BRR Blog – 5 May 2025

May the Fifth be With You!

No, that doesn’t quite work, does it? But I hope you enjoyed Star Wars Day on May the 4th, and the rest of the weekend, despite the arctic winds that started blowing on Saturday evening. I guess it was too much to hope that the summer was with us to stay.

Story of the Blues

If you ran a marathon on 27 April, hopefully you are still feeling proud of your achievement. But, if you’re feeling a little flat, it’s not unusual. When your life has been built around one huge goal for weeks and months, when you actually accomplish that goal and come out the other side you can suddenly find yourself a bit lost. The emotional dip is known as the Post-Marathon Blues. In addition, your body will have shifted into recovery mode, which might make you feel sluggish and generally lacking in va va voom.

So, how do you cope with the blues?

#1: Anticipate the Low Before the High Fades. Even if you’re an experienced marathoner, don’t assume you’ll be any different from other runners. Know what to expect so you recognise it when it happens. Give yourself permission to rest and recharge both physically and mentally, without guilt. Don’t feel you need to emulate that person who bounces back to training the next day – what works for them might not be right for you.

#2: Accept That It’s Over—And Celebrate What You Did. As runners, we are always looking for the next challenge. But take some time to pause and appreciate the fantastic thing you have achieved. Approximately 0.01% of the world's population has run a marathon and you are one of them. You trained hard, showed up, battled everything the day threw at you, and crossed the finish line—something most people will never even attempt. Make sure you revel in the glory.

#3: Eat Well. If you have eaten healthily throughout your training plan and denied yourself all those guilty pleasures, there is no harm in pigging out for a few days. But any more will contribute to the feeling of sluggishness – and who wants to be a slug?

#4: Treat Yourself—The Right Way. There are other ways to treat yourself than filling your face with food and booze. Treating yourself reinforces the idea that you have achieved something positive. How about some new running clothes or shoes (to replace those you wore out pounding the pavements)? Or have a sports massage to soothe your tired muscles, whatever floats your boat. You could even get a marathon tattoo, like Steve…

#5: Set A New Goal. Once you have done all of the above, you can start thinking about your next goal to give you something new to aim for, but don’t rush it. It doesn’t have to be another marathon; it could be a completely different running goal like improving your 5k personal best, or getting a better good-for-age percentage at parkrun.

Race Review – Wings for Life World Run

I’d recommend the Wings for Life World Run as something a bit different and fun. The event, sponsored by Red Bull, raises money for spinal cord research, involves participants running as far as they can before being caught by a chaser car. In some flagship locations across the world there is an actual car, but most runs are app-based and use a virtual car. Nick (BRR second-claimer), Nabeel, and I ran an organised app-based run in the Olympic Park on Sunday, but you can do the run anywhere as you like as long as you start at 12:00 on race day with all the other runners.

The app starts counting down fifteen minutes before the start time and then it’s GO! at noon. You have half an hour start before the chaser car starts rolling and then it gradually speeds up. Once it catches you, your race is over.

To keep you going, there are words of encouragement from Colin Jackson, Wings for Life Sports Director, supportive commentary urging you on, and goading from the chaser car! The motto for the event is "Run for those who can't" and there were also some very poignant stories from people - often sports men and women, but ordinary people too – paralysed as a result of spinal cord injuries. These helped to spur you on when the going got tough.

And it did get tough. If you have ever run in the Olympic Park you will know it is by no means flat, and the roughly 2.5k race route was distinctly ‘undulating.’ That said, the course, was varied enough to become boring. At the start/finish of each loop there was water and Red Bull; the latter might not be good for you but it did seem to ‘give me wings’ when I started to get tired.    

All three of us representing BRR managed to run further than expected before being caught by the chaser car. I’d actually planned to walk once I’d done my target 11.3k but, as the chaser car was still behind me I decided to try and push on and make it back to the start/finish, which I just managed to pass before being nabbed. 

It would be a great race for a gang of Barking Road Runners to do, with the dual challenges of achieving your personal goal and of seeing who can run furthest before being caught. No medals or prizes but the first 150 people to arrive got a free t-shirt. And, of course, we all got the warm glow of supporting a worthy cause.

