Good evening Storm! It’s come around again – time for me to provide you all with some light bedtime reading and give a little update on Storm’s exploits over the past month or so!!

𝙍𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨
Races have been coming thick and fast lately and since the last update we have seen our runners take on events including the very well supported Harbour Half, the hillish and hellish (and wasn’t it with that weather) Looe 10 🧗🏻🏔️, a special Mother’s Day Bideford Half Marathon, today’s Weston Super-Mare Half and the world famous Grizzly 🐻!! Plus all the ParkRun’s of course. 💪🏻
You’ve all been tearing up and we’ve seen some fantastic results lately! 🏆🏅🏃🏻‍♂️🏃🏻‍♀️👏🏻

Elsewhere we have had so many of you out training for the big events that are imminent!! London is just around the corner along with a host of other big events including our home town festival of running, so we are buzzing as a club, ready to go and achieve great things! Well done to you all for the incredible dedication shown so far in training and good luck for the events you’re all preparing for! 💜⚡️🏃🏻‍♂️🏃🏻‍♀️🍀

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮
I want to again thank each and everyone of you that has given to the causes that Bee and Katie chose to get behind in the past 12 months. When Bee gave a run through at last month’s AGM of the money raised, items donated or support given I was blown away. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💜
March’s effort supporting Woodside Animal Welfare Trust is well underway and Bee has asked me to remind you that we have a few squares on the Easter squares draw remaining. Give her a shout if you’d like a square and you could win a nice Easter hamper. 🐣🍫

𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨/𝘽𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨
Thanks as always to our leaders and buddies without whom we simply wouldn’t be able to function. This month we are adding some new volunteers to the leaders crew, as well as the orange army of buddies, so please can I ask for all members patience and support as the guys & girls find their feet. 🙌🏻💜🧡

𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨/𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨
March has seen a big influx of new runners and I would like to welcome you all once again to Storm. It’s great to see some new faces taking the initial step on their running journey so well done if that is you. Welcome back to a few too – you know who you are 😀💜

𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥
Previously reported last week by Clare our Membership Secretary – Please hold off sending your renewal fee for the year if you are an existing member until Clare puts out the alert. New members can affiliate at any time. England Athletics have raised the fee to £19 this year. The membership term starts from 1st April so we are only talking a few more days to wait.
For info last year’s affiliated membership tallied up to a total of 200 bang on. 🙌🏻💜⚡️

𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨
Quick shout out from me to our club captains Charlene and Dave. These two are doing us proud so far this year and have taken on everything to such a high standard. Dave I want to give you credit for the amount of times you’ve been up and spoken to the troops or written posts on the network. We know you’re not at your most comfortable doing it but you are really smashing it mate keep it up!! Charlene credit it where it’s due for you too. With all you have on with your work placements, your young family and kicking off your new career, you still manage to somehow find time to captain our club! Despite both of you being at the faster end of the club you both find so much time for everyone and we’d all like to say a special thanks for bringing back the Storm Cuppa. The pair of you also inspire everyone and lead by example with your results on race days – constantly performing at a really high level. However, Charlene you need to celebrate those achievements more 😉🏆😀💜👏🏻🎉

𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 – 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙪𝙣
The Friday morning Montpellier crews would like to welcome you all the run on Good Friday. In the app these will be listed as a 4’s run and a 6’s run but for this day, like last year, we will collapse it so that everyone can come along. If we have leaders available we will put on multiple groups and base them on paces. If not we will have two groups of mixed abilities and separate on the day. Please sign up to one of the groups. 🐣💜⚡️🏃🏻‍♂️🏃🏻‍♀️

𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙍𝙪𝙣𝙨
For any of you early birds out there, I am intending on bringing back the sunrise runs very soon. These will be when the club is on a Mon/Weds rotation I’ll do on a Thursday am. If it’s a club Tues/Thurs rotation it’ll be the Monday. They will be very early mornings so only suitable for those that like to get their shift in prior to starting work!! They’ll also be mixed ability so all are invited. If you’ve never experienced running at sunrise then you are missing out. Come and give it a go.

I’ve nearly reached the end now people. Good for the two of you that got this far as I can see your eyes going 😴😂

We finally make the promised land of light evenings next week. Stay strong, we’ve got this, those lighter evening runs are just around the corner!! Let’s hope the warmer days swiftly follow 🙏🏻☀️

Last thing from me is a reminder not to forget we have our monthly 𝙍𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝 night on Wednesday at the Woodland Fort. Be great to see as many of you as possible and please do stay behind to celebrate our winner and listen to a few more updates on club business 🎉🏆🏃🏻‍♂️🏃🏻‍♀️💜
Keep smashing it team!!! 🙌🏻

Dave McCarthy
Storm Chair 👨🏻‍💼💜⚡️