Dartford parkrun 38 - all the fun of the fair (and pacing. don't forget the pacing)

A bit of a surprise this week was when I received a message showing a poster promoting a fun fair that was due to arrive in Central Park on Wednesday and stay until Sunday. At first I was a little worried that their set-up could infringe on part of the route we use for our weekly five kilometre jog around the park.

the fair rides were all on the grass so we didn't have to dodgem [photo:7t]

So after work on Wednesday I popped over to the park to check it out. The fun fair was contained within the grass areas adjacent to the bandstand and thankfully left all of the paths nice and clear. Fast forward to Saturday morning and everything still looked good when I met Richey (ED) in the park.

Once all the gear was unpacked it became apparent that the hi-vis vests had been taken away for a wash, but were at Adam's house. The thing is, Adam had other plans and couldn't make it to parkrun this week. Thankfully Dartford Harriers A.C saved the day by letting us use some of their vests.

a nice little 21 minute pacing crew [photo: brian page]

The main thing that was exciting me at this event was the fact that it was pacers day. This time around we had 8 pacer volunteers, which was the best turnout so far. Again I went for the 21 minute pacing slot, which I find is a brilliant pace for me to run at and picks up a few more pacees than anything faster.

So the plan was to leave the Garmin at home and just check my kilometre splits as I reached the km points around the course using my stopwatch. Even splits for a 21 inute finsih would be 4.12 per kilometre, but because the course isn't flat, the splits for an even effort run aren't even.

an extreme take on my love of angled photos [photo: brian page]

This plan was to go for; 4.12 / 4.02 / 4.12 / 4.22 / 4.12 which I find is quite a fair way to run based on the profile of the course. When pacing I always check my time at the 500 metre point and I hit it at about 1.56 which is about 10 seconds in front of what the plan suggests, but starts tend to be a little quicker than the average pace and it allowed me to progress up the incline with ease.

I hit the 1 kilometre point in 4.10, which wasn't too shabby. The next kilometre is usually my quickest because it features a downhill which allows for a slightly faster pace without increasing the effort level. I worked my way round and reached the 2 kilometre point at 8.12 which made that split a 4.02, which was spot on.

completing the first lap [photo: ella smith]

Now the third kilometre is where I fluffed it up. I didn't drop the effort level back to 4.12 pace and I ended up putting in a 4.01 split. Realising my mistake, I eased off a little for the fourth kilometre and put in a 4.22 split, which was just as planned. However I was still about 10 seconds ahead of where I should have been.

I tried to ease off even more for the final kilometre and despite feeling like I was taking things really easy, I put in 4.11. Which was perfect pace-wise but meant I was still approximately 10 seconds ahead of schedule. I finally crossed the line in 20.51. That is inside my 1% tolerance so I was happy enough.... but I'm not happy with the third kilometre split that I put in. I'll work on that next time!

stopping my watch at the finish line [photo: ella smith]

This week also featured a parkrun bake-off (that I had completely forgotten about until Richey reminded me the night before) so there was a nice selection of sweet treats on the tables for everyone to help themselves to. Can't really complain about that!

And that was how Dartford parkrun 38 panned out for me...

cake for no reason other than we decided to have a bake-off [photo: 7t]

... I honestly can't wait to do it all over again next week.

Dartford parkrun 35 - the twenty-one minute pacer

A stiff breeze and colder than expected weather conditions awaited the one-hundred-and-forty runners at Dartford parkrun on Saturday 21 March 2015. And with the third run of every month being 'chase-the-pacer' day, there was a real sense of anticipation in the air.

At 9am the run director, Richey Estcourt, addressed the diverse gathering of eager parkrunners with the morning's run briefing. This included an introduction to the day's team of six pacers, who between them aimed to complete the course in 21, 23, 24, 26, 28 and 30 minutes.

on the dirt incline [photo: brian page]

The 21 minute pacer, Steven Stockwell, revealed to us that he was keen to complete the course within 1% of his goal finish time, he said 'I'm keen to complete the course within 1% of my goal finish time'. He explained further; '1% works out at 12.6 seconds either side of my goal time, so that translates into a finish time window between 20:48 through to 21:12'.

