EDITORIAL
summer Edition magazine 2010
Dear Members
Another few months have flown by
and once again we are into the summer months for WRR and the 18th Issue of the Magazine. The club is growing from
strength to strength with in influx of new members. I personally have had a
quiet few months free giving me the opportunity of catching up on personal jobs
around the house. Mind you ‘quiet’ might be too strong a word as I have had my five
grandchildren, and a dog, to stay over the Easter
holiday and they certainly have kept me on my toes. In May, we were off on holiday once again but this time
with the Wrinkly Group to
The Wesham Website, visitors amounting to 172,000 as I write, is as active as
ever, especially the Message Board. We have now 244 members of the Board. Mind you,
there are the crafty ones who register under different names just to keep
people guessing but this just adds to the fun of it. Please, if you haven’t
visited it yet, please do. It can be the
instrument for so many things. You can use it for a chat, passing on a joke or
comment, arrange a pickup or transport to and from a race, comment on a race
and so on. You can even ask for a spare number for a race you have wanted to do
but left it until the last minute. Sometimes this race number acquisition gets to be a bit like a lottery
and I compile a list of spare numbers offers and then a list of runners wanting
them and distribute them according to who asked first. The last race I was
involved in was, of course, the Freckleton
Half. Poor Brian was starting to lose the will to
live but, as usual, it all came good in the end. I get quite a kick out of
managing to fix most people up with a number. The main message here though is enter early so as not be disappointed.
The Front Cover this issue portrays Wesham’s unsung hero, Alex Rowe. I won’t write much about it here but you can read
more about Alex and tributes from other members
on Page 00 of this magazine.
Wesham
Road Runners were pleased to see the steady recovery of both Pauline and Yvonne who both have
made terrific strides to ‘get back on track’ after their individual ordeals.
We wish them continued success and look forward to seeing them back at club
very soon. It was great to see Yvonne marshalling at
the St. Annes 10 miler in March. She, thankfully, continues to make good progress
and she knows only too well she has the great Wesham
Team behind her all the way as does Pauline. Our good
wishes also go out to John Keohane, wishing him a
speedy return to full health. Another Wesham Invalid was Reg Chapman and, although
he had to miss out on the Wrinkly Holiday due to his toe
operation, continues to make a good recovery and hopes to be back with us all
very soon. Nothing keeps a Wrinkly down for long.
I just want to say
a bit about marshalling. I thoroughly enjoy it and do it whenever I can. Even
though I do not run, (now that would be a first!), I really get
into the spirit of the race and love shouting encouragement especially to the
rear runners. After all, they are doing the race, I am not! I do so admire
their spirit and determination. There are so many ladies and gents a lot older
than myself taking part – who says you are over the hill at 70? Well our Mike Walsh, at 78 years young, will tell you that is definitely not the case. I think he is fantastic and a true
inspiration to all our runners, young or old. It is not the position you finish
in, though it is always nice to be in the front few, but if you manage the
course, whatever the distance, then you have ‘won’ in your own right. But, if
you are injured and cannot run, or your partner wants to come and support you,
you can be used as a marshal. The Race
Organisers have a job and half to begin with organising the race and it goes on
months before the actual race day itself. It would be great to have a reliable
team of marshals they can call upon without having to send round robin begging
emails. So come on, if you are free and not running for any reason, volunteer.
Be sure your efforts will be more than appreciated by not only the Organisers
but by the runners themselves.
At the March Committee Meeting Brian Wilkinson, and my hubby,
Peter Earnshaw, were elected to become Life
Members in recognition of their services to the club over a long period of
time. Even though Brian and Peter do not run any more they put a lot of time and
effort into their positions as Secretary and Membership Secretary respectively, and are always at
races, whenever they can, helping out either marshalling or just supporting the
runners. I think you will all agree with me that this honour was truly well
deserved by both of them. I know they will be around the club for a good few
more years yet. Well done lads.
Well, that’s your lot for this edition.
Please support the website and magazine in whatever way you can. All articles,
however small, are more than welcome. Runners are interested in other runners’
opinions and experiences so put yours on paper and I will put it in the Magazine and on the Website. You will be
so proud of your efforts when you see it all in print. Continue also to support
our Advertisers as they support you with their
contributions to the magazine and it certainly would not be the magazine it is
without them.
All it
remains for me to say now is ‘Enjoy your Read’.
Fond regards
Brenda WRR Editor