BRR Blog – 13 May 2024
The boys on tour: Jagbir and Jason in Luxembourg
Howdie, Road Runners!
Yes, it’s that time of year: when we go from complaining about how cold and wet it is, to complaining that it is too hot to be running! Of course, the good old UK weather means that a few nice days are always followed by torrential rain, so we haven’t got long to suffer it. In the meantime, it’s the perfect time to be joining Club runs in the evening, when the worst heat of the day has dissipated.
Notwithstanding the heat, there was quite a bit of racing action over the weekend, all captured by Greg in his race report, below.
May Committee Minutes
The minutes for May’s Committee meeting can be found here: May Minutes . You’ll see that the Chingford League AGM is taking place on Monday 13 May. Hopefully we will be able to bring you dates for the 2024/25 season in next week’s blog.
Poll Result – new track photo for website
Thank you to everyone who helped me choose the new photo of the track to include on the BRR website. And the result was…an overwhelming vote for ‘the rear view’!
The winning photo which will appear on the BRR website
Don’t miss ELVIS!
Entries for the first race in this year’s East London fiVes Interclub Series (ELVIS), the Dagenham ’88 Runners Five Mile on 22 May, close on 20 May. This race at Eastbrookend Country Park is off-road, but probably the most gentle cross-country you could ever find! We have 11 people signed up so far, but it would be great to get a few more. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you are; everyone is welcome to be part of the BRR team. Entry details in the BRR Diary.
Wild is the Wind
The temperature might be hotting up, but it seems to have been windier than usual lately. Running in the wind can feel like a really hard effort. And that’s because it is a hard effort: if you are running into a headwind, air resistance means you have to use more energy to move forward, forcing you to work harder to reach the finish line.
How much impact does the wind have on your running?
There were some studies in the ‘70s and ‘80s that looked at how wind conditions can long distance runners.
In a study by London researcher L G Pugh, published in 197I, looked at the impact of headwinds. A treadmill was mounted inside a wind tunnel to measure a runner’s oxygen consumption during various running speeds and wind conditions. Pugh found that “oxygen consumption, and therefore energy cost, increases with the square of airflow over the body.”
In other words, running against the wind makes it harder to run running harder, and stronger wind is exponentially harder to run against (the difficulty increases quickly and by large amounts).
Headwinds vs. Tailwinds
A later study by CTM Davies, published in 1980, built upon Pugh’s treadmill experiments to look at the impact of both headwinds and tailwinds. Davies found that running into the wind increases oxygen consumption, which inevitably decreases running performance. To balance this, he found that running with a tailwind can drastically improve your performance (If you’ve ever done it, you’ll have figured that out too!). But, alas, not by enough to reverse the impact of the headwind.
A headwind approximately the same speed as your running pace is estimated to slow you down by around 12 seconds per mile, whereas a tailwind is estimated to increase your speed by approximately 6 seconds per mile. If you’ve ever run at track in a strong wind, you can probably couch for this!
But, as Pugh discovered, the stronger the headwind, the greater the impact on your pace:
· 5mph winds – add 0-15 seconds per mile
· 10mph winds – add 20-30 seconds per mile
· 15mph winds – add 30-45 seconds per mile
· 20mph winds – add 50-60+ seconds per mile
Tips for running in the wind
1. Adjust your running clothing for windy days – baggy clothes increase wind resistance, so you should wear tighter running gear to present a more streamlined profile and reduce drag. Tucking tops into bottoms will stop them flapping around. Longer, tighter, shorts or trousers will also help.
2. Draft behind another runner - cyclists know the benefit of being in a pack in windy conditions. Likewise, running with others can help reduce the impact of headwinds and crosswinds, conserving energy and providing shelter too. But it won’t make you popular if you spend all your time slipstreaming other runners, so make sure you take your turn at running upfront. The Davies study found that running about a metre behind another runner
Davies found that trailing another runner by about a meter can create an 80% decrease in wind resistance. Even running a mile behind another runner is four seconds easier than running it alone (obviously, it’s more difficult to take your turn at the front if you are that far back!).
