Sweatshop 5 x 5km (4.2km) Relay 2014

On 29 June 2014, Sweatshop held a running event at the Cyclopark, near Gravesend in Kent. Rather than just putting on a bog-standard race, they decided to make it a relay race. The plan was for it to be a 5 x 5km event. However, on the day, there was some kind of mix up with the bookings on the track and we lost a 400 metre section of the track. As the 5km would have been made up of two laps, it meant that the 5 x 5km turned into a 5 x 4.2km relay.

team o (bluewater src 4) [photo from vikki louise russell's set]

The entry fee was £25 per team, so we paid our £5 each and collected our race bibs - I was running in one of Bluewater Sweatshop's teams (sweatshop src 4) and we had been allocated team O. The bibs were marked with the team letter and then the runners' individual number. The number referred to what leg of the race each person would run. The team decided that I should run the fifth and final leg, so I was handed the O5 bib.

In total there were 19 teams;

SRC Bluewater - 9 teams

SRC Maidstone - 4 teams

Istead - 4 teams

Runfit - 1 team

plus one other team with no name.

The event was taking place in the afternoon and there was a really good turnout of runners and their families. The cyclopark has a playground to keep the children occupied, plus it has a cafe and toilets all located in the main building at the entrance.

the start [photo: 7t]

At some point just after 12 o'clock, the teams gathered next to the track for a briefing. Once done, all of the teams' first runners headed onto the track to get the race underway. As I was the fifth runner to go, I would have a wait of over an hour before it was my turn to run the two lap course. In the meantime, there was plenty of banter between the teams on the sideline.

As time went by, each of my fellow team members were called into action to put in their best effort around the track. First it was Dave Tyler, then Jodie Rawlinson, Lee Edwards, Simon Hassett, and then it was my turn. With the team counting on me to do my best, I started at an aggressive pace. As the track weaves its way away from the crowd, things become much quieter and even a little lonely at times.

me with fellow slgr runner, chris preston [photo from vikki louise russell's set]

The wind around the back of the course was blowing. Not too much, but enough to wish it would stop. Then of course there's the uphill section at the end of each lap. But the support from the other runners was fantastic coming up the final incline and into the start/finish area.

Once I had completed my leg of the race, I took a few moments to recover, then resumed my position at the side to encourage the other teams' remaining runners. Not too long after, all the runners were back and the race was over. The results were soon ready and the Sweatshop organisers held a little presentation ceremony where spot prizes were awarded and lastly the winners were presented with their trophy.

the full results

The full results were posted online. We finished in a total time of 1.25.37, only 4.8 seconds in front of the next team. I was pleased to see that our team had finished in 4th position overall. It also worked out that we were the top placed of the 9 Bluewater teams. I'm very proud to have run with such a fantastic team - thanks for having me.

Looking at and analysing my own time, if each leg had been the full 5k, I may well have been on for a new 5k personal best. My overall average pace was 3.39 per kilometre (5.52 per mile), which if I could have maintained for a full 5k would have given me an 18.15 finishing time. According to my gps data on Strava, I set new best times for half mile, 1km, 1 mile, and 2 miles during the race. Not a bad afternoon's work at all.

our individual splits

Just as the presentation ceremony had finished, the rain started to fall. I think everyone agreed that the rain couldn't have timed itself any better. It was a great little event, which we were promised would be bigger and better next year. I can't wait!

Great Notley parkrun

Great Notley is a suburban development just outside of Braintree and was designed as a self-sustainable garden village. Just to the west of the village is Great Notley Country Park, which covers 100 acres of land and is managed for the benefit of wildlife and the local community. It was formerly arable farmland, but is now a mixture of wetlands and open grassland, which provides homes to a variety of species.

welcome... [photo:7t]

I first met some of the key people involved in getting Great Notley parkrun up and running, Len, Dan and Rory, at the inaugural Great Cornard parkrun back in March 2014. At the time, they were clearly very excited about the forthcoming parkrun just outside Braintree, in Essex. Fast forward a couple of months and I was pulling into the car park at Great Notley Country Park for the inaugural event.

the bird of freedom [photo: 7t]

If travelling by car, it is worth noting that the brown directional tourist road signs along the way are labelled 'Discovery Centre and Country Park'. Car parking is provided at the official on-site car park at a cost of £3.50 per car. This seems a little expensive if you are simply coming here for a run and then leaving, but if you plan on hanging around for a longer period, the value for money increases. There was much discussion about this at the inaugural event and if you are visiting it might be worth investigating the parking at facilities at the nearby Tesco or, as I heard on the grapevine, within a nearby industrial estate.

