BRR Blog – 21 October 2024
The BRR crew at the Hadleigh SECCL race
Hey there, Road Runners!
Well, I’m glad Storm Ashley didn’t put paid to everyone’s running exploits at the weekend, particularly Rosie at the Yorkshire Marathon; it would have been heartbreaking to do all that training only for the race to be cancelled. I was also glad that the first race of the South Essex Cross Country League (SECCL) was able to go ahead, with a great BRR team - of runners and volunteers - present too. All the details in Greg’s race report, below.
Those of us at the Great South Run were disappointed that the race didn’t go ahead but we made the most of the weekend anyway. It highlighted the difficult decisions that organisers have to make in these circumstances: a lot of people said after the event that the race could have gone ahead but if it had and someone had been injured as a result, it could have put the future of the race in jeopardy. We live to run another day!
Windswept road runners at (not the) Great South Run
2024 Annual General Meeting
This year’s AGM will take place on Thursday (see the BRR Diary – below – for details). The following Committee members are standing for their roles, and no other nominations have been received:
Chair – Alison Fryatt
Vice-Chair – Rob Courtier
Treasurer – Dennis Spencer-Perkins
Club Secretary – Isabel Pinedo-Borobio
Membership Secretary – Belinda Riches
Welfare Officer – Dawn Curtis
Media Secretary – Greg Adams
Social Media Secretary – Nikki Cranmer
Lizzie-Beth Garraghan is standing as Club Captain (this is not a mandatory committee role, but the Captain has a standing invitation to Committee meetings).
There are two suggested rule changes, both to the Handicap Competition. Please come along to the meeting to be part of the discussion and vote on the proposed changes or raise any other Club issues.
Members’ Cup Poll
A reminder that the poll for this year’s Members’ Cup is now open. This is your chance to vote for the member who you think has made the biggest contribution to the Club over the past year. Jess won the coveted trophy in 2023, so you can’t vote for her (or yourself!). Vote using this link or message/tell Jess directly. All the rules can be found on the link.
Committee Meeting
With thanks to our Club Secretary, Isabel, you can find the minutes of the October Committee meeting here.
Club Standards - Safeguarding
Isabel and I attended an EA webinar for London clubs on Monday. The main item that was discussed was Club Standards. EA has produced the Club Standards in line with legal legislation and Sport England’s code of sports governance to help clubs understand what they should have in place for good governance and duty of care.
There are seven club standards:
1 – Constitution
2 – Committee
3 – Grievance and Disciplinary Policy
4 – General Data Protection Regulation
5 – Inclusion and Diversity
6 – Safeguarding Code of Conduct
7 – Health and Safety
From April 2025 Club Standard 6: Safeguarding will become a mandatory requirement for affiliation to EA. To meet the standard, we will need to confirm:
the club (including all members) has signed and agreed to implement the club safeguarding code of conduct;
the club has allocated a Lead Welfare Officer that is appropriately trained; and
the club has appropriately qualified and licensed coaches and leaders at the level relevant to our membership base and activities.
Over the coming months, we will decide how to ensure all members have signed up to the code of conduct, which can be found on the BRR website.
Advance Notice
To be aware that England Athletics registration fees will be increasing from next year. With effect from 1 April 2025, the athlete registration fee will be £20, while the club and member body affiliation fee will be £205.
Talking about the price increases, England Athletics Chair Gary Shaughnessy, said:
"The fees for athletes and clubs and member bodies will be reinvested back into our sport, with these areas of reinvestment informed by our ongoing discussions with clubs and individuals on what is most important to them. Most notable investment continues to be into the grass roots areas of club support, coach and official’s education and development and enhancing competition experiences."
Registered athletes get £2 discount on the price of EA-certified races, so it is well worth signing up if you do a lot of races each year (which most of us do!). The number of guaranteed London marathon places the Club gets each year is also based on how many registered athletes we have.
Greg’s Race Report
Round 1 of this year’s South Essex Cross Country league this weekend hosted by Benfleet RC at Hadleigh Country Park was well attended by Barking Road Runners as usual and the first outing of Ron’s Tea Stall.
The BRR runners included Steve Philcox, Paul Withyman, Tom Brennan, Adrian Davison, Mark New, John George, Tom Shorey, Ron Vialls, Jason Li, Steve Colloff Belinda Riches, Sian Mansley, Joyce Golder, Louise Chappell, Debra Jean-Baptiste, Veronica Barrikor, Clodagh O’Callaghan, Dawn Curtis and Zahra Akram. The runners were supported by a great team of volunteers.
Hadleigh volunteers
Rosie Fforde ran the Yorkshire Marathon and, despite the challenging conditions, managed to beat her marathon personal best by over seven minutes finishing in a time of 3:50:40.
Rosie after her fantastic marathon performance
Several BRR members travelled to Portsmouth for the Great South Run 10-mile race but, unfortunately, the organisers cancelled the event over safety concerns due to high winds forecast for the day. The members still managed to get in a 12k run in the wind and rain so the weekend wasn’t a total write-off.
Ken Summerfield took part in the London Aquathlon, which consisted of a 400m swim followed by a 5k run. Ken completed the challenge in 62:28.
