BRR Blog – 30 June 2025
Hi there, Road Runners!
The BRR team at the SITC Micky Ball 10k
On Sunday it was a case of mad dogs and Barking Road Runners go out in the midday sun. I’m sure BBC Weather’s Tomasz Schafernaker - and my favourite, Stav Danaos - would be very disapproving of our escapades, but well done to everyone who managed to race at the weekend, particularly those who braved the SITC ‘Micky Ball 10k’ with its very challenging 1.00pm start time, right at the hottest part of the day. All the details in Greg’s Race Report, below.
June Committee Meeting
With thanks to Club Secretary Isabel, here are the minutes of the June Committee meeting.
Club Kit
Nikki and Dennis are pulling together an order for club kit (see the announcements WhatsApp Group). Fastrax, our kit suppliers close down over the summer months, so this will be the last chance to order kit until the autumn. I had a moment of horror on Sunday morning when I realised my running vest was in the wash. Luckily, the warm weather meant it dried in time for the race, but I’ve decided it’s best to be like the Royal Family, and always have a spare!
Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot
With the heatwave forecast to continue for the next few days, please be aware of the very helpful advice on the NHS website on how to recognise and deal with heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion:
tiredness
dizziness
headache
feeling sick or being sick
excessive sweating and skin becoming pale and clammy or getting a heat rash (this can be harder to see on brown and black skin)
cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
fast breathing or heartbeat
a high temperature
being very thirsty
weakness
Action to Take:
If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion they need to be cooled down and given fluids:
Move them to a cool place.
Remove all unnecessary clothing like a jacket or socks.
Get them to drink a sports or rehydration drink, or cool water.
Cool their skin – spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs, wrapped in a cloth and put under the armpits or on the neck are good too.
Stay with them until they're better. They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.
Symptoms of Heatstroke:
Heatstroke is more serious than heat exhaustion. Signs of heatstroke are:
still being unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place, being cooled and drinking fluids
a very high temperature
hot skin that's not sweating and might look red (this can be harder to see on brown and black skin)
a fast heartbeat
fast breathing or shortness of breath
confusion and lack of coordination
a seizure or fit
loss of consciousness
Action to Take:
If the person becomes unconscious, put them in the recovery position (lying on their side, with their bottom arm straight ahead in front of them and top arm and leg at right-angles to stop them rolling over) and call 999 for help. The operators can talk you through what to do.
Preventing heat exhaustion and heatstroke
There's a high risk of heat exhaustion or heatstroke during hot weather, particularly if you are exercising. To help prevent heat exhaustion or heatstroke:
drink more cold drinks, especially if you're active or exercising
wear light-coloured, loose clothing
avoid the sun between 11.00am and 3.00pm (oops!)
avoid excess alcohol (hmmm…)
avoid extreme exercise (oops!)
if you're inside on a very hot day, close curtains, close windows if it's hotter outside than in your home and turn off electrical equipment and lights that get hot (that must mean my work laptop).
Runner’s Toenail
Runner’s toenail. Note: these are NOT my feet!
I was planning to wear sandals to work the other day but, having looked at my big toenails, which are still distinctly bruised after the Benfleet 15, I decided that was a no-no unless they were painted first. Yep, I have the dreaded runner’s toenail.
Runner’s toenail is basically a bruise caused by blood trapped under the nail. The technical name for it is ‘subungual hematoma,’ with ‘subungual’ meaning under the toenail and a “hematoma” being a bruise. The toenail is blackened by blood leaking out from damaged blood vessels in the nailbed. If the damage to the blood vessels is significant, nutrients won’t be able to reach the nail bed, and the toenail will die and then fall off.
Eventually, a new nail will grow. If you’ve ever suffered from this condition, you will know that this can take a long time, and the old nail will probably fall off at the most inopportune time. On the plus side, the replacement nail will have been growing under the dying nail, and will be ready to take its place, albeit probably very lumpy and unattractive.
Although it is often called runner’s toe, it can occur in any sport; tennis players call it ‘tennis toe.’ It is caused by the nail of the big toe or other toes (usually whichever is longest) repeatedly slamming against the inside of the shoe or experiencing constant pressure e.g. from the top of the running shoes.
The condition can be very painful, especially immediately after the damage is done. This usually dies down after a few days but, if the toe is unbearably painful, a podiatrist or chiropodist can pierce the skin to release the blood under the nail – I have had this done and it brings immediate relief.
Top tips for reducing the likelihood of black toenails are:
Regularly trim your nails so that they stay neat and short and don’t extend beyond your toes. Don’t cut them too short, though, as this can also cause problems. It’s best to give them a trim a week before a big race rather than immediately before, to let them settle in.
Clip your toenails straight across, rather than in a curve to prevent ingrown toenails.
Wear running shoes that are the right size both in terms of the length, width, and shape of the toe box. You should have about a thumb width’s distance between the end of your longest toe and the tip of the running shoe, and you should be able to wiggle your toes comfortably within the toe box to accommodate foot splay.
Wear moisture-wicking socks with a seamless toe and ample cushioning.
