a four-minute mile when all else deem it
impossible.
Such performances are not only a reflection
of physical prowess. By Sir Roger’s
own admission, it was in great part a
result of mental fortitude, self-belief, an
unwillingness to be constrained by a false
notion of what was possible and an ability
to work with others (the very capable
pacemakers, Chris Chataway and Chris
Brasher).
In his book the ‘Lore of Running’ Dr Tim
Noakes, the South African physician and
I believe it’s often the latter. This conviction
long distance runner, examines the limits
was cemented last summer when I had
of running performance and argues that,
the unique opportunity to have tea with Sir
unlike his competitor, ‘Bannister was able to
Roger Bannister and his wife at their home
convince his brain that it could achieve what
in Oxford. I was excited, I was nervous, but
above all I was honoured. It was an absolute none had done before’. This is articulated
most clearly by Sir Roger himself in his book
privilege to share experiences, stories, ideas
‘The First Four Minutes’, “I had a moment of
and views with a man who chose to pole
vault instead of limbo; being the first person joy and anguish, when my mind took over.
It raced well ahead of my body and drew
to run a mile, in wet and windy conditions,
my body compellingly forward. … My body
in under the magical four minute barrier.
had long since exhausted all its energy,
Sir Roger challenged convention and
but it went on running just the same. The
perceptions of human limitation, and in
physical overdraft came from greater
doing so trail-blazed a more ambitious
willpower”.
path for others to follow. The same can be
said of Paula Radcliffe’s record-setting 2:15 The key is that, to Bannister, no barrier to
marathon; of Hillary and Tensing’s summit the four-minute mile even existed. When
of Mount Everest; of Kathrine Schwitzer, the I race, I feel the same unwilling to accept
the perceived limits of what an ironman
first female to run the Boston Marathon, or
or woman can do. This freedom from
of Gertrude Ederle, who, in 1926, became
constraint liberates an athlete, enables
the first woman to swim the English
them to break psychological limits and
hopefully flicks a switch inside the minds of
others about their capabilities. Nowadays,
scant notice is paid to a male athlete that
runs a four-minute mile. Yes, scientific
breakthroughs in training and equipment
may have helped to engender such
improvement, but it is the unwillingness to
limbo under a low bar that is the greatest
performance enhancer of all.
And this brings me to the Olympics. We
were all glued to the action. Watching the
world’s best compete on the biggest global
sporting stage. Imbued with Bannisteresque self belief and indomitable will, we
saw athlete’s pushing boundaries, not only
in terms of breaking Olympic and World
Records, but most importantly testing down
their own limits of what they thought would
be possible. So let’s raise an energy drink
filled bottle to all those who strove to raise
the bar at London 2012, and let their efforts
inspire us all to heights that we could never
have imagined.
‘Citius, Altius and Fortius’!
By Chrissie Wellington
3
My Gamesmaker Journey . . .
Over two years after I applied to be a Gamesmaker, I finally started my journey to London 2012: The Olympic Games.
With some trepidation but much excitement I was ready to take my role.
A Day in the Life of a
Gamesmaker
The Athletes, The
Atmosphere
I was assigned the role of Athlete
Steward - a ‘plum’ role for a volunteer!
I worked at thirteen of the fifteen
athletics sessions, including four double
(07.30 - 23.00) and five single (7 hour)
shifts. My duties included meeting the
athletes as they arrived from the warm
up track for administration checks and
confiscations of banned equipment, and
then escorting them through the 550m
sterile tunnel to the final call room,
ensuring no contact with third parties.
Leading the athletes into the arena
for the first time was special, making
the hairs on my body stand up. I felt
exhilarated and proud! During the
Games I was fortunate to steward Greg
Rutherford in the Long Jump qualifying
competition. Once qualified, we chatted
for some minutes. Later in the week, on
her lap of honour following the 400m
Women’s final I had the privilege to
shake Christine Ohuruogu’s hand and
congratulate her as she passed by. The
same evening I manage to see Bolt
win the 100 metres. The noise level
following his victory was measured at
104 decibels, but Super Saturday had
been louder!
For field events, we escorted the athletes
to the competition area and remained
at the competition site to look after
athletes’ needs, prevent any illegal
interactions with coaches and to guide
athletes to trackside. From this vantage
point we had the best seats in the house
to witness all the track events for that
session, whilst doing our job! A further
honour of the role was carrying the
event banner, leading the stewards and
athletes out from the final call room to
the event site.