As the runners streamed off into the distance, a volunteer was overheard saying 'I love the sight of all those runners heading off into the distance, it gave me goosebumps as I watched them slither around the first corner like a really long, human snake'.

Dartford parkrun's course features a combination of tarmac paths, a stony path, grass and dirt paths. The recent winter weather had made for challenging conditions on some sections, but now that spring is virtually upon us, these areas are drying out, which in turn should lead to an increase in personal best times over the next few months.

pacer / pacees at the end of lap 1 [photo: richey estcourt]

After the run, our 21 minute pacer revealed how his attempt at pacing unfolded. 'The first 500 metres were a little fast but once I had negotiated the incline on the first lap, I had broken about even. I reached the 1 kilometre point a few seconds behind schedule'.

Not deterred, he used the second kilometre, which is naturally quicker, to make up the lost time. 'When I checked my watch at the 1.5 kilometre point I was happy to report to my pacees that we were bang on target for a 21 minute finish time.

As he entered the second and final lap, he pushed the pace a little in order to reach the 3rd kilometre point a few seconds ahead of where an even pace would suggest. He explained that 'the fourth kilometre features round two of the battle against the hill, and as a result it is the slowest kilometre split of the entire run. To have a few seconds in the bag before reaching this point is quite handy' and 'as the course is not entirely flat, it is best to focus on running at an even effort rather than an even pace'.

checking the watch right before crossing the finish line [photo: richey estcourt]

The fourth kilometre point was reached a little ahead of schedule, and all that was left to do was cruise through the final kilometre stretch and arrive at the finish, which he did in an official finish time of 20.54. Steven summed up his run by saying 'I was really happy with my finish time. It was my best pacing performance to date and being six seconds away from my target meant that I was within 0.5% of my goal time.'

Before heading into the Dartford Harriers clubhouse for post-run refreshments, Steven added 'I like to think that I helped a few runners to get the best out of themselves this morning. I think at least one of them scored a new personal best and that really is the icing on the cake'.

Dartford parkrun 33 - don't forget your barcode

The day before Dartford parkrun event 33 I volunteered to pace Adam to a new personal best. His previous best time was 20.56 and he felt the time was right to have a crack at it. My main concern was that with my lack of running I might not be able to keep up with Adam.

On the morning we were joined by Tony Durey, President of Dartford Harriers Athletics Club and the three of us stayed together throughout the entire run. Together we kept Adam on track and brought him home just under his previous personal best. Wohoo! ......

the event 33 trio [photo: richey estcourt]

... sadly he forgot his barcode so his new 5k personal best has not been recorded. The runner inside of me really, really wanted to help him out by adding him to the results, but there's no way it could be done as we firmly apply parkrun's 'no barcode, no result' policy. Adam is one of our core volunteers so he understands this more than anyone, he is also a true gentleman and graciously accepted his fate as an 'unknown runner' in the results.

The good thing is that we're here every Saturday morning at 9am so there's always going to be another opportunity to have a crack at setting a new personal best. And for anyone else that forgets their barcode sometime, please think back to Adam's attitude towards this and whatever you do please don't hassle the volunteers to make an exception, not just at Dartford but at any parkrun.

post run [photo:richey estcourt]

With the run done and dusted, I got on with a special project that I had been itching to do for ages...

Edit: The aforementioned project can be found here: Dartford parkrun course video

Dartford parkrun 29 - ghost car

The three central Dartford running clubs have each agreed to host their own 'takeover days' at Dartford parkrun. This means they will run the entire* event and supply all of the day's volunteers. The days are a great opportunity to showcase what each of the clubs has to offer - all three are very different.

The first of these takeover days took place at event 29 and the club in question was my first claim club 'So Let's Go Running' (SLGR). SLGR is the newest of the town's clubs and gives runners the option of running with them as a run england group or to take that extra step and become fully affiliated. It is very well suited to beginners or those returning to running who are looking for a friendly and inclusive group of mixed abilities to run with.

raising the flag [photo: tony miller]

With myself, Richey and Adam all being SLGR runners, the day started in exactly the same way as any other Saturday. One slight difference was that instead of all three of us setting up the course, this week Richey stayed at DpHQ in order to get the start-finish area suitably decorated in a black and orange theme and to distribute his motivational signs to the marshals! As we made our way around the course the early morning frost disappeared and the ever-so-slightly icy patches in the puddles melted - everything was good to go.

