RR10 IBM Hursley - Race Report

I can’t pretend that I was looking forward to the last RR10 of the season.  The parkland around IBM Hursley is lovely – but it feels more like 3 laps of a cricket ground than a proper cross country experience.  And there is the issue of being lapped which is never a positive experience for a plodder like me!

Having said all that, the atmosphere was great.  21 of us ran, Simone came to support as did Sarah N’s family (with a very cute spaniel) and Nikki’s daughter.   As it is the last race of the season, team photos were taken & I think we all look rather lovely – although Tracey was facing the loo queue & missed it.  Loos are a positive feature of this RR10 though – unlike the Forest runs, there are some and unlike Itchen Valley, there are more than 1!  Many thanks to Paul Hammond for the fantastic pictures.

Team Photo - thanks to Paul Hammond

There may have been a briefing but this wasn’t audible from the back of the start crowd. 

Not too hot, not too windy, no rain & a dry 4.4 mile course.  One hill which started each of the 3 laps – I was heartened by a marshal who congratulated me for insisting running up it – albeit very, very slowly!  I managed to get a bit of speed on the first downhill & I may have been a little too jubilant at catching up with Louise – but this was predictably short lived as I found my natural plod pace.  Marian regretted not heeding wisdom from Louise to leave her sunnies behind in the wooded bits.

Siri looking speedy!  Thanks to Paul Hammond

Lapped at about ¾ of the way around lap 1 – one year I aim for this to happen in lap 2!  We agreed afterwards that although very well organised, it would be useful to instruct us which way to go when being lapped – e.g. move to the right to allow the speedies through.

Louise & Bridget - thanks to Paul Hammond

Lap 3 and it all went quiet – no more being overtaken.  I had a great chat with Wendy about an epic road trip she’s about to undertake to Morocco before deciding I really should make at least a little effort on my pace & attempted to catch up with Lisa W.  I failed to do this, but the 3 of us came in one after the other, cheered on by our lovely fellow Sisters.

Amazing run by all - Siri came in first, 37th woman over the finish line.  Jo G was next at 53 & then Claire D at 63 - still hampered by an arm problem.  Lisa G, Irma, Verity, Karen, Nicola and Sarah N all made it in the first 100 women.  Louise, Marian, Suzanne, Bridget, Nikki, Heather & Tracey all in together (pretty much!) followed by Lisa W, me and Wendy.  Tanya & Rachel did really well - both finished strongly.  Initial results are here.

I’m really pleased to have done 8 of the RR10s this year – and to have got a season score.  September will be cross country free – then starting the CC6 series in October.  

Salisbury 54321 - a race report from the back

Organised by Salisbury's Fire Services, this manages to feel like a not-too-massive race due to spreading runners over 5 distances with staggered start times – and adding in walkers too.  50K, 40K, 30K, 21K, 10K.

“Perfect weather for outdoor activities” according to an app on Louise’s phone – seemed a bit out of kilter when we were driving through rain to Salisbury this morning.  It had kind of stopped by the time we arrived, horribly early.  So early that we waved off all the distances before ours – and still managed not to spot Tanya & Jackie who were doing the marathon distance.

Killed time sitting on a log & trying not to look at people using bushes instead of a loo.  Weird though as the queues for the loos were remarkably short – probably down to the staggered start.  And the sun came out – a lovely morning that was indeed perfect for running.

Vicki saw us off as her 10K had a slightly later start time.  So did Clare L - somehow we managed to miss her!  Vicki & Clare must have "loved" the first bit as much as we did – a steep climb up to Old Sarum castle on a narrow path.  After that point, the 10K route went north where as our’s skirted the west of Salisbury with some interesting road junctions.  My knee was painful at Old Sarum – relieved that it recovered as soon as I was off the very cambered path.  Couldn’t see Lou & Marian though as I was already way behind – and felt a bit down about this.

Cheered up when I realised I wasn’t alone at my sedentary pace.  South west from Salisbury, the route took us into some gorgeous countryside at Clarendon Park.  Killer climb up to the top of a ridge, then down to Alderbury.  Woodland, fields, villages – and a mix of tarmac, gravel tracks and mud paths – varied views, very multi terrain.  Many of the tracks were not rights of way and we got to see bits of the Salisbury area we wouldn’t otherwise have seen –Longford Castle for example.

 

Checkpoints every couple of miles, well stocked with water & in some cases, jelly babies & fruit.  Only criticism is that the marshals weren’t always sharing knowledge on the route – which would have been useful as getting past loads of Cathedral visitors & shoppers in the city centre was very confusing – and made it difficult to spot the signs.