4
On the Thursday night I had tickets to
spectate with my family. It was brilliant
to watch a whole evening’s athletics
without my usual responsibilities. We
witnessed an 800 metre world record
by Rudisha and we also saw Bolt win
the 200 metres. My wife and family
were in the stadium to watch on
Friday night, sitting in the vicinity of the
5000m start. I made a special request
to carry the banner at the head of the
Women’s 5000 metre final, a proud
moment for me.
Super Saturday
‘Super Saturday’ was the most
momentous sporting occasion of my
life and one I will always treasure. Never
again will I witness such excitement,
euphoria and pandemonium. I carried
the banner for the Men’s Long Jump
final, including both Greg Rutherford
and Chris Tomlinson for team GB.
Before leaving the arena I was able to
offer Greg my good wishes. My next
event was the Men’s 10,000m final
featuring Mo Farah. Whilst waiting to
lead the athletes out into the arena, Jess
Ennis was celebrating her Heptathlon
win in the home straight and it was
announced Greg Rutherford had won
the gold medal.
The noise from the crowd of 80,000
was now at fever pitch and was to
become even louder once Mo Farah
came into view as we walked to the
start line. Once the race was underway,
my duties were finished and I made
a hasty retreat to a prime vantage
point overlooking the finish line. When
Mo Farah took the lead with one lap
to go, the noise reached new levels
and when he crossed the line as the
winner of the gold medal the stadium
completely erupted in a cacophony
of noise! Three gold medals won in
the space of 45 minutes. This was to
be a moment never to be forgotten,
one of the greatest sporting moments
in history and I was there not only to
witness it, but to play my part in the
occasion. Wow! It was impossible to
sleep that night, the adrenalin flowing
copiously and my head was buzzing
with excitement.
London
Olympic Games
at the...
Me and Mo
Memories to Treasure
Just a few days after Super Saturday Mo
Farah was back on the track for his 5000
metre heat and there I was leading him
out once more. Was I to become his
lucky mascot?? On the final athletics
night of the Games, our team leader
decided not to prepare a roster but to
draw names out of a hat. I wanted
Javelin, so I would be in the arena all
night. No luck as the first two names
were drawn out. Next the draw for the
5000 metre Men’s final. Gordon Ainsley
is announced. How lucky can I be? Mo
Farah again! We arrived at the event
site during a medal ceremony and had
to wait in the tunnel leading into the
arena. The cameras were rolling. Mo
Farah was the third athlete behind me.
My daughter sent me a text to tell me
she had seen me on TV for five minutes!
Again I rushed to watch the end of the
race, and to see Mo win and gain GB’s
fourth gold medal. I had played a part in
three of our four gold medals. Fantastic!
Never again will I experience the
exhilaration and excitement, the
wonderful camaraderie with a team of
fellow Gamesmakers and the banter
with the athletes and coaches, that
I experienced during London 2012.
The atmosphere in the Olympic Park
and on public transport was fantastic.
Spectators were very generous with
their applause regardless of athletes’
nationality, but were extremely vocal
whenever a GB vest appeared. The
atmosphere in the stadium was
unbelievable. You had to be there to
appreciate it. Visitors to the park would
readily make conversation, taking
interest in our roles and would ask for
photos to be taken. Passengers were
eager to listen to my experiences and
to hear which athletes I had met. It
was a truly once in a lifetime, golden
experience.
By Gordon Ainsley
5
Mortimer
Forest Hill Race
Up, Then Down, Then Back Up Again...
So what is the difference between a cross country race and a fell
race? Well before, Mortimer Forest Hill Run I wouldn’t have been
able to tell you, but afterwards...
I think for a start you have to recognise that in a fell race you aren’t
going to spend a lot of your time on your feet. Most of the time
you will be crawling up hills on your hands and knees, or trying to
clamber up a hill, which under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t
even consider walking up. Once you have actually made it up and
over the hills, you then have to start to think about the down hills…
and it is probably better to not really think about them at all… you
have to “disengage brain” and just let the momentum carry you.
Oh, and you’ll also spend a lot of time on your a**e as you slip and
slide your way through some very, very muddy tracks, while trying
not to lose your shoes...