3. Run against the wind on the way out, and with the wind on the way back – of course, this isn’t within your gift if you are in a race, but it could help on training runs. Running into the wind on the first half of your run will mean you work harder, but it means you will be expending less effort on the way back, when you are already tired. Running with the wind behind you can also make you feel less cold when you are already sweaty i.e. it reduces the impact of wind chill.
4. It’s about effort, not pace – if you try and maintain your pace throughout a run, even if part of it is into a strong headwind, you will have to push yourself harder. Instead, try focusing on maintaining your rate of perceived effort instead. This will protect you from exhausting yourself before you get to the end of your run.
5. Use the wind as a training opportunity – alternatively, you can use as part of a training session. The greater effort needed to maintain your target pace can give you a more intense workout per minute spent exercising, helping you to get more out of your run. You will burn more calories and increase your fitness as if you were running faster, but without the increased impact on your legs and increased risk of injury.
6. Maintain proper form - running into the wind can have a negative effect on your running form, for example causing you to hunch up. Focusing on good running form can help:
· Breathe slowly and deeply, primarily through your nose;
· Regularly roll your shoulders down and back, standing tall, and releasing built-up tension;
· Ensure your jaw and hands are unclenched; and
· Keep a smooth and relaxed stride.
7. Stay Positive – acknowledge that running into the wind will be harder and impact on your pace. Remember that, if you are in a race, others will be facing the same impact. Keep strong, adjust your goals if necessary, and enjoy the ride!
8. Safety first – if it is really blowing a gale, it may be better to postpone your run to another day. There is no point in risking being hit by a branch or roof tile, or even being blown over yourself by a particularly strong gust.
A Major Challenge
With 840,318 people entering the ballot for next year’s London marathon, you may want to throw your hat in the ring for one of the other Abbot World major marathons instead. Or you may just want to complete the set of all six majors. But which is easiest and which is hardest? Runner’s World has crunched the numbers and come up with the following ranking, from easiest to hardest:
1. Berlin – Often described as ‘pancake flat’, it actually has 241 feet ascent and 260 feet descent, so the slight downhill might help runners achieve fast times. The end-September date means the weather also tends to be good.
2. Chicago – with 243 feet ascent and 242 feet descent, Chicago is just edged out of easiest position by being in October, resulting in less predictable weather.
3. Tokyo – with a lot more descent than ascent and an average temperature of 8 degrees, this should be a perfect marathon, but competitors comment on a lack of crowd support which really takes a toll on performance.
4. London – good crowd support and a ‘carnival atmosphere’ are in London’s favour, but limited road space and unpredictable weather means it can be quite tough.
5. Boston – the World’s oldest annual marathon (since 1897) also has the fastest average finish times, but that’s probably because there are tough qualifying times. Four hills also add to the challenge.
6. New York – the course takes in five bridges as it wends its way through the New York boroughs, meaning lots of climb. The weather can also be unpredictable, although this is made up for by fantastic crowd support, especially if you have your name on your top.
Greg’s Race Report
Two Barking Road Runners travelled to Luxembourg at the weekend to attend the Night Marathon Festival and run the Half Marathon. Jagbir Bassi finished in 1:38:49 and Jason Li in 2:28:15.
Ron Vialls competed in the Colchester 10k finishing 5th in his age category in a time of 59:39.
A very serious Ron at the Colchester 10k
Derv Bartlett ran his first 5k in almost a year at the Ferbane AC event finishing 7th in his age category in a time of 18:52.
Derv at the Ferbane AC 5k
BRR parkrunners
Barking - Mark Odeku 23:50, Rosie Fforde 24:20, Adrian Davison 24:24, Tom Shorey 25:00, Sian Mansley 26:25, Isabel Pinedo Borobio 27:15, John Lang 27:28, Ricky Narwal 27:37, Trevor Cooper 27:45, Martin Brooks 27:49, Charlotte Owen 27:50, Martin Mason 30:04, Cristina Cooper 32:15, Veronica Barikor 33:19, Les Jay 37:32, Melissa Lowndes 38:49, Nikki Cranmer 38:51, Alan Murphy 55:46 and Andrew Hiller (tailwalker) 1:00:14.
