NBO Running Commentary Mar 2014

Official Magazine of
March 2014
New Brighton Olympic
Volume 3, Issue
Athletic Club
1
RUNNING
COMMENTARY
From the Editor
3
Margaret’s Update
4
Diamonds are an Athletes
best friend
6
Buller Gorge Marathon
weekend
11
Track & Field results
12
Talking Walking
15
Junior Track & Field update
16
Chiba Ekiden
18
Herd on the road
21
Cross Country section Chairman’s Report
22
1
Executive Committee:
Margaret Flanagan [email protected]
355 4902
Dianne Davis
[email protected]
349 9790
Tony Prisk
[email protected]
383 0359
Jackie Mander
[email protected]
383 9987
Raelene Forde
[email protected]
Tony McManus
[email protected]
Leyton Tremain
[email protected]
Ann Henderson
[email protected]
387 0387
Dave Thomas
[email protected]
331 7155
Toni Taylor
[email protected]
Lee-Ann Venis
[email protected]
332 3921
021 719 900
Club Website:
The club website is www.nbo.org.nz . Please send any photos, videos, results or
items of interest / relevance to Brent Miles at [email protected].
Articles
Do you have something interesting which could be included in our magazine?
If you feel that it is interesting we would love to share it with other members.
Articles for the next issue should be sent in by the end of April.
A big thank you to those members who have contributed to this issue.
All rights reserved.
No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in
any manner whatsoever, without prior permission from
the Club Management Committee.
2
From the Editor:
I have received many excellent articles for this month’s
magazine. As the number of pages is limited to 24, it has been
a real balancing act to publish as many articles as possible in
this issue. Thanks everyone for your contributions. Keep it
coming!
A lot of club members have commented that they enjoyed
Allan McLarens first article on his running experiences in
Europe. In this issue we have the second part of his coverage of the Diamond
League Athletic meetings. Allan has agreed to be a regular contributor to our
magazine and will be joining Alex and John with his own column - “Run Down”.
Do you consider that you train hard? How is this for a workout by American Galen
Rupp. He ran an American record of 8:7.21 indoors for the 2 mile followed by a
rigorous workout 15 minutes later. The workout included 5 x 1 mile in 4:21, 4:20,
4:20, 4:16 and the last in 4:01! His recovery between these mile reps was 400m
jog.
In our last issue I provided a list of NBO super runners who have broken 14
minutes for the 5000m. Our resident athletics statisticians Neville Reid, Mark Reid
and Allan McLaren have added some more names.
Here is the full list:
Allan Thurlow
13:31.40
Paul Smith
13:38.76
Tom Birnie
13:39.43
Peter Renner
13:40.23
Neil Lowsley
13:45.23
Geoff Pyne
13:47.3
Daniel Balchin
13:57.26
John Sheddan
13:57.5
Philip Watson
13:59.6
We also have two athletes that have broken the magical 4 minute mile barrier,
Peter Renner and Hayden McLaren.
Tony Prisk
Margaret’s Update:
The last two months have been full-on with the Track and Field season hitting its
stride and the 5 k series in the Park to challenge our road runners, not to
mention the Buller Marathon. We have had a strong presence in all these
events. Travel has been the middle name of our track and field athletes. From
our juniors up, they have been racking up the miles to Timaru, Invercargill,
Auckland, Wellington, Australia and Japan. And I've probably left some
destinations out. That our athletes have done so well is a tribute to their
dedication.
Running mostly on a grass track can be frustrating. You may have joined me in
a not so gentle snort when you read in the paper recently that sport in
Christchurch is on the way up. Tell that to us and the people of the east of
Christchurch who still have no swimming facility within easy reach. Talk to the
cyclists who are battling road conditions. It seems the council is coming close to
a decision about the location of the 'new' QE2. The recent reports of council
finances and insurance issues do not ensure a feeling of optimism.
One thing that is clear to me as I have run on the grass of Rawhiti this season is
that numbers are down. This is not just because we have no all-weather track,
but it certainly doesn't help.
This year, because of this situation, the master’s programme was run in
conjunction with the junior and senior events. This was interesting to say the
least. I was running 1500 and 800m races alongside runners young enough to
be my grandchildren. Well, really, that was well behind them. Peter Coughlan
and I had an interesting experience one afternoon. We were paired in the
outside lap for an 800. We were steaming (at a sedate elderly pace) around the
first bend to the point where we could cut in to the pole line. The official had
seen the rest of the field go past and had just started across the track to pick up
the tennis ball markers. He had no clue that two more runners were heading
vigorously towards him. A giant swerve and the use of breath for an "Oi!" was
required. Not one of my finer runs.
But to return to the positive. Dan Balchin and Callan Moody have continued to
run well, as we saw at the ITM last weekend. Their performances at the
Canterbury and National track and field champs will be a highlight, I am sure.
Alex Mander secured a national title in the Octathlon.
From my biased perspective, our club was a solid presence in the 5k series.
Until his calf troubled him, Mark Bailey was keeping the younger runners honest
and I believe Callan ran the fastest overall time. A highlight of the series was
watching young Corbin Straker, a strapping 11 year old, run some times that
some of our older members would be very happy to record.
4
There are many other members who ran well all season and I hope I have
acknowledged them in emails.
The weather seems to have decided that summer is done for. Certainly I have
some autumn leaves on my lawn. Running around Hagley Park confirms that
acorns are underfoot, so it is time to start thinking about the winter season. I look
forward to seeing many of you over the winter.