The final 500 metres were tough mentally.  My Garmin reckoned I’d done my 21K yet I wasn’t at the finish.  The path was along the river – lots of tourists to navigate around.  Worst was not getting a sense of where the end was!  Came up from the river and it was finally in sight – as were Louise & Marian, encouraging me to adopt a glamorous sprint for the last few metres!

We survived!  Not fast, but we did it.  Marian has some nasty blisters & I think I’ll be shopping for a new sports bra – but we were good.  Very grateful to Louise who happened to have enough cash on her to treat us to ice creams before heading for home.

Running with a cold that's migrated to your chest

Apologies to everyone I’ve been subjecting to regular snot updates over the last few weeks during the longest lasting cold in the world, but I thought it was timely to cover off the joy of running with a cold.

There's some advice in this link in how to avoid a cold in the first place - sleep lots, drink lots, keep washing your hands & avoid contact with those with a cold.  But let's face it, the occasional cold is inevitable.

General advice is that if the symptoms are above your neck, you’re fine to run.  So if you have a head full of snot, that’s OK. 

If the symptoms are below your neck, give it a rest until you are completely OK.  So a chesty cough means a break from running.  I find this incredibly frustrating as my colds often seem to morph into a chest infection.  Antibiotics won’t speed my return as the cold is viral – as are most of the resulting chest infections.  Running might aggravate the lung damage, leading to pneumonia.  Even scarier, there’s a risk of the virus passing to your heart.  Even without the risk of making a mild infection a major issue, running may actually prolong the infection, not allowing lungs to recover.  So rest is a much, much better option than continuing to train.

And if you have flu, you really won't be able to contemplate running!  I like the test that the NHS have on this video - if there was £10 on the floor would you bend down to pick it up?  Yes - it's a cold.  No, couldn't - it's flu.

Although I'm feeling loads better than I was, I can tell that my body is still not in what passes for tip-top condition – my resting heart rate is about 10-15 bpm above what it should be and everyday activities that I normally take in my stride are wiping me out.  So until I'm 100% better, it's gentle exercise for me.  I am still running, but much less than usual & I am using my heart rate monitor to ensure that I'm not working hard - and I pulled out of a half marathon.  I'm avoiding the gym & am being the back marker for SRS training sessions.  I did do a RR10 cross country & a 10K staying under 170 bpm.  I don't think it did anything for me physically, but boy it felt good to be out in the great outdoors & being active!  Walking would be a good option too.  I often cycle at the SRS training sessions if my chest is bad, but I'm staying off the bike generally at present as I know I'd put too much effort into it.

Returning to running is going to be tough.  My lungs will struggle and I know I will have lost some fitness.  However, I've built it back before & I will do so again.  It's just another challenge!

Colds are so annoying!

Chipped Races

What are the chips for?

If you are in a race with, say, 20 or 30 other competitors, you’ll all be over the start line in a few seconds.   But for races with thousands of runners, it could be minutes, many minutes, that separate the front from the back.  This means that if you take your time from the big clock at the finish line, you are not going to get an accurate measure of your time.

What a chip system does is set up an individualised timing for you.  The chip will wirelessly interact with the race's timing gadgets when you cross the start line and later, the finish line.

The chip its self is a small device, often a disc of mostly plastic that you fix either to your laces or with a strap around your ankle before the race starts.

After you cross the finishing line, a marshal will usually be there to help you remove the chip & put into a bucket for reuse or recycling.  If you forget, most chips include an envelope or address so you can post it instead.  If you have to pull out of the race, do post the chip back.

Check the race’s website & it’s surprising how quickly the data is processed giving you your actual time.  Many races will email or text you with your result.

Chipping is associated with careful race length measurement which is an art in its self with a myriad of rules to follow.

Not every race is chipped – for example the Race for Life is not.

Alternatives to chips

·         Parkrun uses a different system that relies on volunteers operating a stopwatch and token system – that links to every runner having their own barcode with them.  On crossing the finish line, you are given a token that a marshal then scans along with your own barcode.  That then links to the stop watch time clicked by another marshal – and again, it’s amazing how quickly the data gets processed!

·         The Hampshire CC6 and RR10 cross country series don’t measure time, simply position.  You are given a ticket when you cross the finishing line that you hand to your club’s organiser.

