Mornington Chasers Newsletter
17 March 2024
Hey Chasers,
Happy St Patrick’s Day!!! ☘️☘️☘️
Hope everyone has had a good week.
Congratulations Ellie Hollway for a new PB in the Barcelona Marathon!
She only went and smashed it! A big well done to Ellie in the Barcelona Marathon last weekend. All your training and hard work paid off. See below for another fab race report.
On this note, all women who get a PB in a SOAR vest, crop or singlet this Spring will be rewarded with £50 credit to spend on whatever they like at SOAR. See link for T&C.
Chingford League - Congrats Juliette & Carmen
Well done to everyone who participated in the Cross Country fixtures over the winter months. The final fixture was the Wanstead Relays last weekend where we had Chasers representing us in team relay races.
A big well done to Carmen and Juliette who both were awarded the Chingford League ‘Ever Present’ mug for having participated in all 6 of the Chingford League races. We love this dedication from you guys!! Well done.
Summer League
The dates of Summer League 2024 are now in the calendar on the website. Take a look at the dates and venues and get them written down in your diaries!
Tuesday Runs and Tea Rota
Our Tuesday runs are always followed by a drink and biscuit at Talacre. A big thank you to those who have been helping out after our Tuesday runs. If you'd like to volunteer for the Tuesday Tea Rota, you can sign up here. Instructions are provided, but feel free to reach out to any committee member if you have questions.
Sportshoe.com Discount
Don't forget to check out the website for 10% discount on sport shoes. The monthly code is only accessible once logged in.
Upcoming Races
Feel free to drop newsletter@chaser.me.uk a message if you would like to share any upcoming marathons, runs or other events you will be participating in over the coming months.
We have also created this google doc where Chasers can add any of their races. This can be any event or any distance. Hopefully this will allow everyone to link up with other runners participating in the same events and will help us to make sure the club send you lots of well wishes and support.
Ellie Holloway - Barcelona Marathon Race Report
Barcelona marathon in March was never the plan, but, to save you reading this whole race report, it was an incredible experience and a good lesson that everything turns out ok, maybe even better than ok, in the end. My best friend, Kate, breaking up with a boyfriend who she’d signed her for Barcelona marathon with, and all of my hopes of charity London places falling through, led me to a drunken New Years sign up. And so a 9 week training block began in a very wet and dark January.
Ramping up the miles after a very lax December was a daunting prospect. Especially so given I knew I’d have to grind out a lot of it alone, while everyone else enjoyed a more sensible block training for London. And anyone who knows me will know that I hate nothing more than being alone and love nothing more than a chatty run.
There were some character building sessions round Regents Park in the rain, and I couldn’t rely on Gaby for all of the logistics, planning and navigating of my long runs like I usually did. But, I never felt alone in this block. Huge shout outs to everyone who joined me for any part of a long run, especially to Gaby, Mabel and Andy, who joined me and listened to my moaning along countless miles of various London canals. To Hattie, Jodie and Rosie who coordinated sessions in the inner circle so we could wave at each other as we ran past in opposite directions. And to everyone who gave kudos, offered advice and wished me luck. The Mornington Chasers community really did get me to the start line feeling strong.
Well, sort of feeling strong. In truth I felt incredibly sick and every bone in my body felt like it was developing a niggle. But we were at the start line and is was too late for anything else.
I had 5k splits written all up my arm and set off with a plan to start off steady and hopefully last the full 26.2miles to finish in 3.44. My previous marathon in Manchester had finished with a brutal and soul-destroying final 10k after which I limped over the line, so I was determined to finish strong this time.
I normally run in miles, but I embraced the continental modern ways and manually lapped my at the km markers. Psychologically I think this was a game changer - kilometres come round so much more quickly and the novelty factor kept me focused on executing the splits for each km without getting in my own head about pace too much. (I will still be training in miles though!)
The course double backed around the parallel Barcelona streets, shaded from the sun by the tall buildings and meaning spectators could get to lots of different spots. In the first 15km my family cheered me at 3 different spots, and lots of other spectators did the same, so the crowds were excellent all the way round.
I overtook Kate, who’d started a wave ahead but was now perfectly executing her plan of steady splits for a sub 4hr time. Then I waved at fellow Chaser Jessie Benson, who was looking cool as a cucumber in luminous yellow and breezing along at her target pace.