Quicker than a Ray of Light

The Asics Metaspeed Ray

Asics has just launched its latest super shoe range featuring the Metaspeed Edge Tokyo, Metaspeed Sky Tokyo, and Metaspeed Ray. The new shoes have been developed following rigorous scientific research by the ASICS Institute of Sport Science, in collaboration with their top athletes.

The Metaspeed Ray is designed for forefoot strikers and weighs in at just 129 grams, making it one of the lightest carbon-plated distance shoes currently available. The shoe features a minimal carbon plate to help propel athletes forward at the foot-strike phase without adding unnecessary weight. The Metaspeed Sky Tokyo is designed for stride-style runners i.e. those who have a long, loping gait and increase their speed by increasing their stride length, while the Metaspeed Edge Tokyo is optimised for cadence-style runners, who take smaller steps and increase their speed by increasing both their stride length and the number of steps they take per minute. Both shoes have full-length carbon plates.

Unfortunately, the super shoes come with super-high price tags. The Metaspeed Sky Tokyo and the Metaspeed Edge Tokyo will be available to purchase for £270 from 25 July 2025, and the Metaspeed Ray will become available on 12 August for £300. Ouch. Better start saving up now…

Tip of the Week

Find it tough to push yourself? Pit yourself against someone just a little bit faster than you. Researchers found that ’a moderately superior’ exercise partner enhanced performance. A virtual partner on your GPS watch works just as well as a ‘real’ person, or maybe tag on to someone at parkrun who usually just pips you at the post.  

Summer Handicap

After one of last year’s handicaps.

Greg will be back from Oz to oversee the first summer handicap of 2025 on Thursday 8 May. He has spent his holiday busily working out handicap times for handicap regulars (I hope that isn’t true) but it would be hugely helpful if you could let him know if you plan to run, so he can make sure he has a handicap for you.

Entry is £1 per race, but its only £5 for the whole series if you pay in advance. Use your name and the reference HC2025 if paying into the BRR bank account (Sort Code 40-03-33, Account Code 42026724). As the handicap puts everyone on a level playing field, you could be in with a chance of winning the tenner prize money for each race, or a trophy for the top three people overall!

The more eagle-eyed of you may have spotted that last week’s blog said the final competition results were based on each person’s best five of seven results, but there were eight dates given. This is because we have a reserve date; it looks like the handicap on 12 June won’t be able to go ahead as they will be taking down the festival site in Barking Park. If that is so, the plan is to use that date for some relays around the playing field in front of the Splash Park.

Greg’s Race Report

Barry Rowell flew the flag for Barking Road Runners at the RunThrough Half Marathon at Victoria Park, finishing in a time of 2:14:42.

Barry at the Victoria Park Half Marathon 

A few members took on the Wings for Life World Run at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The run has no set distance but a virtual catcher car sets off 30 minutes after the runners and they run as far as they can before being caught. Alison Fryatt, Nabeel Akram and Nick Gorman took part and managed 12.1k, 10.5k and 12.4k respectively before being caught.

Joyce Golder and James Sheridan ran the Witham Bank Holiday 10-mile race, on undulating rural roads around Witham, with Joyce finishing in 1:44:59 and James in 1:27:54 . Second-claimer Steve Philcox won gold medal for first v55, finishing in 1:01:01.

James and Joyce at the Witham 10 miler

Well done also to Zahra Akram for achieving second place in her contemporary solo and her own arrangement solo in a dance competition on Sunday. It shows that BRR members are multi-talented!

Zahra with her medal.

BRR Parkrunners 

Barking - James Lowndes 20:56, Joshua Ezissi 21:01 (new PB!), James Sheridan 24:14, Mark New 24:54, Jason Suddaby 25.00, Jason Li 27:05, Barry Rowell 27:33, Isabel Pinedo Borobio 28:03, Joyce Golder 30:31, Lizzie Beth Garraghan 30:36, Rob Courtier 30:39, Faye Spooner 32:08, Les Jay 37:10, Nikki Cranmer 37:54, Melissa Lowndes 42:07 and Alan Murphy 56:53.

Highbury Fields - John Mitchell 32:38.

Mile End - Alain Cooper 27:54.

Mote Park - Jonathan Furlong 37:10.

Oak Hill - Rory Burr 23:48.