Soon we will be sending out more information about our 15 k Road Race on May
10th out at Greenpark. It is our major fundraiser and it is also possible to help
and race. More details soon.
Margaret Flanagan
Callan in 5k series
5
Diamonds are an athletes best friend - part 2 of 2
Valerie Adams again dominated with all her puts further than the runner-up &
over 20m. We did see two world record attempts in the men’s pole vault & high
jump. At this meeting I saw a lady in a wheel chair with a tee shirt which sums it
up really ‘The Art of Living is to die young at the oldest possible time.’
My next Diamond League meeting was four weeks away in Stockholm, but in the
interim I had the little matter of the World Champs in Moscow from the 10th to
18th August. I will cover that in a separate article.
I arrived in Stockholm after negotiating the formalities at the airport in St
Petersburg which I could write a full novel on. Looking forward to the land of the
cool clear blondes, but it was not a good start when an older blonde custom’s
lady gave me quite a grilling. I must say from then on I loved most things about
this city. The Diamond League meeting was at the 1912 Olympic Stadium &
basically it has not changed. I liked the authenticity but the wooden seats with no
back were very uncomfortable & I was tempted to strangle the kid that kept
kicking me. It was not a good night for Kenyan male World Champions with
Asbel Kiprop completely out of sorts in the 1500m & my steeplechase mate
Kemboi not even finishing. Valerie Adams chalked up her 40th straight win &
received a $10,000 diamond for breaking the stadium record by 2cm. Her last
three throws were deliberate fouls which is not uncommon for athletes to do to
saving the officials wasting time measuring poor throws.
The sceptic in me wondered if they had been good throws but Valerie wanting
another diamond next year did not want to push the envelope. I don’t think New
Zealanders realise how big she is over here. She was a real hit with the children
& gave a lot of time to signing autographs. I will just talk about one more race
which was one of the most bizarre I have ever seen. Alysia Montano of the USA
had already been crucified by her countries chatlines for her ridiculous pace
judgement which cost her a medal at the World Champs with a ridiculously fast
first lap. This is how Letsrun.com described the race. The field featured the
surprise 2013 World 800m Champ Eunice Sum of Kenya, the bronze medallist
Brenda Martinez of the USA & places 4-5-6 including Alysia Montano & Ajee
Wilson.
The big question mark was the World 1500m Champ Abeba Aregawi in front of
her home crowd. The first 400m went as expected with the rabbit going through
in 57.2 with Montano giving chase. The rabbit began to slow approaching 600m
but instead of stepping off the track stayed in lane 2 & the field had to go around
her. The front running Montana was trying a different tactic but just before 600m
gave up the lead to Sum & Wilson which was a mistake when you see how
much she had left. Sum lead in lane 1 on the homestretch with Wilson between
lane 1 & 2 giving chase with Montano running alone in lane 2 trying to go after
both of them.
6
Halfway down the home straight Montano had passed Wilson & was giving
chase to Sum. Sum was still in lane 1 but Montano for some reason was now in
lane 3. Montano kept creeping up on Sum but for some unknown reason kept
drifting outwards & was now in lane 4.
She was getting close to Sum but there wasn’t a lot of running left. Could she
get her by the line? No. Montano ended up inexplicably in lane 5 finishing
just .12 behind. Montano would have been the winner if she had not drifted out
into lane 5 & would have collected the $10,000 diamond. The stadium has
plaques for all the World Records which have been set there. One New
Zealander appears & that is Dick Quax in the 5000m. An article & photograph of
his World Record also appeared in the programme. Not much luck getting back
to the hotel where I was hoping to catch up on sleep. The subway ticket
machines would not take cash so we decided to walk. This was made worse by
Ian who is usually a good map reader taking us the wrong way.
Stockholm was also a chance to watch a women’s ITU triathlon. I enjoy
watching triathlons with their carnival atmosphere & usually scenic location, but
this triathlon like most fails to convince me it is not a weak sport & a bit Mickey
Mouse. I will probably upset a few club members but basically after the swim
the field comes together for a leisurely bike ride together. You will have trouble
convincing me that a triathlon is three equal disciplines & that drafting is good
for the sport. It simply comes down to the run.
At least on this occasion ex club member Andrea Hewitt & English lass with the
surname Raw made a significant break on the cycle coming in 40 seconds
ahead of the bunch. From a NZ point of view it was exciting with Andrea
immediately dropping the English girl. However it was obvious that Jorgenson
from the USA was closing very fast & it only took to 2.5km for the coup de grace
to take place. It was disappointing to see Andrea dropped to 7th. And this is
another reason I have problems with triathlons as it is alleged Andrea who was
not running well ran 35:05 for the 10km. In the Hagley Park 5km series she runs
around 17:30 yet we are lead to believe she can keep up the rate for twice the
distance after a swim & bike ride. Physiologists must be amazed. It also means
the winner ran 32:20 which I’m sorry is pure fantasy to talk triathlons up. The
person I can’t fathom is Kate McIlroy who is a World Mountain running champ, a
Commonwealth Games steeplechaser & has broken 33:00 for 10km, yet when
she gets off the bike with the bunch loses ground on the run. On this particular
occasion she lost 5 minutes. I must stop trying to make sense of triathlons.
A week away to the next Diamond League in Zurich, which is regarded as the
top athletics meeting outside the Olympics & Worlds. It explains why the
stadium is referred to as ‘The Cathedral of the Sport’. Our hotel was only
walking distance from the stadium which was a bonus.
