Joydens Wood 5k Series 2015 - Race 1

The Joydens Wood 5k series is hosted by Dartford Road Runners with the races taking place on the last Wednesdays of May, June and July. The events are run over three different courses within the woods which means that each runner gets to look forward to being reduced to tears in three different ways.

welcome [photo: dani]

I first heard about these races in 2014. However, I only managed to catch the last race of the series. This year I was better prepared and had kept an eye out for the confirmed dates for all three races and noted them in my diary.

Most of the event details and venue history were covered in my post from July 2014 so please have a read if you need more information. I mentioned in that post that there is a great running community in Dartford and I can only reiterate that now - in fact, for me it feels even stronger than it did then.

the official slgr photographer and chief supporter (note the black and orange) [photo: 7t]

I had pre-registered for all three races and had already collected my bib (7) from the Dartford Road Runners chairman a few days earlier, so I arrived with my number pinned on and ready to run. I'd also brought my daughter and wife who took on the roles of official chief supporter and SLGR photographer for the evening [photo album].

We arrived, found a parking space and got ourselves over to the race HQ area with plenty of time to spare. There were plenty of familiar faces around already and everything was gearing up to be a great evening. The race had a limit of 150 runners and it looked like it could be close to a sell out.

always use double knots. always. [photo: dani]

I went and had a little warm-up and was pleased to find that there was absolutely no queue for the toilets (that's because there are no toilets, just lots and lots of trees - this is the woods after all!).

The race kicked off at 7.15pm sharp and 126 runners headed off on the same undulating/hilly five kilometre course through the ancient woodland that was used last July. Being in the woods, it's a trail race and is almost entirely stony and/or uneven underfoot. There's even a crazy downhill section on loose gravel which would please the thrill seekers amongst you.

assembling at the start line [photo: dani]

My running club, SLGR, had turned up in fairly good numbers (16 of us, which made us the most well represented club on the night) and I was part of a trio that were so evenly matched that we were in close-sight of each other the whole way around.

In fact I spent the first two kilometres watching one of my team mates ease off into the distance and the next two trying to claw back the lost ground.

the slgr trio [photo: dani]

The inclines were steep and uneven in places - sometimes gravelly, sometimes a little softer, but always tough. However, being able to take part in a race in the serenity of the woods made every agonising step worth it. The final incline, known as 'Mount Misery', which is around 800 metres in length, was just as brutal as it was last year.

The trio of top finishing SLGR runners that I had been part of for the entire race finished within an eleven second window in positions 13, 14 and 15. It's not very often (if ever) that we have three runners in the top 15 so it was a good evening for us. The full results are on-line and can be accessed via this page - Joydens Wood 5k - May 2015 Results.

the slgr trio approaching the finish [photo: dani]

My own performance was a whole minute slower than I had been last July, but I was in much better shape back then so that was no surprise to me. My full GPS readings including kilometre splits and the course profile can be found here - Strava: Joydens Wood 5k - May 2015.

It turned out to be a great evening spent in good company. The Dartford Road Runners were great hosts and they deserve much praise for their efforts. As a club they have also been incredibly supportive to us over at Dartford parkrun where I know that the rest of the core team are also very grateful.

#teamslgr [photo: dani]

The second race is scheduled to take place Wednesday 24 June with the final one set for Wednesday 29 July. It's a great venue for a race so if you're local and available it's definitely worth giving one (or both) a go.

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)

Swanley Relays 2014

The Swanley Relays are hosted by Swanley and District AC. The race consists of 4 x 1 mile legs around the picturesque Swanley Park. I've heard the park described as 'the jewel in Swanley's crown' and I can see why. It is a gently undulating park with a boating lake, cafe, miniature train, children's playground and paddling pool. It really is a lovely park.

swanley park [photo: 7t]

The race took place on a Wednesday evening, and as I had the day off, I arrived, with the family, quite early in the afternoon. We spent some time in the playground and paddling pool, and also took a ride on the railway. The ride on the railway gave me the opportunity to see most of the course beforehand.

This was to be the first relay race for the newly affiliated 'So Let's Go Running' running club. I had spread the word on the club's Facebook page and managed to rope a few of our runners into forming a team. Sadly, it was only a team of three.

registering the team [photo: 7t]

The team was as follows - Steven 'so let's go buggy running' Stockwell (me), Kat 'the unstoppable' McVicar and Dave 'any excuse to wear my SLGR vest' Reid. I registered the team on the night and paid the £!0 entry race entry fee. As there were only three of us, I was nominated (or I volunteered - I can't quite remember) to run twice.

The downside of having one runner that runs twice is that it made us exempt from any potential prizes. That didn't really matter, because we were here to run as a team. Also in attendance was Brian 'SLGR' Page, the club's co-founder and, for this evening, our chief supporter and photographer!

#teamslgr [photo: brian page]

The evening also featured a junior race, and once that was finished, the first leg of the adult race got underway. As I was running two legs, it made sense for me to run number 1 and number 4. The 1 mile lap of the park is run on mixed terrain and its profile is a combination of flat and undulating.

Runners have to take care as the route, which starts on grass, passes over the miniature railway lines within the first few hundred metres. The course continues down to the far end of the park, where a gentle ramp takes the runners up onto the platform of the train station. After this, underfoot changes to a gravelly path which ever-so-gently rises as it weaves its way around the perimetre.