Waseley Wobbler -
The course took us out of the school and then up and straight
into the Forest. It’s a great location, and if I wasn’t too busy
trying to stop my heart jumping out of my chest, I would
probably have enjoyed to views too! Motivation was quickly
delivered by Megan, cheering us up the hill/mountain, and
ready to haul us up if required. As the rollers really started, it
was easy to realise how much of a challenging course this
really was and for 10 miles I don’t think there was a single flat
bit of ground. This wasn’t going to be quick and easy that was
for sure. The challenge of going from up to down so quickly
really made you realise how much it takes out of your legs,
and shuffling along was often required.
The finish brought us back into the school and ready for a nice
hot cup of tea and cake! It is a bit of a journey to get to the
race, but I would recommend it if you fancy trying something
a bit different, and want to really push yourself (just don’t
blame me for the aching legs the morning after)!
By Chris Ashford
The New Suicide Six?
When I was told that there was a local race
that was even harder than the Suicide Six
I knew it was going to be an opportunity
to test myself. Having done some riding
around the area on my mountain bike
I knew it had the potential to be a great
course.
With a good turnout of BRATs at the start
line (as well as a few spectators on the
course), we got underway on time. The
course starts at the school field, quickly
heading up towards the hill line. There
were loads of obstacles to watch for, fences
to climb over and stiles to get over. Some
6
rabbits had thoughtfully decided to dig
up the main routes, but the marshals had
carefully put tape around the treacherous
areas to reduce the risk of ankle injuries.
As the route wound its way through
Waseley and towards the cafe (well worth
stopping at if you aren’t in the middle
of a race), there were several of us that
managed to get lost (some for longer than
others). Robin managed to detour so far
that they almost had to send out a search
party, while I managed to completely miss
a turning and nearly ended up in someone’s
house!
As we charged down towards the finish
I had no idea what my position was, but
just kept going full throttle to the finish. As I
crossed the line, it turns out that I had come
in first, with Robin in third and Thanos 13th!
We took home first team and Thanos was
the first local (if you count Greece as local)!
Overall, it was a great race (which could do
with a bit better signage!) and well worth
taking part in next year - particularly for the
cakes at the finish!
By Chris Ashford
BRAT WIN
Team Award in
Great Birmingham Run
2012
Now
in its fifth year Birmingham’s Half
Marathon is bigger and better than ever. The
performance of Team BRAT more than matched
this improvement in this year’s race on 21st October
2012. BRAT vests were out in force; an astonishing
134 BRAT finishers were recorded in the results.
Another 30+ BRATs were manning the water station
at the end of Pebble Mill Road and there also seemed
to be BRAT supporters everywhere around the course.
Best BRAT times of the day were Chris Ashford
1.13.08, Ed Banks 1.13.22, and Dan Robinson
1.13.43 for the men and Eloise Lee 1.29.01, Lindsay
Moody 1.33.10 and Tona Walder 1.33.49 for the
women. There were many other impressive times,
performances and PBs throughout the field. There
are clearly too many names and performances
to mention but our stat guys Gordon and Richard
have worked hard to extract the results and these
are available in the Results section of the BRAT club
website. There may well be other members not listed
as BRATs in the official race results if they entered the
race before becoming members of the Club.
Following the race it was announced by the event
organisers Nova International that the BRAT Club had
won the team prize for the event, the award being
based on the average time of our first 20 runners to
finish. The trophy was presented at the MAC by Steve
Hollingworth from Birmingham City Council and
Philippa Morrow from Nova International.
Well done everyone!
By Martin Ludford
7
Celebrating Success:
The BRAT Club Awards Night
On 26th January 2013 BRAT members came together in the
illustrious surrounds of the Bournbook and Selly Oak Social Club
to celebrate the outstanding efforts and successes of every
club member during the previous season. We were delighted
to welcome BRAT club member and four time Ironman world
champion Chrissie Wellington, whose speech inspired us with
some thought provoking reflections on how we can push
our own boundaries in the season(s) to come. Chrissie
also presented the awards to a selection of BRATs whose
accomplishments were recognized with one of the club awards.
Congratulations to all club members, nominees and winners.
Special thanks go to Joel and Nicola Griffin as well as the other
volunteers who contributed to the organization of such a
successful evening.