A few weeks earlier at event 26 I took on the role of pacer for the first time and made the mistake of relying on my Garmin GPS running watch to accurately pace me around the course. Even when it felt a little too fast I stuck firm trusting the pace and splits that were reported. I eventually finished 32 seconds ahead of my 20 minute target time.

a very black and orange pre run briefing [photo: dani]

The lesson here is that using latest technology is not always the best way to pace. So instead of using this method again, this time around I had decided to run it by feel and to provide some reassurance to me I decided to wear my simple stopwatch and cross-check it as I passed through each kilometre point around the course. To give me the opportunity for further reassurance I also made some notes on the 500 metre points between each kilometre just in case.

I had (am?) been suffering with a bit of a dodgy knee and at 8.30am I was convinced that I was going to give the run a miss. However, I had really been looking forward to pacing again and as the runners started to gather near the start line I took the plunge and decided to run. I opted for the role of 25 minute pacer. In the end there were four of us on pacing duties - at 24, 25, 27 and 30 minutes.

that looks like the face of someone who is happy to be running [photo: brian page]

Pacing at 25 minutes let me run at a nice, easy pace and came with the advantage that the kilometre splits are very easy to remember (5 minutes per kilometre pace). Another reason for wanting to pace right in the middle of the pack rather than at the front is that there are so many more opportunities to actually help other runners with their pacing or to perhaps give them a visual marker/target to help them to run new personal bests.

After the run briefing we were sent on our way and for the first time in my Dartford parkrun history I didn't go tearing off with the front-runners. It was actually really nice to hold back and run as part of the pack. I was a little worried during the opening section as I found myself running behind the 27 minute pacer, Dawn. Plus the 24 minute pacer, Adam, was nowhere in sight!

limette viking with her motivational sign [photo: richey estcourt]

However it felt right so I stuck with the pace I was moving at. I moved past Dawn so we were in the correct order and hit the 500 metre point just a couple of seconds ahead of my target pace. The next few 500 metre splits all remained just a few seconds ahead of pace. By the time I reached the halfway point I was about 7 seconds ahead of target even pace (12.23).

In order to get around the course in 25 minutes at an 'even effort' I took into account that there is a slight loss of time when the dirt incline is tackled on the second lap. This is why I was keen to be a tiny bit ahead of an even pace at this stage. Once the incline had been taken care of I brought my pacees through the 3.5 kilometre point bang on target time (17.30).

bringing it home with almost perfect pacing [photo: brian page]

All that was left was to hold the same pace as we progressed through the last 1.5 kilometres. The 4 kilometre point was reached and I was within a second or two of the target split time. This remained the same at 4.5 kilometres. I crossed the finish line in a time of 25.04. It works out that on average I managed to run within 1 second per kilometre (0.27%) of my target time so I can't really complain at those odd few seconds.

It looks like I may have helped one or two people to a new personal best, but it's hard to know for sure as the conditions turned out to be so good that they may have run a new best anyway! Once the results had been processed I saw that a total of 53 runners (out of 117) ran new pbs. Also running at this event was John Leonard - he has also completed the #7weeksofparkrun challenge (and then extended it into #iloveparkrun) and he was here to collect his D as part of the #parkrunalphabet challenge so it was quite special to have us both running at the same event on the same day.

me with john and limette viking [photo: brian page]

After the run I went around the course with Adam to pick up any course signs that hadn't already been gathered and then we all had tea in the Dartford Harriers clubhouse. It was a pretty perfect Saturday morning if you ask me.

