BRR Blog – 13 January 2025
Sunny in slightly warmer climes than we had in the UK at the weekend. Not jealous at all…
Hi there, Road Runners!
There were mixed feelings when Sunday’s South Essex Cross Country League (SECCL) race at the Wild Forest was cancelled. Like a few members, you may have been secretly pleased that the race was off, especially in the sub-zero temperature. I was a bit disappointed as I was looking forward to re-acquainting myself with the course; as we’ve only run it once before I can’t remember how horrific it is! We also had a very good team lined up.
However, it seems like it was definitely right for the race not to go ahead; many parts of the course had been under water earlier in the week and had ended up being frozen over creating a real risk of a serious accident. The race will now take place on the reserve date of 16 February, but remember we have the new race SECCL at Hockley Woods before then, on 2 February and, of course, the Chingford League race in … Chingford, this Saturday.
Grand Prix News/Memorial Race
Micky with his SITC 10k t-shirt and medal
Some of you may remember that, a few years ago, we had the Sikhs in the City (SITC) midsummer 10k as a Grand Prix race. SITC were very good to Micky Ball when the heat got a bit much for him, and ensured he was well looked after while the rest of us completed our race.
Harmander Singh from SITC has kindly offered to name this year’s 10k, on 29 June, for Micky. We have accepted his offer and decided to the race should be part of this year’s GP series. The added benefit is that we will get plenty of samosas too, though we will need to make sure we take steps to keep cool during the race. At the moment I can’t imagine feeling too hot ever again but I’m sure (or at least hope) that will change by the summer.
Virtual Winter Handicap
The first week of the seven-race, virtual winter handicap competition is here. As usual, for each handicap, you have a week to run your 5k on a course of your choice and then post evidence of your time on WhatsApp. Official parkrun results in the correct week are very welcome and will be accepted as 5k but otherwise the screenshot of your watch/Strava/Garmin Connect etc needs to show a continuously run 5k. No late entries. Any disputes, Dennis’ decision is final, but it is a bit of fun so please play nicely and follow the rules.
Here are the dates for all the virtual handicaps (you can also find them on TeamUp):
11 January to 17 January
25 January to 31 January
8 February to 14 February
22 February to 28 February
8 March to 14 March
22 March to 28 March
12 April to 18 April
Tracksmith Marathon Training runs
The Tracksmith ‘100 Days to London’ training runs start on Sunday 19 January. The runs start at the London Trackhouse, 25 Chiltern Street, London W1U 7PW. 9.00am meet for a 9.30am start. Bag drop available. There will be paced group from 4:20/km (7:00/mile) to 7:25/km (12:00/mile), and different distances options.
It is free to take part but new participants are asked to complete a run club waiver before arriving for the first time. More information can be found here: 100 Days to London Week One - 19th January | Tracksmith
Also suitable for training for other marathons, not just London. I might do some of the runs myself, even though I have no marathon plans at all!
Ain’t No Sunshine…
There is lots of conflicting advice about whether we need to take supplements or should simply rely on having a varied diet. However, the one supplement that the Department of Health and Social Care DHSC) recommends that we should all take in the winter months is vitamin D. Although you can get vitamin D from foods, the best source is the sunshine, which us poor, sun-starved, Brits are seeing precious little of at the moment (even on clear days, the sunshine is weak and short-lived). And it’s not just those of us who are pale and pasty that risk being short of vitamin D – if you have darker skin you may not be able to make enough of the vitamin from sunlight.
The DHSC recommends that adults and children over 4 take a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms during the autumn and winter months. Of course, it won’t hurt if you eat vitamin D-rich foods too if you like them. The best sources are:
Oily fish, including salmon, mackerel, and sardines;
Egg yolks;
Red meat, and liver (to be avoided if you happen to be pregnant); and, for the veggies
Fortified breakfast cereals, plant milks, and fat spreads.
As an aside, bananas don’t contain vitamin D, but they contain magnesium which helps your body to utilise it – another reason why bananas are a great snack.
Weekly tip: Keep Moist
Remember, you still lose fluids through sweat and respiration even in the winter. Make sure to hydrate before and after runs and take on fluids – preferably with electrolytes during runs of 90 minutes or more. No need to guzzle so much liquid that it sloshes around as you run, a few mouthfuls every 15 minutes or so is usually ok.
It’s Good to Draft
Have you noticed the little lights along the edge of the track these days at many televised athletics events? They are part of a pace-setting system using a series of LED lights called Wavelight, developed by Wavelight Technologies in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Wavelight has been allowed for use in competition by World Athletics since 2020, citing benefits to pacing and the spectator experience. In particular, Wavelight is intended to help elite athletes who are attempting to break specific records, by flashing around the track at record-breaking pace – if the athlete can keep ahead of the leading light, they will break the record. Unfortunately for Wavelight, research reported in the International Journal of Sports Physiological Performance suggests that it may not be that much help.
