Week Ending - 2021/02/14
WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT? BADGERS GO GREEN IN LOCKDOWN
With races a thing of the distant past for the immediate future at least, a number of race organisers have sought a variety of alternative approaches to fill the void before racing proper can recommence. One of the latest ventures is the Run for the Trees initiative launched by Peak Running in collaboration with the National Forest. Runners are invited to take part in a competition to clock up as many miles over a four week period during their allowed daily exercise outing with various incentives on offer such as the usual medal and certificate but with a twist. Athletes able to reach a total of 200 miles overall will have a tree planted as a result, helping the environment as well as their own physical and mental wellbeing in these tumultuous times.
Amongst the Badgers stars taking part are husband and wife duo Adrian and Judy Parkes who have made some excellent progress so far and Atherstone based Birmingham City fan Rob Crow is another to have clocked up some steady mileage in his quest for a sapling. Ladies vice-captain Nicki Bowman has bravely battled her way back after numerous injuries and operations over the years and she teamed up with club colleague Anna Dawe as together they aim to get wood. Mum of two Anna only began running with Badgers a couple of years ago to get fitter, tackling the well-regarded Beginners course with real aplomb. Since then, she has become a mainstay of the ladies side in both road and cross country leagues, setting a great example to her two football mad sons. The indomitable Pip Weston is another Badger to get involved with the cause, clocking up many a muddy mile over some challenging terrain. With temperatures set to rise following the recent cold snap, it is expected that the distances achieved will also follow suit proportionately. A final update will follow at the end of February.
In the recent Leicestershire League 5K challenge as reported on last week, Badgers took 9th place overall from a field of 17 as results were finally assembled based on a combination of performance and attendance in these challenging times.
In other news, Wayne Repton ploughed a lone furrow across the Tamworth landscape as he completed the Virtual Naseby 1645 race, set over 16.45 miles, aptly, taking the oldest and second fastest Repton brother in Badgers 2 hours 28 minutes and 33 seconds, a good effort over some undulating countryside.
Finally, a number of Badgers are able to use the lockdown period to train for events in the future, although with many of the scheduled league races for 2021 have already been postponed suggesting that it is highly probable that we will see another season of virtual events in lieu of mass entry races as was once the norm. Other events that can facilitate social distancing more readily are planned and one such race is the 100 mile long Thames Path ultra event scheduled for May the 8th. Mark Cox has been training well for this challenge, the hard-hitting floor fitter ran further than any Badger last season and is well set at this stage for an epic performance.