I’d clocked 15km at a steady pace and felt really good. I kept telling myself not to get too excited and settle back into my 5.19/km splits but each kilometre that went by, my average lap pace nudged down and I got into more and more of a rhythm.
At 28km, we hit the beach front. I knew this would be a hard stretch - the 20mile ‘warm up’ was nearly over and the 10k ‘race’ was about to start. Plus, the shade disappeared and the sun was getting hot. For the first time in a race, I ran with my phone and headphones and so as I hit the beachfront I hit play on the same playlist I’d grinded out all my solo sessions to and settled in for the hard bit to pass.
My main motto to myself was that feeling shit doesn’t last. So as soon as I started to feel like I couldn’t keep going, I focused on the crowds and my music, and kept putting one foot in front of the other until I felt good again. Big cringe alert: I started doing each km ‘for’ different people - lots of Chasers featured - so that I couldn’t make that km the one in which I let that important person down.
We came off the beachfront, back to the shade and my favourite part of the race. A long stretch up a wide street for 2.5km, which we then double-backed down. The spectators were incredible and I had my first thought of ‘you might actually do this’. I think at this point ‘this’ was just finishing - over the next 8km, it became finishing strong, then finishing sub 3.45.
5k to go and we ran up a road with the Sagrada familia looming in the distance. Just one lap of RP to go and I couldn’t stop smiling. I was feeling tired but the crowds were carrying me and I was still knocking out faster and faster km splits.
In the final 2km, I was just picturing laps of the track and dreaming of the cerveza and paella waiting for me. It’s all a bit of a blur but then I hit the final 400m. Downhill, ending under the Arc de Triomf and with the crowds drowning out my tunes, I was smiling the whole way. I crossed the finish line at 3.37.35 and couldn’t quite believe it was over. And that I’d somehow achieved a 13-minute PB!
I met my family (my mum and dad cried) and Kate, who’d finished in 3.53 and avoided the ex-boyfriend so was in good spirits. And it was cervezas all round!
We couldn’t walk, and the stairs on the metro took us a lifetime, but we had our medals and we were both grinning for days later. I am still absolutely buzzing and (forgive the cringe) so proud of myself.
A huge thank you to everyone who was part of any of my training, but special thanks to Donal whose coaching has transformed me from a moaning social runner to a 3.37 marathoner - although actually, maybe I’m still a moaning social runner, just with a marathon time I’m pretty proud of too!
Calendar
Here's whats happening over the next few weeks other than our usual Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday runs. You can find our full calendar on the website.
23/03/2024 Club De Fromage - Over 30s Daytime Party at Scala
Join
We are also currently taking names for the following events.
20/10/2024 Chasers Amsterdam Take Over
Join the party (9987 of 9999 left)
21/04/2024 London Marathon 20k elite drinks station
Results
If you want to upload a photo or your results are missing, log in to our website and update your picture and Power of 10 ID.
Combos Marathon (Albany, GA, USA), 02/03/2024
Mar
Susan Adam 03:55:02 (03:54:42 ), 123 (-, 1) [72.89%] NEW PB
Sri Chinmoy 10K (London Battersea Park), 02/03/2024
10K
Daniel Lewis 46:13, 140 (5) [63.40%]
Chelmsford Half Marathon (Chelmsford), 03/03/2024
HM
Lauren Longhurst 87:16 (86:12), 42 (2, -) [76.68%]
Parkrun 09/03/2024
Ally Pally
Thomas English 19:07, 2 (1) [68.44%]
Mike Hurford 20:17, 9 (1) [81.43%]
Alina Williamson 26:06, 102 [57.54%]
Amsterdamse Bos, NED
Nitesh Thakrar 30:52, 105 [52.59%]
Barking
Juliette Westbrook 32:15, 132 [45.79%]
Andy Davies 32:15, 133 [40.47%]
Bedworth
Clare Janew 28:37, 71 [54.92%]
