BRR Blog – 18 November 2024
Goedendag, Road Runners!
Cristina and Trevor at the El Gouna Half Marathon
I’m glad to be back from my short trip to Amsterdam (she lied). It was a pleasure to stay in a city with more cycles than people, although they took no prisoners on the roads. What was noticeable is that there were no MAMILS (Middle-Aged Men In Lycra) or fancy carbon bikes, but people of both genders, all ages, and shapes and sizes going about their day. And with so many people on bikes, there were fewer cars on the roads, so those that were driving could actually get around more quickly; win, win!
Anyway, we were pleased to fly the flag for Barking Road Runners in our orange hats. For some reason, the colour was very popular with the Dutch!
Back at home, thanks to everyone who voted in the Members’ Cup poll. The result will be revealed at the Presentation Night on 30 November - another good reason not to miss it!
November Committee Minutes
With thanks to our Club Secretary, the minutes of the November Committee meeting can be found here.
In the Buff
The BRR commemorative neckwear…
Those of you who came along to track last Tuesday, as well as being treated to an excellent session courtesy of Jess, also received your BRR commemorative 40th anniversary buff/neck gaiter/snood - whatever you like to call it, it is a very handy item that can be used in several ways (hat, headband, neckwarmer, hair tie, wrist band etc etc). Dennis is handing them out so, if you haven’t already got yours, make sure you catch up with him. Oh, and Fastrax, our suppliers, call it a FastWrap ‘multi-functional tube’!
It’s Good to be Positive (sometimes)
The conventional wisdom when running a race for any distance from 800 metres upwards is that you should try for a steady pace throughout or a negative split e.g. the second half of the race should be faster than the first. But now some experts in ‘computational fluid dynamics’ (i.e. wind resistance and its effects on pace) have suggested that, in very specific circumstances, positive splits may be the way to go.
Positive splits were found to be the best idea if you are being paced by someone who isn’t able to run the whole distance with you. For example, for a marathon world record attempt, the pacer might only last 18 or 22 miles (the official rules governing marathon races do not allow multiple pacers, which is why Eliud Kipchoge’s 1:59:40 marathon in 2019 isn’t recognised as an official World Record). For us mere mortals, we may have a friend willing to pace us part of the way in a race but unable to go the whole distance.
In both these situations, the benefit of having a pacer in front of you for as long as possible outweighs the negative of starting slightly too fast. The experts believe using this strategy can improve finish times by 2.4% to 2.6% over un-paced running.
Also, there’s an ideal formation for following just one pacer. You should position yourself four feet behind your pacer for optimal drafting.
Happy Place, Happy Place
Next time you lose your running mojo, try some positive psychology: think about a race that has gone really well in the past, maybe when you have achieved a Personal Best or got that elusive ‘runner’s high’. A Study published in Memory found that recalling a positive exercise experience was associated with increased motivation to exercise again. By the same token, thinking about that bout of runners trots, or when you stacked it probably isn’t a good idea…
Recipe of the Week - Chilli Butternut Squash Soup
Chilli Butternut Squash Soup
With the weather turning colder, it’s definitely time for warming soup. Like last week’s recipe, you can adapt this one: Don’t like chilli or garlic? Reduce the amount or leave it out. Do try and include the turmeric – as well as giving the soup a lovely golden colour, turmeric is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties. Recipe from Benenden Health.
Ingredients for four people
600g butternut squash, cubed
300g carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
600ml vegetable stock
2 small red chillies, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp turmeric powder
Juice of ½ lemon
Handful of fresh coriander
2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp olive oil
Method:
Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F.
Sauté the onions for 5 minutes in a large saucepan, then add the garlic, chilli, sage and turmeric. Continue cooking for 1 minute, then add the butternut squash and carrots.
Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
Take off the heat and allow to cool a little before blending.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the lemon juice.
While the soup is cooking, spread the chickpeas over a baking sheet. Add the chilli and garlic powder, season and drizzle with olive oil. Mix until the chickpeas are evenly coated.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Top the soup with fresh coriander and the roasted chickpeas and serve.
Serve piping hot with a hunk of crusty bread.
Greg’s Race Report
Quiet week for Barking Road Runners this week with only a few members taking on races. Cristina and Trevor Cooper travelled to Egypt to run in the El Gouna Half Marathon crossing the line together in a time of 2:18:28.
Sunny Bulchandani ran in the St Neots Riverside Runners Half Marathon finishing in a time of 2:02:40.
Faye Spooner ran in the Run Through Olympic Park 10k finishing the four-lap undulating course in a time of 52:48.
BRR Parkrunners
Amsterdamse Bos - Alison Fryatt 31:55.
Alison at Amsterdamse Bos parkrun
Barking - Ayoyinka Obisesan 19:17, Owen Wainhouse 21:57, Joshua Ezissi 23:37, Sian Mansley 27:21, Barry Rowell 28:21, Jason Li 28:47, Emma Paisley 31:04, Martin Mason 33:04, Nikki Cranmer 36:47, Les Jay 37:45 and Alan Murphy 56:46.
