Tag Archives: Parkrun

Otmoor Challenge 2013

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Checking back to my report on last year’s Otmoor Challenge I see that this year I was definitely going to go under 2 hours. Very funny! I settled for a target time of 2:15 instead with no certainly I could even manage that.

Come the day I was knackered what with my shoulder having moaned non-stop for days and the knock on effect of only managing to sleep in brief shifts between doses of ibuprofen and tiger balm. Friday night I accidentally made matters worse by deciding on a return to the paracetamol and codeine during the night but the blooming stuff didn’t seem to work.  I had to get up though as I was on the Oxford parkrun volunteer rota and needed to be there at 8:15, I breakfasted and set off bleary eyed muttering that I wouldn’t be doing Otmoor today. I was marshalling and was glad I took the camera as it was sunny enough for some decent photos and my victims were very game.

Oxford parkrun GorillaSo 1pm I was on my bike cycling to Horton cum Studley for the start having decided a nice dawdle round at the back in the sunshine would be more fun than sitting at home moaning about my arm. I wore my ‘Stop the Cull’ t-shirt over my vest and this got an approving comment from the lady handing out the race numbers. An energy gel, a couple of ibuprofen and a big drink of water then I positioned myself right at the back for the start and dead on 2pm we were off.

A nice slow start as we jog out the entrance, right down the road then onto a rough track at the end of a cul-de-sac in Horton. Few as slow as me though as I keep it real easy for those first couple of miles cross country till we join the road just before Murcott where the Hash Otmoor Elite Squad were already on their first beer outside the pub. Several miles of minor road now through Fencott, Charlton and Oddington where the same chap as last year standing outside the same pub told us to get a move on again. We’d spread out quite a bit by now and while I’d passed a couple and been passed by a few I was still keeping the pace very easy in the hope of saving some energy for the ‘endless field’ and the hill after it.

It was good to turn down a little avenue then back off tarmac onto field paths again. There was a tricky little wooden bridge and some gnarly surfaces though and my arm was starting to throb as the painkillers wore off. I was pleased to walk a few paces at the Noke water station, drinking a full cup to wash another gel down with. It was getting a bit too warm for comfort – Otmoor Challenge always seems to manage a sunny day – and some of my companions at the tail end were showing signs or wear as I’m sure I was. Shouting and hullabaloo behind announced the approach of the Hash Elite Squad who passed me in a fragmented state of exuberance and exhaustion.

The field went on and on with it’s narrow bits of path with awkward camber and surface. My arm hurt and I wanted to walk but had to keep reminding myself that, unlike sore legs, it would feel no less painful walking or running. The plan was to run everything except Otmoor Lane hill which climbed along the route of the old Roman road from Otmoor nature reserve to Beckley so a couple of miles was spent really looking forward to the hill. When it came to it a walk 3 telegraph poles then run 3 strategy worked fine and I think the only runner who passed me was a straggling Hasher who invited me to join him at their beer stop near the top. I declined and carried onto the last water stop. Then a bit more hill and we were almost home.

The grassy downhill was great as my legs were still good enough to enjoy it, it’s a pity about the stiles. Then a little path and a bit of track before coming out on the road for the last flat mile to the finish. The official walkers route rejoined ours along here so knackered runners, backpacked walkers and traffic gave a busy feel after all that countryside. Soon but not soon enough I reached the turning into the finish field and crossed the line in just under 2 hours 20 minutes – 310th of 353 runners. I was very glad I’d bothered to be there but also pleased I’d thought to bring the tube of ibuprofen gel to rub on my shoulder and ease the cycle ride home over the hill. Definitely going under 2 hours next year 🙂

Brill Hilly 2013

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Having taken it easy at the Oxford parkrun on Saturday and refrained from beer drinking the evening before I was reasonably confident I could get round this years Brill Hilly in about 55 minutes despite my new found slowness and constant diet of painkillers. What with a strong and gusty wind and a big hill 12 miles seems like a long ride at the moment so I opted to dust off the geared road bike and carry my running shoes to change into at the start. This proved to be a big mistake because after a mile or so my frozen shoulder was having a good old grumble about the extra weight and different position forced on it by riding with drop bars for the first time this year. On top of the ache I was fighting to keep the bike stable in the gusty wind and down-hills I’d have loved a year ago became frightening as I tried to relax on the bike while hanging on the brakes. I suspect I was inadvertently favouring the duff shoulder and putting too much weight on the left arm causing the bike to feel really unstable and skippy.

