BRR Blog – 12 May 2025
Winner of Handicap #01 - ‘Little’ George Hiller
Aloha Road Runners!
Nothing says ‘summer’ like the summer handicap competition. Although the weather wasn’t particularly summery last Thursday evening, it was a fabulous start to the season. A big “thank you” to Greg who sorted out the handicaps and oversaw the race, despite only flying back from his holiday in Australia hours before.
The second race is on Thursday evening, so do come along and take part – for just £1 you have a chance of winning the tenner, but also a chance of a trophy if you finish in the top three for the overall competition. It could be you!
Run like the…GOAT
The GOAT - Eliud Kipchoge. Pho courtesy of WikiCommons
Those of us who volunteered on the Mile 15 London Marathon water station had the pleasure of seeing Eliud Kipchoge, otherwise known as the GOAT – the Greatest of all Time – in terms of marathon running.
The 40-year-old may have been disappointed by his sixth place overall, but the rest of us would have been very pleased with his time of 2:05:25. He certainly knows a thing or two about distance running.
Here are his five tips for mastering the long-run, the backbone of any endurance runner’s training programme.
1. Have a well-balanced training plan
Kipchoge’s two Olympic marathon gold medals and 11 major marathon wins were not built on running alone. He takes a holistic approach toward training, incorporating strength training and proper recovery as well as endurance, speed, and tempo work. This balance – especially building in sufficient recovery time - is essential to stay strong and healthy.
2. Commit to the long runs
The long run is the cornerstone of any endurance training programme. Kipchoge schedules one long run every week in the lead-up to a race. “Over the last three months of training before a marathon, we do one long run per week, with my last long run being two weeks before a race.” The secret is to build up the distance gradually, and remember that a long run is not supposed to be fast.
3. Train your mind like your body
Kipchoge sees marathon running as a mental as well as a physical battle. He sees even the toughest runs as a learning experience: “Embrace the setbacks as lessons. It’s OK for a training session not to go as well as you hoped,” Kipchoge says. “You will be surprised at how helpful even a bad session is. Your body hit a challenge and had to work with your mind to battle through it.”
4. Focus on progress, not just pace
Kipchoge doesn’t get obsessed with pace but instead focuses on effort, starting his races conservatively and reserving some energy for the final push. He encourages runners to listen to their bodies and run with control and intention. “For me, a successful long run is about feeling power in my legs, being able to push hard with my teammates while focusing on the rhythm of my breathing. It’s about putting in good miles to build strength.”
5. Stay disciplined
Consistency is the key to Kipchoge’s success: “There are no shortcuts in life. Do the work wholeheartedly. Only then can you succeed,” he says. “Show up, do the work, and trust the process. The gains happen over time, and discipline is the foundation of progress.”
Ain’t Nothing Gonna Break My Stride(s)
We’ll often do strides as part of our warm-up at track, and it’s not just to fill a gap before we start the main session.
Done properly, strides can improve speed, neuromuscular coordination (your nervous and muscular systems working together for smooth and precise movement), and running economy (how much oxygen you need to run a given pace – the less oxygen used, the more economical your running is).
A stride is a short burst of controlled acceleration where you gradually build up to approximately 85-95% of your maximum speed, maintain that pace briefly, and then gradually decelerate. There isn’t a single set stride length distance for how long or how far you should run strides, but most strides are between 50m and 100m.
Strides don’t have to be run on a track, but the flat surface means you can stride out (pardon the pun) without worrying about your footing. And that’s important, as you should see strides as an opportunity to focus on your running form.
You might also want to try strides before a race to “wake up” your neuromuscular system and fast-twitch muscles so that you are ready to hit the ground running when the gun goes off. You can also add strides to the end of an easy run, as a bit of a leg sharpener when you are not too tired.
Tip of the Week
The one legged, or pistol, squat
The one-legged squat and other balance exercises can do more than improve your core stability – a study in ‘Scientific Reports’ suggests that they can also improve your brain power. Participants in the study were found to have improved short-term memory after 12 weeks of balance training. Build some balancing into your everyday activities, like standing on one leg while cleaning your teeth (a minute each side) or waiting for the kettle to boil. Perhaps if I keep practicing, I’ll be able to remember names better.
Greg’s Race Report
Derv at the Ashling Murphy 4-miler
It was a quiet weekend for Barking Road Runners. The only race was Derv Bartlett at the Ashling Murphy 4 miler. Derv finished in an excellent time of 25:19.
Zahra went one better than her two second positions the previous weekend, by coming first in the modern solo category at a dance competition.
Zahra with her latest award.
Earlier in the week, Louise successfully took part in the Galleywood Gallop, a five-mile self navigation race.
Louise and her complicated navigation instruction!
BRR parkrunners
Barking - Ayoyinka Obisesan 18:48 (PB), Joshua Ezissi 21:23, Adrian Davidson 24:13, Rosie Fforde 24:59, Doug King 26:40, Barry Rowell 27:02 (PB), George Hiller 27:04 (PB), John Whan 27:56, Andrew Hiller 30:04, John Mitchell 31:08, John Lang 31:41, Faye Spooner 31:55, Jason Li 33:11, Nikki Cranmer 37:51, Les Jay 39:09 and Alan Murphy 53:55.