the water pump interactive playground thingy [photo:7t]

For anyone who is fairly local, (safer) cycling is a very real option for travelling here. The is an off-road cycle path that runs along the old Bishops Stortford to Braintree railway line called the Flitch Way - this leads into the country park with only the tiniest section on a (very quiet) road. Bicycle racks are provided just outside the Discovery Centre. Anyone arriving by train will need to alight at Braintree station where the country park is a 4.5km walk / jog / run / ride along the Flitch Way.

run briefing [photo: 7t]

Once in the park you'll find the toilets in the Discovery Centre. The Discovery Centre houses the Wooden Spoon Cafe, which is conveniently located for post-run refreshments. The park has a number of children's play features/areas which make up part of a play trail. The first of these is on the grass outside the centre, which is also the central point for all things parkrun related, and lets children (and adults) use a hand pump to pump water into the feature which then makes its way through various channels and water wheels.

the meandering path heading towards the lake [photo: official account]

At 9am, the run briefing takes place and then it's time to get down to the business of the day. The 5k course is almost exclusively run on gravel paths and grass - this is a course where trail shoes are going to come in handy when conditions are less favourable. However, as it was bone dry when I visited, I wore my road shoes. A large amount of the participants were either hard core parkrun tourists (great to see you all!), or visitors from nearby parkruns looking to welcome the new event into the parkrun world. It is clear that the region has a very supportive parkrun community.

the lake [photo: 7t]

The run starts by heading north along the gravel path around the perfectly formed hill which stands adjacent to the start area. On top of the hill stands the Bird of Freedom, which runners will soon be encountering at much closer quarters. Once around the hill, the runners proceed along the gravel path, passing many of the play trail features along the way. The first of these is a small playground. The meandering path continues and then leads runners through another of the park's play trail features where they encounter an unexpected running surface - sand! To be fair, it is only a few metres long and runners are soon back on the gravelly path.

the hill at 2.8k [photo: dani]

As runners near the far end of the course, there are a couple of sharper turns - the double 90 degree turn over a wooden bridge is fun. The route briefly passes through a grass section which is on a slight camber and quite bumpy underfoot - so watch your ankles here. This brings runners out at the lake, which runners must now run a three-quarter lap of. The lake has quite a lot of trees around its perimeter so it is only possible to catch the odd glimpse of it where there are breaks in the trees. Fishing is permitted in the lake, so it is worth keeping an eye out for any stray fishing equipment (none during the run but there was some later on).

runners coming back down the hill and rejoining the gravel path [photo: official photographer]

Once around the lake, the course starts to head back towards the Discovery Centre via some more gently meandering gravelly paths and past some more of the play trail features before turning back onto another grass section which leads back to parkrun central. That's lap one complete. Lap two is identical apart from one little detail.... that hill that the runners ran around on lap one must now be climbed. It's probably only about 100 metres of incline, but is steep. At the top it felt right to #touchthebird upon reaching the summit, which I did (well, I touched the base - the bird is too high to reach). I'm sure as the weeks and months progress, regular runners here will have an enormous amount of fun trying and comparing different hill climbing strategies.

5k done [photo: dani]

At the end of the second lap, the runners leave the main loop, pass the oversized see-saw, and then enter the finish funnel which is found on the grass where the whole thing started just a short time earlier. Barcode scanning for the 230 runners took place under the gazebo that had been erected nearby. At the inaugural event there was a whole table full of cakes. Whether this will be repeated on a weekly basis is something that I don't know, but they were delicious (yes, I sampled most of them). Some people then moved onto the cafe for some additional refreshments.

in the finish funnel [photo: official account]

The official course page says that the course is unsuitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. I can't comment on the part about wheelchairs, but as a buggy runner I'd say that it is certainly possible to buggy run around the course. There are bumpy sections and of course the hill will be hard work. The only reason I would consider avoiding buggy running here would be if the weather had been particularly bad or if the runner themselves doesn't feel confident with the terrain.

barcodes at the ready [photo: 7t]

I had done some research before visiting this venue and had seen that the Discovery Centre has a cycle hire facility. So, after the run, we hired two bikes plus a trailer for our daughter and set off on a little adventure around the country park and beyond. Apart from being caught in a torrential downpour shortly after heading off, it went really well and we really enjoyed our little family cycle ride. We even stopped off at a beautiful old railway station, which is now a cafe, to have a quick pitstop before heading off along the Flitch Way and a few hours later returned to the country park where we had some lunch in the Wooden Spoon cafe.

the flitch way [photo: dani]

All in all, it was a brilliant day out in Essex at a country park that I would never had heard of if it hadn't been for parkrun. Definitely a venue worth visiting, and I expect if you do, you'll probably want to go back and give that hill another go....