Raphaels - Gary Harford 31:30

Roding Valley - Paul Withyman 19:53, Steve Colloff 28:47, Darren Graham 43:43 and Denise Graham 54:46.

Paul W, Steve C. Denise and Darren at Roding Valley parkrun

Sandringham - Kevin Wotton 27:38.

Victoria Dock - Clodagh Shorey 37:22.

Wimpole Estate - Martin Brooks 28:44.

Highest BRR age gradings this week were Joyce Golder 57.07% for the women and Paul Withyman 70.75% for the men.

Diary Look Ahead

Entries for the Orion Forest Five, race #07 in this year’s East London fiVes Interclub Series (ELVIS) are now open. The ELVIS race takes place on 2 August and costs £10/12 to enter. But, if you want to save a few pounds and practice the course before race day, EA members can sign up for the three-race series for just £18, with the other races taking place on 7 June and 5 July. It’s worth signing up for the series even if you just run two of the races.

All races start on Chingford Plain, with Race HQ at Jubilee Retreat (the Orion Harriers Club House), Bury Road, Chingford, E4 7QJ. You can enter just the ELVIS race in August here: Orion Harriers Forest Five Series 2025 Race 3 ELVIS - EntryCentral or the three-race series here:

Orion Harriers Forest Five 2025 (Race 1 and Series) - EntryCentral.

Still with Orion, the Orion Harriers Midsummer Fell Race is on 20th June in Epping Forest, a bit further down Bury Road than the Forest Five start line. The £5 entry fee gets you: three miles, 900ft of climb and a beer (other drinks are available)! See https://www.orionharriers.com/fixtures/fell-race/. Don’t be fooled by the short distance, this is the sort of tough race that makes the tough get crying, but it’s one of the few chances to run a fell race within the M25.

Entries for the Sikhs in the City Summer Samosa 10k, race #05 in this year’s Grand Prix competition on 29 June, close on Monday 19 May. It seems a bit peculiar for a race to close over a month in advance, but we have to trust that the SITC Facebook page is correct. The Start/Finish is next to the car park of Teresa Gavin House, 310 Southend Road, Woodford, Woodford Green, IG8 8FA, where you’ll also find a bag drop, portaloos, and refreshment station, and – after the race – the much-loved samosas. More details and entry at: https://www.evententry.co.uk/sikhs-in-the-city-summer-samosa-ultra-2025#what

We are dedicating this race to the memory of Micky Ball, our much-loved and much-missed clubmate who passed away just after Christmas, so do try and take part, and eat a samosa in honour of Micky.

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 6 May – Speed Session. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. John will be taking this week’s session, so expect a fun warm-up and yogatastic cool-down, with a pyramid for the main session:

• 2 minutes running, 1 minute recovery,

• 4 minutes running, 90 seconds recovery,

• 6 minutes running, 2 minutes recovery,

• 4 minutes running, 90 seconds recovery,

• 2 minutes running, 1 minute recovery, and

• an additional 2 minutes running, 1 minute recovery.

 7.00pm, Thursday 8 May – Handicap 01. Barking Park. The clock starts ticking at 7.00pm, but make sure you are there a bit early so Greg can add you to the start list.

 7.00pm, Thursday 15 May – Handicap 02. Barking Park

10.00am, Sunday 18 May – Great Baddow 10 (miles). GP03. Great Baddow Recreation Ground, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, CM2 9RL. Otherwise known as the Great Baddy because of the hill towards the end, this 10-miler is a great step-up from 10k to half-marathon distance, and coincides with the community fair, which is always fun. And, of course, you earn points for Club place in next year’s London marathon. 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. 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

Have you noticed that French words are sneaking into the English language? There’s hors d'oeuvres for starters.

I’ve got a new hobby unravelling old woolly jumpers to knit new garments. I started it when I was at a loose end.

Most people are shocked when they find out how bad I am at electrical work.

Quote of the Week

“Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” 

Chinese Proverb

And Finally…

After all the recent marathon excitement, I was suffering from a bit of FOMO pondering whether I should sign up for another one myself. I asked Chris his opinion and he advised that, if I wanted to run another marathon, I should do it sooner rather than later as I’m not getting any younger. He’s certainly a charmer…

Keep on Keeping On

Alison

Chair, Barking Road Runners