print newsletter 2

Dear runners,

In this newsletter no. 2, you will find some info about:

- Run4Fun for women: the original
- Run4Fun for men: surf on the wave
- A Slightly More Than Momentary Lapse of Reason by Simon Burne
- PatentRun: hot, very hot!

- Run4Fun for women: the original

Looking at its members' list, The AJC had to face the truth: there were very few women in the club. So we've asked ourselves why and came to the conclusion that many women did not run because they believed it was not suitable for them, too difficult, and moreover, boring. But we gambled on the fact that many of them just needed a little kick to make the first step. So, we decided to launch the Run4Fun for women action.
We had so many participants that we had to split the group in two. The experience was great and demonstrated that they was a need for it. The training sessions went smoothly and the ladies improved very rapidly. But beside the sport and the fitness level, most importantly, the atmosphere was always nice and relaxed. All of them came with a smile on their face and kept it during the training despite the effort.


The running ladies have expressed their interest in a continuation of the Run4Fun next year, so for those who did not participate, sure, you can join us ^_^
Of course, there is room for improvement, and all your remarks are welcome to adapt the training to your needs.

We would like to call upon testimonies to get YOUR vision of this experience at   ajc.newsletter@epo.org . And look hereafter, the guys are showing you the way this time -_^



- Run4Fun for men: surf on the wave

Inspired by the success of the Run4Fun for ladies, we thought a similar initiative could be done for men. And apparently, it was at least as good as the original -_^
Look at this success story from Simon Burne:

- A Slightly More Than Momentary Lapse of Reason

As I dragged myself over the finishing line of my first Patentrun last Friday (finishing a magnificent 169th out of 176 in a time of 45:40) only pride kept me from finishing on my hands and knees. All I could think about was getting out of the sun and finding somewhere to collapse. It wouldn't be fair to say that I hated every minute of it, although I didn't enjoy the last 44 minutes very much.
So why on earth did I do it?

I'm not exactly built for running, carrying one or two (all right forty) extra kilograms. However, I'm not entirely unfit either - cycling, swimming and scuba diving being regular activities. My last Office medical confirmed that my heart and lungs still work, and I'd like to keep it that way. So, when I saw the Run for Fun for Men leaflet from the Amicale Jogging Club, I thought "Why not?". With some active encouragement (i.e. nagging) from my wife, I bought running shoes and turned up for the first session on 11th May rather apprehensively. Wim (van Klompenburg) and Jan (Gabriels) had obviously put a lot of thought into how to organise this exercise, and soon we were split into two groups. We started with alternating 2 minutes running and 1 minute walking for about half an hour, and that was enough for me. Nevertheless, I took their advice and tried to repeat this before our next meeting. To my great surprise, the next time, (when we ramped it up to 4 minutes running and 1 walking), was no worse. This improvement continued, to the point where the goal of finishing the Patentrun actually seemed achievable. What was more pleasant was that, slowly but surely, a few of my surplus kilos appeared to be slipping away. So, when I was away for the Amicale Weekend in Cap Esterel and when I went for a week in Eilat, I took my running shoes with me. I ran a couple of mornings along the Red Sea shore while the temperature was only in the mid-30's.

Having set myself a goal of finishing the Patentrun, the day arrived for the practice run. Amazingly enough, I finished it without stopping (although sometimes my pace was so slow it might have been difficult for an observer to tell). The "Dutch Alps" certainly were hard work.

The actual Patentrun was tough going for me, as the temperature and the humidity of last Friday was particularly difficult to deal with for someone as inexperienced as me. The atmosphere really helped - the buzz around the start, the enthusiastic drumming underneath the Vlietbrug, the friendly guidance of the marshals and the cheering at the end all fired my determination to keep going. The last climb up to the garden is a cruel trick, but with so many people watching (including many of the front runners who had already showered and changed) it was impossible to give up. Crossing the line was a great moment. I had achieved the goal I had set myself. I had finished the Patentrun! Not a big goal for many people, but for someone who hadn't done this sort of running since school, it felt like a huge achievement in less than two months.

I'd really like to thank Wim and Jan for their advice, enthusiasm, and willingness to run alongside someone going at the pace of an arthritic snail. It has made a big difference to me already, as I have lost over eight kilos since starting the process. So, even though the actual process of running is still not particularly comfortable, the results have been eminently satisfying. I will continue running at least twice a week, even though I don't think that the London Marathon is on my future agenda - but perhaps I might have a go at one of the City-Pier-City runs next spring. You never know, I might even stop worrying and learn to love the run!

(Apologies to Pink Floyd for the mangling of the title and to the late Stanley Kubrick for the last sentence).



- PatentRun: hot, very hot!

There were a few sports events on that Friday, and I heard some of the runners speeded up to be finished before the kick off of the football match. Anyway, every body has his own motivation and apparently some other runners (or maybe they were the same) wanted to pass the finish line as soon as possible to get away from the heat and AT LAST get something to drink -_^
So once again, the weather was ideal...for the spectators 0_0

Unfortunately, I had other commitments that day and could not experience this edition of the PatentRun, so I count on you to tell us YOUR story by sensing an e-mail at the ajc.newsletter@epo.org.

The results are already available on the website, and thanks to Luk Verdoodt some great pictures will be available on-line soon. In the meanwhile, enjoy a few samples of them :



Finally, the AJC would like to thank all the runners who took part  for their enthusiasm, all the volunteers for helping us making the PatentRun a success, and Mr Hammer for giving the start.


For the committee, Cécile.

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