BRR Blog – 27 January 2025
Martin Mason celebrating his 100th parkrun
Hi there, Road Runners!
Why are BRR races like buses? You wait a fortnight and then two come along at once. Next weekend, we have the Chingford League on Saturday and the South Essex Cross Country League on Sunday. Are you up for doing the double? Racing two days in a row can be hard work, but it can also be good training for longer races, so why not give it a go.
In the meantime Martin Mason, who completed his 100th parkrun this weekend, at Barking Park, gets the honour of the headline photo.
Congratulations and Jubilations
Congratulations to Greg Adams, who is now qualified to England Athletics Coach in Running Fitness (CIRF) standard – well done Greg! This means we now have Greg, Jess and Alison with CIRF qualifications, Rob with the Leader in Running Finess qualification, and John Lang with personal trainer qualifications, to take our track sessions. In addition, Zahra is currently taking coaching qualifications. What a dream team!
Goodbye Old Friend
Micky Ball
I know a lot of you will want to give our Micky Ball a good send-off. In case you haven’t seen on WhatsApp, his funeral will take place at 2.30pm on Monday 10 February at:
South Essex Crematorium
Ockendon Rd
Corbets Tey
Upminster
RM14 2UY
There is no formal dress code. I hope there will be a lot of BRR orange hats on display, as a demonstration of the Club’s love for Micky. Thank you to the six BRR members who have agreed to be pallbearers.
The service is going to be humanistic approach: anyone can stand and share any thoughts and memories in a natural way. Please come prepared to celebrate Mick as we all knew him – an inspiration to us all, and jolly good company.
Following the service, we are all going to gather from 4.00pm at Dagenham Football Club, The Chigwell Construction Stadium Victoria Road, Dagenham RM10 7XL. A place where Micky loved to go.
Mick’s wife, Chris, has said that the only flowers are from family. Donations to the British Heart Foundation and RNLI are welcome.
Tempo Runs
Tempo runs are a type of speed training that help runners improve their endurance and speed by maintaining a challenging pace for a sustained period. They can be beneficial for all types of race training, but especially long-distance races.
The main aim of tempo running is to increase your lactate threshold (LT). Lactate (or lactic acid) is a chemical your body produces when your cells break down carbohydrates for energy. The oxygen in your blood reacts with the lactic acid in your muscles, allowing it to be flushed out of your system. The LT is the point at which the body can no longer remove lactate from the bloodstream as quickly as it's being produced during exercise.
If you train to increase your LT, you will be able to run at a higher speed for longer before your body stops being able to deliver oxygen to your muscles quickly enough to clear the lactate.
The terms ‘tempo run’ and ‘threshold run’ are often used interchangeably, and they are similar. A threshold run may be at a slightly higher pace than a tempo run but for a shorter time/distance.
How to perform tempo runs
A tempo run involves running at a ‘comfortably hard’ pace for 20 to 60 minutes without slowing down or taking breaks. The pace should feel tough but not so tough you can’t sustain it. Possible measures are:
A heart rate between about 80 to 90 percent of its maximum rate.
Around the same or slightly slower than your 10-Mile race pace
30-45 seconds slower than your 5K race pace
About seven or eight out of 10 RPE (rate of perceived exertion).
A pace you can sustain for the duration of your tempo run – one that feels ‘comfortably hard’ (not super easy, but not so hard that you can’t finish your run). You should be able to count from one to thirty at regular conversation pace.
Top Tempo Tips
If you are new to tempo runs, start small and build up – aim for 10 minutes to begin with then gradually increase this to 15 minutes, then to around 20 to 25 minutes as your endurance improves. Or break your tempo runs down into intervals, for example 4x 5 minutes at tempo pace with 90 seconds recovery.
Complete newbies to running shouldn’t attempt a tempo run until they’re at a point in their training where they can run comfortably for a sustained period – at least around 20 minutes.
Due to the challenging pace, you will be sustaining, you should always do a warm-up and cool down before and after a tempo run.
Vital Vitamins
Citrus fruit - a great source of vitamin C
We’ve been looking at the benefits of different vitamins and minerals for the last couple of weeks. This week it is the turn of Vitamin C.
Vitamin C has several important functions. These include:
helping to protect cells and keeping them healthy
supporting the immune system
maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, bones, and cartilage
helping with wound healing
Vitamin C cannot be stored in your body, so you need to make sure you get enough every day. However, whilst the Department of Health and Social Care recommends us taking Vitamin D supplements to ensure we get enough, it advises that we get the Vitamin C we need each day through our diet. You can get your daily dose from:
citrus fruit - oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit
peppers
kiwi fruit
broccoli
strawberries
blackcurrants
brussels sprouts (yummy!)
potatoes (chips don’t count, I’m afraid)
Regularly taking high-dose vitamin C supplements (more than 1,000mg per day) carries the risk of side effects like stomach ache, diarrhoea and flatulence, although your body will usually rid itself of excess amounts through urination. But why spend good money on supplements anyway when there is plenty of tasty fruit and veg where you can get all you need? Right, I’m off to pop some sprouts…
Three Degrees
Prince Charles’ favourites - the Three Degrees. Photo: Wiki Commons
After Nige described me, Lizzie-Beth, and Debra as the Three Degrees following our Thursday night run last week, there was a lot of discussion about the 1970s sequinned sensations and reminiscences about their songs. Coincidentally, I turned on the radio that evening only to hear one of their hits, and perhaps the most appropriate of all: the Runner.