... unless you really hate hills.

North Downs Run 2014

The North Downs Run is a hilly, 30 kilometre, mixed terrain trail race that has been in the Kent race calendar since its first running in 1984. The course has been modified a few times over the years and the start/finish area moved to provide better facilities. It is now organised by Istead and Ifield Harriers, who have been awarded a Gold Grading for Race Management by the British Association of Road Racing (BARR).

I entered this race largely due to the sheer amount of praise it was receiving from my running friends. I could not find anyone that had a single bad word to say about the event. It also features quite heavily in various 'best UK trail races' articles. I had promised myself that I would do something more challenging this year, so when the entries opened for the 2014 event, I signed up. I paid the full unattached price which was £24, if I had been an affiliated runner at the time I would have paid £22.

first stop of the day - race hq [photo: 7t]

In the months and weeks leading up to the event, the North Downs Run Facebook and Twitter accounts were very active and kept me fully engaged with what was going on, from latest reports on course conditions to offers of training runs on parts of the course. As the race neared it suddenly dawned on me that in the time since I had signed up, I had become part of the So Let's Go Running running club, so I asked if my details could be updated, which they did almost instantly. The email communication containing race information was also superb.

Some training advice I had received beforehand was to treat this race like a marathon. In the end I didn't manage to run the full 30 kilometres in training let alone anything more, but I did focus on lots of back-to-back running which I think worked fairly well in the end. The idea was that the accumulation of fatigue in my legs would help to prepare me for the latter parts of the race when the legs are suffering. The furthest I ran in one single training run in the build up to the race was around 25.5 kilometres. I also ran the Vigo Runners Valentine 10 mile trail race (similar terrain) and a few half-marathons (Headcorn / Paddock Wood / Tivoli) in the months beforehand.

the runners assemble [photo: 7t]

Onto the day itself, and the race start time was set for 10.30am. This was quite handy as I had been up late the night before at a wedding reception and the chance to have a lie-in was appreciated. As the race is held in June there is always the possibility that it could turn out to be a scorcher weatherwise. And that's what we got - unbroken sunshine and temperatures well up into the twenties. So the scene was set - 30 kilometres across a very hilly route which is mostly off-road and with the heat to deal with as well.

The race HQ, car parking, start, finish, and toilets are all located within the grounds of the Cascades Leisure Centre, in Gravesend. Marshals were on hand to assist with getting the cars parked up sensibly and we were given a race programme upon entering the the grounds. It was nice to see the runners' names printed inside. Once parked up I headed into the race HQ, which was in a sports hall, to collect my number (12). The race was timed by chip and the timing chip itself was embedded into the race number.

me running alongside daniel (286)  at the beginning [photo: dani]

The toilets, 10 portaloos, were just outside on the grass and although they didn't look like enough, they seemed to handle the needs of the 559 runners quite well. On the occasions I used them, I didn't have to wait for any longer than a few minutes. There were also toilets inside the leisure centre. I headed back over to the car to make the final decision on footwear - there had been no significant rain during the past couple of weeks and the course was bone dry. With this in mind, I decided to go for my New Balance 1080v3 road shoes.

As 10.30 approached I got into position at the start area. I had made the decision to start very conservatively and slowly ease into the race - effectively using the first few kilometres as my warm up whilst chatting to fellow North Downs Run debutant, Daniel (286). The start was captured on video from the air. My main goals were to finish the race in one piece, and to enjoy it and the wonderful countryside that we would shortly be running through. I tried to avoid setting a time goal, but after thinking about it, I thought somewhere around two-and-a-half hours sounded reasonable.

during the decent into lower bush (approx 10k) [photo: Jodi Hanagan]

It's difficult to remember every detail of the course, but I'll do my best to run through it as best as I remember. The first 3 kilometres of the race are reasonably flat and include a lap around the sports fields behind the leisure centre before passing back through the start line, across a golf course and then out into the stunning Kent countryside. The route then passes through the first of many big dips, a valley I suppose, and as you head down into the valley, you can see a single-file line of runners stretching all the way across. This is a great sight but being single file, if you are out of position (as I was following my relaxed start) you'll find that you have no choice but to simply plod along behind the runner in front at whatever pace they are running at.