7
From the outside the stadium does not look that flash or that big, but it is
deceiving because you actually walk down to your area as it is sunken. The
stadium was full so the atmosphere was great. The crowd makes a lot of noise &
in the distance events make good use of the tin fence. Ian had deliberately
arranged for us to be in a standing area because it is right by the fence to the
track & where the television & radio conduct their interviews. I got to see the
stars of the sport close up including the one & only Usain Bolt who was only a
metre away. He is just so funny & pretended to be a little kid trying to get on
television in the background. His interview with Colin Jackson the famous
hurdler was more like a comedy routine. Instead of being paraded in cars the top
athletes did a lap in something more environmentally friendly, rickshaws with as
usual the biggest cheers for Usain Bolt. But in saying that there is a mascot in
Switzerland who has a cult following & should be the star of next year’s
European Champs. I have seen Cooly the cool cow at all the Swiss meets & he
is simply the craziest mascot I have ever seen. This time at the end of the
meeting he pretended to be a streaker & was tackled by two security guards
after a long chase & escorted from the field.
Although the conditions were good there were no really fast times & again in the
men’s middle distances events the people who did well in Moscow are tired &
need to get back to basics & rebuild. The race that lived up to expectations was
the women’s 5000m showdown between Ethiopians Dibaba & Defar. Their
federation allegedly would not let them run against each other at the worlds with
Dibaba cleaning up the 10,000m & Defar the 5000m. To entice them to compete
against each other $50,000 was on the line for the winner. Dibaba attacked from
600m & down the back straight for the last time put on the after burners, but it
was not enough with Defar smoothly going past with 50m to go courtesy of a 58
second last lap. Usain had his usual slow start but did enough to win. They say
he is the worlds fasted human, but apart from the actual race he looks
completely lethargic.
Even his warm up looks pitiful; he certainly is not one to waste energy. My name
is Bondarenko from the Ukraine had the high jump won with two jumps & for the
11th time this season had an attempt at a world record. It was a bit disappointing
as he had a really bad miss & then called it a night. I forgot to mention that the
shot put is held the night before in the Zurich Train Station where our Valerie
won with her best put of the season 20.98. Unfortunately I did not see this but
saw it later on the big screen. However the event that sticks most in my mind
was the 1500m wheelchair race, where I saw a terrible crash & carnage. Two
competitors got thrown from their wheelchairs & skidded some distance down
the track, & as one of them had no legs it made the scene even worse.
With the competition out of the way the stadium starts humming. First they had a
presentation to the Diamond League winners who have already won with only
Brussels to go, with our Valerie to the fore. When you enter the stadium you are
given a key ring which shines out a blue leadlight when pressed.
8
On its own not that amazing, but when the floodlights are turned off & the entire
crowd presses them in unison it is an impressive effect. Large balls with light
also came rolling down the stands with other clear balls in the infield containing
dancers inside them. There is much dancing & music ending with an extravagant
fireworks display which all comes to an end with a loud bang.
One week later was the final Diamond League meet in Brussels but we
squeezed in another meeting in Berlin. I can’t understand why this is not a
Diamond League meeting as in my day it was one of the big four. It is just as
strong & attracts the best athletes, especially in the throws. On the way to the
stadium I saw a sign pointing down the tracks of the subway which said, “We
have ways of making you talk.” I thought this was very clever as it was an
advertisement for an English language school. There was much anticipation as
we reached the stadium as it is steeped in history, the home of the 1936
Olympics where Jessie Owens got the better of Hitler, & Jack Lovelock won our
first gold medal on the track. I have always been inspired of the true story where
the white German Lutz Long, who fitted Hitler’s Aryan race theory befriending
Jessie Owens in the long jump, right under the nose of one Adolph Hitler. A very
courageous & special human being. Although the stadium is very modern with a
blue track the outside has to my delight retained some of the features from the
Olympics. This is also one of the few meets which is held in daylight.
Once again we were seated over the finish line. As I mentioned the throws are
huge & the public know exactly what is happening & alert us more track nuts
when something is about to happen. Valerie Adams dominated as usual &
Robert Harting the German Olympic discus champion, who describes this
stadium as an extension of his living room, & proving he is good under pressure.
After losing the lead to another German with 66.00m he responded with a huge
69.02m to the delight of the crowd. The German David Storhl twice World
champion in the shot put won but in a distance I believe our young Jacko Gill is
capable of. The best track race was World champion Mohammed Aman winning
the 800m in 1:43.97. The pole vault was entertaining for the wrong reasons with
the most state of the art equipment I have ever seen. Halfway through the event
this state of the art equipment malfunctioned & it took over an hour to rectify.
There did not appear to be a manual back up plan. It can’t have been easy for
the competitors. But even before the malfunction the two German medallists
from the World Champs had bad days, one withdrawing with injury & the other
hitting a low height.
It all had to come to an end at some time with the final Diamond League the
Van Damme meet in Brussels, named after the Belgian Ivo Van Damme who
was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident a year after the Montreal
Olympics where he was second in both 800 & 1500m. An impressive stadium
but the seating was cramped & became quite painful. As with a lot of meets the
stars & past Belgian stars were paraded in fancy cars.
