BRR Blog – 11 November 2024
The BRR Stebbing Remembrance Day 10 team
Howdie, Road Runners!
I don’t know about you, but over the last week it suddenly feels like autumn going on winter. Being disciplined and turning the heating down/off is becoming more and more difficult. But at least it means it will feel like real cross country for the Chingford League and South Essex Cross Country League races we have coming up in the next month or so!
Anyone who missed track last week missed a real treat, with Zahra taking the session from start to finish as part of her school studies. She did a fantastic job, and didn’t seem at all fazed by the fireworks going off all around us.
This week in the blog we have the final reminder for the Members’ Cup poll, advice on hot and cold therapy, a warming soup recipe courtesy of Joe Wicks, Tuesday’s track session, and all the usual bits and pieces.
Meet the Coaches
We have a new page on the BRR website showing our BRR coaching team. Now we just need Jason to take some decent photos of us! Have a look here: https://www.barkingroadrunners.org.uk/meet-the-team-1
Members’ Cup Poll
Who will win the Members’ Cup trophy 2024? Make sure you have your say
Last chance to vote in this year’s Members’ Cup poll. The vote will close this Friday, 15 November. If you haven’t already, please take the time to vote for the person you think has made the biggest contribution over the past year. A reminder that you cannot vote for yourself (even if you think you made the biggest contribution!) or for Jess, as she was last year’s winner. To vote, use the link before or message/tell Jess directly. All the rules can be found on the link.
https://forms.gle/wrH9TyB8J7s4yu5K8
Hot, Hot, Hot or Ice, Ice, Baby?
Hot versus cold - which is better for injuries?
Picture the scenario: you have just finished a tough race and you know your muscles will ache the next day. Or maybe you have been for a run and twisted or pulled something. What should you apply to ease the pain – heat or ice?
It can be confusing sometimes, with both ice and heat sometimes recommended to runners to aid recovery from a workout, reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) or the pain from an acute or chronic (i.e. long-lasting or recurring) injury. So, which is best?
The answer is ‘it depends’. The application of hot or cold therapy to muscles and tissues alters blood flow, which in turn affects how the tissues feel and their metabolic activity. But, in general terms, ice is best for acute injuries and swelling, and heat can be helpful for easing chronic pain and reducing stiffness.
Cold Therapy – pros and cons
Cold Therapy (also called cryotherapy) is the application of cold to tissues after exercise or to alleviate pain. This might be through the application of an ice pack or a cold/ice bath or shower. Cold therapy can reduce inflammation, swelling and pain. By temporarily decreasing nerve activity, cold treatment can reduce the pain associated with an injury such as a pulled muscle, muscle sprain, muscle strain, tendonitis, or fracture, much like a local anaesthetic.
If using an ice pack, you must make sure to wrap it in a towel and only apply for 10-15 minutes at a time. And you should not stay in a cold bath or shower for too long; it would not be good to end up in hospital with frostbite or hypothermia after all! In particular, runners with circulation disorders are recommended see a health professional before jumping into an ice bath.
Cold therapy can also cause blood flow constriction resulting in tissue contraction due to and a decrease in tissue temperature. This can be counterproductive for stiff muscles and joints.
Heat Therapy – pros and cons
The application of heat is called hot therapy or thermotherapy. Heat therapy can be applied to muscles in tissues in a variety of ways, including moist, hot towels, dry heating pads, heat wraps or heat packs, infrared saunas, hot baths, hot tub immersion, and ultrasound.
Heat increases blood flow to tissues, which is thought to speed up healing by transporting more oxygen and nutrients to injured tissues and removing more waste products. It can reduce stiffness and increase the range of motion by warming up muscles and connective tissues, soothing pain.
Heat therapy is usually applied for 15-30 minutes, depending on the method of application, the temperature (for example, warm bath vs. hot spa), and the goal of the treatment.
But, because heat therapy increases blood flow, it can increase swelling. So heat should be applied to an injury where there is already swelling present. Runners with certain medical conditions – such as diabetes, vascular disease, heart disease, pregnancy - also need to be cautious about using heat therapy, especially full-body heat therapy (e.g. a sauna).
Is Heat or Ice Better for Sore Muscles and Recovery After Running?
There’s evidence to suggest that both ice and heat can potentially reduce the muscle aches associated with (DOMS), that ache in the legs you sometimes get a day or so after a really tough run.
One review found that both ice and heat therapy were effective at reducing the severity of muscle soreness following exercise, so long as the cold therapy or heat therapy was applied within one hour of finishing the workout. Heat therapy seems to be more effective if you are using it after this magic window; ice may actually delay recovery by limiting healthy inflammation, although use can help to numb pain, as mentioned previously. Perhaps this is why some people alternate between hot and cold therapy, to get the best of both worlds. But the guiding principle should be:
“use ice or cold therapy with acute injuries and when inflammation is present and to use heat therapy to increase circulation and reduce stiffness.”
Recipe of the Week - Black Bean and Lentil Soup
Black bean and lentil soup - yummy!
A hearty and warming vegetarian sup this week, courtesy of Joe Wicks. The joy of soup is you can swap out the ingredients depending on what you have in the cupboard, fridge, or freezer. But if you leave out the lentils or black beans in this recipe, you lose all the protein and you won’t have much of a soup! The soup is freezable, so you can make a big batch and save some for another time, if you like.
Ingredients (for 4)
1 tbsp oil
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
4 sticks of celery, finely chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and diced
80g curry paste, or to taste (tikka or masala paste is recommended)
250 dried green lentils
400ml water
400g tinned black beans
250g yoghurt, such as Greek, natural, soya
1 small bunch coriander, chopped
Method
Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the carrot, celery and onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until soft.