Ken Summerfield with his London Aquathlon medal
BRR parkrunners
Andy Hiller after completing his 200th parkrun
Barking - Joseph Grange 15:27, Paul Grange 17:51, Joe Stacy 20:16, Owen Wainhouse 22:10, James Hall 24:05, Joshua Ezissi 24:46, James Sheridan 27:96, Barry Rowell 29:23, Andrew Hiller 29:57, Sian Mansley 30:06, George Hiller 30:12, Thomas Shorey 30:43, Joyce Golder 31:26, Clodagh O’Callaghan 33:03, Martin Mason 33:33, Faye Spooner 35:48, Nikki Cranmer 35:51, Les Jay 40:12 and Alan Murphy 55:29.
Battersea - Mark New 26:00.
Gunpowder - Paul Ward 24:16.
Harrow Lodge - Louise Chappell 32:52.
Old Deer Park - Rory Burr 24:57, Belinda Riches 34:56, Stephen Colloff 34:57 and Darren Graham 1:01:57.
The crew at Old Deer Park parkrun
Portsmouth Lakeside - Alison Fryatt 33:51.
Alison at Portsmouth Lakeside parkrun
Raphaels - Doug King 25:12
Valentines - Kevin Wotton 24:32 and Andrew Gwilliam 34:38
Highest BRR age gradings this week were Alison Fryatt 55.74% for the women and Joe Stacey 65.46% for the men. Second-claimer Joseph Grange had a terrific 89.93% at Barking for his 15.27, first finisher, run.
Joseph Grange at Barking parkrun
BRR Diary – October/November
7.00pm, Tuesday 22 October – Speed Session. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. We have a run-strength session at track this week: Oregon Circuits. Taking its name from the University of Oregon where the idea was first conceived, the session involves a measured balance of tempo running combined with targeted strength exercises. If done correctly, the running sections should actually feel like recovery; if the exercises feel restful compared to the running, you are doing the session wrong!
The session is intended to build strength-endurance and resilience. The exercises target key running muscle groups. The session also replicates fighting through that dead-leg feeling at the end of a race.
Warm-up
2 x 400m @10k pace,
60 seconds press-ups
1 x 400m @10k pace
60 seconds lunges
1 x 400m @10k pace
60 seconds squats
1 x 400m @10k pace
60 seconds single leg deadlift
1 x 400m @10k pace
60 seconds plank
1 x 400m @10k pace
60 seconds glute bridges
1 x 400m @10k pace
60 seconds mountain climbers
1 x 400m @10k pace
60 seconds bicycles
1 x 400m @10k pace
60 seconds burpees
1 x 400m @10k pace
Cool down
7.15pm, Thursday 24 October – BRR Annual General Meeting 2024. Jo Richardson School/Castle Green Centre, Gale Street, Dagenham. You chance to vote for committee members for the coming year, discuss issues affecting the Club and vote on any proposals.
7.00pm, Friday 25 October – ELVIS Presentation Night/BRR 40th Anniversary Party. Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club, Victoria Road, Dagenham. Details above.
9.30am, Sunday 26 October - Eastbrookend Country Park. Another tryout of our Chingford League course. Has Alan Murphy cut back the brambles enough for last year’s course to be used? There is only one way to find out!
6.00pm, Sunday 27 October – Leigh-on-Sea 10k. Car park behind Leigh-on-Sea Station. A spooktacular, after-dark, 10km multi-terrain run through Leigh-on-Sea has to offer, with the choice of a 5k race too. All finishers get a glass of Prosecco or a soft drink. Head or body torches are mandatory. Always good fun. Enter at https://www.entrycentral.com/Leigh10k
10.30am, Saturday 2 November – Eastbrookend 5 mile-ish (Chingford League 02). Discovery Centre, Eastbrookend Country Park, The Chase, RM7 OSS. Our very own Chingford League race, on gravelly paths and grass. A very pretty course and not too hilly. Trail shoes not spikes. The kids’ race starts at 10.30am and the adults’ race at 11.00am. We will need enough people for a men’s and women’s team and also marshals for the course.
Cracker Corner
I won an award for being Barking’s most secretive person. I can’t tell you what it means to me…
For a bit of fun, I swapped around the wrappers of all Chris’s chocolate bars. He wasn’t amused; he got his Snickers in a Twix.
Boom! Boom!
Quote of the Week
“In the midst of an ordinary training day, I try to remind myself that I am preparing for the extraordinary.”
Shalane Flanagan
And Finally…
Some people may have thought Rob, John W, Dennis and I were a little crazy to run part of the Great South Run route in Southsea on Sunday, while strong winds blew and waves crashed onto the promenade. But we weren’t as daft as one runner spotted during the recent storms in Florida, USA.
What not to do in a a hurricane…
While residents were being told by the Authorities to evacuate their homes as Category 3 Hurricane Milton slammed into the southern coast of Florida on Wednesday 9 October, one chap in Tampa decided it was the perfect time to go for a run. As a journalist reported live on the storm, a shirtless runner was spotted casually jogging through the hurricane’s fierce winds and torrential rain. He even flashed a smile and waved as he jogged past the TV camera. I know nobody likes to miss a training session but sometimes you can take sticking to your running schedule too far…
Happy running!
Alison
Chair, Barking Road Runners
