BRR Blog – 8 July 2024
‘Little George’ - a worthy Summer Handicap winner
Thursday 4 July was a momentous day in British history: we managed to re-run Summer Handicap 04 without any mishaps. A fabulous outcome for BRR and, indeed, the whole of the UK. I don’t think anything else of much importance happened that day…
Oh, yes, there was a general election too. If you were happy with the Labour victory, the England win in the Euros was the icing on the cake. If you were unhappy, at least you had some consolation. Let’s hope it doesn’t end up with disappointment all round.
Thank you to Louise for her advice that it is probably a fox that keeps burying eggs in my back garden. I still don’t understand where they get the money to buy them in the first place, but the mystery of the sticky stuff at Barking Park may have been solved...
Sticky Stuff
‘Orrible aphids on Linden tree leaves
It seems that Lime/Linden trees may have been to blame for the sticky stuff on people’s shoes at the Handicap race a few weeks ago. Linden flowers secrete a substance that attracts aphids. The aphids suck up sap from the tree and then excrete a liquid that’s rich in sugar, called honeydew, which coats the linden leaves. This is much loved by bees, but creates a sticky mess when it lands on the floor or on your car if it is parked beneath a Linden tree. Luckily, as most of you have found, it can be quite easily washed off, if you wet it thoroughly first.
Athletics in the News
It was the Diamond League in Paris at the weekend, one of the last chances for athletes to compete before the summer Olympics. There were very few Bris present, maybe because of concerns about getting injured so close to the Games. The outstanding performances for Team GB were Laura Muir who came third in the women’s 1500m, setting a new National Record and PB with a time of 3:53:79; Elizabeth Bird who came third in the women’s 300m Steeplechase with a Season’s Best of 9:09:07, and Laviai Neilson who came fifth in the women’s 400m with a new PB of 50:67.
Athletics on Film
Netflix has just launched a new series called ‘Sprint’ which aims to get up close and personal to some of the world’s top sprinters. But those of us who are getting on a bit might prefer a film called Younger: Looking Forward To Getting Older which was released in cinemas across the UK last Friday.
The short film focuses on W85 sprinter Dot Fraser, W70 sprinter Joylyn Saunders-Mullins, W75 race walker and runner Noel Blatchford and W70 pole vaulter Sue Yeomans.
These are the people who don’t want to grow old gracefully; rather than sitting at home in their slipped watching the TV, they are lacing up their trainers and hitting the athletics stadiums. Instead of seeing ageing as a disadvantage, they actually celebrate moving into the next age category. Some of the ladies have had strokes or cancer but they are not that stop them.
The documentary producers say: “For these women, masters athletics is more than a sport; it’s a source of community, personal achievement, and a testament to living a life full of adventure and joy. Through their stories, the film presents a powerful counter-narrative to the, often negative, stereotypes associated with ageing.”
The Guardian sums it up more simply “All the subjects here are spry, inspiringly energetic, and articulate about what athletics means to them, which makes them the perfect subjects for an uplifting watch.”
On the Right Track
A mock-up of the Felspar ‘smart’ track
UK sports technology company Feldspar is working on creating the ‘world’s first sensor-enabled running track’, Athletics Weekly reports.
The smart running surface will capture data from runners’ footsteps using sensors. In combination with cameras to help capture information on stride, speed and other metrics, Feldspar believe this kind of biomechanical analysis will help athletes reduce injuries and train more effectively, as well as providing additional insights for spectators.
The company, which is backed by Hong Kong investors, plans to start building and testing its first prototype of the high-performance running track later this year before entering into full production in 2025. Don’t expect to see the technology at the Jim Peters Stadium any time soon.
Race Review - Orion Forest Five
The Forest Five course
In advance of the Orion Forest Five ELVIS race on 3rd August, I thought it might be helpful to include some information for those of you who have never done the race before, or who haven’t done it for a while and have forgotten about the joys of the course.
The race starts on Chingford Plain, behind the car park (don’t forget to pay if you park here), but you’ll find Orion Harriers very swish clubhouse further down Bury Road for toilets and changing rooms/showers – no parking is available at the clubhouse.
The Forest Five: flat as a pancake!
We begin the race by heading off towards Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge, immediately encountering a number of potholes in the grass. After going through a narrow gap in some bushes face a slight incline before taking two right turns then heading back in the direction we came, picking up the gravel path that runs parallel to Bury Road. About opposite the clubhouse we swing right further into the forest, still on gravel paths. Around 2k there is a steady but gentle uphill section, followed by a short downward slope, then the steepest climb to the 4.5k mark. After that there is my favourite part of the course; a nice downhill section through the woods. However, you have to watch out for tree roots, fallen trees, and overhanging branches (something Nige fell foul of while running the race a few years back). We finish with some more gravel path before heading across a grassy plan, up the hill towards the hunting lodge and back the way we came to the finish line. If it has been raining you can expect the grassy parts of the course to be waterlogged and there are a few muddy hollows to negotiate that can fill with water, though nothing like Hadleigh! Definitely not suitable for spikes, I would say, due to the gravel paths. My preference is trail shoes but you may be able to get away road shoes if it has been dry.
It's worth going back to the clubhouse afterwards for post-race refreshments; fingers crossed there will be bread pudding!