Harrow Lodge - Rory Burr 24:55, Stuart Burr 27:01, Steve Colloff 30:36, Belinda Riches 30:37, Darren Graham 49:31, James Sheridan 49:32, and Rachel Sharples 68:19 (tailwalker).
Rachel, Stuart, James S, Belinda, Rory, Steve C, Denise and Darren at Harrow Lodge.
Ingrebourne Hill - Mark New 26:20.
Markeaton - Emma Paisley 31:50.
Pegwell Bay - Rob Courtier 29:47.
Pymmes - Dennis Spencer-Perkins 31:31.
Dennis at Pymmes parkrun
Storeys Field - Sunny Bulchandani 23:23.
Valentines - Andrew Gwilliam 31:56
Victoria Dock - Dawn Curtis 42:27.
Dawn at Victoria Dock
Highest BRR age gradings this week were Rosie Fforde 60.04% for the women and Ayoyinka Obisesan 68.97% for the men.
Barking parkrun Cancellations
In case you’ve missed the news, Barking parkrun is cancelled on 31 May, 7 June and 14 June. The High Lights Festival is taking place in the park over 6, 7, and 8 June, but much of the park will be out of bounds the weeks before and after while the event is set up and taken down. It’s possible everything will be cleared up by the 14th, but the organisers couldn’t tell us for sure so we decided it was best to be on the safe side and cancel rather than risk runners and volunteers having a wasted journey. Steve Colloff will be debuting as Run Director at Barking on 24 May, so why not come along and support him and say ‘farewell’ - just for a short while - to Barking parkrun?
BRR Diary – May
To see the full diary of BRR events on the TeamUp app. Simply download the TeamUp app to your phone, then enter the calendar key: ks67p21gt8p5gzdo66 when prompted. 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 13 May – Speed Session. Jess is taking the session this week, and it’s called ‘4,3,2,1.’
4 mins run with 2 mins rest
3 mins run with 2 mins rest
2 mins run with 1 min rest
1 min all out - RPE (rate of perceived effort) 10
5 min full recovery
4 mins run with 2 mins rest
3 mins run with 2 mins rest
2 mins run with 1 min rest
1 min all out - RPE (rate of perceived effort) 10
The intervals are to be run faster than your 5k pace - ideally close to V02 Max - RPE 9, recoveries can be complete rest or walk. I’m tired just thinking about it…
7.00pm, Thursday 15 May – Handicap 02. Barking Park. Remember the clock starts ticking at 7.00pm, so we need to know if you are participating before then. NO CLUB RUN FROM JO RICHARDSON/CASTLE GREEN.
10.00am, Sunday 18 May – Great Baddow 10 (miles). GP03. Great Baddow Recreation Ground, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, CM2 9RL. Places are still available, so do sign up if you want to earn points towards the Club Grand Prix competition, and also towards a Club London Marathon place. More info and sign-up at https://baddowraces.co.uk/
7.30pm, Wednesday 21 May - Dagenham 88 5 (miles). ELVIS 01. Eastbrookend Country Park, off Dagenham Road, Dagenham RM7 0SS. First race in the 2025 ELVIS competition. Don’t forget, we have our own, internal, ELVIS competition with trophies to be won, and Marathon points to be earned. There is a new, three-lap course this year. Race HQ is the Eastbrookend Discovery Centre, and will be open from 6.00pm until 9.00pm for toilets and refreshments. Enter at https://www.entrycentral.com/Dagenham88Runners_2025
10.00am, Sunday 25 May - Thameside 5k and 10k. Thameside Nature Discovery Centre, in Mucking. A lovely run alongside the Thames Estuary, with a fantastic medal. Early bird discount until 23 May. https://www.entrycentral.com/Thameside10512025Races
11.00am, Monday 26 May – Hatfield Broad Oak 10k. Coincides with the village fair. There’s a kids’ one-mile race too. https://www.atwevents.co.uk/e/hatfield-broad-oak-10k-9088
Cracker Corner
Scientists have found it’s easy to stop ladies from eating dishwasher tablets, but it’s more difficult to deter gents.
I’ve been sleeping a lot over the last few weeks. I’ve got so good at it I can do it with my eyes shut.
I sent my hearing aid to be repaired back in March. I haven’t heard anything since.
Quote of the Week
“Forget your mistakes, but remember what they taught you.”
Benjamin Franklin
And Finally…
I’ve been taking some time off running to rest my bad ankle, in the hopes of being OK for Great Baddow. So Chris and I decided to resurrect the BURPS – Barking Urban Road Pedallers. Or, in our case, perhaps it should be the BURTS – Barking Urban Road Tricyclists. We were making good progress to Fairlop Waters, cycling along the path at the side of Aldborough Road South, until I heard a crash behind me. I looked round to see Chris – and his trike – in the hedgerow. Big thanks to Debra who stopped on her drive home from Hainault to check if we were OK, as we extricated the trike from the undergrowth. Luckily nothing was hurt, but his pride…
Keep on Running
Alison
Chair, Barking Road Runners
