No Pain No Gain

You don't get to be as good as our junior endurance runners' are without being as dedicated as they are. In appalling conditions last Sunday morning and despite a storm of biblical proportions, some 30 of this committed group of young athletes turned up for their weekly training session on the Welcombe Hills. It was wet, it was very wet and it was muddy but they really did all have smiles on their faces. Well most of them anyway. Needless to say the sun shone as they all were finishing. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about their superb performance in the first WMYACCL XC fixture for 18 months, when they finished 2nd out of 21 teams competing, only losing out to the host club. This is why they did so well. No pain no gain. View this email in your browser Sunday morning saw a group of our dedicated junior endurance runners training on the Welcombe Hills in atrocious conditions - see above. Also this week, Camilla Cresswell, Kim Lee and Vicky Sharpe thought they'd go out for a cycle ride - just the 104.22km and 2244m of elevation! Hmmm. Club legends that they are, the Kate's Sergent and Wright ran the Coventry Half, also in atrocious conditions, with both of them excelling, as they do. Not to be outdone by his wife Kim, Joe Lee, along with fellow club member Sam Wignell ran the Swansea Trail Half Marathon. Don't the Lee's ever have a week off ? Take care. Best Wishes. David Jones. Camilla Cresswell, Kim Lee and Vicky Sharpe. Looks tricky to me. The CFC Baker’s Dozen Hill Challenge Report - Kim Lee Why do 1 hill, when you can do 13?! A couple of years ago Cyclists Fighting Cancer (CFC) created a local cycling hill challenge - the Baker’s Dozen. A ridiculously challenging 100km involving cycling up and down 13 hills on the edge of the North Cotswold Hills. When I first heard about the challenge, I was quick to announce it was definitely not for me and I’d never do it . . . Fast forward to October 2021 and I’m meeting up with Vicky Sharpe and Camilla Cresswell at the CFC Bike Shop in Alderminster at 8am prompt, about to embark on an epic day of cycling. Setting off along the quiet lanes towards Ilmington, we had no idea what we’d let ourselves in for. Up Campden Hill to the top; turning around and heading straight back down, then up Larkstoke, turning at the top and heading straight back down. Who would undertake such madness?! 2 down, 11 to go! Unfortunately on the notoriously slippy road from Ilmington to Mickleton, Vicky’s bike slid from under her on a sharp bend. Road rash on her hip, legs and hands. Quick check on the bike and we were straight off. It didn’t even occur to her that she could have stopped. What a tough cookie! This was a timely reminder of the drizzly conditions that…