9
For an end of season meet there were some fast times. The standout was the
men’s 800m where Mohammed Aman who has not lost all year running a world
leading 1:42.37. The second best all year Nick Symmonds of the USA ran a fast
1:43.03. The 100m went to script with Usain Bolt running a fast 9.80 after his
usual sluggish start. Fraser-Pryce had her usual electric start to win easily in a
very fast 10.72. I was interested in how some of the Americans would go against
the Africans in the 5000m. Galen Rupp stepped it up with 600m to go & looked
the potential winner but faded to 5th in 13:01.37.
The winner was Yenew Alamirew in 12:58.75 just beating evergreen Bernard
Lagat. Evan Jager the American steeplechaser was close to catching Rupp &
looks capable of beating the 8:00m barrier in the steeples. In the distance races
Burundian Drummers play for the entire race. They are very colourful & get very
physical. The beat must inspire the runners. The 1500m women went to form
with Abeba Aregawi of Sweden winning a disappointingly slow race. However,
there was major carnage with a lap to go with six women going down eliminating
her main opposition Jenny Simpson of the USA. We had a very good view of the
pole vault & Renaud Lavillenie of France the Olympic champ did not disappoint
with a brilliant 5.96m. Although he only got silver in Moscow, he has easily been
the best pole vaulter of the year. But the real star was ’Yours Truly’ the famous
spectator as the cameras homed in on me for quite a while before the start of the
women’s hurdles.
At the completion of the meet the final lot of Diamond League winners were
presented with their loot & once again were paraded in fancy cars for a lap of the
track. The lights went off & all the spectators including the famous one flashed
our little blue lights (I am getting quite a collection) creating a brilliant effect.
Thirty minutes later was the best fireworks display yet. However in those 30
minutes I had to endure an artist by the name of Sean Paul who’s only lyrics
seemed to be ‘Got to love you’. On Google he is described as a Jamaican
winning dancehall & reggae artist. His performance was mainly Hip Hop / Rap &
one of the most painful things I have experienced on the trip. However the
younger generation seemed to get it.
That’s it folks I am back to reality behind a desk with not a diamond in sight.
Alan McLaren
10
Buller Gorge Marathon Weekend:
Mark Saturday 14th February 2015 on your calendar now! You will be
guaranteed a total running experience by being part of the marathon or
associated events. Denis Straker and his team, including the Westport
community do a superb job of running the event.
The Buller Gorge Marathon, relay and half marathon offers the chance to enjoy
the stunning scenery, glorious weather [only one wet race day in 30 years!],
awesome community support and spirit and a very relaxed and entertaining
afternoon and prize giving in Victoria Park.
And not to forget the bus ride up the gorge to the start line, enthusiastic locals
manning the numerous drink stations, the sound of bag pipes encouraging you
up the hill to the 6km to go mark, and the pounding rhythm of the drums on the
main street signalling that just around the corner cold drinks and whitebait
patties beckon. The camera waiting to snap, as you give that last ounce of effort
to make the line, will provide the memories that will bring you back again.
Results, photos and certificates are available during the afternoon while you
relax in the sunshine socializing and reminiscing with fellow runners, whether
they be old or new acquaintances.
Along with me, a number of NBO members participated in this year’s event. I am
sure they enjoyed a great day and a memorable weekend as I did. Well worthy
of the drive over the hill and back.
So mark your diaries and enjoy your running as you plan for the year ahead.
Breathe in and smile out.
Toni Taylor
Athletics NZ - Membership Management System:
Athletics New Zealand's new Membership Management System kicks off on 1st
April, meaning our members will pay their club subscriptions online by credit
card from that date. Arrangements have yet to be made for those members
without a computer or a credit card! All NBO CC&R members will be emailed in
late March regarding user names, passwords and the online payment
procedure.
11
Track and Field update:
Rawhiti 30/11/13
Women 100m
Kelly Marshall
Lyn Osmers
Women High Jump
Lyn Osmers
Women Long Jump
Lyn Osmers
Women Shot
Lyn Osmers
U18 Women Triple Jump
Kelly Marshall
Men 60 m
Taine Murray
Men 100m
Alex Mander
Taine Murray
Tristan Holmewood
Brodie McAlister
14.36
16.62
1.29
4.15
9.62
9.90
8.00
Men 200 m
Corey Taylor
Taine Murray
Tristan Holmewood
John Mulvaney
Men U18 110 Hurdles
Alex Mander
Men U18 Discus
Alex Mander
Men U18 Javelin
Alex Mander
Mixed 60 m
Tristan Holmewood
Brodie McAlister
12.69
12.61
13.21
14.29
From computer to printer ....
a complete desktop publishing / printing service
If you need help to design and print ...

race info flyers,

club newsletters,

programme booklets,

race numbers,
.... then give Andrew Stark a call on 03 338 0516
or e-mail [email protected]
To see some of my work, check out the PDF versions of
Cant-A-Long, the Canterbury Master’s magazine,
on the Canterbury Masters website.