Lace your shoes tight enough so that your foot stays in place without sliding forward. You can experiment with different lacing techniques to hold your foot in place.
Avoid excessive downhill running which can lead to your toes hitting the front of your shoes (this can be quite difficult if you are running hills!).
Put moleskin pads or silicone pads on the tips of your big toe and second toe before you run if you still keep getting bruising or painful toenails after running (note: I tried this once – no black toenail but the pad gave me a blister instead!).
There can be other causes of black toenails so, if you develop a dodgy bruised digit but haven’t done anything to cause trauma to your toes, do see a doctor about it. It could be a sign of fungal infection, diabetes, anaemia, heart or kidney disease, or melanoma.
Greg’s Race Report
This week was round 03 of BRR’s 5k handicap series at Barking Park. In first place was Mark New, 2nd was Sian Mansley, and 3rd was Darren Graham. These three runners beat their handicap and will have tougher times in round 04.
Mark New with his handicap winnings
Ron Vialls was the sole BRR representative at the Horndon-on-the-Hill 10k finishing in a time of 55:12.
A roasted Ron after the Horndon on the Hill 10k
Barking Road Runners Grand Prix race No 05 this week was the Sikhs in the City Micky Ball memorial 10k. First finisher for BRR and first overall was Martin Page in 50:48. In third place overall was Jason Suddaby in a time of 55:32. Other BRR runners on the day were Tom Shorey 1:02:47, Gary Harford 1:06:16, Jason Li 1:06:21, Isabel Pinedo Borobio 1:06:40, Barry Rowell 1:08:15, Rob Courtier 1:09:59, Dennis Spencer Perkins 1:11:34, Mick Davison 1:13:50, Sian Mansley 1:14:11, Alison Fryatt 1:15:58, Clodagh Shorey 1:17:22, Nikki Cranmer 1:22:23, Steve Colloff 1:37:33 and Dawn Curtis 1:37:34.
Jason S and Martin P with their winners’ trophies
BRR parkrunners
Barking - Adrian Davison 25:06, Jason Li 29:12, George Hiller 29:24, Joyce Golder 30:07, Dennis Spencer Perkins 30:50, Andrew Hiller 31:48, Rob Courtier 33:05, Martin Mason 33:57, Nikki Cranmer 39:49 and Alan Murphy 50:25.
Jason just before his 250th parkrun
Chelmsford Central - Gary Harford 29:34.
Clapham Common - Sian Mansley 31:03, Belinda Riches 33:49 and Steve Colloff 33:50.
Belinda, Sian, and Steve C at Clapham Common parkrun
Etna – John Mitchell 33:42.
Hove Promenade - Rory Burr 23:17.
Rory at Hove Promenade parkrun
Raphaels - Doug King 27:21.
Highest BRR age gradings this week were Joyce Golder 57.83% for the women and Adrian Davison 65.6% for the men.
BRR Diary – July
The highlights of the coming weeks are listed below but you can 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 1 July - Speed Session. Jim Peter’s Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. It’s the beginning of the third quarter of the year (where is 2025 going?) and that means Rob will be taking the timed mile session. I expect he will want you to do some warm-up beforehand, and there will be time for some short reps afterwards.
7.00pm, Thursday 3 July - Handicap 04. Barking Park, near the tennis courts. As always, let Greg know if you want to run but haven’t already taken part, so he can work out your handicap. Just a pound to enter and you could win the crispy tenner.
7.30pm - Wednesday 9 July - Newman Hilly 5 (ELVIS 04). Hainault Forest, Fox Burrow Road, IG7 4QN. A two-lap hilly course, one big lap followed by a slightly smaller lap around the beautiful Hainault Forest. It’s on a mixture of trails, gravelly paths, and tarmac. Road shoes will be OK unless there has been heavy rain. Note that there may be car park charges, payable via the Ringo app. Enter at https://www.entrycentral.com/newmanhilly5
7.30pm, Wednesday 16 July - Valentines Park 5k (ELVIS 05). Valentines Park, Melbourne Road, IG1 4LG. Hosted by East London Runners, the course is similar to Valentines parkrun but not exactly the same. This will be the first time it is run on an evening rather than a Sunday morning (I am now waiting for an old-timer to tell me I’m wrong). Enter at: krono:sports - Entry System & Race Timing Solutions - East London Runners - Valentines 5K
7.30pm, Thursday 24 July - Handicap 05.
Cracker Corner
My local rope-making factory has closed down due to poor productivity. The staff kept skipping off early.
Police are hunting for someone who appears to be stealing clothes from washing lines in size order. They remain at large.
I was training to be a magician but failed the final exam – it was full of trick questions.
Quote of the Week
“Believe you can and you're halfway there.”
Theodore Roosevelt
And Finally…
After the decidedly hot Micky Ball 10k on Sunday we stopped off at Valentine’s Park for a cooling drink and an ice cream on the way home. While in the park I thought that I saw a large polar bear dancing the lambada before it casually walked away. The sun must have really got to me…
‘And, as I was saying to David Attenborough about global warming the other day…’
Happy Running
Alison
Chair, Barking Road Runners