Add the curry paste, fry for a minute then stir in the lentils and water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cover with a lid.
Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are soft, adding an extra splash of water if needed, then stir in the black beans.
Transfer half of the soup to a liquidiser, add the yoghurt and blend until smooth. Pour back into the pan with the remaining soup and warm through gently, taking care not to boil.
Ladle into a warm soup bowl and garnish with the coriander.
Greg’s Race Report
With no club events this week a few members decided to run the Stebbing Remembrance 10-mile run. First finisher for BRR on the very undulating course was Mick Davidson in 1:45:02 followed by Alison Fryatt 1:46:33 and Les Jay 2:09:58.
A late change of plan for Martin Page paid dividends. He had planned to run Stebbing but instead entered the Regents Park 10k where he finished first in the veteran 65+ age category in a great time of 46:09.
Martin P with his Regent’s Park 10k medal
BRR parkrunners
Barking - Joe Stacey 19:14, Joshua Ezissi 23:06, Paul Ward 23:18, Rosie Fforde 24:20, Ricky Narwal 25:35, Mark New 26:01, Martin O’Toole 27:55, Sian Mansley 29:09, Andrew Hiller 29:10, Jason Li 29:16, Joyce Golder 29:31, Thomas Shorey 29:58, Doug King 30:08, Rob Courtier 30:34, Clodagh O’callaghan 31:22, Martin Mason 31:43, Nikki Cranmer 34:52, Les Jay 39:15, Micky Ball 48:19 and Alan Murphy 50:14.
Fulham Palace - Rory Burr 26:43 and Steve Colloff 32:31.
Steve and Rory at Fulham Palace parkrun
Gunpowder - Mark Odeku 21:27.
Mark O at Gunpowder parkrun
Storeys Field - Sunny Bulchandani 25:21.
Valentines - Kevin Wotton 23:27, Andrew Gwilliam 31:52, Louise Chappell 33:45 and Rachel Sharples 35:43.
Highest BRR age gradings this week were Rosie Fforde 61.64% for the women and Joe Stacey 68.98% for the men.
BRR Diary – November/December
To see the full diary of BRR events on the TeamUp app. Just download the TeamUp app onto your phone, then enter the calendar key: ks67p21gt8p5gzdo66 when asked. If you don’t want another app on your phone, you can also find it under the ‘events’ tab on the Barking Road Runners website: https://www.barkingroadrunners.org.uk/calendar.
7.00pm, Tuesday 12 November – Speed Session. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. This week Jess will be building on Zahra’s session from last week with an inverted pyramid:
4 min run, 2 min recovery
3 min run, 90 sec recovery
2 min run, 1 min recovery
90 sec run, 1 min recovery
1 min run, 1 min recovery
90 sec run, 1 min recovery
2 min run, 1 min recovery
3 min run, 90 sec recovery
4 min run, 2 min recovery
7.00pm, Thursday 14 November – Club road run. Jo Richardson School/Castle Green Centre, Gale Street, Dagenham. Usually around 4-5 miles. Faster runners can loop back to get a longer run in.
2.30pm, Saturday 23 November – Chingford League 03. Trent Park, Cockfosters Road, EN4 0PS (nearest tube: Cockfosters on the Picadilly Line). A tough 5-mile cross-country race but satisfying when you finish it!
7.00pm, Saturday 30 November – BRR presentation night. Prince of Wales Pub, Green Lane, Ilford. Either come along to collect your trophy if you were a winner this year or, if not, to cheer your clubmates who were! There will be a small buffet too.
10.00am, Sunday 8 December – One Tree Hill (SECCL 02). One Tree Hill Country Park, One Tree Hill, Stanford-le-Hope SS17 9NH. The second race in this year’s South Essex Cross Country League series. I say the same thing every year: there isn’t one tree, and there certainly isn’t one hill! As usual, it is £5 to enter but BRR subsidies the cost so our members pay just £3, either on the day or directly into the BRR account. If you don’t fancy running, we also need volunteers to help with the scoring.
7.30pm, Wednesday 11 December – Chingford League 04. Lee Valley Velopark, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Abercrombie Rd, London E20 3AB. Women start at 7.30pm, men at 8.00pm, but the race is great for spectators so please come along and support. Please remember your bib number, if you already have one.
10.30am, Sunday 15 December – Southend Rudolph Run. Starts adjacent to Ness Road on the Esplanade, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS3 9HG. A flat and fast seasonal 5 mile run along the Promenade, along an accurately measured course, very similar to the Southend 10k but starting at the Shoeburyness end. There are festive sweet treats on offer plus a mince pie and bespoke medal for all finishers. You can wear fancy dress if you like but it is not compulsory. Enter before Midnight on Tuesday 12 November using code JINGLE10 at checkout for 10% off at https://www.nice-work.org.uk/e/southend-rudolph-run-9240
Cracker Corner
I once had a boyfriend who hoarded magazines. He had lots of issues.
Where do fish keep their money? In riverbanks.
I’m recovering from a nasty injury I sustained while tap dancing: I slipped and fell off the draining board.
Quote of the Week
“To get lost is to learn the way”.
Swahili proverb, East Africa
(or “Kupotea njia ndio kujua njia”, if you prefer)
And Finally…
Some recent research showed the beneficial effects of consuming oat bran on skeletal muscle function and athletic performance. The study investigated the impact of consuming oat bran alongside a high-fat diet. The oat bran seemed to counteract the negative impact of the harmful high-fat diet, with improved endurance running treadmill distance and reduced inflammation and muscle dysfunction. The only drawback of the research? The subjects of the research were mice. Still worth giving it a go…
Happy running!
Alison
Chair, Barking Road Runners