12
25.91
26.05
27.43
38.69
17.92
38.73
32.69
8.15
8.68
Rawhiti 14/12/13
Women 100m
Olivia Maister
Bri'an Winter
Masters Woment Triple Jump
Kyn Osmers
Masters Women Shot
Lyn Osmers
Women U18 300 Hurdles
Bri'an Winter
Women U18 Shot
Bri'an Winter
Women U18 Hammer
Bri'an Winter
Men 100 m
Andrew Woodward
Men 200 m
Corey Taylor
Masters Men 200 m
Jeff Barnfield
Masters Men 5000m
Kerry Faass
Clive Kitchingman
Jos Galavazi
Peter Coughlan
John Mulvaney
Allan Gardiner
Brian Keown
Rawhiti 21/12/13
Masters Men 60 m
Jeff Barnfield
Andrew Woodward
Masters Men 100 m
Andrew Woodward
Master Men 300 m
John Mulvaney
Clive Kitchingman
Masters Men Shot
Richard Davison
13.53
29.67
8.57
10.75
53.27
7.73
9.11
14.33
25.67
30.00
17.05
19.49
26.21
28.20
29.59
31.27
32.50
8.71
8.71
14.11
60.42
60.43
10.10
Men U18 110 Hurdles
Alex Mander
Men U18 High Jump
Alex Mander
Men U18 Pole Vault
Alex Mander
Men U18 Javelin
Alex Mander
Men U18 Long Jump
Alex Mander
Mixed 60 m
Andrew Woodward
Jeff Barnfield
Lyn Osmers
Mixed 400 m
Corey Taylor
Olivia Maisey
Mixed 800 m
Alex Mander
Joihn Mulvaney
Mixed 1500 m
Margaret Flanagan
Men U18 Pole Vault
Alex Mander
Men 200 m
Danny Watt
Men 400 m
Danny Watt
Mixed 800m
Andrew Woodward
Margaret Flanagan
Masters Men 1500 m
Clive Kitchingman
John Mulvaney
17.84
1.80
3.35
31.64
5.83
8.78
8.96
9.97
54.97
61.62
2.15
3.07
6.27
3.50
25.65
57.45
2.47
3.11
5.17
6.34
13
Rawhiti 11/01/13
Women 200 m
Bri'an Winter
Women U18 Shot
Bri'an Winter
Women U18 Hurdles
Bri'an Winter
Masters Women Triple Jump
Lyn Osmers
Masters Women Shot
Lyn Osmers
Men U18 100 m
Alex Mander
Men U18 High Jump
Alex Mander
Men U18 Pole Vault
Alex Mander
Rawhiti 18/01/13
Masters Women High Jump
Lyn Osmers
Masters Women Shot
Lyn Osmers
Masters Mixed 60 m
Lyn Osmers
Masters Mixed 200m
Lyn Osmers
Women U18 300 Hurdles
Bri'an Winter
Women U18 Hammer
Bri'an Winter
Rawhiti 25/01/14
Women 100m
Olivia Maisey
Kelly Marshall
Women 400 m
Olivia Miasey
Masters Women Shot
Lyn Osmers
Women U 18 Triple Jump
Kelly Marshall
Masters Men 800 m
John Mulvaney
14
29.95
8.32
53.38
8.76
10.52
12.60
1.80
3.50
1.33
10.41
9.90
36.57
51.51
20.71
13.45
13.89
61.87
9.96
9.82
3.10
Men U18 Long Jump
Alex Mander
Masters Mixed 60 m
Jeff Barnfield
Lyn Osmers
Masters Men 200 m
Ron McTaggart
Masters Men 100 m
Jeff Barnfield
Mixed Masters 200 m
Jeff Barnfield
Lyn Osmers
Mixed 800 m
Margaret Flanagan
Peter Coughlan
Masters Men 1500 m
Clive Kitchingman
Masters Men Shot
Richard Davison
Masters Men Discus
Richard Davison
Masters Men Hammer
Richard Davison
Masters Men Javelin
Richard Davison
Men 1500 m
Daniel Balchin
Callan Moody
Clive Kitchingman
John Mulvaney
Masters Men Shot
Richard Davison
Masters Men Discus
Richard Davison
Masters Men Hammer
Richard Davison
Masters Men Javelin
Richard Davison
Masters Mixed 60 m
Jeff Barnfield
Masters Mixed 200 m
Jeff Barnfield
John Mulvaney
Masters Mixed 1500 m
Clive Kitchingman
6.11
8.99
9.95
26.03
14.49
30.39
36.83
3.17
3.54
5.20
10.07
39.62
41.21
31.63
3.56
3.57
5.22
6.41
10.13
39.30
39.90
30.17
8.83
29.23
38.08
5.20
Talking Walking:
Genes are important (not Levis).
There was this guy in America who in his late thirties smoked two packets of
cigarettes a day and liked a drink and consequently his weight rose from 170lb
to 213 lb. Realising that he was getting very unfit, he decided to start a light
running fitness program to lose weight.
Ten years later he had lost 70 lbs and was running marathons and consequently
he wrote a running book with all the advantages of running and the health it
brought. The book sold 1 million copies and he was an inspiration to a large part
of America who was sold on running.
Unfortunately the legend of Jim Fixx was over when he died at age 52 after
having a massive heart attack while out running. What he forgot – or didn’t
know, was the history of heart problems in his family. His earlier years of
indulgence caught up with him and at the postmortem it was discovered that
three of his main arteries to the heart were blocked. No doubt he would have
died earlier if he hadn’t changed his lifestyle. His idea that because of exercise
he could eat most foods and burn it off was wrong.
Food experts today say restrict red meat, fried foods, avoid sugar when not
exercising and eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and nuts. Eat rubbish and you may
go out with the garbage.
John Henderson
PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATES
86a Wainoni Rd
ph. 3897-196
Richard Hopkins MHSc. BSc. Ad Dip Phys (OMT). Dip MT.