Athletics Awards
Cross Country Awards
Broadwell Cup for Outstanding Performance: David Lima
Nominees: Jack Gray, Tamara Miller, Paul Thompson
Senior Male: Paul Thompson
Nominees: Ed Banks, Ben Clarson, Jack Gray, John Llewellyn,
Martin Matthews, Dan Robinson
Taff Heir Award for Best U17 Performance
Female Winner: Tamara Miller
Male Winner: Jonathan Briggs
Frank Cull Cup For Most Improved Female: Eloise Lee
Nominees: Lucy Freer, Suzie Freer, Eva Gunn, Tamara Miller,
Katrina Walker
Neddy Hinman Award For Most Improved Male: Ed Banks
Nominees: Jonathan Briggs, Alex Clegg, Tim Carter, Jack Gray,
David Lima, Martin Matthews, Dan Robinson
Alan Myatt Shield For Best Team Performance: 2011
Birmingham Half Marathon Mixed Team (Tim Griffith, Ed Banks,
Chris Ashford, Jill McGee, Sophie Reynolds, Catherine Philps (nee
Tomaney)
Nominees: Senior Men Midlands 12 Stage, Senior Men National
6 stage, Senior Men Midlands 6 stage, Masters Men Warwickshire
Cross Country, Senior Women Warwickshire Cross Country, M35
National Vets Road Relay
Guy Harrison Award For Services to the Club
Male: Nigel Clegg
Nominees: David Iszatt, Geoff Mann, Paul Scott Senior
Female: Ellen Tune
Nominees: Annie Ginty, Sian Harrison
8
Senior Female: Antonia Walder
Nominees: Yasmin Chaudhri, Margaret Kenchington, Eloise Lee,
Ellen Tune
U17 Male: Matthew Ritson
Nominees: Oliver Dighton, Ryan Lucas, Oliver Mawhinney
U17 Female: Anne Kenchington
Nominees: Jess Hendon, Lucy Freer
Road Runner of the Year
Male: Daniel Robinson
Nominees: Chris Ashford, Ed Banks, Tim Griffith, Mark Ince, Paul
Thompson
Female: Sophie Reynolds
Nominees: Cass Chisholm, Yasmin Chaudhri, Eloise Lee, Jill McGee
BRAT Club Athletics Junior Championships
2012
U11 Boys: Tom Kenchington (1st)
U13 Boys: Matthew Ritson (1st), Joseph Reid (2nd), Jacob
Gollings (3rd)
U15 Boys: Jonathan Briggs (1st), Alexander Clegg (2nd)
U13 Girls: Lucy Freer (1st), Eva Gunn (2nd), Holly White (3rd)
Triathlon Awards
Best Triathlon Performance: Dan Anderton
Nominees: Stuart Lawrence, Jon Tune, Brendon Fitzgerald,
Chris Ashford
Sponsored by Compressport
Best Female Triathlon Performance: Helen Taylor
Nominees: Corinne Clark, Jenny Hill
Sponsored by Tri-1st
Most Improved Male: Stuart Lawrence
Nominees: Thanos Tsolakis, Brandon Fitzgerald
Sponsored by Selbi IT Solutions
Most Improved Female: Antonia Walder
Nominees: Jenny Hill, Helen Taylor, Tessa Oelofse, Bea
Pavlovic
Sponsored by Chrissie Wellington
Best Novice Male: Tom Anderton
Nominees: Craig Gibson
Sponsored by Mako
Best Novice Female: Stacey Bamford
Nominees: Nicola Griffin, Hazel Padmore
Sponsored by House of Flowers
Best Long Course Male: Dan Anderton
Nominees: Stuart Lawrence, Colin Irvine
Sponsored by PowerBar
Best Long Course Female: Corinne Clark
Nominees: Jenny Hill
Sponsored by PowerBar
Best Junior Male Triathlete: Jacob Gollings
Best Junior Female Triathlete: Anne Kenchington
Most Improved Junior Triathlete: Abi Saker
Triathlon Volunteer of the Year: Charly Bamford
Nominees: Too many to list..!
Sponsored by Nick Irons Business Solutions
Paul D’Urso Memorial Award
Male: Stewart Grainger
Female: Eloise Lee
9
National Club Relays 2012:
Sunshine, Showers and Successes!
Hundreds of keen triathletes turned out for
the National Club Relays held at Holme
Pierrepoint on the 26th and 27th August. As
usual, the BRATs had dominant presence,
entering 16 teams in total. The relays took
on a different format this year, with the
mixed and open races on the Saturday
morning, the women’s race on the Saturday
afternoon and the men raced on the
Sunday.