So it was feeling somewhat jittery and with a numbly sore arm, sort of like shin splints in the wrong limb, despite the ibuprofen I’d taken earlier, that I arrived at the start venue. An energy gel, a drink, taking a moment to appreciate the sunshine and a chat with various familiar faces and I was feeling a little more invigorated by the time we needed to make our way to the start by Brill windmill. Considering strategy I had a dilemma – it was unlikely I was going to finish far from the back in my present decrepit state, but I was quite capable of storming down the hill that makes up the first couple of kilometres with the first half of the field. Where to start? I opted for starting far enough forward not to get blocked by slower descenders and to accept that lots of runners would pass me later as they reclaimed their rightful places.

Caught unaware we were off! Ailments forgotten I flew down the hill to a sub 7:30 minute first mile and, the descent much gentler, an 8:10 2nd mile. As the excitement and the descent eased I weakened though and let myself slow to a sustainable pace. Around the halfway mark, with about 90 seconds ‘in the bank’, we turned into a powerful headwind and I knew 55 minutes wasn’t going to happen. We continued along pretty lanes on the well marshalled course with hardly any traffic. The climb back up started earlier than I expected and I found myself struggling unreasonably. Efforts to push harder made me feel sick and wobbly, my upper arm ached like someone had punched it, my Achilles moaned like I’d run 14 miles not 4.

I reverted to the walk-run strategy before we’d even got to the steep bit, it wasn’t that hard psychologically as I’d drifted far enough back down the field to be amongst other walkers. I made a point of choosing in advance where I was going to start, or stop, running so as to keep control and on a walk bit chatted to another walker about the advantages of this strategy. I used the example of saying I was now going to run as far as those 2 spectators 200 metres up ahead then decide on how far I’d let myself walk before I actually slowed to walk. Unfortunately said spectators took this moment to start marching off towards the top of the hill so I had to revise the plan a bit.

Knowledge of the course from last year proved useful when I remembered how the 9k marker seemed to be a long time coming but shortly after it the road levelled off and even I could get running again. We continued through the middle of Brill, me feeling not so bad now considering, and followed the road curving left towards our turn for the finish field. Now still into the strong wind I realised we were about to turn left into a road then left again meaning a tailwind finish. A glance at my watch and a sub-hour finish looked just possible. I wound up the pace – which is about the equivalent of a tortoise making a break for freedom at the moment – passed someone for the first time in a while – and turned into the finish field. Almost there and there was a 1 hour announcement but at least I’d tried for it. Final score was 1 hour and 23 seconds 149th of 178 finishers.

Brill Hilly 2013

I grabbed a banana and a drink, nice to feel hot at the end of a race after that winter, and went to see how some of the others had done. Paul Brackett’s brother Peter had won 2nd MV50, Paul told how he doesn’t bother with watches and times anymore. Adrian said he thought he was pushing too fast as he was running at my pace and hadn’t expected to beat me round –  I’d seen him in the distance halfway up the hill when I was at the bottom so he doesn’t want to be holding back for me in the future.

I collected my bag, changed into my cycling shoes, and struggled back home against that wind. The descent from Brill had been a lot more fun running than it was getting buffeted around on my bike. Not an enjoyable ride, I was totally knackered. A chuckle on the way up the hill to Stanton St John where a photographer knelt by the road taking several shots of my slow progress only to be informed I was nothing to do with the event he was attached to – turned out to be the Westminster to Islip Big Bike Ride, hope they had fun!