*ad-hoc support may be given by the core team (access to kit storage and results processing)

Related: My full course description (updated to include a new feature at the train station)

Dartford parkrun 26 - an icy morning, my first time as a pacer and an accidental first finishing position

Dartford parkrun event 26 was quite a cold one. The overnight temperatures had dipped below zero, frozen all of the puddles and caused a light frost. After the course inspection, the course didn't seem to have suffered too much so the decision was taken to go ahead as planned.

twenty minute pacer [photo: richey estcourt]

The event fell on the third Saturday of the month which meant that it was pacers day. I had volunteered to attempt to pace at 20 minutes and a few minutes before the run started I had the 20 minute pacer label attached to my back. The pacers were introduced to the runners during the run briefing and we were then sent on our way.

early morning frost and ice [photo:7t]

My plan for the pacing, considering the course is not completely flat was to keep an even effort rather than an even pace, so my rough plan was this;

To start with a 3.59 first kilometre, then as the second kilometre starts with a downhill, let gravity do some of the work and put in a 3.50. The third kilometre is flat so another 3.59 would be perfect. Kilometre four is always my slowest and can sometimes be over 4 minutes, so I planned for this to be a 4.10 split. Then the last kilometre would be a return to the 3.59 pace and an overall time of 19.57.

around the 1 kilometre point adjacent to the football pitches [photo: richey estcourt]

The thing with plans is that they seldom work out. So here's what actually happened...

I got as far as the other side of the bridge and as I turned right to go onto the grass/trail section my feet caught a slippery patch and I found myself hitting the floor with a bump. I was helped up within a second or two and I continued my way along the grassy path - fortunately the only injury was a slight graze to my right shin.

frost and a sign (but no cones) [photo: 7t]

I continued around the trail and up to the football pitches where my Garmin buzzed to alert me that I had reached the 1 kilometre point, the Garmin said 3.55, so the first kilometre was pretty much on target. I was running with the front runners at this stage and we continued together around to the 2 kilometre point which we hit at a pace of 3.59 (according to Garmin). Total time 7.54 (pacing target of 8 minutes).

still on the football fields [photo: richey estcourt]

Before setting off on the run I had advised the timekeepers that if my pacing was going well I should reach them in a time of around 9 minutes and 30 seconds - as I passed them towards the end of lap one I heard a shout of 9.12 - That was a little faster than I had expected due to the feedback from the Garmin, but I thanked them and continued on.

another sign and more frost [photo: 7t]

The third kilometre passed fairly quickly and I found myself back on the grassy trail section (without slipping this time), the Garmin split time for kilometre 3 was 3.55, meaning an 11.49 3km split (11 seconds in front of the target but in line with my plan) but the notification came a touch later than I was expecting.

heading towards the start/finish area [photo: richey estcourt]

Up the trail, across the football pitches for a second time and then it was back down the twisty path and into the main section for a final whizz up to the library and back. My Garmin definitely should have alerted me to the 4 kilometre point as soon as I entered this part but it didn't.

limette the fox-viking-marshal [photo: dani] 

When my Garmin did finally alert me to my kilometre split, it gave me a 4.01 as my fourth kilometre split time, which I thought was great but as it came further down the path than I had expected. The total time according to Garmin was now 15.50 - just 10 seconds in front of the target. However I was now very suspicious that it might not have been tracking the distance as accurately as it usually does.

at the end [photo: richey estcourt]

The last kilometre was a case of just maintaining the pace I had been running for the last 4 kilometres, so that's what I did. I was hoping that I'd cross the line within 1% of my pacing time. A pacing goal of 20 minutes means that a 1% tolerance is equal to 12 seconds, so I had a window of 19.48 - 20.12 in order to stay within this percentage.

frost and cones (final corner) [photo: 7t]

I ended up crossing the finish line in 19.28 (P1) which was 32 seconds quicker than my target time, so I was a little disappointed for not being closer. The Garmin ended up tracking the course a little short and if I had continued running until it had registered the full 5k I would have been very close to the target - So, I'm blaming the technology for my failure!

from l-r gary (in the background), adam (24 min pacer), me (20 minute pacer), ben (30 minute pacer)

Further analysis using the course Strava segments shows that I ran the first 2.5 kilometres in 9.44 and the second 2.5 kilometres in 9.50 (they don't add up to the total official time, but it gives a fairly rough idea of splits). I'm not entirely sure if my pacing actually helped anyone to complete the course any faster, but it was still fun to do. It was great to put another slightly different angle on the event and I'm really looking forward to doing it again.

After the run I did a bit of barcode scanning, helped to pack away some of the signage and then spent the rest of the morning in the Dartford Harriers clubhouse with the rest of the gang... it seems to have been another successful event!