In the research, fifteen male middle- and long-distance runners of national and regional standard (i.e. fast!) ran three 5000m time trials. The three trials were (1) self-paced, (2) guided by a light signal like Wavelight, and (3) guided by a cyclist in front (i.e. drafting conditions).
The researchers found that there were no statistically significant differences found between the pacing-lights and self-paced conditions. Drafting was shown to be much more effective, especially in the last 500 metres. So, the answer? Tuck yourself behind other runners for as long as possible to get the benefit of drafting, then blast it out towards the end of a race. Mwah hah hah!
Greg’s Race Report
Unfortunately for Barking Road Runners, this week’s round 4 of the South Essex Cross Country League was cancelled the evening before due the course being frozen and unlikely to improve by the race start time the following day.
No such problem for BRR’s Sunny Bulchandani who travelled to Dubai for the Dubai 10k which he finished in a time of 51:23.
BRR parkrunners
Barking - Joshua Ezissi 22:28 (new PB), James Hall 25:54, John Mitchell 26:36, Barry Rowell 28:41, Faye Spooner 35:15, Les Jay 38:49, Alan Murphy 52:41 and Nikki Cranmer (tailwalker) 1:04:40.
Basildon - Ron Vialls 26:38.
Dartford - Belinda Riches 25:13, Rory Burr 26:00, Steve Colloff 31:48 and Louise Chappell 33:08.
Belinda, Steve C, Louise and Rory at Dartford parkrun
Lydiard - Rob Courtier 34:37.
Valentines - Kevin Wotton 24:25 and Andrew Gwilliam 50:05.
BRR highest gradings this week were Belinda Riches 69.07% for the women and Ron Vialls 67.9% for the men.
BRR Diary – January/February
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.
11 – 17 January – Virtual Handicap 01.
7.00pm, Tuesday 14 January – Speed Session. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. This week Rob will lead the timed mile session. Be prepared to do a good warm-up beforehand – no excuses! There will be some shorter reps after. Remember, even if you are preparing for a marathon or other long race, speed work is still an essential part of your training plan and shouldn’t be neglected.
7.00pm, Thursday 16 January – Road Run. Castle Green Centre, Gale Street, Dagenham. Usually between 4-6 miles. Nobody gets left behind.
11.00am, Saturday 18 January - Chingford League (CL05) Epping Forest. Meet at the Orion Clubhouse, Jubilee Retreat, Bury Road, Chingford, E4 7JQ. There is a walk of about 15 minutes from the clubhouse to the race start, so please leave enough time to get there. Parking at the City of London car park on Chingford Plain (charges apply) or free if you can find a space on the side streets. DON’T FORGET YOUR BIB NUMBER!
The start and finish of the Chingford League race. Bury Road is the white line down the right hand side.
The Chingford League course at Chingford. Yes, there are hills!
10.00am, Sunday 19 January – The Benfleet 15. Hadleigh Country Park, Chapel Lane, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2PP. Oh, what a shame – sold out (check if Colin Jones still has his place going spare if you want to run).
25-31 January – Virtual Handicap 02.
11.00am, Saturday 1 February - Chingford League (CL06) 5-mile road race, Victoria Park. Race HQ in the VPHTHAC Clubhouse, at the junction of Victoria Park Road, Wick Road, and Cadogan Terrace, Hackney, E9 5EG. Closest station is Hackney Wick on the Mildmay Line.
10.00am, Sunday 2 February - Hockley Woods XC (SECCL 04). Details TBC.
Cracker Corner
I had a frightening experience last night. I was alone in the house having a bath when suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I’m pleased to say I’ve recovered from my addiction to chocolate, marshmallows, and biscuits. I won’t lie; it’s been a rocky road.
What do you call a line of men waiting for a haircut? A barber-queue.
Quote of the Week
"One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this — to rise above the little things."
Anaïs Nin
writer
And Finally
I stumbled across a depressing article on the Verywell Health website the other day. The article said there is evidence that we don’t age consistently over the years. Instead, there are a couple of ages where the aging process suddenly speeds up. The ages are 44 and 60.
Previous studies have shown that how healthy you are during middle age, particularly 40 to 65, plays a major role in how healthy you are later in life. Factors such as having a healthy body weight, being physically - and socially - active, eating a high-quality diet, and not smoking were linked with improved health during old age. So, although aging is inevitable, having a healthy lifestyle when you are younger can help extend your healthy lifespan and improve your well-being as you age.
That said, if you suddenly see me walking with a Zimmer frame around the middle of March, you will know why…
Happy running
Alison
Chair, Barking Road Runners