Basildon - Martin Page 22:42 and Ron Vialls 25:48.
Ron and Martin at Basildon parkrun
Hove Promenade - Stuart Mackay 19:29.
Thames Path Woolwich - Paul Ward 23:28.
Valentines - Kevin Wotton 23:41.
Wimpole Estate - Mark New 25:28, Belinda Riches 25:56, Rory Burr 26:21, Martin Brooks 28:14, Stephen Colloff 28:36, Robert Courtier 33:21 and Dennis Spencer Perkins 37:46.
Highest BRR age gradings this week were Belinda Riches 67.16% for the women and Martin Page 75.26% for the men.
Belinda, Martin B, Rob, Dennis, Mark N, Steve C, and Rory at Wimpole Estate parkrun
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 19 November – Speed Session. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. This week we have a pyramid with a twist; you do four of each rep, with equal recovery, all the way to the top of the pyramid and back.
4 x (30 secs fast, 30 secs recovery)
4 x (60 secs fast, 60 secs recovery)
4 x (90 secs fast, 90 secs recovery)
4 x (60 secs fast, 60 secs recovery)
4 x (30 secs fast, 30 secs recovery)
A fantastic turnout at last week’s track session
7.00pm, Thursday 21 November – Club road run. Jo Richardson School/Castle Green Centre, Gale Street, Dagenham. Usually around 4-5 miles. Faster runners can loop back for a longer run.
1.45pm, 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!
9.30am, Sunday 24 November – Trail run. Hainault Forest, Fox Burrow Road, Hainault. Meet in the car park near the Global Café (remember to pay – via the Ringo app - if you use the car park; the parking attendants are very zealous). Usually around 10k, at a gentle pace.
7.00pm, Saturday 30 November – BRR presentation night. Prince of Wales Pub, Green Lane, Ilford. Whether you have won a trophy or not, please come along for a great night out. There will be a small buffet too.
5, 6, 7 December - Barking Music and Drama presents A Christmas Cabaret. The Ripple Centre, Ripple Road, Barking, IG11 7FN. Featuring our very own Faye Spooner, Barking MAD events are always very entertaining, so what better way to start the festive period? Details as per the flyer.
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 at https://www.nice-work.org.uk/e/southend-rudolph-run-9240
9.30am, Sunday 22 December – Royal Parks Run. Meet at Matthew Parker Street, Westminster. Either meet at 8.00am by the Faircross shops or go straight to Westminster (nearest tube is St. James’s Park). It’s a Christmas tradition: the Club’s Xmas run through the Royal Parks, starting in St. James’s Park, then Green Park, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens, before wending our way back. We usually have lunch in the St. James’s Park cafe afterwards. A very gentle run of around 10k (more if you want to loop back). Nobody gets left behind.
10.30am, Saturday 28 December - Ilford AC 10-miler. The Plain, Chigwell Row, Lambourne Rd (opposite Millers Lane), IG7 6ET. Three laps of an undulating route comprising the tracks and grassland of Hainault Forest. The race is held as a tribute to Kevin Newell, an Ilford AC left with terrible head injuries after a fall from a ladder. A donation will be made to his charity. Entries are £7 or on the day for a tenner. There will be a cut-off time of 2 hours. Runners likely to exceed this time may still complete the course, but it may not be marshalled and you may not get an official finish time. Prizes to the first three men/women and veteran categories. Enter at
https://www.entrycentral.com/IlfordAC-10milesXC
10.00am, Sunday 29 December – Hadleigh (SECCL 03). Hadleigh Country Park, Chapel Lane, Hadleigh. The third race in this year’s South Essex Cross Country League series. This is the wet one, where we get to run through flooded ditches and waterlogged grass. You will definitely need trail shoes; make sure they are securely tied on. Entry fees as above.
Cracker Corner
When we were in Amsterdam I asked Chris to get me something with diamonds. He bought me a pack of playing cards.
My friend told me he couldn’t understand cloning. I replied ‘well, that makes two of us.’
Times are hard so I’ve taken a second job as a waitress. It helps to put food on the table.
Quote of the Week
“The marathon is a negotiation not to listen to the devil on your left shoulder but the cheerleader on your right.”
Deena Kastor
Bronze medalist, 2004 Olympic Marathon
And Finally…
Bad directions at the Hangzhou Marathon
You have to feel sorry for Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Ketema. He was leading the 2024 Hangzhou Marathon in China on 3 November and stood to win the $50,000 first prize plus a bonus for breaking the course record.
Unfortunately, a race volunteer directed him down the wrong path with just 1k of the race left to go. Both Ketema and Kenya’s Moses Kibet, who close behind, had to double-back to rejoin the correct route. Kibet was able to recover from the mishap more quickly and went on to win the race and earn the course record bonus. Ketema earned $24,000 for coming second; not bad but surely a disappointment if you’d hoped to get more than double that amount.
The Ethiopian protested but race officials refused to change the result, arguing that both runners had been equally affected, and that there were clear signs telling runners the right direction. The only problem? They were in Mandarin…
Happy running!
Alison
Chair, Barking Road Runners
