RR10s - possibly the most confusing name ever for a race series

Marwell - Paul Hammond

One of the best bits of being in Southampton Running Sisters is being able to take part in 2 series of free cross country runs - one of which is the RR10 series that takes place on Wednesday evenings in the summer.  The first is at Royal Victoria Country Park in April and the last is at IBM's beautiful Hursley Park in late August.

Did I mention mud?

Paul Hammond's photo of Verity - Alver Valley 2013

So - the name.....  "RR" stands for road race.  But these are not road races - all are tarmac-free on gravel tracks, mud paths & grass.  RR comes from "Hampshire Road Race League" - the local collective of running clubs of which we are one.  10 doesn't refer to 10K or 10 miles, but the fact that there are 10 races in this series.  The length is between 4.5 and 5 miles.

Each run takes place in a different location - and all are marshaled so that even with effort, getting lost during the run isn't an option!  No matter how slow your pace, you will not be left

Itchen Valley - Paul Hammond

alone as there will be a back marker & marshals wait for the last runner.  Trail shoes are good - especially if it's been raining heavily in the week or so before the race.  The least uneven terrain race is IBM Hursley.

Personally, I love this series - and its winter counterpart, the CC6.  Cross country is everything I love about running - beautiful scenery, great company and a physical challenge.  And the route is worked out for me! When the going gets tough, it gets funny when you're with running buddies who will spur you on & giggle about the ludicrous hill/mud/water etc.  Yes, there are (very) fast runners there, but I figure that the cool kids are at the back.  It's a great opportunity too to chat to runners from other clubs.

How to take part

• Get to the start point - but try to allow as much time as possible due to the vagaries of traffic during rush hour in our part of the world!  Car share if possible - it makes finding the start easier and saves on fuel.
• Ensure you are wearing an SRS top to run in.  Don't have one?  No problem - we can lend you one.
• Find the SRS flag (or people in SRS hoodies attempting to put up the flag!) where fellow SRS runners will be congregating.  Make yourself know to the woman with a clipboard (likely to be Tanya, our summer race director) who will note your name & age - and can introduce you to the others.
• Run the race!  It isn't timed - position is what's recorded.
• You'll be cheered in by SRS runners who have finished before you.
• At the end, you'll be given a raffle ticket.  Find the clipboard (at the flag) and note the number by your name.  As backup, write your name on the back of the raffle ticket & store it in the envelope that's with the clipboard.
• Grab a drink from the organisers. 
• Make your way back to the finish line to cheer in SRS runners who are behind you.

Important Stuff

• Not every RR10 has loos!  Check on the website beforehand.  
• Insect repellent is necessary for midges in the Forest, especially mid-late summer.  Also essential for the RR10 we marshal (Manor Farm) as you'll be standing still.
• We can't run in the RR10 that we marshal - Manor Farm.  However, we'll need as many helpers as possible, so please do persuade partners/friends/family that an evening standing in a country park wearing a hi vis vest & pointing is fun!
• You don't have to be fast.  You can be as slow as you need to be & will be fully supported.  SRS is all about inclusive running - and this series is no exception to that.
• Rain doesn't stop play.

Ryde 10 - Race Report

We seem to have been blessed with weather for the HRRL races so far in  2014 - like Stubbington, we enjoyed a day of glorious sunshine.  Perfect for the seaside - so a good day to run 10 miles in Ryde.  It was Louise's & my first ever overseas run & the logistics did take a while to work out.  The car ferry seemed to work out cheaper than the passenger one - especially when Jo T & Siri said they'd like to come too. 3 makes a team in HRRL rules - so SRS was represented.

Louise was a little concerned that having coffee at the ferry terminal in Portsmouth wasn't part of her normal pre race routine - I was very concerned that if I didn't get caffeine, bad things would happen - early starts don't come easy to me!  Lots of runners in the cafe - and on the boat.  Louise regaled us with an amazing number of facts about Portmouth & her beloved Gosport - clearly she can do mornings.

Ferry timetables meant docking at Fishbourne either 15 minutes before the race or 1 hour 15 minutes before - not unsurprisingly we opted for the latter, especially as Siri  & Jo hadn't pre registered.  Parking was easy & queues for loos were OK.  Messed about for a bit with photo opportunities on the beach - and chatted to a runner with fab Running the World union flag tights & to Tory, who used to run with us before defecting to Eastleigh.  Like us, they couldn't work out where the start was - turned out to be a difficult to spot standee with what looked like a graphic of a goldfish on it....