The race takes the runners south around the eastern side of Shorne Woods and then at around the 7 kilometre point, crosses the A2. It is then uphill for the next mile before starting the decent to the lowest point of the course, Lower Bush. The next 6km takes the runners from the lowest point of the course (12 metres) right up to the highest point of the course (175 metres), which is Holly Hill. Being fairly early on in the race still, this section wasn't too taxing on my legs and I generally felt fine.

lime coming back from her race [photo: dani]

Meanwhile, back at Race HQ, my daughter was getting ready to run the North Downs Fun Run. There were two races for children; one for under 8s and one for over 8s. Her race start time was 11.15. The children's races were approximately 1.4km in length and followed the same route as the beginning of the 30k race. She had entered on-the-day for £2. There were a few volunteers making sure the children didn't get lost en-route. She really enjoyed the race and she finished in 21st position out of 23 children, in a time of 11.07. That works out at 7.57 per kilometre or 12.47 per mile pace. Not bad for a three-year-old.

Back over at the main race. The sun was beating down and runners starting to feel it. The water stations were placed approximately every 5 kilometres, so there were plenty of opportunities to take on extra fluids. I didn't carry any water of my own so I slowed down and took a drink at every station. In retrospect, I probably didn't quite take on enough water throughout the race, so I will try to learn from this. As far as fueling goes, it had been on playing my mind and I decided to start the race with a banana in one hand and a bag of sultanas sprinkled with salt in the other. I ate the banana slowly between the 8 and 10 kilometre points. The sultanas got dipped into towards the latter stages.

a typical view out on the course [photo: Jodi Hanagan]

Following my slow start, I eventually settled into my preferred pace. However, I was now over two minutes adrift of a potential sub 2 hour, 30 minute finish time. I reached the halfway point (15km) in, I think, 1 hour and 17 minutes. Shortly after this was the water station that gave runners the option of having a halfway beer. From here the course was largely downhill until reaching the next water station at 19.5 kilometres. After this, one of the most anticipated sections of the course awaits - Cricket Pitch Hill. Here the course goes downhill through another valley which features a cricket pitch slap bang in the middle of it. In some years the surrounding fields are covered in poppies - we weren't quite so lucky this year. During the tough uphill climb out of the valley, I found myself stuck behind another runner on a single track path with no possibility of overtaking. Whether I ran or walked, I was still moving at the same pace as him, so I took the opportunity to save a bit of energy (also helped limit the damage to my quads and calves) by walking.

Throughout the course there were plenty of gates to pass through and stiles to climb over. They were mostly accompanied by marshals, who did a fabulous job on the day and I'd like to pass on my thanks to them all. There were even occasions where the marshals cheered 'So Let's Go Running' as I passed, and this is despite the front of my vest only saying SLGR - So they were clearly all very well informed. The official race photographer was Jodi Hanagan (jodihanaganphotography.com), who is definitely worth checking out if you are looking to hire a photographer. She was accompanied by her able assistant, Mr SLGR himself - Brian Page. Between them they have produced an amazing collection of photos of the day. It was great to see them at various points around the course kitted out in their SLGR tops, it certainly gave me a well needed boost.

a photo by brian page [via Jodi Hanagan Photography]

I felt great throughout the next few kilometres and I reached the half-marathon point in 1 hour and 47 minutes. That left around 43 minutes to complete the last 9 kilometres and still come in under 2 hours and 30 minutes. I was flying through the next few kilometres and was still feeling great. As I arrived in Cobham via the St. Mary Magdalene churchyard, I passed The Leather Bottle pub (much frequented by Charles Dickens so I hear) and someone shouted something like 'Go Steve!' - I'm not sure who it was that shouted or if it was meant for me, but I waved in appreciation. Again it was a well received boost and I assume it was one of the SLGR gang, so thank you!

