January 26th, 2012, Thursday

Strollers Do It On A Night Out
Has anybody else noticed the price of beer these days? I gave my wife £20 to go and get a beer for herself and me at Ashbrooke last night. I got £1:20 change! That’s £9.40 a pint. I think I may have to stop drinking there.

Strollettes Night Out
As I wasn’t corrected in thebar last night I can only assume that I was right and the next Strollettes night out is on Tuedsay 7 February. Meet in the Cooper Rose for 7pm. Please contact Karen or Joy for information. Vicky isn’t going so I wouldn’t bother phoning her.

Strollers Night Out
This takes place on the first Thursday of every month. So it was going to be tonight. Unfortunately Terry forgot, double booked himself and so this event is cancelled!

Don’t be too disheartened though – Anth’s 40^th birthday binge will be taking place on Saturday 18^th, also in the Cooper Rose for 7pm. All his friends are invited. So are the Strollers!

Woody’s 5K
Don’t forget this Sunday is the first race in the 2012 Club Championship – Woody’s 5K. Staring at 9:30 on Sunday morning from the North side of Coxgreen Bridge.
Here is Woody:
“”Woody's 5k is this Sunday at 9.30am, that will get you all out of bed on a cold morning, the start is on the north side of Cox Green bridge but we will meet next to the Oddfellows  arms pub on the south side to see where the finish is before going over the bridge to the start. This is the first race in the Strollers 2012 club championship so points are up for grabs and with it being an early start there may not be a big turn out, so turn up and fill ya boots with points!! if you are not running you can turn up to help out, we don't want people running the wrong way and ending up at the town bridge, you can phone me on the day on 07503046311””

First Aid cover wanted.
Malcolm would still like to ask for help. He is after someone who can provide first aid at the North East Marathon Club’s Kielder Marathon on the 25^th March. Apparently there is an incentive (ohh err missus) and expenses will be paid. So, no reason not to offer your services really.

Cross-Country Corner
Woody, again:
“”I will be entering 2 senior men's teams and 2 vet men's teams for the Signals relays at Hetton Lyons park on Saturday 18th of February at 1pm, men and women go off together. Let me know if you want to run this relay, it's 2 laps  2.22m in total on tarmac, there will be no entries on the day so i need to know if you want to run so i am not sorting teams out on the day, it's 6 per team for the men,ta.stroller01@yahoo.co.uk

The ladies relay is for teams of 4 running the same as the men, 2.22m, ladies, if you want to run this then also get in touch with me.  If you want to know where Hetton Lyons Park is check out www.houghtonharriers.org

The next Harrier x/c race is at Wrekenton, Gateshead, on Saturday 11th of Feb' more on the next email but we will be looking for one or 2 new starters to try the x/c and help the club stay up, more soon, Woody””


Ashbrooke Sports Club
Right, so I have stopped going on about club membership now. But I’ll keep giving Ashbrooke a plug. I now have a .pdf version of their membership form so I will send it on to Steve to get onto the website. Hopefully you should be able to download it in few days time.

Strollers Review
It was mentioned a few weeks ago that we would be reviewing how the split in the club has been working. Now is absolutely the time to make your feelings known about the two separate timings. Is it working? Are the sessions actually happening as they should? Are their enough leaders?

It is becoming slowly apparent that the early session at 18:45 does not sem to be working properly. Although it is a reasonably well attended session the feeling is that it is being attended purely because people would like to train a little earlier. There does not appear to be any shape or form to the sessions that are happening at that time and very few people are willing to step up and lead the session. In addition there is the possibility that divisions are appearing within the club that are artificial.

So, we would like to hear from as many people as possible about their opinions regarding this. Please use the email@sunderlandstrollers.co.uk contact and then I can collate the opinions.

Winter Handicap
Next Wednesday is the fifth and final running of the 2011/2012 Winter Handicap. That’s provided the weather holds and we don’t have to cancel it! Snow is forecast over the weekend so that may change things a bit.

Start times here:http://www.sunderlandstrollers.co.uk/hcapstrt.txt

If you haven’t got a start time, then e-mail in and we will endeavour to get you one. Alternatively, meet Dicka at the start, well before 19:30, at the Puma Centre and he can give you one. And possibly a starting time too.

Current positions here:http://www.sunderlandstrollers.co.uk/winter11.txt

Training
Next Wednesday, as you now know (if you have been reading this e-mail!) is the Winter Handicap. Meet at 19:15 (there is only one session on this week).

Friday
- 18:05 Barnes moderate(ish) 8-9 miles with a 7 mile cut off
-18:05 Barnes slow(ish) 5-7 miles
-17:45 Premier Road/Silksworth Lane Underpass (opposite Homebase) 3-4 miles (10-11 minute mile pace)

Sunday
- 09:00 Barnes 9-12 miles or more if you're marathon training.
- 09:30 (or 10am – just join the back as the runners pass by Morrison’s again). Morrison's run in Seaburn. Slow 6-8 miles or more if you're marathon training. Meet on the grass (beach side of the road) opposite the main entrance to the shop.

Monday
- 18:15 Premier Road/Silksworth Lane underpass 3.75 or 4.5 miles tempo run (little or no re-grouping)
- 18:15 Premier Road/Silksworth Lane underpass 2.5-3 miles for the joggers.
- 18:15 Off-road, hills and night running training. Bottom of Penshaw Hill.

Jon
Sunderland Strollers

It is not the critic who counts,
Nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled,
Or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,
Who strives valiantly;
Who errs and comes short again and again;
Who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions;
Who spends himself in a worthy cause;
Who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
And who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
So that his place shall never be with those timid souls,
Who know neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt, 26^th President of the United States of America. Naturalist, explorer, hunter, author and soldier.