Weekly tip:
Do you get nervous before a race? Just remember, you won’t be the only nervous person! Make sure you are properly prepared the night before – kit ready, running bag packed – remember you have trained for the event, then go out and enjoy yourself.
Greg’s Race Report
With no races at the weekend (that we knew of), it’s all about parkrun this week.
BRR parkrunners
Stanley the parkrun sausage dog at Barking Park
Barking - Joshua Ezissi 22:17, Jonathan Furlong 24:24, James Hall 24:51, John Mitchell 25:43, Faye Spooner 26:48, Jason Li 27:56, Isabel Pinedo Borobio 28:10, Sian Mansley 28:28, Barry Rowell 29:29, Rosie Fforde 30:53, Martin Mason 32:42, Clodagh O’Callaghan 33:06, Nabeel Akram 35:19, Nikki Cranmer 36:51, Joyce Golder 36:53, Les Jay 40:36 and Alan Murphy 52:45.
Chelmsford Central - Gary Harford 29:57.
Harrow Lodge - Rory Burr 27:22.
Hockley Woods - Ron Vialls 27:08.
Ron at Hockley Woods parkrun - checking out the SECCL course?
Ingrebourne Hill - Mark New 24:40 and Dennis Spencer Perkins 33:33.
Dennis at Ingrebourne Hill parkrun. I guess Mark is taking the photo.
Leybourne Lakes - Mark Odeku 25:09.
Pymmes - Belinda Riches 24:05 and Steve Colloff 28:13.
Belinda and Steve C at Pymmes parkrun
Rushmoor - Rob Courtier 31:54.
Storey’s Field - Sunny Bulchandani 23:59.
Valentines - Jess Collett 23:32, Kevin Wotton 23:59, Louise Chappell 32:20 and Rachel Sharples 36:32.
Highest BRR age gradings this week were Belinda Riches 72.32% for the women and Ron Vialls 66.65% 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.
25-31 January – Virtual Handicap 02. Remember to post your result (with evidence) on the handicap WhatsApp Group before Midnight Friday.
7.00pm, Tuesday 28 January – Speed Session. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. This week Jess will be our coach, for the Albufeira session:
2 x (4 mins run, 3 mins recovery)
2 x (3 mins run, 2 mins recovery)
2 x (2 mins run, 1 min recovery)
7.00pm, Thursday 30 January – Road Run. Castle Green Centre, Gale Street, Dagenham. Usually between 4-6 miles.
11.00am, Saturday 1 February – Victoria Park 5 (Chingford League 06). Victoria Park, Cadogan Terrace, Hackney, E9 5EG. Race HQ Race including loos and changing facilities at the VPHTHAC Clubhouse, just inside the park at the junction of Cadogan Terrace and Victoria Park Road. Closest station is Hackney Wick on the Mildmay Line. Free entry for BRR embers but remember your bib number - this is the last time you'll need it (new numbers are issued for the relay races in March).
10.00am, Sunday 2 February – Hockley Woods (SECCL 04). Hockley Woods Car Park, Main Road (B1013), Hockley, Essex. SS5 4RQ. Distance 7.90k/4.90 miles. As usual, discounted £3 entry for BRR members, payable on the day or directly into the BRR bank account.
The Hockley Woods SECCL course
8-14 February – Virtual Handicap 03.
22-28 February – Virtual Handicap 04.
10.30am, Sunday 23 February – Hadleigh Legacy 10k. Hadleigh Country Park, Chapel Lane, Hadleigh, Essex. In partnership with Essex County Council and organised by Nice Work on behalf of Castle Point Joggers, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. Bespoke medal for all finishers. Sign up at https://www.nice-work.org.uk/e/hadleigh-legacy-10k-9886
Cracker Corner
I went to the doctor yesterday and was told I had parachute disease. I knew I was coming down with something.
Sometimes I wrap my arms around my legs and pull my legs towards my chest – that’s the way I roll.
My friend has stopped talking to me because I wouldn’t believe her tarot readings. It has been on the cards for some time.
Quote of the Week
“We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
And Finally
Inaccessible - a speed suit. Photo: Wiki Commons
Fancy getting some new running gear that could help you run faster? No, it’s not the latest super shoes. It’s a speed suit, aka a one piece.
The purpose of a speed suit is to reduce air resistance, allowing athletes to move more efficiently through the air without their clothing holding them back. They are more often used for shorter track races or the long and triple jump (well, they help to keep the sand out of those sensitive places) but that may be set to change.
Ethiopia’s Dawit Wolde set a new course record of 2:06:06 at the Xiamen City Marathon in China at the beginning of the month wearing a speed suit. Running experts say it could be the fastest-ever marathon run in a one-piece.
I was planning on getting one for myself until I thought about the difficulties of getting out of a speed suit at a toilet stop. Perhaps I’d better not splash out after all…
Happy running
Alison
Chair, Barking Road Runners