Gunpowder - Paul Ward 25:33.
Hadleigh - Antony Leckerman 25:04.
Harrow Lodge - Doug King 27:12, Stephen Colloff29:39 and Dennis Spencer Perkins 32:40
The boys at Harrow Lodge
Kingsway - Rob Courtier 29:17, Vicky Henderson (parkwalker) 58:26.
Vicky, Rob and Oscar at Kingsway
Peckham Rye - Mark New 23:27
Roding Valley - Paul Withyman 19:59.
Valentines - Andrew Gwilliam 35:02.
BRR Diary – May
7.00pm, Tuesday 14 May - Speed development. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. This week Jess will be leading the session, and it’s Snakes and Ladders:
1 min run, 1 min recovery, then 3 times:
· 3 min run, 2 min recovery
· 2 min run, 90 secs recovery
· 1 min run, 90 secs recovery
7.00pm, Thursday 16 May – Summer 5k Handicap 02. Barking Park, Longbridge Road. Barking Park, Longbridge Road. Second race in this year’s competition! £1 entry (or still worth paying £5 in advance if you can do all the remaining 6 races in the competition), with a tenner prize to the first person across the finish line. Also, trophies for first second and third place in the series, based on the best five results across the seven races. NOTE: there will be no road run from Castle Green.
10.00am, Sunday 19 May – Great Baddow 10 (GP03). The Recreation Ground, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 9RL. There is still time to enter our third grand prix race of the year at: https://baddowraces.co.uk/
A previous Great Baddow race - spot the BRR member
7.30pm, Wednesday 22 May – Dagenham 88 5ish (EL01). The Discovery Centre, Eastbrookend Country Park, The Chase, Dagenham (Note: parking is in the May and Baker car park, not at the Discovery Centre). The first race in this year’s ELVIS series. Slightly cross-country so trails may be best, especially if it has been wet. Sign up here: https://events.kronosports.uk/event/310. Entries close on 20 May.
10.00am, Sunday 26 May 2024 – Thameside 10k / 5k and a 1k Tinies Toddle. The Essex Wildlife Trust Thameside Nature Discovery Centre, Mucking Wharf Road,
Mucking, Stanford-Le-Hope, SS17 0RN. With fantastic views of the lake and the Thames Estuary, this is one for those of you who like fantastic scenery. Enter at: https://www.entrycentral.com/Thameside10512024Races
11.00am, Monday 27 May - Hatfield Broad Oak 10k. Village Green, High Street, Hatfield Broad Oak. This is not a Club competition race, but it’s a nice way to spend a Bank Holiday Monday. There is a kids’ race too, and village fair, which is quite fun. More info and entries at https://broadoak10k.co.uk/
7.00pm, Thursday 30 May – Summer 5k Handicap 03. Barking Park, Longbridge Road. As above!
Cracker Corner
Don’t tell Chris but I’ve got a date with a man who identifies as a wheelie bin. I can’t remember if we’re going out on Thursday or Friday.
I had a great childhood. My Dad used to put me in tyres and roll me down a hill. Those were the Good Years…
I had a terrible week. Someone stole my design for a two-dimensional holdall. I was going to sue them but my lawyer told me my case wouldn’t stand up in court.
Boom! Boom!
Quote of the week
“Design and passion, more than talent, are the essential ingredients for achieving high levels of excellence. Performance in sport is directly related to the amount of time and effort one is willing to expend in realising the objectives.”
H. Cheng
Chinese philosopher and runner
And finally…
I don’t want to alarm anyone, but an asteroid heading our way in 2029 (13 April 2029, to be precise). The asteroid is catchily named 99942 Apophis. Luckily, a new study has concluded that the 370-metre Apophis will just skim past the Earth – if 20,000 miles away can be called ‘skimming’ – without hitting us. That’s assuming it doesn’t hit any space debris etc that knocks it off course and into our direction. Personally, I will be keeping my fingers crossed that Doctor Who will be around to sort out any problems that may arise. But perhaps you should enter that bucket list race sooner than you had previously intended…