 

Another Personal Worst at the Oxford parkrun

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Recently I’ve taken a new angle on parkrun. In the past it has always been a fast effort, a race, a tempo run or whatever. As both weather and body have been less than perfect I’ve felt much less competitive about it realising that dragging myself to the start for a slow run towards the back end of the field can still be rewarding. The fact that the nagging ache in my shoulder usually gets me out of bed early helps as the alternative of a pleasant Saturday morning lie-in isn’t on offer.

So a week ago Saturday I plodded round in filthy conditions, snow and sleet from above, real slippery mud below, to a personal worst of 28:09 20th of 32 which is less than half the usual field. I hung my cycling overshoes off my handlebars for the run and they must have filled with snow as by the time I got home both feet were freezing and I found the overshoe toes packed with blocks of ice – they took ages to defrost and felt really unpleasant 🙁  I was taking it easy as I planned to trot up to Shotover, run the Resolution Run 10k, and jog back home on the Sunday but the Resolution Run got postponed due to the conditions (though I ran up there anyway).

Gratuitous close-up of Honey taking a nap

Gratuitous close-up of Honey taking a nap

This Saturday’s parkrun I was to be even slower at 29:30 61st of 77 runners but it was very much a planned recovery run, in fact I set out too fast and would have been better going even slower but it’s hard with other runners all about you. On Friday I had run (mostly) 15 hilly miles – the furthest since last October I think – to try myself out for the Compton 20 next week. It was a bit slow, averaging just over 11 minute miles, and various bits started hurting towards the end. Good enough for me to have the confidence to try for a 4 hour trot round Compton next week if the weather isn’t foul again – I’d be happy with that considering!

Wobbly Image of a Prism

Wobbly Image of a Prism

Wrap-Up and Run 10k

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I’d not heard of Age Uk’s series of Wrap-up and Run 10k races before this year and thought the Oxford one at Cutteslowe Park would be fun, particularly as this is home to Oxford parkrun so at least some of the course would be very familiar. Somewhat perversely the limitations from my frozen shoulder offered an excuse not to try very hard which just made me look forward to it more.

On the day it was pretty cold but still and sunny so I locked my bike up in the park and kept my warm VC&AC hoodie on while I wandered up to the start to suss the layout. Then back to the bike to eat a gel and expose my arms to the cold morning. A jog to and round the start area did for a warm-up, no way was I going to attempt the Zumba many runners were participating in though I was impressed by their Gangnam Style.

I said hello to a couple of parkrun regulars then tried to position myself somewhere around halfway in the muddle near the start timing mat. A clear countdown then we were off. I soon realised I’d been over pessimistic but at least my knowledge of the course allowed me to use the wider bits to move forward about 50 places till I was comfortably in the 8:30 minute mile bunch where I planned to stay.

Slightly downhill and round the outside of the football fields in the opposite direction to the rarely used parkrun ‘summer course’. Past the pond to join the main tarmac path then down to cross the bypass via the cycle and pedestrian Millennium Bridge. I was now in unknown territory where we did a bit of rather muddy field then a path alongside the Cherwell then looped back so we could see the slower runners behind just as we’d earlier seen the fast folk come by. Then back over the bridge, up the tarmac path, across by the pond, a funny bit round the football club house and repeat to make a 2 lap course. There was water at the 5km point but I didn’t bother with it, I was nicely warm by now though. It was an interesting course, well thought out considering the limited room.

I finished in 52:57 which was pretty much as expected and was pleased that I’d managed even mile splits all round for a change. 8:29 8:28 8:28 8:33 8:24 8:22 2:14 according to Garmin. Surprisingly this time gave me 99th place of 320 finishers but I think this generous position was more due to a lot of slower runners than because the course was particularly challenging though it was mostly off-road and rather convoluted.

I grabbed my goody bag and headed back to the bike where I made a hash of putting my hoodie back on and managed to over stretch and aggravate my frozen shoulder which, once the running endorphins had worn off, complained for the rest of the day despite ample painkillers. By the time I was about to get in the bath an hour later it had got so stiff that I couldn’t get my running vest over my head and had to turn the taps off and sit and think about how this could be achieved without ripping it. I managed to get my functioning left arm inside the vest allowing me to enough slack to pull it over my head and along the right arm.