In the women’s
race, the BRAT A
team (Kate Robson,
Rachel Hares,
Helen Russell and
Vic Dixon) had
some fantastic
performances. Kate
Robson’s speedy
swim got the ladies
off to a flying start
in 4th position in a
quick time of 07.48. Cycling next: the Brat A
team ladies dropped to 8th position behind
the new leaders Leicester Tri, but great
performances by all the team members
put them in good stead to launch a spirited
challenge in the run with only a minute
between them and the leaders. Kate then
stormed through the 5km run leg in a time
of 17.20; this fantastic run effort was then
consolidated with impressive runs from
Rachel, Helen and Vic, who brought the
team home to reclaim the silver medal from
2011 in a total time of 3.37.06.
10
The Women’s Vet’s (Debbie Southwood,
Chris Hirsh, Helen Howells and Ann Marie
Bathmaker) battled it out with 7Oaks Tri to
also finish in silver medal position in a time
of 3.57.15.
Amid torrential showers, the men’s teams
retained a good standard at this year’s
event. The Men’s A team (Chris Ashford,
Phil Fishwick, Adam Grice, Steve Brookes)
finished in 21st place, narrowly beating
the Vets A team (Mark Hirsh, Nick Horton,
Duncan Hough, Steve Cock) who came in
at 26th place. Competing along their BRAT
peers of more mature years, the BRAT
Juniors finished 47th overall, ahead of
several other BRAT male teams.
There was a distinct feline theme to
this year’s mixed teams, with the likes
of ‘Chattering Cheetahs’, ‘Lazy Lions’,
‘Kitten Crushers’ and the ‘Fluffy Kittens’
fighting it out. All teams had spectacular
performances, with the highest position
going to Steve’s Crouching Tigers who came
in 18th overall. Competition between the
newly founded ‘Kitten Crushers’ and the
more established ‘Fluffy Kittens’ had been
brewing prior to the race. As an ex Fluffy
Kitten myself, I am saddened to report that
true to their name, the Kittens Crushers did
‘crush’ the Fluffy’s by just under 4 minutes.
Despite the inclement weather the relays
offered a great weekend for all BRAT’s,
competitors and spectators alike and not
forgetting a big thank you to Chris and Mark
Hirsh for hosting a fantastic post-race BBQ!
Looking forward to next year’s race!
By Cat Philps (née Tomaney)
The BRAT Club
Aquathlon Series, 2012
Nothing says summer like “Bittell
Thursdays”, and in 2012 the BRAT
Aquathlon Series returned to add
some light-hearted competition to our
favourite training day of the working
week. Unfortunately, in the UK nothing
says summer like torrential rain and
mass flooding… however the weatherinduced delay to the series did nothing to
dampen the spirits of the BRAT Aquathlon
competitors.
For anyone who is not aware of these
events, let me set the scene… On Thursday
evenings throughout the summer
(from May or when the water reaches
12 degrees) you will find many a BRAT
squeezing into their wetsuit to swim in
Upper Bittell reservoir, the beautiful home
of Barnt Green Sailing Club. On for or five
evenings throughout the summer we hold
Aquathlon races. These informal events are
intended to encourage people of all ages
and all abilities to “have a go” and to have
fun.
The swim route is dictated at the whim
of The Boat Man (aka Tauny or Mikey P!)
and varied in distance between 800m and
1500m. The (roughly 5k) run route varied
slightly in length depending on the terrain
and muddy puddles. As always, we owe a
massive thank you to all the volunteers who
pointed the athletes in the right direction in
the cold, wind and rain, or (more rarely!) in
the warmth under attack from the mozzies!
•
•
The “Long Distance Larry” award
went to Nick Irons for doing a
significantly longer run section on
the 1st Aqauthlon. He was also
congratulated for being a regular
racer and a good sport.
Chris Ashford had a great season
and added four Aquathlon wins to
his tally of successes.
•
Martin Ludford was awarded for
his commitment to the races,
improvement and long transition
times… Putting socks on wet feet is
very tricky!!!
•
Dan Evans was awarded for
very good times at several of the
Aquathlons… and for having a very
difficult name to remember!!! (Sorry
Dan)
•
Bea Pavlovic made huge
improvements and also competed
in most of the races.
•
“The most heckled man in
transition” award was scooped
by Mark McGarry, who also
clocked up some great overall
times.
