AUGUST 2008 NEWSLETTER

As usual the winter cold and darkness has had its effect on member participation in various club activities.  The older folk have been setting the example though with the average age of those attending Saturday longs runs pushing sixty.  We look forward to a long hot summer.  Our membership now stands at 89, which includes junior and non registered members.  We welcome Juanita Oosthuizen, Bruce du Plessis and Aubrey and Charlene Barends who recently joined the club.

Hemel and Aarde 14km downhill handicap race

By the time you receive this newsletter we will have held this event and hopefully it would have been a huge success so that it becomes a permanent fixture in the future. Give us your feedback.

Time trials and long runs

Time trials will be starting at 18:00 as from 4 September.  Similarly the Onrus 10km run on Tuesdays will also start at 17:30 from 2 September.  Currently Saturday long runs start at 07:00 from the Wine Village and this time will also change as the summer approaches.  Announcements of the change are made at the time trial.  Otherwise call Mikki Milne or Les Hanna to confirm.

Comrades Marathon

Congratulations to Barney Louw and Jeremy Brown for successfully completing Comrades this year with Barney getting wonderful TV coverage at the finish.

Potberg 21km  - 23 August

Transport for about 15 members is being arranged by Mikki Milne on a first come first served basis.  We are aware of others going to participate in the cycling events so ask around if you need a lift.

Whale Half Marathon

The event will be held on Saturday, 27 September and will be organised by the Hermanus High School with help from the club.  This year Mikki Milne will be in the driving seat and he would be very pleased if any of us would be available to assist.  It is possible to also participate in the run but you must let Mikki know what you can do.  There are plenty of jobs to do before and after the run.

“Foot of Africa” Marathon

Please diarise this event – Saturday 4 October.  There is a full marathon, half marathon and a 10km.  The gazebo will be erected and everyone is encouraged to participate and to enjoy the good vibe afterwards at the gazebo.

Masters Athletics

Leo Benning convened a meeting of the masters’ athletics recently where their frustrations with Boland Masters were discussed.  Pertinent questions have been put to the SA Masters Association as well as Boland Athletics and hopefully this will lead to resolving the problem.

The SWD Masters Championships will be held on 24 September in Oudtshoorn should anyone be interested in competing in this event.  Contact Leo Benning for further details on 0836930825.

Bits and Pieces

*          Who goes out early on Saturday mornings in rain, wind or shine this winter?  Why, it’s the ‘A’ team, of course!  This band of intrepid Whalers comprises Les (the Enforcer) Hanna - always there encouraging and leading by example; Norma (Gabby) Wheeler - who knows a lot and has the gift of the gab; Gavin (Iron Man) Turner - he just won’t give up despite the pain; Albert (the Fast One) Tshabani – a talent waiting to be unleashed and likes running with ‘Dad’; Barney (Mr Comrades) Rubble who is still talking about it; David (Mr Nice Guy) Cupido who is the most diplomatic member of the team; Hugh (No More Mr Nice Guy) Waters eg smirks as he overtakes, does not offer refreshments, leaves slower runners behind, etc, etc; good looking and athletic babes Annaline and Louise.  So what are you waiting for? See you next week.

*          What has happened to the talented Suzy M?  We ask as she was a regular last year and has yet to join the ‘A’ team on Saturday

*          Time-keeper Ruby Waters has recently celebrated her 70^th birthday with her happy band of bridge players

*          Who is going to fall of their bicycle next? 

*          Andre and Carina van der Merwe have been back from Mocambique for some time now and we still haven’t heard about their adventures or seen their pictures!

Personality of the Club

Runner's Profile:  Willie Loedolff

Willie Loedolff started his running career at the age of 55 when he joined the Magnolia Road Runners club in Pretoria in 1983. His best years on the road and track stretched from around age 58 to 70, hereafter his road to obscurity was downhill and fast, especially after his knees packed up. His running career was finally terminated by a serious back operation at age 73 in 2001. Since then his activities on the road were reduced to walking - and living in the past.

He said farewell to his beloved Magnolia Road Runners club at the end of 2006 at the age of 79 when he moved to Hermanus where he was welcomed by the Whalers Athletic Club.

During his running career from 1983 to 2007 he covered a lot of ground in races all over the country. According to his logbook he completed races over the following distances on the road: 10 km (128), 15 km (58), 21,1 km (168), 32 km (27), 42,2 km (58), 50 km (50), 56 km (17, including 12 Two Oceans), 67 km (two mountain runs in New Zealand), 87 km to 89 km (13 Comrades marathons), and one 100 km race. He also took part in many cross-country races and over 40 masters’ athletics meetings on provincial and SA level. A total distance of 73 890 km in racing and training was covered during his running career up to the end of 2007, which is a good average for runners of his age and experience.

During his 12 good years on the road he performed well in road races and on the track. In his first year in the 60 to 64 age category he set SA Records on the track in the 800 m, 1 500 m, 2 000 m steeplechase, 5 000 m and 10 000 m.  Most of these records have since been broken but some still remain intact.

His best times in the 10 km, 15 km, 21,1 km, 32 km, 42,2 km, 50 km and 56 km were recognised as Northern Transvaal (Gauteng North) records. He didn't bother to check official statistics for SA records in the older age categories as they were not regarded as important at the time. He was however informed that his time of 03:23:46 in the New York Marathon at the age of 70 years and 11 months has been recognised as an SA record.

Willie has fond memories of many races on the road and on the track, with highlights such as his first sub-three marathon in an SA record time of 02:53:01 in the 1988 SA marathon championship in Cape Town, the New York Marathon in a time of 03:23:46 at age 70+, the 67 km Kepler Challenge in New Zealand (a mountain run comparable to the Comrades Marathon, but tougher), his Two Oceans and Comrades marathon records. It still gives him some pleasure to recall that one specific SA Cross Country Championship meeting in Stellenbosch where, at the age of 65, he managed to win a tactical race in the 60+ age group.

He was for over 23 years a member of Magnolia Road Runners, a very good running club in Pretoria. In 2007 he joined the Whalers Athletic Club of Hermanus, now stuck with a worn-out old runner who’s only claim to fame since joining, and is a record set in a Thursday afternoon time trial for bailing within 15 seconds of the start. There's nothing he can do about being the club's top bailer, but he pledged not to become the top "wailer" of his new club.

Committee

Chairman                  Les Hanna                     028 3163820

Club Captain           Mikki Milne                     028 3121563

Secretary                  Louise Erasmus            028 3122220

Treasurer                  Ronel Bootha                 028 3132551

Race Co-ordinator  Carina van der Merwe  028 3163450

Social/Walking rep  Arlene Ehrenberg         028 3162037