Before too long I had arrived at the point where the course goes back across the A2 motorway. There were now around 6 kilometres left to run. However, they were to be the hardest 6 kilometres of my life. The route entered the western side of Shorne Country Park shortly after crossing the A2 and this is where the final uphill sections were found. To just simply say that this section was hard would be an understatement. I was reduced to walking at multiple points during this point as the uphills are (or felt) severe. Even running them on fresh legs would have been challenging.

the hill profile

Once through this section, the course then became familiar as it rejoined parts of the beginning of the race which lead back towards the Cascades Leisure Centre. My legs, partly recovered from the Shorne Woods hills, allowed me to pick up the pace as I ran down into the valley, but as I neared the top of the opposite side, my right calf cramped forcing me to slow and then come to a complete stop to give it a little stretch. Going back through the golf course was quite possibly the most agonising section of running I have ever done. It wasn't helped by the sun beating down, by now it was around 28 degrees.

I felt physically sick at this point. Although I had hydrated before the race and took drinks at every drinks station, I think I was now very dehydrated. With the finish line almost in sight, I saw Brian again who gave a cheer and let me know how far away the finish was (150 metres). Shortly after that I got a high-five from the event director from Great Lines parkrun, Tony Giles, who had been doing a wonderful job marshaling. A short section through some trees and the finish line was right in front of me. Nothing could have been a more welcome sight than that lovely, big, purple, inflatable arch.

crossing the finish line [photo: Jodi Hanagan]

Once over the line (click here to see the video), I was given a bottle of water, my commemorative technical t-shirt, my goody bag and of course, my medal! I headed onwards not wanting to stop moving. I knew my legs were going to seize up badly if I stopped. But I did stop, and they did start to seize up. So I started to walk around, and then my daughter joined me to show me her medal and tell me about her race, which she really enjoyed. I downed the water and then popped into the refreshments gazebo. On offer were all sorts of cakes (including vegan options), tea, coffee, water and squash.

I joined the family in their spot on the grass in the finishing area and, as I didn't feel too great, laid down to the pleasant sounds of a folky-type live band that had been hired to play at the finish area. This didn't last for long as I felt sick again. I tried to stand up but my head was now spinning. The best position for me seemed to be kneeling down, and it was great to see each of my running friends from Riddlesdown parkrun, SLGR, and elsewhere as they crossed the line. Some joined us for a bit of post race analysis, which is always great fun! I carried on drinking - more water, some squash, some apple juice; anything I could get my hands on.

completely exhausted [photo: dani]

The official times had been printed and put up on the notice board in the middle of the finish area. The team results (we were 28th male team) were posted online later on. I found my name and saw that I finished in 63rd position (just outside the top ten percent) and my official chip finishing time was 2 hours, 32 minutes and 31 seconds. I had originally thought that I was a minute faster and had been telling everyone I had finished in 2 hours and 31 minutes. I blame the condition I was in for making me unable to read the timer at the finish line as I passed it. Anyway with that resolved, I headed back to my spot on the grass to drink some more and eat the crisps that were in my goody bag for a bit of extra salt.

I tracked the run using the Strava app on my phone, which you can view if you are interested in that kind of thing. It can sometimes be slightly out and this was one of those times - my phone recorded the course as 31 kilometres. I've noticed that the margin of error with the phone/app can sometimes be around 3%, so it is no surprise. Just ignore that particular detail if you're checking out the data. I know that some friends' data came out closer to the true distance.

comparing medals [photo: dani]

After about an hour-and-a-half of chatting and recovering at the finish area, I finally stopped feeling dizzy and was able to head off home, but not before having a ride on the miniature steam railway. The day had been fantastic. It was obvious now why the race had been recognised with that BARR award. The event was absolutely flawless in every way. This is definitely a race that I'd enter again (and again), and now that I have run it once, I have a time to beat next time!

Peckham Rye parkrun

There is a newer write-up for this venue, here: Peckham Rye parkrun 2024

- - -

Growing up just down the road from Peckham, you'd think I'd be quite knowledgeable about the area. However, back in the 1980s the area had such a bad reputation that I would generally avoid going there. This reputation came from a time where areas such as the North Peckham Estate - one of the most deprived residential areas in Europe - was at its lowest point. With unemployment high, crime was rife. I was convinced that a visit to Peckham would result in me being a victim of a robbery or worse.