Bestwood Village
Paul Dickens 29:48, 78 [45.36%]
Clapham Common
Stephen West 50:24, 863 [29.03%]
Coldham’s Common
Olivia France 24:30, 48 (-, 1) [60.27%]
Finsbury Park
Marcos Cuevas-Nunez 20:52, 35 [71.25%]
Paul Sant 21:17, 46 [67.27%]
Eleanor Childs 23:31, 125 [62.79%]
Tom Hill 23:58, 144 [54.17%]
Danny Beddard 24:05, 149 [53.91%]
michele griffiths 28:26, 381 [64.42%]
Rafaele Lamour 28:28, 383 [59.31%]
Rosie Dougherty 29:54, 467 [49.39%]
Emily Morgan 29:54, 468 [49.39%]
Chloe Bazlen 29:55, 469 [49.36%]
Grovelands
Keith Jordan 21:01, 17 (1) [72.96%]
Hampstead Heath
Jasmin Youell 31:02, 236 [47.58%]
Francesca Poricka 34:20, 312 [43.01%] NEW PB
Highbury Fields
Bruno Papadacci 20:02, 26 [67.47%]
Philip Rutnam 21:55, 71 [71.71%]
Fiona Russell 23:02, 103 (-, 1) [75.83%]
King’s Lynn
John Bickley 41:20, 259 [41.81%]
Lordship Recreation Ground
Lizzy Muggeridge 47:43, 198 [34.26%]
Milton Keynes
Daisy Wooller 32:37, 392 [45.32%]
Philips Park
Christopher Leslie 19:14, 6 [67.50%]
Pymmes
Tony Him 23:06, 34 [61.04%]
Richmond Olympic, CAN
Sarah Hamilton 23:21, 8 [63.24%]
Sharpham Road Playing Fields
Alexandra Hearne 21:18, 5 (1, 1) [69.41%] NEW PB
Valentines
Paul Matthews 28:25, 139 (1) [74.78%]
RunThrough Battersea Park Half Marathon (London Battersea Park), 09/03/2024
HM
Russ Hall 77:35 (77:29), 29 (3) [78.02%]
RunThrough Hyde Park 5K / 10K (London Hyde Park), 09/03/2024
10K
Matt Thomas 36:56 (36:56), 10 [72.56%] NEW PB
Chingford League Relays (Wanstead Flats), 09/03/2024
3KXCL
Andy Davies 14:37, 40
Daniel Lewis 14:42, 49
Carmen Harrington 15:41, 59
RunThrough Victoria Park (London Victoria Park), 10/03/2024
HM
Bruno Papadacci 89:16 (88:46), 74 (16) [66.86%]
Links
Send your stories to newsletter@chaser.me.uk.
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15th March 2023Hey Chasers,
Happy St Patrick’s Day!!! ☘️☘️☘️
Hope everyone has had a good week.
Congratulations Ellie Hollway for a new PB in the Barcelona Marathon!
She only went and smashed it! A big well done to Ellie in the Barcelona Marathon last weekend. All your training and hard work paid off. See below for another fab race report.
On this note, all women who get a PB in a SOAR vest, crop or singlet this Spring will be rewarded with £50 credit to spend on whatever they like at SOAR. See link for T&C.
Chingford League - Congrats Juliette & Carmen
Well done to everyone who participated in the Cross Country fixtures over the winter months. The final fixture was the Wanstead Relays last weekend where we had Chasers representing us in team relay races.
A big well done to Carmen and Juliette who both were awarded the Chingford League ‘Ever Present’ mug for having participated in all 6 of the Chingford League races. We love this dedication from you guys!! Well done.
Summer League
The dates of Summer League 2024 are now in the calendar on the website. Take a look at the dates and venues and get them written down in your diaries!
Tuesday Runs and Tea Rota
Our Tuesday runs are always followed by a drink and biscuit at Talacre. A big thank you to those who have been helping out after our Tuesday runs. If you'd like to volunteer for the Tuesday Tea Rota, you can sign up here. Instructions are provided, but feel free to reach out to any committee member if you have questions.
Sportshoe.com Discount
Don't forget to check out the website for 10% discount on sport shoes. The monthly code is only accessible once logged in.
Upcoming Races
Feel free to drop newsletter@chaser.me.uk a message if you would like to share any upcoming marathons, runs or other events you will be participating in over the coming months.
We have also created this google doc where Chasers can add any of their races. This can be any event or any distance. Hopefully this will allow everyone to link up with other runners participating in the same events and will help us to make sure the club send you lots of well wishes and support.
