Nick’s Racewalking ‘Anniversary’ Memoir

Nick Fleeman’s written an article remembering the start of his journey racewalking at the club. Please read below:-

The Pedestrian Chronicles

WADAC Race Walking Reborn: Once more unto the track, dear pedestrians

1. Vagitus (16.11.22) (Vagitus: the first cry of a new born baby)

And they’re off! Race Walking at WADAC is up and – well not running (obviously) but rather propelling itself forward utilising advanced bipedal techniques of locomotion and an inverted pendulum gait in which one foot remains in contact with the ground at all times with the advancing knee straightened from the instant the foot ground strikes until such time as the vertical upright position is reached. In short, walking. And no, it’s not nearly as complicated as I’ve made it sound, that’s just me being grandiose and demonstrating an affinity with circumcursation (feel free to replace ‘grandiose’ with any adjective of your own choosing). Be sure that it is rather different, however, from the sort of stroll you might take to the shops to purchase your morning paper, or back from your hostelry of choice following a convivial evening spent in the company of friends and loved ones.

A latter-day triumvirate of lusty pedestrians representing the nascent group took to the Winchester Stadium track on the evening of Wednesday 16th November to herald the rebirth of race walking at WADAC. The malevolence of the evening’s weather ensured that it did not prove to be the most tranquil of confinements. But with spirits undampened, our heroic amble braved a tempest of freezing rain and driving wind of a ferocity typically confined to the upper reaches of the highest Himalayan peaks. Striking out with the steadfast fortitude of Mallory and Irvine and laughing in the face of the worst the elements could throw at them, their efforts exemplified the aspine swagger of a youthful Alcibiades. Theirs was a noble demonstration of the steely pluck that has characterised mankind’s finest athletic endeavours across the ages; from the moment the virtuous son of Pheidippos cried, “Chairete, nikomen,” to the celebrated day in 2015 when Boris Johnson heroically flattened a 10-year-old Japanese child during a “friendly” game of street rugby.

The evening’s session was masterfully orchestrated by Derek, the group’s doyen and by far the most experienced and proficient walker present. He led a series of warm up exercises (vital to forestall the onset of the worst of hyperthermia’s ravages) followed by a number of drills designed to hone the finer points of technique. The group than moved on to a pyramid session in which efforts were made over distances of one hundred, two hundred, three hundred, four hundred, three hundred, two hundred and one hundred metres. A one hundred metre gentle recovery walk interspersed each period of effort. Participants completed each at a pace of their own choosing.

And so WADAC race walking was reborn. What is sure is that the acorn has been sown and is safely ensconced in the fertile ground of England’s ancient capital. And I for one, can’t wait to watch it grow.

I would have taken a photograph to immortalise the occasion but, alas, I neglected to take gloves and lost all feeling in my hands, sensation not being fully restored until the following Friday.

Thanks for that interesting assessment Nick!