However, it wasn't always like that. Peckham is a saxon place name meaning the village on the River Peck. There is also evidence of a Roman settle in the area. In the Domesday book, Peckham appears as Pecheham. Later, during the 17th century, Peckham became popular as a wealthy residential area. In the 19th century the place was described as a 'small, quiet, retired village surrounded by fields'.

peckham rye park

By 1868 almost all of the fields had been used for housing so the vestry of Camberwell St Giles bought Peckham Rye to keep it as common land. However, the common was so popular on holidays that it became dangerously overcrowded. So the vestry purchased the adjacent Homestall Farm (the last remaining farm in the area) and in 1894 Peckham Rye Park opened.

the park features many flowers, shrubs and trees (the oval)

As the new millenium approached, all was not well. The park had suffered from years of neglect and maintenance was a low priority. In the early noughties the park was awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to pay for restoration works. Sadly, shortly after the restoration works, Peckham's troubled past had again raised its ugly head in the shape of mindless vandalism of the newly restored park features. Although it is worth noting that I didn't see any signs of vandalism when I visited.

moments before the start

The two spaces still retain their own identities; The common, which is predominately open grass, covers the northernmost section of this picturesque triangular open green space, while the park, which is laid out in a typical Victorian fashion, sits to the south. It is this southern section of Peckham Rye that provides a home to Peckham Rye parkrun, which had its inaugural event on 21 June 2014.

wave

Upon arrival, those that arrive by car can park in the small, free car park which is located just off Strakers Road. An alternative place to park is Colyton Road and the roads that lead off of it - this is actually a little bit closer to the parkrun start/finish area. However, should nature call, you'll still have to make your way across to the car park area to reach the toilets. Nearby train stations are Honor Oak Park, Nunhead, East Dulwich, and Peckham Rye. Cyclists have a few options for securing their bikes - there are bicycle racks in the car park, or if you'd prefer to keep it in sight then there are some small trees around the start/finish area that could be used.

heading around one of the many corners on the twisty turny course

To find the start/finish area, participants need to head towards the southern end of the park where they'll find the rest of the runners, buggy runners, joggers, and walkers congregating near the 'Two Trees' crossroads. The two trees are in fact an English Oak and a Common Ash tree. The course consists of three anti-clockwise laps with a little tail which joins the loop to the start/finish area. It is 100% tarmac and it is pretty much flat except for the most gentle of gradient changes at a couple of points around the course.

the meandering back path

From the start, the runners head a short distance north along the nice wide path before bearing right when the paths divides at the picnic area & arboretum and proceed to run the three laps before, at the end of lap three, returning back down the original path to the finish. It's worth noting that at present (21 June 2014) the course map on the official page isn't exactly the same as the route we ran at the inaugural, but I'm sure the details will updated soon. The loop takes the runners past most of the park's features. The first being one of the children's playgrounds.

one of the bridges over the river peck

Shortly after, the runners cross the last visible section of the River Peck - the rest of the river was enclosed as the area became heavily populated and is now one of London's hidden underground rivers. The highest source of the river is a short distance to the south-east, on One Tree Hill. Here stands the Oak of Honor - This name was given to it after Elizabeth I picnicked beneath it. The current oak was planted in 1905.

the lake

They then reach the perimeter path at the Homestall Road side of the park, the runners take a couple of left hand turns as they circumnavigate the adventure playground and the skate park, then follow the meandering back path and cross the River Peck again (I'd advise being cautious while crossing the bridge as there is a risk of clipping your hip on the stone wall as you turn right to join the lakeside path) where they then pass along the northern and western banks of the lake, which is home to all manner of lake-dwelling wildlife. Next up is the American Garden, and then the Sexby Garden - this was named after the park's original designer, Lt.Col. Sexby - Chief Officer of Parks to the London County Council, who served until 1910. A feature of the garden is a very old Ginkgo Biloba tree which has distinctive two-part leaves (this tree is the large one on the corner as you turn right next to the bowls green).

me and my shadow passing the japanese garden

After a couple more turns there is a bowling green to admire on the left hand side. This is followed by the Japanese shelter and the Japanese Garden (c.1908) where keen eyed runners might spot the Japanese Maple Tree complete with red leaves in the autumn and pale leaves in the spring/summer (but probably not during the run). As if that wasn't enough gardens, next up is the rockery and then the Ornamental Pond Garden. There are also so many twists and turns on this course that there is no risk of getting bored, I loved every single one!

