This section features articles contributed by club members which cover a range of running related subjects. If you would like to submit an article, race report, or anything at all that you think other members would find interesting, simply email it to .
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| Auckland Half Marathon | - Phil Westlake |
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| Hard on the heels of our previous Half Marathon in Beijing came a long and tiring series of flights to New Zealand (via Hong Kong and Sydney, lasting in excess of 24 hours if you include waiting around in airport departure lounges). When we arrived in Auckland we were a full 12 hours ahead of the UK and by this time our body clocks were pretty confused to say the least. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 09 November 2009] |
| Beijing Half Marathon | - Phil Westlake |
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| With the Marrakech, Paris and Vancouver legs of our Five Continents challenge behind us, we packed our overworked suitcases for one last time in 2009 and set off, first for Beijing and then on to Auckland to complete the final two jigsaw pieces of our Half Marathon bonanza. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 31 October 2009] |
| Vancouver Half Marathon | - Phil Westlake |
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| With the African and European legs of our Five Continents challenge complete, the next stop was Canada for the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon. Unfortunately, a week before we were due to travel, disaster struck in the form of a muscle injury, which prevented Anita from training and posed a serious threat to her being on the start line in Vancouver. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 12 May 2009] |
| Paris Half Marathon | - Phil Westlake |
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| Six weeks after Marrakech saw us travel to Paris for the second of our five Half Marathons that would see us travel a joint-total of 75,000 air miles covering each of the five continents. Although heavy rain had been forecast for the entire weekend, Saturday was a pleasant spring day - it was a shame then that the race was on the Sunday. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 26 March 2009] |
| Marrakech Half Marathon | - Phil Westlake |
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| After months of painstaking preparation, the time had eventually arrived to depart for Marrakech and complete the first of our five Half Marathons that would see us travel a joint-total of 75,000 air miles covering each of the five continents. The problems started even before we departed on our early Saturday morning flight to Africa. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 02 February 2009] |
| Why not try a tri? | - Nick Kane |
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| So you've posted PBs in 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and smashed the 3 hour barrier at Marathon (well one day maybe), what's your next challenge: the Saharan Marathon des Sables or maybe South Africa's Comrades? Well if you want to do something different but closer to home why not try a Tri? READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 02 February 2009] |
| 50 Steps to improving your 10K | - Phil Westlake |
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| A quick glance at recent race results confirm that the vast majority of our club runners have a 10k time between 40 and 60 minutes. Further to my previous web-site article (the 100 Steps To Fitness, originally written back in 1993 by Bruce Tulloh) I have spent a little time investigating how the principles under-pinning the targets in that article could be used to provide 50 simple steps by which a 60 minute 10k could be reduced down to 40 minutes. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 21 November 2008] |
| 100 Steps to fitness | - Phil Westlake |
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| Looking through some old running magazines a few nights ago, I stumbled across an article entitled "The 100 Steps to Fitness" first published in Running Magazine back in June 1993. It was written by Bruce Tulloh, who won the 1962 European 5,000m gold medal and who I believe is still running competitively today. The challenge imposed by the article really caught my attention at the time - in fact, I became obsessed with achieving the 100th step. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 21 November 2008] |
| Blame it on Gary... | - Phil & Anita Westlake |
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| I suppose I've got Anita to thank for getting me back in to running. Just as I was thinking about giving it up altogether, she decided to buy me a shiny new running watch for Christmas. Having been content with a pretty basic digital watch up to that point, I really had no idea that the sub-6 minute miles I was convincing myself I was running backwards and forwards to work were actually considerably slower. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 22 October 2008] |
| Injury Prevention and Strength Training for Injury Prevention - Part Two |
| Luke Quilliam |
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| Since taking up distance running after years of other sports such as competitive football, tennis, bodybuilding, fitness training and strength training I rose to the scene of competitive running, which has taken me to achievements I thought I would never do as I am not a born runner. But since taking the sport up other the past few years I have realised what a hard sport it is in balancing social life and competing and this can take a toll on your body causing injuries after weeks and months of hard training. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 06 October 2008] |
| Injury Prevention and Strength Training for Injury Prevention - Part One |
| Luke Quilliam |
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| The most important aspect of endurance sports are the endurance run known as long runs (10 miles+) that enable the body to adapt to greater distance and allow efficient running. However, long runs increase risk to running specific injuries (Patella Tendonitis, Patellofemoral pain Syndrome (PFPS), or Runner's Knee, Calf Strains, Hamstring Strain, Achilles Tendonitis). READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 06 October 2008] |
| What is age grading? | - Phil Westlake |
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| A decision was taken at this year's AGM to introduce a new Age Graded Club Championship competition, to run alongside our normal Club Championship. The overall male and female Club Champions will continue to be those that top the normal (non-age adjusted) Club Championship tables. However, the introduction of an Age Graded Championship will enable older runners to compete on even terms with younger generations, and recognise quality performances from club veterans. So just what exactly is age grading and how can our members use it to best effect? READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 18 September 2008] |
| A brief guide to warm-up, warm-down and stretching |
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| Fiona Cramp PhD MCSP |
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| A warm-up lets your body gradually adjust to the exercise, preparing you for the harder work to come and making
the subsequent session easier. Five to 10 minutes of easy running or walking before you start putting your body
through its paces will lessen the strain on your heart by promoting the work of your circulatory system in
pumping the blood carrying oxygen to your muscles. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 08 September 2008] |
| Samoa Half Marathon | - Kevin Mowat |
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| This trip was plotted about a month before departure, I decided that I wanted to run a marathon in an attractive place, with an element of fun about it that would detract the seriousness of having to survive twenty-six miles, and also have a few decent brewpubs to celebrate afterwards. San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon seemed to fit the criteria perfectly, but city breaks get boring after a few days, so what then? READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 16 June 2008] |
| Miles and Kilometers | - Reg Morris |
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| Some runners still work in miles and measure their pace in minutes per mile. But all running tracks are now calibrated in meters and over 80% of runs are measured in kilometers or based on a scale that is neither miles nor kilometers. Also by 2012 distances on the roads will all be measured in meters and kilometers; so we might as well get used to them. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 06 May 2008] |
| Running Safety | - Ron Shannon |
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| This article is aimed at all members of the club of every standard, but is particularly relevant to new members. It aims to provide all runners with tips on safer running, both on club runs and when undertaking individual training runs. READ MORE >> |
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| [Published 06 May 2008] |
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