Greg’s Race Report
Barking Road Runners rescheduled Summer Handicap 04 unfortunately clashed with the election but 18 runners still attended the race. In first place was George Hiller who beat his handicap by almost a minute. George was followed by James Sheridan, Ron Vialls, and Emma Paisley who also beat their handicaps and will face a tougher task for Race 5 on 18 July.
Runners and supporters at the Handicap race
Ron Vialls now tops the handicap standings with 378 points, closely followed by Emma Paisley on 377 points and Martin Mason on 375 points.
The three leaders in the Summer Handicap series: Ron, Emma, and Martin M
Alison Fryatt ran in the Orion Harriers Forest 5-mile race at Epping Forest. On a soggy, hilly, course Alison managed a respectable time of 54:57. Steve Philcox had a great run finishing in 4th place overall in a time of 31:59.
Alison at the Forest Five
Derv Bartlett ran in the Rhode 5k, finishing in a fantastic time of 18:43.
Derv completing his 5k
It was triathlon time for several BRR members with Jess Collett doing a sprint race at St Neots finishing in a time of 1:43:31. Ken Summerfield travelled a bit further to Jersey for his race finishing in 1:18:47. Even further still in Jankoping, Sweden, Trevor Cooper competed in a 70.3 event finishing in 5:44:51.
Ken at the Jersey Triathlon
Trevor C at the Jonkoping Ironman in Sweden
Jess at the St. Neots Sprint Triathlon. Is that Stuart standing behind the finish arch?
BRR parkrunners
Please make sure you are registered as ‘Barking Road Runners’ in your parkrun profile if you want to appear in the parkrun results round-up.
Barking – Mark New 23:53, Adrian Davison 24:25, Joshua Ezissi 24:57, James Sheridan 25:01, Doug King 26:07, Sian Mansley 26:34, Jason Li 27:92, John Whan 27:17, Steve Colloff 28:41, Isabel Pinedo Borobio 28:51, George Hiller 29:51, Andrew Hiller 30:06, Martin Mason , Emma Paisley 31:48, Louise Chappell 32:26, Dennis Spencer Perkins 35:22, Les Jay 38:02, Faye Spooner 41:48, Rob Courtier 49:44, Alan Murphy 50:05 and Micky Ball 50:35.
Micky Ball after his 200th parkrun, Barking Park
Chalkwell Beach - Ron Vialls 28:33.
Chelmsford Central - Gary Harford 28:56.
Folkestone - Nikki Cranmer 36:10.
Nikki at Folkestone parkrun
Penrose - Belinda Riches 25:13.
Sowerby - Kevin Wotton 28:48.
Valentines - Andrew Gwilliam 55:59.
BRR Diary – July (and a bit of August)
7.00pm, Tuesday 2 July – Speed Development Session. Jim Peter’s Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. This week Jess will be leading the session, called KIS - Keep It Simple!
10 x 2 minutes with 90 secs recovery.
Those who are racing the next day should run the efforts at HM pace and walk the recoveries. If you are not racing the Newman Hilly you can run the efforts at 5k pace and jog the recoveries.
7.30pm, Wednesday 10 July - Newman Hilly 5 (ELVIS 04). Hainault Forest, Foxburrow Road, off Romford Road, IG7 4QN. Organised by Ilford Athletics Club, a two-lap hilly course, one big lap followed by a slightly smaller lap around Hainault Forest. Enter at https://www.entrycentral.com/newmanhilly5
7.00pm, Thursday 11 July – Club Run. Jo Richardson School/Castle Green Centre, Gale Street, Dagenham. A road run of 5-6 miles.
7.00pm, Thursday 18 July – Summer Handicap 05. Barking Park. The competition is really hotting up now, but there is still time for the top three to change. Just £1 to enter, with the chance of winning a tenner. Even if you don’t fancy running, it has to be one of the most exciting Club events to watch.
7.30pm, Wednesday 31 July – Harold Wood 5k (ELVIS 5). Harold Wood Park, Harold View, Harold Wood, RM3 0LX The race is run on a one-lap multi-terrain course (some grass, some gravel paths, some tarmac) in and around Harold Wood Park and Pages Wood, Harold Wood. If the weather is dry, you should be OK with road shoes. Not suitable for spikes. There is a clubhouse where we enjoyed a drink and chat afterwards last year. Enter at https://events.kronosports.uk/event/323
10.00am, Saturday 3 August - Orion Forest Five (ELVIS 06/GP05). Race HQ, Orion Harriers clubhouse at Jubilee Retreat, Bury Road, Chingford. Double bubble points for this race, if you are competing in the Club’s ELVIS and Grand Prix competitions. C’mon, give parkrun a miss for a week and do a real race instead! Enter at https://www.entrycentral.com/Orion_Forest_Five_Race_3_ELVIS.
Cracker Corner: The Tennis Edition #2
What is a tennis player’s favourite drink? Deuce.
Where does a half-man, half-horse play tennis at Wimbledon? Centaur Court
The new tennis courts in Barking Park can’t be pre-booked. They work on a first-come, first-serve basis.
What condition is more painful than tennis elbow? Golf balls.
Boom! Boom!
Quote of the Week
“Ask yourself: can I give more? The answer is usually yes”
Paul Tergat
Former men’s marathon world record holder
And finally…
I always thought that the northerly end of Ilford Lane, beyond the entrance to Barking Park, runed into Fanshawe Avenue. However, looking at the sign on a new shop that has opened there, it seems that I was wrong all along. Fun shave, anyone…
Happy running!
Alison
Chair, Barking Road Runners