'two trees' corner

The runners then circle 'The Oval' (no, not the cricket ground, although that is only a short distance away) before heading along next to an open grass area and then coming back past a small woodland area designed to encourage wildlife. This completes the lap. As I said before, at the end of the third lap, the runners make their way back along the path where it all began, and they cross the finish line (at the inaugural event, the timing was handled by Sky Sport's Kate Riley), collect their token, take a breather, and then have their barcode and finishing token scanned in the normal parkrun way.

the finish (complete with plenty of support from fellow parkrunners)

Being a three lap course, after while the runners start to get mixed up as the faster crowd start catching up to, and lapping, the rest. So whether you're at the front or the back, it's worth trying to stay focused on what's going on around you. I'd avoid listening to music during the run, and of course look out for other park users - the park seems to be very popular with dog walkers, so expect to encounter a few dogs on the way around. If you are a buggy runner (like me - but not today), you'll have no problem getting around the course, but again I would pay extra attention to what's going on around you as the laps progress.

cafe on the rye and the second world war prisoner of war hut

After the run, there is the opportunity to have some refreshments in the cafe on the rye. I spent a while wandering around trying to find it, so for the record it is next to the car park and faces onto the Peckham Rye Common side of the park. During the second world war, huts were erected on Peckham Rye Common to detain Italian prisoners of war. One of these huts still remains in the park and is next to the cafe - it is now a children's 1 o'clock club. Being an inaugural event, I bumped into a few familiar faces which was really nice. I also had some very nice compliments about the blog, so thank you for those - they really make all the effort worthwhile!

the true heroes of the day - thank you!

With exactly 200 runners at the inaugural event, Peckham Rye parkrun has got off to a great start (even though it is fairly compact, the park seemed to handle that number of runners fairly comfortably) and I'm sure the event is going to be an important part of the park's future. It really is a great little park which deserves to be seen and enjoyed, plus having the parkrun here gives a few more people a reason to pay it a visit. Which I urge you all to do (but not all at once, of course!).

Buggy Running 5k Time-Trial at the Cyclopark

I wouldn't usually write a blog post about the 5k cyclorun, which takes place at 8am on Sunday mornings at the Cyclopark near Gravesend in Kent, but on this occasion it was special. Instead of turning up for a normal run, I took my daughter and our running buggy. After two years the time had finally come to do a proper buggy running time trial effort.

The goal was to try to run under 20 minutes, and I was confident that I could get close... on a flat course. However, the cyclopark track is not completely flat. It has undulations most of the way around and I wasn't quite so confident that I could break the magic 20 minute barrier.

So on Sunday 8 June 2014, we lined up on the start line with 14 other runners (including another buggy runner). At 8-something sharp we were sent on our way to complete the two-lap course. I started politely (that means that I gave the other runners some space and didn't crash into anybody with the buggy wheels) and after 50 metres or so, the runners fell into their desired paces and positions.

We were in third position at this stage and we stayed close behind the runners in positions 1 and 2 until just before the 1 kilometre point when we edged into the lead - which is where we remained for the rest of the run. We completed the first lap in 9.49 - within the time window for running a sub-20 time, but I was exhausted.

I pushed (pun intended) as hard as I could around the second lap, but I knew I was a little slower than the first. The last kilometre of each lap is largely uphill, and as we ran up the incline towards the finish on the second lap, it was as if the finish line kept getting further away - a feature of this course! My daughter was loving every minute of it, and I usually talk to her as we go around, but at this stage of the run, and at this pace I just didn't have enough puff to talk and run at the same time!

Finally we crossed the finish line and I instantly parked the buggy and sat (or fell in a heap) on the floor to recover. I was in complete agony during the last incline and was relieved that it was all over. I had stopped my watch as we crossed the finish line and I now had a chance to look at it. It read 19.49, this was followed up by confirmation from the official timer that I had indeed run a sub-20 buggy run.

The second lap had indeed been slower than the first (10.00), but we still managed to keep it within the buffer zone. Over the moon, we took the buggy back to the car, packed it away and then went to the cinema to celebrate our first sub-20 5k buggy run! We're now on the look out for a flat course to see how much faster we can go.

Alice Holt parkrun

Please note: I understand the course has changed since my visit - please check the official course page for more information.

I had originally planned to visit this venue as part of my #7weeksofparkrun challenge, but when I was due to run my 'a', the event was cancelled due to another event taking place so I had to go elsewhere.

welcome..

