I’ve always been open about my lack of Ultra Running experience, as a participant and a coach, but I’ve been given the opportunity by several in the team to learn new skills and guide them on their journeys. Slowly but surely the determination and commitment of these team members is convincing me this could be something I would like to try (don’t tell Jax).
Stacey Hayley finished her 2nd training plan with Team Orange, completing her first ever Ultra in the Race to the Stones 50k. There’s no denying it’s been tough at times with a few little bumps and falls along the way, but Stacey has continued to smash out the long runs and miles, getting her reward on Saturday. Go Stacey.
Anna Baker who has already negotiated the North Downs Way 50 Miler this spring, also completed the Race to the Stones, but tackled 50km on Saturday and again Sunday, in a fantastic cumulative time of 12 hours and 53 minutes. Amazing!
Also tackling the trails this weekend, albeit a slightly shorter distance were Alice Tigwell, Sue Wilkinson, Klare Beecroft, Andy Alabaster and Sue Alabaster. They completed the Oliver Curd Charity Fun Run, which was raising money for a fantastic local cause.
The following morning we were greeted with ideal conditions on Hastings Seafront for parkrun and several of the team took full advantage. George Marshall clocked a new PB in a fantastic time of 19:01, a big improvement on his previous best.
Lindsey Jones continued her remarkable improvement with a new parkrun PB of 24:44. Lindsey even got held up a little at the start and felt strong throughout, so watch this space, more PBs coming I feel. Awesome running Lindsey.
Kelly & Helen celebrating their PBs at New Romney
Birthday boy Kieran Brook was tackling a local half marathon in Sweden and ran a fantastic time of 1:26:46 having only recently returned from a calf issue. This was good enough for 11th place overall and I’m super excited about his potential going forward. If you’re heading to Sweden on holiday this summer, say hi to Kieran if you see him (it’s a small place right?).
The success stories rolled over into Sunday morning too. Kelly de Rosa and Helen Cassell both ran in the New Romney 10k. The heat proving a real challenge in the enclosed country lanes, but it didn’t prevent either of them from clocking new PBs.
Kelly who was determined to bury some demons from this very race last year, came across the line in 56:47. Helen was close behind, narrowly beating her previous best by 10 seconds, in a time of 57:50. That’s the best way to do it folks, knock a few seconds off at a time and keep getting PBs, smart move Helen.
Sue Mann and Sue Wilkinson were among the 18,000 runners in the Capital on Sunday morning for the Saucony London 10K. Sue W produced a fantastic performance to cross the line in 54:11, narrowly missing out on her 10K PB. Sue M was actually enjoying a relaxing holiday in France when she suddenly remembered she’d entered this race. After a mad dash back across the Channel, cutting her vacation short, Sue completed the race in 1 hour and 8 minutes.
Another fantastic weekend for the Team, with some exciting events coming up, including the Hastings Runners Handicap 5K and the Woodchurch 5 Miler on Sunday. Well done to all the Team for your continued commitment to your training and overall well being.