•
Keith Hill, David Samson, Beth
Morgan and Charlotte Geggie
also need a mention for their
racing results, commitment to
the races, and for being good
fun!
As the evenings are becoming lighter
we are looking forward to a great
2013 series. We will keep you posted
regarding dates for races and social
events.
By Tona Walder
Racing is thirsty work and so we are grateful
to Mr & Mrs Chris Pack and Mr & Mrs Robin
Brown for opening the bar for us postrace. We re-fuelled after the first race of
the season with the popular “Chilly Chilli”
Night - Lisa Rollin’s now famous delicious
meat and veggie chilli with a baked spud!
Chris Pack got the BBQ going for more
frivolity after the 2nd, 3rd and 4th races.
The 5th and final Aquathlon closed the
series with another dose of hearty chilli and
we also celebrated a variety of memories,
achievements and talents (I apologise if I
have missed anyone!):
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Time for “The Showdown”:
The BRAT vs BUTT Aquathlon
After days of rain, the skies finally cleared
for the second BRAT vs University of
Birmingham Triathlon Team (BUTT)
aquathlon. The format was three teams of
six for each club with each member doing
a 400m swim followed by a run of just
over a mile (i.e. 4 laps of the track plus the
run from pool to the track and back). There
was no shortage of BRATs volunteering to
participate and to assist with organising
and marshaling the event. This made for a
great atmosphere on the day and provided
lots of support for the teams. The BUTT A
team took an early lead on leg one, but as
the legs progressed the lead changed hands
several times. In a nail biting finish, the BRAT
A team “BRATattack” (Adele Grassby, Chris
Ashford, Chrissie Wellington, Robin Biles,
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Rachel Ward, and Steve Brookes) finally
clinched victory on the final leg and were
rewarded by collecting the prized annual
trophy for the event. The “BRATastic” team
of Tona Walder, Duncan Hough, Anne
Kenchington, Richard Hindle, Eloise Lee
and Phil Fishwick took 3rd place while the
“BRATaccino” team of Sarah Paskin, Thanos
Tsolakis, Ann-Marie Bathmaker, Steve
Washbourne, Maria Adey and Joel Griffin
finished 5th. The BUTT teams finished a
sorry 2nd, 4th and 6th (stone motherless
last). That makes it BRAT victors 2 from 2
events, with the 3rd looming in the spring
– sign up for a truly great day! Thanks to
Martin Ludford for the photo.
By Tauny Southwood
Mud
Glorious
Mud…
The Cross
Country Season, 2012-2013
Q: What do all good distance athletes
and triathletes do in winter for
conditioning and competition?
A: Cross Country (XC)!
Coe, Ovett, Cram, Holmes, Radcliffe, Yelling,
Bekele and Farah all have solid backgrounds
in XC racing for their clubs and countries.
Both Brownlee brothers also have strong
credentials in XC and still use XC as a
significant part of their winter training.
Whatever your focus for the summer, you
can benefit from competing in XC during
the winter.
The men’s team competes in Division 1 of
the Birmingham & District League while
the women compete in Division 1 of the
Midland Women’s League. We race against
most of the strongest clubs and universities
in the Midlands. We also enter the annual
Warwickshire Championships and the
Midland Regional Championships. We can
enter as many runners as we like in these
competitions, as long as they are BRAT
members and registered with UKA to run
for BRAT. Our junior athletes compete in the
West Midlands Young Athletes League. This
season has seen some very encouraging
results for the Club.
Some Season Highlights
In the Warwickshire Championships at
Leamington the senior men won silver
medals behind Coventry Godiva while the
veterans (masters) took bronze. In the Junior
races, Anne Kenchington finished 5th in the
U17 girls, while Jacob Gollings, Matthew
Ritson and Jake Crawshaw brought BRAT
home in 7th place in the U13 boys race.
And a few words from Geoff
Mann…
Hello to BRATs everywhere! A few notes on
this season’s ladies XC.
The season got underway in October at the
testing Leamington course. 11 girls turned
up to run and Eloise, Linz and Natalie took
the points. In November we headed to
Burbage Common in Hinkley. On a flat but
In the Midland Championship in the snow
very muddy course, 10 girls ran with Eloise,
at Stafford the men finished 10th out of 24 Claire S and Nat making up the scoring
teams in a competitive field. Special thanks
trio. In January 13 girls turned up to savour
to Thanos Tsolakis who turned out for the
the delights of the muddy Sandwell Valley
team despite being rendered homeless
Country Park course. Sophie, Eloise (who
by a kitchen fire the night before – that’s
was shoeless for a lap!) and Linz scored for
commitment to the cause!
the team. February took us to Cheltenham.