Flat start on the esplanade before the first, big, nasty hill at 1.5 miles - the point where I gave upon the idea of a PB or being able to keep up with Jo & Lou.  My least favourite bit of the route was running along the A3055 with no pavement & lots of traffic.  We did eventually turn onto lanes.  Water stations were at 4 miles and 7 miles - the former seemed to be rationing the water as we all seemed to get a quarter cup!  By the 4 mile mark, Jo was back with me - and I could still see Louise ahead.

More hills through the pretty village of St Helens and then Nettlestone.  Loved the coast road at the aptly named Seaview & distracted myself by planning relocating to the Island.  This was where I started chatting to an IOW runner who claimed to be as rubbish at hills as me! 

The final hill was steep and very long - or at least that's how it felt at 8.5 miles.  It sapped any reserves of energy - even the much appreciated solitary Percy Pig that Louise had kindly given me at the start. I could still see Lou, but the IOW runner managed a first in her running career by overtaking someone on a hill (me) and keeping that lead! 

Steep downhill back into Ryde on quiet roads, then back onto the seafront for the finish to be cheered home by Lou.  I joined her to cheer in Jo.

Lovely to get a medal but it seemed a bit odd that there was no water - we found it eventually back at the Rowing Club, along with Siri.  Less traffic, more water and a bit more warning about killer hills all would have made the run better - but I'm being picky as it was a good race.

Found our way back to the ferry but I started feeling rubbish - tired and dehydrated which was making me feel a bit spaced.  Siri hadn't been well on the run - I guess it's just indicated that it was a tough race.  Liquid & a mozzarella panini & I felt much better.

Back on the mainland, dropped everybody off & attempted to get myself out of the car - just a tad achy!

Thanks to Louise, Siri & Jo - it was a long journey to travel not too many miles, but your company helped to make it a really good day.

Results:

• Siri: 1:22:28
• Louise: 1:46:12
• Gin: 1:47:10
• Jo: 1:52:01

Photo credits - all mine bar the pic of Louise & me at the end which is Louise's.

Stubbington 10K Sunday 19th January

I'm not sure why I've never thought to do Stubbington 10K before - Clare W & Louise both extol its virtues as a motivation to keep the running up over Christmas - and apparently last year, Jude Law was on the route.  I was really surprised that the run took place last year as it was snowy to a level that I would have struggled to get there.  Stories about "undulations" didn't encourage me - I'm learning that at I'm at my best on the flat - but more of that later.

No weather issues this year - unseasonably glorious sunshine and almost wind free - and thanks to Dee, I had a last minute place.

Rachel let me & Louise persuade her that we needed to be there ridiculously early - more runners than before combined with picking up race numbers - but this did mean a lovely close parking spot and short loo queues.  We found nearly all the SRS runners with the exception of Tanya.

And time to admire Rachel's "sports bag" that brought a rare touch of glamour to the utilitarian pre-race activity in the sports hall.  And to admire the auto close gizmo on the fire doors that kicked in as the cafe set off the fire alarm on a regular basis.

Finally got running - and we all opted to funnel onto the pavement at 2K, sacrificing speed for the sake of not running the remaining 8K in soggy socks - the only flooded bit of the course.  I ran with Rachel - our pre agreed plan.  Ref those undulations - it wasn't dead flat, but to be honest, I expected a higher level of hilliness.

I felt for the marshals who seemed to be dealing with some very impatient drivers - it's only about 1 hour, once a year & there is plenty of notification about the road closures.   It was well organised with a welcome drinks station.  Nice work Stubbington Green Runners!

The star of the course was the scenery - especially the bit along the coast which looked stunning in the sunshine.   I found it interesting as it's not a bit of Hampshire I know very well - and it was a mixture of farmland and housing as well as the seaside.


Very pleased to be cheered in by Louise and Claire D.  We passed the favour onto Claudia and Dee - but missed Tanya as we weren't completely sure she'd run.

Dee is marathon training so set off to repeat the route on completion to get the right length long run - most impressive!

No medal, but none expected.  We were however expecting a mug at the end - but instead got microfibre tubes resembling those bearing the brand name "Buff".  Pleased me as a Buff user - but I don't think Lou was too impressed.  Still, she could have picked up a mug bearing last year's details as they were available too - because of the snow in Jan 2013, they didn't arrive in Stubbington on time.  Long queue for baggage collection is the only criticism we could levy at SRG's organisation - and even that was dealt with.

Nice 10K, worth doing!

Results:

1. Dawn H 49:16 (sadly, her last run with SRS)
2. Claire Deacon 51:59
3. Jo C 57:04
4. Louise 61:26
5. Suzanne 63:23
6. Gin 63:21
7. Rachel B 63:21
8. Dee 64:59
9. Claudia 69:16
10. Tanya 70:03