Tube Strike – Battersea 5k RMT have called a tube strike to take place next Tuesday the 21st which is a shame as we were all looking forward to checking out the new Battersea Power Station Tube Station. If it goes ahead and that makes it difficult for you to make the event, I suggest you email the organizer to move your place to the next event on the 28th of June. Fast Friday A few Chasers are racing at Walthamstow for their fast Friday event this week. Entries are now closed but if you have the evening free while not come down to cheer on your club mates as they bomb around the track. Summer League All roads lead to Headstone Manor this Sunday for the first instalment of this year’s Summer League race series. The 5 mile race will start at 9:30am, followed by the tenderfoot mile race for the young ‘uns, the fun run and concluded by the relays with a picnic somewhere in between. Nick has kindly arranged a coach which will leave the Talacre at 7:45am. Should be a good one! Big Half – Community Entries at £10 – Update from Sarah “Thunderbolt” Funderburk I will send an official update by the end of week, but everyone who applied should start chipping away at that half marathon schedule (hint, hint, wink, wink) Run, swim, bun – Brighton edition Matt Brand has suggested an epic adventure on Saturday to go to Hove Promenade Parkrun followed by a dip in the sea. It does look like an early start but will no doubt be great fun. Sign up if you’re interested here Borrowdale Skyline – Mark Lamb I’ve had a difficult start to the year running wise with work and injury getting in the way of what I love to do; running in the hills and enjoying the views. So after a few weeks of finally putting together some consecutive weeks of training I signed up for a fell race in the Lakes, the Lower Borrowdale 10km skyline. At the same time was a 20km race for the English fell running championship, but with 1200m of elevation I thought I might be pushing my luck injury wise. So off we set for the weekend, knowing that I had my trusty Chasers vest to help signal to everyone that I’m a southerner and not someone to worry about. I’m not even the best Mark Lamb fell runner! With a rapid guy from Keswick always miles ahead of me at the front of the race. What we didn’t realise til we got there was that whilst 500 of the best runners in the country were there for the English champs, the 10km could at best be described as the fun run, with just 25 runners entered! So we stood around chatting to each other in a lovely atmosphere, a friendly woman (Hazel Clark) from Kendal recognised the chasers vest and turned out to be a member in the early 2000s, small world! Lara (my wife, and former club beer mile record holder!) was doing her best to fit in with everyone from up north by sporting her USA flag shorts, hoping they would be a talking point (with her apparently, not at her). Fell running sounds quite intimidating to start with, all these images of people flying down hills with no path and no cares for their own life. But really it’s simple; run from one checkpoint to another, and go where you like. There was no hiding on this start line, everyone off together. My old school friend and uni flat mate Simon was next to me, we hadn’t talked about whether we were racing or not, but I knew deep down he was! So off we went down the farm track, I thought now was the time to put a bit of a gap on him on the flat, as a watched a few whippets fly off in the distance, I could at least count my placing easy enough. We headed down this beautiful valley following the water tumbling over the rocks and baby lambs on the fells munching on the grass wondering what the hell was going on. Now for the race to properly start, over the bridge (running over a cattle grid is not something I will ever enjoy!) and heading straight up the hill, no real path and 20-30% grade, the calfs starting to feel the strain, but I push on looking over my shoulder to see where Simon is, annoyingly just 30s back. Eventually the grade eases and I force my self to run again, I tell myself “run for 10s, walk for 5s, just keep going”, and then I’m there, at the first check point, dib in and head off downhill. All of a sudden I think “where the hell are the leaders?” , “am I going the right way?!”, but I convince myself it must be this way, heading through the trees back down the valley, until I hear this familiar voice “see ya”, as Simon comes flying past me on the switchbacks, and I think “what an idiot, why am I just following the path?!” I try and keep up as best I can, newly motivated to just turn the brain off, although I can’t help feeling that I am going to fall flat on my face at any moment! I catch him up again in the valley, we chat a bit, and then stare at what comes next; a ridiculously looking steep hill, no path and no idea for the best line. We push on together, eventually Simon breaks left and I go right, both guessing where the checkpoint and true top is. I look down at my watch and the grade is 57%!! I feel justified that I am using my hands to pull myself up the hill, not thinking of the consequences of slipping down. After what seems forever, my heart beating out of my chest, we see the trig point. His line was best and I’m behind again! But at this point there is no one to be seen in front or behind, just 5 different tracks off the top! So time to get the map out and work out the line. Fell runners will tell you that is what fell racing is about, but most can’t actually navigate at all, they just follow the person in front and pretend really. This time