Spinal Injuries
Sports Injuries
Muscle balance assessment
Occupational health
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Junior Track & Field update - Coalgate Games Timaru:
On the road again for athletics!! The weekend of January 17th,18th & 19th the
annual Colgate Games for 7-14yrs was held in Timaru. We stayed at our 2nd
athletics home “Glenmark Holiday Park”, which is absolutely awesome for the
kids to run around and have fun and the adults to engage in adult stuff !!
(LOL). We had a very successful weekend!! NBOL had 29 athlete’s competing.
The 10-14yr group coming away with 1 Gold medal (Quinn Andis 10 boy’s
Discus), 2 Silver (Maddison Hosking-Marino 10 girl’s HJ, Max Hill-Cattermole
10 boy’s 1200m walk), 3 Bronze (Anna Kenworthy 10 girl’s 100m, Anna
Kenworthy 10 girl’s LJ and 11 boy’s 4x 100m Relay Jay Hill-Cattermole, Luca
Mackenzie, Mark Zimmerman and Joshua Bull. Also 17 top 4-8 finishes which
is stunning!!! The 7-9yrs also went stunningly with 6 Gold Pennants, 13 Silver
Pennants and 13 Bronze Pennants. Such a awesome weekend. Well done to
all our athletes. You Rock!! Love your Work!! Whoop Whoop.
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Junior Track & Field update - We have a national champion:
A huge congratulation to our wonderful senior
athlete ALEX (SWEET) MANDER for winning
the UNDER 18 OCTATHLON EVENT at the
Combined Events Meeting in Auckland with a
stunning 5297 points over 8 events!! Well
done from all of us and also thank you for all
the support, coaching and laughs you give to
our junior club!! Last but not least “A HUGE
THANKS TO BILL WATT FOR HIS
CO NTI NUED CO NT RIBUTI O N AND
SUPPORT TO ALEX AND OUR NBOL
CLUB… YOU ARE AWESOME BILL” .
Junior Track & Field update - Interclub update:
We have had a huge interclub season between travelling to Timaru, coaching,
training and early Saturday morning starts at Rawhiti and Sunday sessions. The
results of all of this will be seen at the Canterbury Champs being held in Timaru
15th & 16th March. Can’t wait. We have some stunning athletes. It’s going to be
huge! After the champs, 3 Canterbury teams are announced, so watch this
space for Canty Champs results and any names for the Canterbury Teams!
Junior Track & Field update - Tuesday Club nights:
The club has had a very successful Tuesday night season, with the last Fun
Night on the 25th February. The committee would like to thank all the parents for
their continued support and help. Without you we wouldnt have been able to run
Tuesday nights. A special thanks to Alex Mander, Kelly Marshall, Br’ian Winter
and Melissa Exton for running a very successful Little’s Club! We had our Club
Champs on 6th Feb this year (Waitangi Day) and this was a fab day with lots of
families enjoying the sun, competition and awesome hamburgers and sausages
cooked by Craig and Kara Marino. They have also cooked our sausage sizzle all
season on a Tuesday night for extra fundraising for the Junior club…Thanks
heaps!
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Chiba Ekiden
Last November I was fortunate to get a late call up to the NZ team taking part in
the Chiba International Ekiden Relay. This was a result of an injury to Jake
Robertson. I joined Lucy and Holly van Dalen, Nicki McFadzien, Rachel
Kingsford, Nick Willis, Zane Robertson and Malcolm Hicks.
I didn’t know much about this relay before my selection. I knew it was a very
prestigious race in Japan and that NZ has sent a team there the past few years.
I’ll give a brief overview of what I have learned since.
Ekiden means a long distance relay. The Chiba Ekiden is among the most
prestigious of its kind in Japan. Held over the marathon distance, it began in
1988. NZ was regularly invited from here through to the late 90s. In the first year
the NZ women’s team got the victory and in 1991 the NZ men’s team, which
included our own Club’s Peter Renner, finished 3rd.
In recent years the relay has changed to a mixed gender format. So, each team
includes three men and three women to cover the six legs in the relay. Two
travelling reserves are also sent. A sash is used instead of a baton. This is
passed on and worn over the shoulder during the relay. A total of 10 nations
were invited to take part in the relay this time around.
I was selected to be a travelling reserve. A 5000m track race for the reserves
had been organized. I was excited at the prospect of testing myself against
some class opposition on an international stage.
I arrived at Tokyo Narita Airport after about an 11 hour flight. It was about 5pm
on a Tuesday evening and it was already pitch black outside. I was pretty hungry
at this point. The three small meals offered by the airline were not enough to
quench my appetite. We were escorted to our own bus and arrived at the Nihon
Aerobic Centre about 50 minutes later, which would be our base for the rest of
the week.
A very warm welcome was given to us. We happened to be the first team that
arrived. We were filmed and had photos taken while entering the foyer. The
dining hall was then shown to us with a buffet on offer. This was exactly what I
was after.
The Aerobic Centre is situated in a forest and is quite large. All the athletes
stayed in a village of chalets which was about a 10 minute walk away from the
dining hall. I shared my chalet with the three other lads in the team.
There were three days to fill in before the race. Zane had brought along a DVD
of a TV series. A fair bit of time was spent watching this. The easy runs on my
programme were spent exploring the complex. There were nice trails to run on.
Strict instructions were given to not run on the golf course though. Lazing around
until the next buffet feed was mainly the agenda- perfect preparation for a race.