At the beginning of the race the team were
In the final league fixture at Birchfield in
in a relegation spot. 8 girls ran and Helen,
February BRAT’s Jack Gray won the race,
Sophie and Eloise brought the team home
and the A team secured 6th place for the
for their best placing of the season, pulling
season and the B team placed 3rd. Jack
the team up to the safety of 9th place and
Gray also won the individual award for
avoiding the second division next year.
junior athletes (U20) and was second in the
Congratulations to Eloise (83rd) and Nat
overall individual standings.
(219th) who represented the BRATs at the
A remarkable 50 different BRATs have
Nationals in Sunderland.
competed for the men’s team in one or
Thanks to all who have run this season more races this season. Jack Gray, Paul
Nat, Ann-Marie, Gill, Charlotte, Claire J, Claire
Thompson, Chris Ashford, Ed Banks, Tim
S, Claire H, Lizi, Hazel, Linz, Sarah, Catherine,
Carter, Dan Robinson, Mark Lawlor, Martin
Sophie, Helen, Daisy, Anita, Danielle, Eloise,
Matthews and Mark Ince all scored for the
Tona, Yasmin, and Chrissie. Hope to see you
A team in one or more races, while Ben
all (and more!) next season.
Clarson, Mark Hirsch, Jon Tune, Richard
Gray, Brendan Fitzgerald, Chris Grimley,
By Geoff Mann (Ladies Team Manager)
Nick Lewis, Robin Biles, Dave Smithers, Rene
If you are interested in getting involved
Vergo and David McNeil all counted for the
in XC, contact team managers Martin
B team.
Ludford (men) and Geoff Mann (women)
and Chris Gollings (juniors) via athletics@
There are too many other names to
mention them all but I would like to thank
bratclub.co.uk or talk to any of the running
every one of you for turning out. Thanks
session leaders. New faces are always
also to the helpers and supporters who
welcome and it really is a case of the more
come along to the races to cheer the teams the merrier.
on, it really does make a difference.
By Martin Ludford (Men’s Team Manager)
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A Word From the Chairman:
“Stride Into Spring, Strava-Style”
After the long and harsh winter, we feel repaired, reenergized and re-motivated… right?
As we move into the new season perhaps it is time to refocus and reapply ourselves to the
cause of physical and mental perfection. Yes, that is the mantra, but sometimes finding
the incentive to start afresh can be a problem…
Well, www.strava.com certainly put paid to all of that! A website that never lets go – it
worms its way into some of the deepest needs of the athlete – to set and exceed our
own targets, to collect victory after victory, no matter how small. With a GPS or a strava
app on your phone, you need never be without an incentive to push that little bit harder.
Every step you run, every bike ride – no matter how short – becomes a challenge to be
surmounted. You can even set your own benchmark segments and compare your times
again, and again, and again. It is utterly addictive to the little but powerful perennial
desire to “raise the bar” that exist in us all. Don’t forget to check out the “BRAT Club” section
– a great opportunity to challenge and encourage your club mates from the comfort of
your sofa!
By Tauny Southwood
The El-ditorial
I don’t know about you, but I have been inspired by
this latest issue of BRAT News… yes, obviously I mean
inspired to run in the mud, race (or volunteer!) in the
Olympics, and “crush” the fluffy kittens (again!) at the
National Club Relays… but more importantly, inspired
to keep writing, reading and sharing the triumphs
and trepidation of BRAT club antics in the coming
season.
With the launch of the fantastic new club website it
is going to be even easier for us all to share the latest
news and gossip on a more regular basis. Anyone
can get involved in submitting news stories to be
shared via the “Hot News” feed on the home page just send in your race reports and other updates to
[email protected]. This will be the place to catch
up on the latest goings on in the club.
The BRAT News magazine will continue to be
published twice a year and we hope members will
continue to submit longer race reports, personal
reflections, photos and other stories that enable an
awesome edition such as this to come together. For
more information about getting involved with writing
and sharing BRAT News, just have a chat with a
member of the BRAT News team - myself, Ed Banks
or Eloise Lee (photos).
El Quested
BRAT News Editor
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