Barrie Roberts reports: On Wednesday Evening I attended the fifth of the Birmingham Rowheath (BRAT Club) Open Track and Field Meetings at the Birmingham University Track.
These are an excellent series of meetings, held during Spring/Summer each year, which give the opportunity to specialists/non-specialists of all abilities (boys/girls and men and women) to ‘have a go’ at track running/racing. Also a good opportunity for family participation.
For people who normally run road races, XC, multi-terrain etc. some track work can help to improve your leg speed as it’s all too easy to do a lot of running but be one-paced.
I participated in the 1500m Open Race which followed after 5 BMC 1500m Heats. As a consequence I ended up hanging about rather more than I would have wished. I had intended to run at Newport (WALES) but work commitments kept me local ie. less than 2 miles from my front door. The BMC Races are well worth entering if one is chasing a PB but it is necessary to commit oneself 3 – 4 days in advance. However,there are always plenty of other events which one can enter on the night ( at half hour notice).
My aim for the night was to run a PB, which I narrowly missed. But I did achieve a SB and an improved age-grade % for 1500m. I am extremely grateful to Richard Carney (BRAT Club) who acted as a pace-maker for me, ie. having raced himself only a few minutes earlier!
My performance on the night was as follows:-
15th Barrie Roberts M68 Bournville Harriers 5:52.11