Griffith Feral Tri 'ards - running and triathlon and stuff in Griffith NSW.

With a group like ours, there are always heaps of questions that runners ask. Here's an attempt at some answers.

Wobbly Bob Barker will tell you that the Feral part of the name came from a discussion about hunting with crossbows. The discussion took place in the back garden of a house that backed onto Scenic Hill. As it happened, a jogger ran past while the discussion raged, and was therefore included in the list of feral species to be hunted.

For many years, Feral was the title bestowed on those who went on the team bus to Sydney for the City to Surf. As times changed and incorporation was needed for insurance and all that uninteresting stuff, the title of Feral was included in the official name of the club.

The "tri 'ards" part of the name came from Jacqui Hallam. At the time of incorporation, Jacqui was preparing to represent Australia as a junior in the World Triathlon Championships and labelled herself as a "try hard". In feral style, this was shortened to "tri 'ards" so we could all empathise with her.

Tracker Johnson has done very delicate surgery on one of our chips and the result can be seen.

And it works like this:

The orange box has a battery inside which sends power to the mat. The mat has two loops. Loop number one sends out exploratory signals – "anybody out there?" You run across the mat (a bit early sometimes, hey!). When you cross the mat, the copper coil in your tag gets really excited by the signals and powers up the chip which cries out "It's me! It's me, and this is my number!" Loop number two in the mat says "Okay, calm down, I hear you" and then passes your number back into the orange box. The orange box sends that number and the current time onto the USB stick for later reading, and also sends it to the Sportscore program if the laptop is connected.

An example of a chip reading

aa000580015dad4e0100090926162856211f

Chip number 0580015dad4e crossed the mat on the 26th Sept 2009 at the time of 16:28 and 56 seconds.

Later on the same day

aa000580015dad4e01000909261707466221

the same runner crossed the line at 17:07 and 46 seconds.

This happens very quickly. With 80 runners we get about 1500 readings on the day. So that is averaging ten readings per person per pass of the mat. Only the first one is used by the software.

The signal carries up to about adult knee height, and also a little sideways of the mat, so standing beside it even if you are not on it can give a reading. To be safe, stay at least a metre away, otherwise you get a case of the "too many Wills".

Any chip above knee height won't get a reading, so no cartwheels, no child on shoulders, no pole vaulting, etc

There are no moving parts to your chip so it should last a long time. City to Surf chips are a lighter construction so look after them more carefully – we have had one crash already.

There are 500 million unique numbers put out by IPICO – you are one unique runner in that 500 million.

And isn't it fitting that Dom managed to get the tag number 0580015dad4e

The Joggers' Dinner is THE social event for the year. In true Feral style, it is not a Black Tie event.

The dinner is presentation night and is always held at Pioneer Park Museum on the Friday after the Melbourne Cup. The dinner marks the end of the jogging year and is a time for celebration and contemplation of the year that was. Trophies and certificates are awarded.

You bring along your family, food, drinks and plates and flatware. There is BBQ available to cook on.

Past winners of trophies are expected to return them on the night, fully engraved, so they can be passed on to the new winners. Many tall tales are told on the night and it is a chance for your loved ones to meet your jogging friends.

Ed is the organiser and is always ready to hand out flyers about the event in the weeks leading up to the date.

The new jogging year starts the following day and it is considered bad form to miss the run because of illness.

The aim of the handicap is to have all runners finishing together, which of course never happens as everyone varies week to week in ability and motivation, but we have been close at times. It is this "coming together" near the finish line which is such a motivator.

Resist the temptation to be intimidated by your handicap, it is simply a reflection of how well you are running. It is a reflection of the best time you have run recently.

Of course no one can run their best time every week, so everyone thinks they have a hard handicap, and they do. Everyone has a hard handicap every week - simply run your own race and don't be psyched out.

Priority in the Handicappers Integrated Sympathy Scale (HISS) goes to newcomers (always welcome and well catered for) and to regular runners producing honest times each week.

We do not have "bed-cam" or "doc-cam" to investigate each runner's injuries, illness, mood swings, holidays, family visits or lack of recent training, and we never believe verbal claims. If you are suffering from any of these temporary ailments then you can expect to finish 'back of the pack' until your fitness is up again. We all get our share of last placings.

A further factor in deciding handicaps is that with running a short course and long course together, we have to juggle the starts to avoid timing clashes.

If you run fast, your handicap increases. Advancing age or permanent and terminal injuries and illness have been known to reduce handicaps downward.

With a hundred names on the start list and only fifty weeks in a year and only five competitions, the odds of winning are not good so make sure you enjoy the running.

The correct thing to say to the person ticking your name off the list when you arrive and they tell you your handicap is "Thank you". Whingeing will see the handicap increase.

Wet weather! In Griffith? Are you having me on? Well okay, it has been known in the past to have rained on a Saturday, so we do have a plan … just in case. But we always run!!

If it rains while you are out on the hill, then just enjoy the mud running. But run carefully to avoid slipping and falling.

If it rains enough before the run to make the course dangerous then we have a wet weather alternative which is the Lake Wyangan bike track. If you don't find us at the tower, go to the cul de sac on Wyangan Avenue at the edge of town.

The run is out and back. Short course turnaround is Druitt Rd total 3.2km. Long course turnaround is Southlake Drive at Pelican Shores total 6.4km.

