
I hope you have all had a lovely weekend! Hopefully many of you managed to get out for a run and enjoy the sunshine.
Parkrun
It was, as ever, great to see so many of Hedge End Running Club at the Netley Abbey Parkrun yesterday. Sometimes I wonder how the event ran before HERC was established as we seem to provide lots of volunteers as well as runners! Well done to Claire Powell, Emma Davies, Ali Morant and Claire Cooke for their PBs at Netley yesterday morning, and welcome to Kate Rampton and Samantha Dunn who completed their first Parkruns!
If you haven't yet experienced Parkrun then summer really is the best time to give it a go! Royal Victoria Country Park can (and does!) get very wet and boggy in the winter months so if you've been thinking about trying it, do it sooner rather than later... that way when you are hooked and trudging through the mud in the winter months you can reassure yourself with the knowledge that it's much nicer in the summer! Before you do your first Parkrun you will need to register at http://www.parkrun.org.uk/ and print off your barcode. This will need to be brought along to every parkrun you take part in, to ensure you are given a time and position for your efforts. You only need to register once and it really is very simple and we would love to see you there! If you've run but not volunteered yet then I can tell you it is (almost) as good as running in the event - it is great to cheer people on and see it from the other side. It also makes you appreciate how much organisation goes into making parkrun such a success. If you haven't volunteered yet and would like to, then check out the Netley Abbey Parkrun website for the future roster or email netleyabbeyhelpers@parkrun.com
RR10s - free races open to all club members
We are now approaching our third race in the RR10 series (of which, as the name suggests, there are 10 races...) The next race is to be held this coming Wednesday 22nd May at 7.30pm at Wilverley Enclosure near Sway. Each course we do is between 4 and 5 miles and off road. Results are based on finishing positions, not times, and are grouped into 3's within the running club (so, for example, the first 3 HE Ladies to finish are the A team, followed by 4-6 as the B team, 7-9 C team and so on). The races are challenging, but fun, and it is - in addition to Parkrun - a great way of getting that 'race' experience for free.
There is no need to commit to all races - we would just love to see you there when you can make it. Some races are nearer home, so I'm hoping at those events we can get a really good turn out (and possibly go for food/drinks afterwards).
More information can be found at http://www.rr10.hampshire.org.uk/
If you intend to go to any of the races we have car shares in operation from HE Train Station - for this one we are meeting at about 6.20pm. If you are able, check to the facebook page for more information, or if you are not on facebook please email me and I will confirm details for you.
Our ladies 'A' team currently stands in 10th position out of 62 clubs, with 'B' 20th, 'C' 49th, 'D' 50th
Endure24
We still have one place available for the Endure24 event on the 8-9th June and Sarah and I (the only females currently on the team!) would love it to be taken by a lady! This is a Team 24 hour endurance race. Each lap is 5 miles, and it is done as a relay over 24 hours - from midday Saturday to midday Sunday. The cost is £30 per person, including camping. You may arrive on the Friday night if you wish and family are welcome to camp with you. In fact, family to cook our meals and make us cups of tea would be extremely welcome!! If the weather holds out I think it is going to be a great event. Some people are camping from Friday night and intending to visit a local parkrun on the Saturday morning, just because clearly 24 hours of running isn't enough?!
Let myself or Alex Johnson know asap if you are interested - any speed/experience welcome! More info here: http://www.endure24.co.uk/
Other bits...
Just a little bit to say I am loving the enthusiasm of all the HE Ladies. This was particularly evident at the Marwell 10k with all the marshaling and cake baking that went into making it such a success, so a BIG well done to those who helped out. I'm sure you'll agree it was a day that made you proud to be a Hedgie! We had a few entrants in the race - so well done to Kirsty Shannon (who was competing in the Hants Police 10K Championships that day) and Claire Powell, Louise Heslop, Emma Lewis and Anna Smith-James who entered the race before joining HERC - all achieved really good times and were spurred on by the fantastic support from their fellow Hedgies.
I look forward to hearing the results from Netley 10K and no doubt celebrating some successes. Good luck also to the lovely Carol Sergeant who is heading north for the Edinburgh Marathon next weekend - we'll all be rooting for you:-)
Please get in touch if there is anything I can do to help you, or if there are any races you fancy entering as a team - always open to suggestions.
Have a great week whether you are racing, training or resting (all of equal importance to your success and enjoyment of running).
Karen x