Entering your first race

This is a real milestone for new runners – it’s often a desire to enter a race that gets us running in the first place.  For me, it was the Race for Life a few years ago and I’m now in the nice position of trying to work out what to do with my medals!  But I can remember what it was like to do my first, and here are some ideas about how to go about racing, excluding little subjects like training & trying to work out which race to go for....

Finding Out What You Need To Do

When you enter, there is likely to be a website that will cover practical stuff like date, time and location.  You may also be able to look at photos from previous years & examine previous year’s results – all useful.

Most race organisers send you a pack a couple of weeks before the race that includes more details on what/where/when as well as parking and your race number.  There may also be a race chip – more on this later.  The golden rule with race packs is to keep all the contents in the envelope until race day.  Do read all the leaflets & instructions, but put them back in the envelope as soon as you have read them.  This reduces the risk of stress trying to find it all on race day – or forgetting something important.

Other races require you to physically collect your race number either just before the race, or in the case of some big events, the day before.  There should be a registration period in the joining info on the race’s website.  If collecting a number, it’s even more important to research the race joining instructions online in advance.

What to Do in the Month before Your Race

Break in any new kit.  You’ll want to ensure that shoes & clothing are as comfortable and as supportive as possible.  Drum up sponsorship if you are running for a charity & drum up supporters too!

What to Do in the Week before Your Race

Don’t do any major runs!  You’ll want to be injury free with fresh legs.  If you’re doing a marathon or other long distance, you’ll have been winding down your running (“tapering”) for a week or so already.  Do run, but keep it gentle, short & easy.

Plan your transport.   Car share if driving – parking can be tricky for big events & it also means you don’t have to hunt around for your running buddies in crowds!  Check you know where you are going & allow plenty of time. 

Big scale events where roads are being closed require careful preparation & do talk to people who’ve done the race before for advice as well as reading the race pack & the race’s website.  For the Great South, it’s a long walk, but I like using the Gosport ferry as traffic levels & parking are so much easier.  For the Eastleigh 10K, I normally cycle.  If I have supporters with me, I often ask them to drop me off.

What to Do the Day before Your Race

Lay out your kit & read through the joining instructions again, just in case you’ve missed anything!  At most races, you can leave a bag at the start – don’t leave anything valuable in it, but this can be useful for a warm top and some fuel for afterwards.  If it’s wet, a pair of dry shoes & some socks can be great. 

Don’t forget the race pack and some safety pins to attach the race number to your top.

It’s not a great idea to drink masses the night before – I achieved my personal worst for the Eastleigh 10K the morning after my friend’s hen night, nursing a banging hangover.  Alcohol will dehydrate you!

Do however drink lots of non alcohol today – it’ll help with your hydration levels tomorrow.  I prefer to stick to foods I know don’t give me indigestion the day before.

And finally, set the alarm!

Morning of the Race

Do have breakfast, do drink water or juice.  Don’t eat or drink anything outside of your normal routine – if you have a bowl of cereal, go for that.

Get your kit on, out of the door and off to the race.

At the Race

Loos.  Always a monster queue, mostly nasty portacabins, always the worst bit of the race!  Sorry, nothing I can say can make the essential visit to the loos any better.
Fix your race chip according to the instructions.  Some wrap around your ankle, some fit to your trainers.

Drop your bag off at the bag drop area, try & warm up, find your start point & get ready to run.....

10 Things to Remember When Racing

1. Find the pace that suits you & stick to it.  Try not to be influenced by runners overtaking you.  I prefer to start towards the back as I find it easier to run at my pace when I’m not being constantly overtaken!
2. If it is a new distance, focus on finishing as opposed to your time.  Better to start steady & have enough energy for a crowd pleasing sprint at the end than push yourself so hard that you don’t finish.
3. Look out for debris by water stations.
4. Don’t accept sports drinks from marshals unless they are a type you’ve tried (and liked) before – otherwise, stick to water.
5. Don’t accept sweets from marshals unless they are a type you’ve tried (and liked) before! 
6. If the race pack tells you that runners listening to MP3 players will be disqualified, don’t jeopardise yourself by listening to music.
7. Marshals have given up their time to volunteer at the race & they make it possible.  Smile, thank them & consider volunteering yourself sometime for a race.
8. Do regular body checks – how is your posture?  Try and keep your technique strong.
9. I have come last in a race.  It was not humiliating – I was supported brilliantly by the crowd & the marshals.  And there were plenty that didn’t finish.
10. Look around, take in the atmosphere, enjoy!