Alice Holt Forest is in Surrey. Or Hampshire. It's a little confusing. The official parkrun page has it down as being in Surrey. The Forestry Commission has it listed as Surrey on one page and as the Surrey-Hampshire border on another page. However Google maps have the Hampshire-Surrey border marked just outside the grounds of the forest with the forest sitting on the Hampshire side. Also, a few miles before reaching the forest you actually pass a sign that says 'welcome to Hampshire'.

pre-run meeting point

The 850 hectare forest attracts 290,000 visitors every year and has 8 miles of waymarked trails for both walking (running) and cycling, as well as tracks open to horse riders. The forest name has changed over the years, first being recording as in 984 as Ælfsige, before evolving through Alfsiholt, Alfieseholt in 1242, Halfyesholt in 1301, Aisholt in 1362/63 and finally, in 1373 it became known as Alice Holt. On 31 March 2010, it became part of the South Downs National Park.

i'm lost in a forest..

During the time of William the Conqueror, it was subject to Forest Law, which served to protect game animals and their forest habitat from destruction. It remained a Royal Forest thereafter. From the 1770s, the forest was used to provide oak for the Royal Navy - Many Tudor and Napoleonic ships were made from these trees. Some trees were restricted by chains to make them grow into the different shapes of timber needed for shipbuilding. In more recent times, oak from the forest was used to build the replica of Shakespeare's Globe, in London.

parkrun #selfie

Upon arrival at the forest, I parked in one of the three on-site car parks and paid the fee (remember to bring change for the machine). As of June 2014, the charges are £1.50 for up to an hour, £2.50 for up to 2 hours, or £4 for up to 3 hours - there are further charges for longer periods. The toilets are located in the main central area, which also contains the cafe, a playground, bicycle racks and is the meeting point for Alice Holt parkrun. The nearest train station is Bentley, which is 3 miles away.

a typical path within the forest

At about 8.52am there was a 'new runners' briefing, which is a little more detailed than the main briefing and I found it very useful. Some parkruns do this and some don't, but this is one of those venues where it really came in handy. The proper run briefing took place shortly after and we were then lead across to the start area. As far as the forest paths go, this start area is about as wide as they get and the opening stretch gives plenty of width for the runners to fall into an appropriate position before hitting the first corner and the width of the paths reduces.

although it doesn't look it, this part is actually a short steep-ish incline

I should say that being in a forest, this is a course where trail shoes could come in handy. Most of the paths are fairly compact underfoot with bits of stone mixed into the surface (I don't know the official name for this type of path - maybe I should look it up) so in the warmer months road shoes would suffice. Depending on your point of view, the course is either hilly, undulating, or playful - as described by Danny Norman on the parkrun show episode 63. I'd go for somewhere in between undulating and hilly - saying that, I don't think there is a single flat piece of ground during the whole run. If you are a buggy runner, you'll get around, although if you are attending in the wetter months I would double check the course conditions before running.

runners approaching one of the steep downhill sections

As always with forest courses, they can be hard to describe in detail. It is a two-lap course through the forest which is mostly now plated with conifers - 2,100 acres are now Corsican Pine and 350 acres are still Oak. I think the parts the run goes through are exclusively pine. The first kilometre is largely downhill, but towards the end, it changes to an uphill which lasts the entire 2nd kilometre, the third again is largely downhill. The fourth kilometre contain a bit of both, and the fifth is the flattest of the bunch, but still not flat.

the day i met the gruffalo

On the way round be sure to look out for the Gruffalo - but as it has been pointed out 'didn't you know, there's no such thing as a Gruffalo'. Also at one point during my warm up lap, a deer shot across the path right in front of me - I pretty sure that I would have been damaged beyond repair if it had run into me. So watch out! Something they have done here to make the run even more inclusive is that there is a special finish funnel for those who only want to complete one lap - of course, there's no official result etc etc, but it is a really nice touch and one that would be nice to be seen repeated at other courses.

finish (with flags for the world cup)

I found that the trickiest parts of the course weren't the uphills - there are a couple of fairly steep downhill parts that are uneven underfoot where runners may find themselves braking rather than letting gravity pull them along. This venue attracts a decent number of runners and on the week I visited, 158 people completed the full 5k course. It's a lovely but challenging course and the surroundings are peaceful and beautiful. If you haven't already visited, get yourself down here for a run through the forest! You won't regret it (unless a deer takes you out).