Ellie Holloway - Barcelona Marathon Race Report
Barcelona marathon in March was never the plan, but, to save you reading this whole race report, it was an incredible experience and a good lesson that everything turns out ok, maybe even better than ok, in the end. My best friend, Kate, breaking up with a boyfriend who she’d signed her for Barcelona marathon with, and all of my hopes of charity London places falling through, led me to a drunken New Years sign up. And so a 9 week training block began in a very wet and dark January.
Ramping up the miles after a very lax December was a daunting prospect. Especially so given I knew I’d have to grind out a lot of it alone, while everyone else enjoyed a more sensible block training for London. And anyone who knows me will know that I hate nothing more than being alone and love nothing more than a chatty run.
There were some character building sessions round Regents Park in the rain, and I couldn’t rely on Gaby for all of the logistics, planning and navigating of my long runs like I usually did. But, I never felt alone in this block. Huge shout outs to everyone who joined me for any part of a long run, especially to Gaby, Mabel and Andy, who joined me and listened to my moaning along countless miles of various London canals. To Hattie, Jodie and Rosie who coordinated sessions in the inner circle so we could wave at each other as we ran past in opposite directions. And to everyone who gave kudos, offered advice and wished me luck. The Mornington Chasers community really did get me to the start line feeling strong.
Well, sort of feeling strong. In truth I felt incredibly sick and every bone in my body felt like it was developing a niggle. But we were at the start line and is was too late for anything else.
I had 5k splits written all up my arm and set off with a plan to start off steady and hopefully last the full 26.2miles to finish in 3.44. My previous marathon in Manchester had finished with a brutal and soul-destroying final 10k after which I limped over the line, so I was determined to finish strong this time.
I normally run in miles, but I embraced the continental modern ways and manually lapped my at the km markers. Psychologically I think this was a game changer - kilometres come round so much more quickly and the novelty factor kept me focused on executing the splits for each km without getting in my own head about pace too much. (I will still be training in miles though!)
The course double backed around the parallel Barcelona streets, shaded from the sun by the tall buildings and meaning spectators could get to lots of different spots. In the first 15km my family cheered me at 3 different spots, and lots of other spectators did the same, so the crowds were excellent all the way round.
I overtook Kate, who’d started a wave ahead but was now perfectly executing her plan of steady splits for a sub 4hr time. Then I waved at fellow Chaser Jessie Benson, who was looking cool as a cucumber in luminous yellow and breezing along at her target pace.
I’d clocked 15km at a steady pace and felt really good. I kept telling myself not to get too excited and settle back into my 5.19/km splits but each kilometre that went by, my average lap pace nudged down and I got into more and more of a rhythm.
At 28km, we hit the beach front. I knew this would be a hard stretch - the 20mile ‘warm up’ was nearly over and the 10k ‘race’ was about to start. Plus, the shade disappeared and the sun was getting hot. For the first time in a race, I ran with my phone and headphones and so as I hit the beachfront I hit play on the same playlist I’d grinded out all my solo sessions to and settled in for the hard bit to pass.
My main motto to myself was that feeling shit doesn’t last. So as soon as I started to feel like I couldn’t keep going, I focused on the crowds and my music, and kept putting one foot in front of the other until I felt good again. Big cringe alert: I started doing each km ‘for’ different people - lots of Chasers featured - so that I couldn’t make that km the one in which I let that important person down.
We came off the beachfront, back to the shade and my favourite part of the race. A long stretch up a wide street for 2.5km, which we then double-backed down. The spectators were incredible and I had my first thought of ‘you might actually do this’. I think at this point ‘this’ was just finishing - over the next 8km, it became finishing strong, then finishing sub 3.45.
5k to go and we ran up a road with the Sagrada familia looming in the distance. Just one lap of RP to go and I couldn’t stop smiling. I was feeling tired but the crowds were carrying me and I was still knocking out faster and faster km splits.
In the final 2km, I was just picturing laps of the track and dreaming of the cerveza and paella waiting for me. It’s all a bit of a blur but then I hit the final 400m. Downhill, ending under the Arc de Triomf and with the crowds drowning out my tunes, I was smiling the whole way. I crossed the finish line at 3.37.35 and couldn’t quite believe it was over. And that I’d somehow achieved a 13-minute PB!
I met my family (my mum and dad cried) and Kate, who’d finished in 3.53 and avoided the ex-boyfriend so was in good spirits. And it was cervezas all round!
