Running In Circles Newsletter - August 2013

Chairman's Chat

I’m feeling a little out of the CC loop at present due to my present work commitments but I have been keeping tabs on what’s been going on! With spring about to sprung it would seem that loads of cross training is indeed on the go, trail runs, cycle races and some great performance at local races. There’s a load of thank “yous” and congratulations to be made together with information to share with you all!
Perhaps let me start by welcoming all new members to the club. No matter what your personal running goals are we thank you for joining the largest running club in Mpumalanga!

HALLS
The 13th of July may have had a chilly 5 degs start but we were thrilled to have almost 800 runners join us for the event. We received great compliments from both local and national runners and all in all can be proud of another great NEDBANK LVCC event.
These events are just not possible without the commitment and sacrifice of personal time to help by our members and it was fantastic to see some traditional barriers being broken down by the “mixed team” at the start and finish! Congratulations to Mark, Paul, Fanie, Mirandi for making this all happen. If special service awards existed they would most definitely go to Mark, Janet Vincent and her ambidexterity timing skills, Colleen who calmly used her Maths Literacy skills, Adriaan and his IT capturing, Euan and his “Frooming” around Halls estate, the Stevensons and De Beer families and so many others all of whom contributed selflessly! A huge thank you to Halls for sponsoring and allowing us to make this race possible once more.

CONGRATULATIONS
 Congratulations must go to Barbara and Ian for completing Rhodes
 All our Nedbank LVCC podium finishers at Halls and Legogote

SKUKUZA
This is our away run and exceptionally tricky to try and co-ordinate. As a club we do a group booking to stay at Pretoriouskop almost 10months prior to the event. Entry to the race is for the individual’s responsibility and feedback given by the organisers is that almost 3000 more entries for the lucky draw +1600 runners cut off for the race is entirely based on that – a lucky draw. There is always last minute panic and this year it would seem people getting a bit hot under the collar in their desperation to find a number. The word from the organisers is clear. If you do not have a number DO NOT RUN as you will be black listed from the event. For those of you who received a race number by mail, have a paid 2013 LVCC ASA license, paid your December fee and have proof but have still not received a number please urgently send all the details to our email as only an official email from the club will be read in order to rectify this. For the rest of you who will be joining us we look forward to a great weekend! Communications for those we know to be confirmed as staying at Pretoriuskop will receive details of the weekend events directly.

TRAINING
Please watch our blog for the new virtual coaching programs just in time for you to try you first 10, 21 or 42 by November. We are an amateur running club and do not provide professional coaching or training but should you have any queries, questions or concerns please email us and/or join us for time trial on Thursday evenings at LVCC where we can do our best to assist.

KIT
I would like to apologise to those of you who recently bought to our attention issues pertaining to Comrades/kit. We are still without new kit but there is kit of a variety of sizes that may be purchased at next to nothing prices and adapted to your size. For those of you wanting more than what we can currently offer please feel free to go to www.nedbankrunning.co.za and order/pay directly from national office.
In the meantime keep yourself up-to-date by following the blog at http://nedbank-lvccrunning.blogspot.com/ . 

See you all at time trial and Skukuza!

Steve

Club projects

We have several needs at present of things that require doing for the running section. Please contact lvccrun@gmail.com should you be able to assist/sponsor/ donate any of the following:
1. Road house photo collages
2. Marshalling flags (i.e. Reflective material sewn onto doweling rods)
3. Safety cones
4. Lucky draw prizes for the upcoming Om die Dammetjie – 7th September 2013
5. Signage
6. Old running shoes

Race Report - The Grove Superspar Legogote.

              

A smallish group of Nedbank LVCC’s racing snakes and faithful never-take-a-winter-break runners pitched up in White River to tackle the Grove Superspar Legogote race on 20 July. It was a crisp winter morning with the sun peeking over the Legogote koppies, ready to warm all the cold bodies up. If the sun wasn’t going to do it, the big hills would. It’s an out and back route that starts at the White River Rugby Club and goes out towards the smallholdings on the south east of town. This means hills, hills and some down hills. In fact the total elevation gain for the half marathon is just under 400m. One thing that definitely makes up for all the suffering on those steep hills is the fact that it’s a scenic run through the countryside. Our club had some impressive performances with overall and category wins, some category podium places and even a PB for our club captain. I even managed to capture some of the action on the road until I got left behind! Well done to Legogote Villagers on another well organised race, I’m looking forward to their next race at God’s Window. I would also like to see more of my club mates on the starting line. Please support local races!

Toy

Race Report - Sitrusfees 21km Protea Hotel Nelspruit Boswedloop.

Sat 27^th July saw the brave and adventurous arrive at the Sitrusfees on the Schoemanskloof road for some off-road running. Upon arrival we were blasted by “sub-zero” winds that made us wonder what on earth we were doing there. After the huddling in cars waiting for the start & the sun to reach us we lined up ready for action, and boy were some of us dressed for action, Helette , Petro, Vanessa & Ciska were using the event as a dress rehearsal for their upcoming proper trail run & they really looked the part. The rest of us plebs were just trying to stay warm until the running began.

No one was planning to use this race to set a PB so from the start the idea was to have fun. The route was undulating dirt roads with some single track through the bush and some “surprises” in between. “Surprise 1” the river crossing: this had us walk about 25m across a small wall in the freezing flowing water. Most of us just went across without a problem and had squishy shoes for a couple km’s afterwards. Sadly our professional looking “trail ladies” decided to take their shoes & socks off and walk across and redress the feet on the other side, REALLY ? No no no ladies I know you had lotsa fun but the REAL trail runners would not be impressed with you. “Surprise 2” the cable bridge: this was an old cable bridge with wooden slats across, well actually more like “wooden slats then hole, hole, hole, then a couple more slats and then more holes” this made more tricky by fellows runners making the bridge swing and bounce beneath you, hmmmm lotsa fun again. But Andrew had the most fun there when a wooden slat gave way beneath him, luckily no damage to Andrew.

I don’t have the exact results but it goes something like this, Ntuthuko was the outright winner, December 1^st Vet and Elsa 3^rd lady. Forgive me if I left someone out.

All in all it was a great run and good to see Nedbank LVCC support and dominate the event.

Cheers,

Captain Paul