		Griffith Feral Tri 'ards Frequently Asked Questions
	With a group like ours, there are always heaps of questions that runners ask. Here's an attempt at some answers. Send me an email with your question. Club Questions Where did the name come from? How do these little chippy thingys work? What happens at the Joggers' Dinner? What are the handicaps for and why are they important? What happens if it rains? Do we still run? Where did the name come from? Wobbly Bob Barker will tell you that the Feral part of the name came from a discussion about hunting with crossbows. The discussion took place in the back garden of a house that backed onto Scenic Hill. As it happened, a jogger ran past while the discussion raged, and was therefore included in the list of feral species to be hunted. For many years, Feral was the title bestowed on those who went on the team bus to Sydney for the City to Surf. As times changed and incorporation was needed for insurance and all that uninteresting stuff, the title of Feral was included in the official name of the club. The "tri 'ards" part of the name came from Jacqui Hallam. At the time of incorporation, Jacqui was preparing to represent Australia as a junior in the World Triathlon Championships and labelled herself as a "try hard". In feral style, this was shortened to "tri 'ards" so we could all empathise with her. How do these little chippy thingys work? Tracker Johnson has done very delicate surgery on one of our chips and the result can be seen. And it works like this: The orange box has a battery inside which sends power to the mat. The mat has two loops. Loop number one sends out exploratory signals – "anybody out there?" You run across the mat (a bit early sometimes, hey!). When you cross the mat, the copper coil in your tag gets really excited by the signals and powers up the chip which cries out "It's me! It's me, and this is my number!" Loop number two in the mat says "Okay, calm down, I hear you" and then passes your number back into the orange box. The orange box sends that number and the current time onto the USB stick for later reading, and also sends it to the Sportscore program if the laptop is connected. An example of a chip reading aa000580015dad4e0100090926162856211f Chip number 0580015dad4e crossed the mat on the 26th Sept 2009 at the time of 16:28 and 56 seconds. Later on the same day aa000580015dad4e01000909261707466221 the same runner crossed the line at 17:07 and 46 seconds. This happens very quickly. With 80 runners we get about 1500 readings on the day. So that is averaging ten readings per person per pass of the mat. Only the first one is used by the software. The signal carries up to about adult knee height, and also a little sideways of the mat, so standing beside it even if you are not on it can give a reading. To be safe, stay at least a metre away, otherwise you get a case of the "too many Wills". Any chip above knee height won't get a reading, so no cartwheels, no child on shoulders, no pole vaulting, etc There are no moving parts to your chip so it should last a long time. City to Surf chips are a lighter construction so look after them more carefully – we have had one crash already. There are 500 million unique numbers put out by IPICO – you are one unique runner in that 500 million. And isn't it fitting that Dom managed to get the tag number 0580015dad4e What happens at the Joggers' Dinner? The Joggers' Dinner is THE social event for the year. In true Feral style, it is not a Black Tie event. The dinner is presentation night and is always held at Pioneer Park Museum on the Friday after the Melbourne Cup. The dinner marks the end of the jogging year and is a time for celebration and contemplation of the year that was. Trophies and certificates are awarded. You bring along your family, food, drinks and plates and flatware. There is BBQ available to cook on. Past winners of trophies are expected to return them on the night, fully engraved, so they can be passed on to the new winners. Many tall tales are told on the night and it is a chance for your loved ones to meet your jogging friends. Ed is the organiser and is always ready to hand out flyers about the event in the weeks leading up to the date. The new jogging year starts the following day and it is considered bad form to miss the run because of illness. Handicaps Guidelines for Handicapping # If you run faster, your handicap increases. # A higher handicap is a badge of honour, not a penalty. The aim of the handicap is to have all runners finishing together, which of course never happens as everyone varies week to week in ability and motivation, but we have been close at times. It is this "coming together" near the finish line which is such a motivator. Resist the temptation to be intimidated by your handicap, it is simply a reflection of how well you are running. It is a reflection of the best time you have run recently. Of course no one can run their best time every week, so everyone thinks they have a hard handicap, and they do. Everyone has a hard handicap every week - simply run your own race and don't be psyched out. Priority in the Handicappers Integrated Sympathy Scale (HISS) goes to newcomers (always welcome and well catered for) and to regular runners producing honest times each week. We do not have "bed-cam" or "doc-cam" to investigate each runner's injuries, illness, mood swings, holidays, family visits or lack of recent training, and we never believe verbal claims. If you are suffering from any of these temporary ailments then you can expect to finish 'back of the pack' until your fitness is up again. We all get our share of last placings. A further factor in deciding handicaps is that with running a short course and long course together, we have to juggle the starts to avoid timing clashes. If you run fast, your handicap increases. Advancing age or permanent and terminal injuries and illness have been known to reduce handicaps downward. With a hundred names on the start list and only fifty weeks in a year and only five competitions, the odds of winning are not good so make sure you enjoy the running. The correct thing to say to the person ticking your name off the list when you arrive and they tell you your handicap is "Thank you". Whingeing will see the handicap increase. What happens in wet weather? Do we still run? Wet weather! In Griffith? Are you having me on? Well okay, it has been known in the past to have rained on a Saturday, so we do have a plan … just in case. But we always run!! If it rains while you are out on the hill, then just enjoy the mud running. But run carefully to avoid slipping and falling. If it rains enough before the run to make the course dangerous then we have a wet weather alternative which is the Lake Wyangan bike track. If you don't find us at the tower, go to the cul de sac on Wyangan Avenue at the edge of town. The run is out and back. Short course turnaround is Druitt Rd total 3.2km. Long course turnaround is Southlake Drive at Pelican Shores total 6.4km. LOOK and GIVE WAY at all road crossings.
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