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The local organisers took the teams on a trip into Chiba on the Friday to check
out some temples and to go shopping at a mall. This was an opportunity to
spend the 10000 yen that was given to each athlete. It was a pretty quick-fire
trip. 30 minutes was given for the temples and about 90 minutes at the Mall.
Race day came round and I was feeling pretty fresh. All the reserve runners
were bussed to the stadium, the same place where the relay starts and finishes.
A young helper was assigned to Rachel (the other reserve runner) and me. It
was a stunner of a day: sunny, a light breeze and about 16 degrees. My main
goal for the race was to demolish my PB. I don't often run 5kms on the track so I
knew my previous best of 14m47s was overdue to be beaten. I thought I was
potentially in shape to run 14mins. This was the target I set for myself. I came
into this race a little uncertain on what my current form was. I knew I was
relatively fit after coming off the back of the most consistent winter season I’ve
had to date, but I hadn’t set foot on a track for 8 months.
The Race. This took place at about 10 in the morning. There was a small field of
7 runners. It was good to step on a track again. I felt that spring in my step again
that is missing on the grass tracks in Christchurch. The first lap went out at
69secs and the following few laps went through in 67s. I was sitting comfortably
in a group of about 5 runners at this stage. The Kenyan then made a wee break
for it and I set off after him. At the 3km mark the Kenyan cramped up and pulled
out of the race. At this point I was leading an Australian and an American. I
managed to put a gap on these two in the preceding laps. Over the last two laps
the American managed to latch back on to me. He sat on me as I slowly wound
up the pace on the last lap. With 100m to go he kicked and drew level with me. I
then applied my kick and ended up winning by about half a second in a time of
13m57.26s. I was pretty stoked to run this time and winning the race was a
welcome bonus.
The main event began at about 1pm. Nick was our first runner. I watched them
run two laps of the track before they disappeared out onto the streets. The
Kenyan team absolutely dominated the relay. Japan came in for second. The NZ
team finished in sixth place in a time roughly 2 minutes quicker and one place
better than that achieved the previous year. This was the strongest team NZ has
fielded in the new mixed gender format and is an outstanding result considering
the caliber of the competition. Zane ran 28m 4s for his leg. This broke the
course lap record and the NZ road 10km record. An outstanding achievement.
For this feat Zane was awarded the MVP of the relay.
A prize giving was held that night back at the Aerobic Centre. To show our
appreciation of Zane’s achievement, we lads performed a haka when he was on
stage. I don’t think it was the best haka ever performed. We were a bunch of
skinny white guys who could have done with a lot more practice, but everyone
seemed to thoroughly enjoy it and it meant a lot to Zane.
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Another highlight of the night was the circle of death. Nick was the mastermind
behind this. Each nation nominated one athlete to join the circle. Nick nominated
himself for NZ. Without going into details about the rules, push ups were
involved. The number of push ups required increased each revolution around
the circle. I was amazed at how far people were willing to push themselves
when national pride was on the line. It was a tie between Australia and Germany
for the win if I recall correctly.
Nicki, Rachel and I stayed on in Japan an extra three days. This time was spent
checking out the sights Tokyo had to offer. The city has a very efficient rail
network, which made getting around the city very easy. Shinjuku station, the
main train station in Tokyo, is the worlds busiest transport hub and gets over 3.5
million people per day through it. There were an outrageous number of people
walking in different directions at this place, but some how no collisions occurred.
My highlight during my stay in Tokyo was taking a trip out to Mount Fuji. We
couldn’t have picked a better day for it. There was barely a cloud in the sky. We
ended up taking a bus to the snow line and got to see a lot of the Japanese
countryside. On the last day we got up at 5am and headed out to the Tsukiji fish
market, this is apparently the largest in the world. I was looking forward to
seeing what it was all about It turned out the market was closed for the day. This
was a little gutting. On the up side, we had a few extra hours to look around
Tokyo.
The trip sparked renewed motivation for me and my running career. I gained
some knowledge from the other class athletes in my team about how they go
about it. I proved to myself that I have the ability to match it with quality
international competition. I would love to go back and be part of the actual relay
sometime.
Daniel Balchin
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Herd on the road
I would like to follow up on a couple of articles that
appeared in the last “Running Commentary” magazine.
The first was the “Hot off the Press” article in which the
writer, (was it Tony Prisk?), congratulated Daniel Balchin
for his fine run in Japan, where he recorded 13min
57.26sec. Not only was this a huge personal best for
Daniel, but it also made him one of a small, growing band
of Canterbury runners who have broken 14 minutes.
The writer also mentioned our other Club members, who have broken 14
minutes for 5000m – Paul Smith, Tom Birnie, Peter Renner and Neil Lowsley. I
would like to add a further four to that list.
Philip Watson
In the New Zealand Games held in early 1975, Philip ran 13min 59.6 to become
(probably) the first Canterbury runner to break 14 minutes for 5000m.
John Sheddan
John recorded 13min 57.5sec in winning the Canterbury Champs at QE2 in
February 1976.
Geoff Pyne
While attending university in California in 1966, Geoff ran 13min 47.3sec, for
5000m. A time which qualified to represent NZ, in the Commonwealth / Empire
Games held that year in Jamaica. At the Games Geoff finish 9th in the 3 mile
race, in a time of 13min 18.6sec (equal to 13min 53sec for 5000m).