we’re doing it for real. Off we go together, realising we don’t need to follow the path over two intermediate tops, we head around the side, following the ridge I start to make some small gains and put 20m between us, thinking I might have broken him on these moderate uphills. Just one more checkpoint to go on the col and I feel grateful for my decision to not to do the 20km as the legs are really feeling the lactate burn. I head over what I think is the last hill and realise my mistake, I’m too far left, and I’m about to give up all my gains, as Simon realises my mistake and cuts across. A quick dib in and we head for home, one quick mile downhill on a fast runnable track. I have a lead of 10m, but know he is better on the downhills. I just have to go for it, the sheep fleeing the path as I hurtle downwards, one little stream to cross, no time for looking behind as I approach the stone wall, I try to jump the fallen rocks, but mistime it and slip just in front, thinking my chances are gone I pull myself up as Simon approaches as I get going again. I push on as much as I can, just hoping that I don’t trip over again, the finish line approaches and I take my first look over my shoulder, where is he?! Did he know a different line?! I rush to the finish dib in one last time and finish 10km, 540m elevation in 63mins for 5th place. It turned out Simon also slipped at the wall, and so came in a few seconds later for 6th. We’re both chuffed and head off for our stew and cake provided by the farmer and local primary school. It gives us time to watch the English champs come in with my coach and friend Sarah McCormack winning the womens race by just 2 seconds. As she overtook Lara on the final descents a chant of USA, USA apparently helped push her on to victory, apparently, hmm. So we all finished happy with a great day out in the lakes and relax with a beer and tales of the day. Oh and the “other” Mark Lamb came in 8th in the 20km, so I’m claiming victory today! 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. 03/07/2022 Summer League | Perivale confirmed To let me get a feel on numbers for a coach 19/06/2022 Summer League | Headstone Manor Confirmed | Coach departs Talacre 07:45 01/07/2022 Finsbury Park 5000s Are you in?! 08/07/2022 Ceilidh 25/06/2022 Race to the Tower 09/07/2022 Maverick Chiltern Ultra 17/06/2022 FASTFriday Come and cheer! 27/06/2022 Committee meeting 16/06/2022 Track Thursday Sign Up Here 19:00 (2 of 25 left) Sign Up here 19:20 21/06/2022 Beginners week 1 - volunteering Volunteers (4 of 5 left) 18/06/2022 Run Swim Bun @ the Beach Join 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. Edinburgh Marathon Festival - Half Marathon (Edinburgh), 29/05/2022 HM Nick Herbert 2:18:36 (2:12:44), 6751 [43.99%] Edinburgh Marathon Festival - Marathon (Edinburgh), 29/05/2022 Mar Darren Souster 2:59:49 (2:58:50), 292 [68.75%] NEW PB   Andy Davies 3:19:45 (3:19:10), 820 [61.73%]   Rendy Prakoso 3:19:45 (3:19:11), 821 [61.74%]   David Stark 3:41:42 (3:38:04), 1687 [56.44%] NEW PB   Nitesh Thakrar 3:57:17 (3:48:09), 2301 (35) [66.48%] NEW PB   Emily Morgan 3:56:24 (3:53:16), 2673 (471, -) [58.05%] NEW PB   Rosie Dougherty 3:57:35 (3:54:27), 2774 (498, -) [57.76%] NEW PB   Paolo Chillari 3:59:23 (3:57:54), 3059 [51.69%] NEW PB   Chloe Bazlen 4:12:02 (4:04:13), 3548 (727, -) [55.45%] NEW PB   Elizabeth Aryeetey 4:23:15 (4:13:53), 4196 (942, 11) [70.31%] Scotts Travel Midweek Road Race League Division 2 / 3 (Harlow), 01/06/2022 10KMT Jerry Bryan 45:35, 159 (6) [72.61%] Wharfedale Trail Half Marathon (Skipton), 04/06/2022 HMMT Carl Heron 1:54:44, 42 (2) [62.19%] Race The Neighbours 10K (East Finchley), 05/06/2022 10KMT Simon Fitzmaurice 41:31 (41:26), 8 [64.88%]   Alina Williamson 56:21 (55:58), 102 (23, -) [54.97%]   Elliot Callard 69:15 (68:09), 179 [39.28%] Parkrun 11/06/2022 Ally Pally Stephanie Mercier 26:39, 75 [55.78%] Bournemouth michele griffiths 29:02, 204 [61.60%] Bradford Carl Heron 21:12, 14 (1) [75.31%] Burgess Lauren Longhurst 19:06, 21 (1, 1) [77.66%]   Paul Sant 20:34, 50 [68.56%] Coldham's Common John Bickley 42:03, 264 [40.31%] Cusworth Hall Christopher Leslie 19:13, 2 (1) [67.56%] Finsbury Park Rahul Mohindra 27:16, 220 [47.62%]   Eamon Byrne 28:55, 279 [54.35%] Gladstone Johnny Chapman 25:47, 71 [50.42%] Hampstead Heath Rendy Prakoso 21:30, 32 [60.85%]   Lachlan Stibbard Hawkes 22:04, 39 [58.84%]   Daniel Berry 22:36, 48 (1) [70.06%]   Alina Williamson 26:26, 128 (-, 1) [56.62%]   Rachel Rosenthal 26:51, 139 [55.25%]   Rebecca Taylor 26:53, 140 [59.52%]   Jodie Pearlman 26:55, 141 [54.86%]   Ellie Holloway 27:06, 147 [54.49%]   Gary Homewood 28:35, 176 [54.52%]   Liam Moroney 29:39, 200 [43.79%]   Matt Brand 29:41, 202 [44.69%]   Paul Dickens 29:47, 204 [45.05%] Highbury Fields Philip Rutnam 21:45, 64 [71.03%] NEW PB   Fiona Russell 22:32, 80 (-, 1) [75.81%] Holkham Elizabeth Aryeetey 27:09, 49 (-, 1) [69.12%] Huddersfield Ben Bond 22:03, 50 [60.17%] Montsouris, FRA William Watt 21:29, 5 [68.11%] Northala Fields Juliette Westbrook 22:16, 26 (2, 1) [66.32%]   Andy Davies 22:17, 27 (1) [58.34%] Sheffield Hallam Marcos Cuevas-Nunez 20:38, 34 [70.92%] Sherwood Pines Hattie Lowe 22:08, 19 (2, 1) [66.72%] Southwark Nick Herbert 26:05, 164 [49.78%] NEW PB   Steve Satchell 29:01, 220 [217.92%] St Albans Emily Morgan 30:39, 243 [48.18%] Valentines Paul Matthews 29:50, 106 (1) [67.93%] Walthamstow David Nelson 25:59, 47 [52.02%] Wormwood Scrubs Stephen West 29:50, 66 [48.72%] Links Send your stories to newsletter@chaser.me.uk. 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