I need to constantly remember to concentrate on even simple things like getting dressed and reaching for stuff if I don’t want to be forever setting it off throbbing. It’s easy to forget for a moment there’s a problem and go about things as normal just to find I’m not only in pain but I’m stuck with a jersey half over my head, or something fragile balanced on the edge of a high shelf, and no plan on how to proceed. I know I’m going to have to put up with it for a while but I will be so pleased when it’s fixed!

 

Oxford parkrun 1st Birthday

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I refrained from running for 6 days after Abingdon Marathon and then took another 3 days off. Meanwhile I got out on my road bike for a couple of 25 milers which made a nice change though not quite as satisfying as a decent trail run. I kept my running distances short and was pleasantly surprised to find some of my speed coming back. 8:21 min/mile pace on the Saturday, 8:07 on Tuesday then 7:45 for a 3 miler on Thursday – the fastest I’ve run for ages. My foot still hurt a bit and I had a bit of a sore upper left leg muscle, probably what was behind my knee pain at Abingdon, for the 1st couple of runs,  but I don’t think these short, flat runs are making things any worse. In fact today, 24 hours after the parkrun, nothing really seems to hurt.

So it was with a sense of optimism that I cycled to Oxford parkrun’s 1st anniversary event yesterday. To celebrate there was to be cake (well it wouldn’t be vegan so I took something to munch but it was the spirit of the thing that mattered). The Council had been persuaded to open the drinks booth for the first time, from the length of the queue at the finish this was profitable for them and will hopeful become the norm.

And there were to be time pacers: sub 21 minute, 25 min, 30 min, and 35 min I think it was. I’d already spoken to Chris who thought he was the 25 min pacer and said I intended to follow for the first couple of miles and then, if I was feeling good, I might take off for a faster finish. Somewhere along the line Alun became the 25 min pacer instead so after 10 mins of prizes and announcements what turned out to be a record field of 118 parkrunners set out – Alun rather worrying me by flying off nearer 7 min miles than 8 but as he pointed out the start is downhill.

We settled into perfect pace though one young lady in the group seemed to think we were going a bit slow. I chatted away with Alun who had run marathons both the previous weekends with a 3hr 2min PB at one. He’d noticed I’d been taking a few Conquercise zones back off him in the Fetcheveryone website game and I told him how I had been getting back on the bike (which means more zones won) since Abingdon and how the move away from long runs back to regular cycling seemed to be improving my running speed.

Many of our bunch seemed to fall behind but Alun was still keeping correct pace by both our watches. Another Fetchie caught us and turned out to be iPlod who used to be another big zone owner in our area, he (John in the real world) was racing the next day and used Alun’s pace to slow himself down and save his legs. I was huffing and puffing a bit in the cold air and becoming aware that I should shut up and run, after all this was still fast for me.

23 minutes said Alun as we approached the last descent to the finish dead on schedule . I suddenly found myself hiccuping sicky burps in a manner that reminded me of Lala with furballs. Just after our 3rd pass of the marshal it became evident that I had 3 choices: throw up down my front; choke and turn red or stop and recover. I stopped to the surprise of John and Alun who I waved on while I threw up a small amount of breakfast that hadn’t yet been digested despite having had 2 hours to go down. Slightly shocked I started walking, then running, and now feeling fine again I charged towards the finish at what later turned out to be 6:45 pace (alright it was downhill).

No chance of catching back up though and finished in 25:29 49th of 118 runners. Alun’s time was 24:55 – he couldn’t have got much closer. Oh well!

A cup of black tea from the booth (I forgot the planned soya milk); a munch on my Soreen banana loaf and a chat with runners new and old made for a proper parkrun anniversary celebration. We even had indoor space in the pavilion or whatever it is. A chap in a suit who I think may be a City Councillor was in attendance and hopefully got a chance to see what a fine thing Oxford parkrun is.