Alan Thurlow
Alan’s best time of 13min 31.4sec for 5000m was recorded at QE2 Park in
January 1980. It is thought that this was in one of the International Track Series
being held around that time.
I would also like to add to the article by Tony Prisk on Mo Farah’s book. I too,
like a number of others, have read Mo’s book. This book would be, not only one
of the best athlete books I have ever read, but I would consider it a MUST READ
for any runner who wants to progress to world level in middle distance running.
To read how he lived with the Kenyans, in their London house, and lived their life
style, which consisted of an early morning hard run, eat, sleep, train again, rest
and followed by going to bed early, was an eye opener. No time allowed for
personal socializing, not even TV. This was followed by annual trips to Kenya for
further intensive distance training at altitude. This is what it takes, but how we
adapt this lifestyle to NZ circumstances and condition I don’t know.
Cookie
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Cross Country / Winter Section - Chairman's Report :
Well I thought we had a great season in 2012 when we started the year by
winning the Hagley Relay, and finishing second in the NZ Road Relay Champs.
This was surpassed in 2013. Our Senior Men were the jewels in the crown.
Callan Moody and Daniel Balchin won all the major races during the year,
usually finishing first and second. With the addition of Matt Gibbons and Kerry
Faass the Kennett Cup/SI Cross Country Champs team’s race was won. Add
on Hayden McLaren (3rd individual) and Dave Ridley and the Canterbury Cross
Country Champs team’s race was also won. Finally in the Canterbury Road
Champs we had the first four across the line with Callan, Oska Inkster-Baynes,
Mark Bailey and Dave Ridley. Add in Kerry Faass and David Macdonald and
another team’s race was won.
This success continued on to the national scene with Callan finishing second in
the NZ Cross Country Champs, and Daniel third in the NZ Road Champs. Other
successful performers in the Road Champs were David Macdonald 1st M55,
Carolyn Forsey 2nd W50 and Margaret Flanagan 1st W60. The highlight of the
year was undoubtedly the Takahe to Akaroa/NZ Road Relay Champs, where the
Senior Men made up for the disappointment of the previous year. From Daniel
Balchin’s outstanding run on lap 1, coming in a minute in front of the rest of the
field, to the nail-biting run by Oska on the final lap, where he ran away from a
world class performer in Michael Aish to clinch victory by eighteen seconds, it
was an outstanding performance. Our Open 60 team, competing in the NZ
Road Relay Champs for the first time, finished third and first local team.
I enjoyed watching, and supporting, our Juniors and younger runners when I
could. We had eleven or twelve individuals and managed to field teams in most
events. Our thanks go to Aaron Reid for encouraging and co-ordinating these
youngsters, and teams, in the various events. It was good to see Evan Young,
Kathryn Ford and Molly Norbey-Parle taking part in our 5/8k handicap events as
well. Exploiting a loophole in the rules the selector even entered Evan Young in
the social grade, in the Takahe to Akaroa Relay. Only twelve years old at the
time, Evan must surely be the youngest person to have competed in this relay.
It was pleasing to see the number of teams we sent, outside Christchurch, to
compete in the Timaru Relay and the Greta Valley Relay. As I have said, on
many occasions, these events must be supported or they will fade away, and
the sport will be the poorer for it. Attendance at our Club runs, over the winter,
was a bit spasmodic. Numbers were down, a little in the 5/8k handicap series,
although were up in the King/Queen of the Mountains race. Do we need to rejig
our programme? Two social events were held. A dinner, at the NB
Workingmen’s Club, and our End of Year Function/Prize Giving in October. This
last event was an over whelming success with more than ninety persons in
attendance.
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The Callan / Daniel show continued throughout the summer season, with Daniel
achieving some outstanding times. I’m not sure what his best result was. Was
it the 3min 46sec 1500 metres, the 8min 06sec 3000 metres, or the 13min
57sec 5000 metres? I’ll leave it for you to work out. Oska also produced an
outstanding time of 30min 30sec finishing 4th in the NZ 10000m champs.
Good numbers fronted up for the Shoe Clinic 5k series in North Hagley Park
with, at least, thirty five Club members competing at some time,. Callan ran the
fastest winning time during the series with 14min 14sec, but the best
performance by far, was by Corban Straker, who ran all five races, with a best
time of 21min 18sec. Corban is only eleven years old.
I would be a little remiss if I didn’t mention our hard working committee. Actually
it wasn’t hard work, as things flowed quite smoothly. From our very efficient
Secretary, Ann Henderson, our equally efficient Treasurer, Dave Thomas,
Children’s Co-ordinator, Aaron Reid, Cross Country Captain, John Kerrison and
Committee members Allan Gardiner and Richard Young, all contributed to the
successful running of the cross country season.
While I think we are progressing well as a Club, I don’t feel we have enough
involvement with our summer section and their committee. We are missing the
opportunity of getting more members involved with both sections of the Club.
Perhaps this is something we can look at over the next year or so.
Alex Cook - Chairman
A heartfelt thank-you goes out to all New Brighton Olympic members and others who helped out as volunteers at the International Track Meet last Saturday.
The 22nd of Feb is a very busy and very poignant day in Canterbury's history,
and we thank those who took the time to help with and/or attend the ITM. We
hope you enjoyed the day, and look forward to seeing you again next year.
Paul Coughlan, Leyton Tremain, Tony McManus and all of the ITM Crew.”
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Return Address:
New Brighton Olympic Athletic Club Inc.
P O Box 18840
Christchurch 8641
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