We couldn’t walk, and the stairs on the metro took us a lifetime, but we had our medals and we were both grinning for days later. I am still absolutely buzzing and (forgive the cringe) so proud of myself.
A huge thank you to everyone who was part of any of my training, but special thanks to Donal whose coaching has transformed me from a moaning social runner to a 3.37 marathoner - although actually, maybe I’m still a moaning social runner, just with a marathon time I’m pretty proud of too!
Calendar
Here's whats happening over the next few weeks other than our usual Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday runs. You can find our full calendar on the website.
23/03/2024 Club De Fromage - Over 30s Daytime Party at Scala
Join
We are also currently taking names for the following events.
20/10/2024 Chasers Amsterdam Take Over
Join the party (9987 of 9999 left)
21/04/2024 London Marathon 20k elite drinks station
Results
If you want to upload a photo or your results are missing, log in to our website and update your picture and Power of 10 ID.
Combos Marathon (Albany, GA, USA), 02/03/2024
|
Mar |
Susan Adam 03:55:02 (03:54:42 ), 123 (-, 1) [72.89%] NEW PB |
Sri Chinmoy 10K (London Battersea Park), 02/03/2024
Chelmsford Half Marathon (Chelmsford), 03/03/2024
Parkrun 09/03/2024
|
Ally Pally |
Thomas English 19:07, 2 (1) [68.44%] |
|
|
Mike Hurford 20:17, 9 (1) [81.43%] |
|
|
Alina Williamson 26:06, 102 [57.54%] |
|
Amsterdamse Bos, NED |
Nitesh Thakrar 30:52, 105 [52.59%] |
|
Barking |
Juliette Westbrook 32:15, 132 [45.79%] |
|
|
Andy Davies 32:15, 133 [40.47%] |
|
Bedworth |
Clare Janew 28:37, 71 [54.92%] |
|
Bestwood Village |
Paul Dickens 29:48, 78 [45.36%] |
|
Clapham Common |
Stephen West 50:24, 863 [29.03%] |
|
Coldham’s Common |
Olivia France 24:30, 48 (-, 1) [60.27%] |
|
Finsbury Park |
Marcos Cuevas-Nunez 20:52, 35 [71.25%] |
|
|
Paul Sant 21:17, 46 [67.27%] |
|
|
Eleanor Childs 23:31, 125 [62.79%] |
|
|
Tom Hill 23:58, 144 [54.17%] |
|
|
Danny Beddard 24:05, 149 [53.91%] |
|
|
michele griffiths 28:26, 381 [64.42%] |
|
|
Rafaele Lamour 28:28, 383 [59.31%] |
|
|
Rosie Dougherty 29:54, 467 [49.39%] |
|
|
Emily Morgan 29:54, 468 [49.39%] |
|
|
Chloe Bazlen 29:55, 469 [49.36%] |
|
Grovelands |
Keith Jordan 21:01, 17 (1) [72.96%] |
|
Hampstead Heath |
Jasmin Youell 31:02, 236 [47.58%] |
|
|
Francesca Poricka 34:20, 312 [43.01%] NEW PB |
|
Highbury Fields |
Bruno Papadacci 20:02, 26 [67.47%] |
|
|
Philip Rutnam 21:55, 71 [71.71%] |
|
|
Fiona Russell 23:02, 103 (-, 1) [75.83%] |
|
King’s Lynn |
John Bickley 41:20, 259 [41.81%] |
|
Lordship Recreation Ground |
Lizzy Muggeridge 47:43, 198 [34.26%] |
|
Milton Keynes |
Daisy Wooller 32:37, 392 [45.32%] |
|
Philips Park |
Christopher Leslie 19:14, 6 [67.50%] |
|
Pymmes |
Tony Him 23:06, 34 [61.04%] |
|
Richmond Olympic, CAN |
Sarah Hamilton 23:21, 8 [63.24%] |
|
Sharpham Road Playing Fields |
Alexandra Hearne 21:18, 5 (1, 1) [69.41%] NEW PB |
|
Valentines |
Paul Matthews 28:25, 139 (1) [74.78%] |
RunThrough Battersea Park Half Marathon (London Battersea Park), 09/03/2024
RunThrough Hyde Park 5K / 10K (London Hyde Park), 09/03/2024
Chingford League Relays (Wanstead Flats), 09/03/2024
RunThrough Victoria Park (London Victoria Park), 10/03/2024
Links
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