Berkshire Trail Runners Summer Update
With the summer holidays coming to an end, we look forward to some cooler running in September when our normal schedule resumes on Sunday 2nd. I am pleased to say we now have a complement of 6 run leaders, with another 4 or 5 in the pipeline. I would like to thank all those who have paid the £140 out of their own pockets to sign up for the LiRF course, your dedication to the success of Berkshire Trail Runners is truly appreciated by all, without which we would almost certainly would have needed to reduce our running calendar. Current Run Leaders: Karen Thomas Hugh Smith Patrick Kerry Victoria Christopher Patrick Laloyaux Vikki Roberts-Caiger Pending: Katie Ackling (September) Paul Ackling (September) Rochelle Bell (November) Robin Mills (November)
Louise Brown
If you would like to be part of our growing run leader / coaching team thae please take a look via the link below, the more qualified leaders we have the more options we can offer as a club.
We are also starting a trial of longer runs at 15+km, which will commence on the 30th September and potentially every month thereafter. This gives many of you the opportunity to stretch your distances close to half marathon, whilst providing good training for those who like a longer run on a regular basis.
Also as many of you will already know we have split the booking of our 5 & 10 km runs into two, to facilitate easier planning of the runs. Essentially there will be no change in the actual run, but it does allow your run leaders to better plan the run, should there be no takers for either the 5 km or the 10 km run or we do not have enough run leaders to cover both then we will cancel one of the runs. On the last Sunday of the month there will only be a choice of 5 km or 15 km.
We had been expecting Run Together to offer their run booking app in August however I have a suspicion that it has been put back a month or two. When launched it should offer a much easier booking experience that the current system. In the meantime please ensure you register for every run so that we are fully aware of everyone’s requirements allowing us to plans your runs accordingly. Additionally this ensures your contact and emergency numbers will be available to your run leader, you will be covered by England Athletics liability insurance and you will receive automatic notifications should the run be cancelled or if there is a change of venue. We would like to welcome Vikki Roberts-Caiger to the group, who also has Run Leader qualifications (LiRF) and Coaching qualifications (CiRF) via England Athletics, along with a vast array of other qualifications cantered around personal training. Whilst running with the group she will be happy to offer inline help and tips to those that require them, Her personal training skills will also be available at club rates, whilst there is also a possibility of her offering Running Workshops alongside our scheduled runs for a small fee. Vikki has a lot to offer the group training and advising which will no doubt be of great interest to many of our members. Once Vikki has done a few runs with the group she will be better able to assess the clubs needs and tailor her plans to the group. For more information about Vikki’s personal Training services see… http://www.vr-pt.co.uk/
We are still of course moving towards a paid membership, giving us funds to bring the club into affiliation with England Athletics, and once we are sure we have met all the criteria that England Athletics require we will be asking for membership fees later in the year. We also believe that we will be able to offer individual affiliation at additional cost (£15) giving athletes discounts from races, which I am sure will be an attractive option to those of you who compete in many races throughout the year. Finally as much as I hate to talk about Christmas (in August!) it was necessary to ensure a booking for our Christmas party.
The Giggling Squid
The Giggling Squid in Wokingham has been booked for the 7 December @ 7pm (see our Calendar), I believe we will have to pre-order set menus as we will be 20-30 hungry runners. They do of course offer Vegetarian / vegan options as well. We will communicate more details nearer the time.
In the meantime remember there is always a good opportunity to partake in a bit of post run social and hydration at the Golden Retriever Pub on Nine mile ride just 5 minutes (1.7miles) from the lookout after our Friday evening runs. Our social gatherings have always been a great place to share running tips, race ideas and suggestions for the clubs progression / improvement.
SAFETY: Finally, a reminder to all, take time to ensure you look after your own health and safety by ensuring you suitably warmed up and hydrated before your runs, and take time to cool down and stretch after a run.