111 - the first leg [photo: brian page]

The course then takes a right hand turn through some trees. It is here that the toughest part of the course is found. The gentle incline suddenly becomes much steeper for a short section - fortunately there is some great support at this section and the climb is soon over. There are a few tree roots and low hanging branches to look out for along this section.

Once at the top end, and highest point, of the park, the scene is set for a largely downhill last 500 metres. The downhill starts on grass and then changes as it takes runners back onto the meandering gravelly path before returning to the grass for the final push adjacent to the boating lake.

211 - kat [photo: brian page]

The course was well marked with a white line (similar to the type you'd find on a football pitch) all the way around. At the end of each lap there was an equally well marked out change-over zone. I had been hoping for batons but sadly there weren't any. Instead we just had to tag each other in the changeover zone in order for the next runner to continue the race.

My first lap was interesting. I initially ended up pinned inside the group of runners, so I was patient as we rounded the first few corners, but as we got into a wider section, I moved to the edge in order to pass the crowd. Just before reaching the final 500 metre section, I was in fourth position, but I managed to move into third shortly after. In the final 200 metres I felt that I was gaining on the second placed runner, but the finish line arrived before I reached him.

311 - dave [photo: brian page]

I tagged Kat, who was waiting in the changeover area with an eager grin on her face. She launched into action and I stumbled off to the side to begin recovering before doing it all over again. As the minutes ticked away, I chatted to Brian and Dave as we looked over towards the top of the course, waiting for a glimpse of our black and orange kit.

Soon after, there it was. A few minutes later, Kat was on the finishing straight giving it all she had before tagging Dave and in doing so unleashed him onto the course. I stood with Kat while she recovered from her run. We chatted about our laps until we spotted Dave. I moved into position in the changeover area. Eager to set off for my second 1 mile lap of the evening.

411 - the fourth leg [photo: dani]

Closer and closer he came. I could see how hard he was working as he sprinted towards me, and then he tagged me and I was off again, but not before bumping into another team's runner and losing a precious second. As I left the changeover area, I was behind another team's runner who had just set off on his lap, but I soon passed him and ended up running alone. Until, at the far end of the course, I spotted a target. I edged closer to him as we passed over the railway platform and then overtook as we started the gentle climb. Again I was alone for a while.

As I made it into the last 500 metres, I spotted another runner and again was able to edge past. Finally I made it back onto the finish straight where I entered the changeover area for the last time and the race was over. As I mentioned earlier, we were not eligible for any prizes. So this was all about the three of us putting in our best efforts for the good of the team.

our results (central number is our overall position after each leg)

The results were posted online a few days later and we had finished in 19th position out of 28 teams overall. We were second placed senior mixed team, but as I mentioned earlier, we were not eligible for any prizes. All three of us had achieved new personal best times, so we were very pleased with ourselves for that.

In addition to the team results, there is another set of results showing everybody's individual times. I managed to finish 7th and 16th in the overall men's standings. My fastest of the two legs was 5.24, which is a new personal best over the distance. Given that the course was undulating and grassy, it does make me wonder how much faster I could go on a flat, fast course or even on a track. Overall, it was a great evening out running for our team in a very pleasant park. I can't wait to do it again next year....

Go #TeamSLGR!

Darent Valley 10k 2014

The Darent Valley 10k is organised by Swanley and District AC and takes place around the villages of Eynsford and Farningham, in Kent.

I entered the race a few days beforehand via the run Britain website and as I am (officially) an unattached runner I paid the full £15 registration fee. The cost for affiliated runners was £13. Each of those prices rose by £2 for on-the-day entries.

race hq at anthony roper school

As the race was fairly close to home, I had arranged to cycle down to Eynsford with my friend Terry (@rencestar) and he entered the race on-the-day. Upon arrival, we found a small set of bicycle racks and after locking our two-wheeled-steeds to it, we went into the race HQ. For the record, car parking was provided in a separate grass area adjacent to the school.

Race HQ was in Anthony Roper School. The bib collection tables were set up in the main hall and this is where the majority of the runners were hanging out and getting changed. It also doubled as the bag storage area. I changed into my So Let's Go Running singlet and pinned on my number.

time to get changed

There are some small toilets within the school and there was a long-ish queue. However, there were plenty of portaloos around the back of the school in one of the playgrounds. There was no queue at these and I had no toilet queue dramas (unlike the week before at the Paddock Wood Half-Marathon).

The race started from the school at 8.30am. Runners turned left out of one of the gates and headed north along the A225, which had become quite badly pot-holed (I think due to the wet winter we had just had) but the marshals were all very vocal in their efforts to ensure everybody passed through this section without tripping on one.

the bridge over the river... err.. darent (in farningham)

At the end of the road the course turns left to take runners through the village of Farningham before climbing a short hill out of the valley and turning onto Sparepenny Lane. Shortly after, it passes the 2k (8.01) and then 3k (11.21?) markers to head along the relatively flat country lane that eventually takes the runners back down into the valley at Eynsford.

At Eynsford, the course turns down Lullingstone Lane, passes underneath Eynsford viaduct - an impressive red-bricked sight featuring nine arches and passing 75-feet above the valley the runners are running along. The River Darent meanders to the left of the runners through the fields where highland cows are not an unusual sight.

eynsford viaduct and river darent

The runners continue along the lane which starts to undulate and then passes Lullingstone Castle. Just after passing the 5k marker (19.57), there is a water station and the smooth roads and paths give way to a stony path, this then turns into grass and then finally a downhill dirt trail. At the bottom of the trail, the runners are reunited with the smooth tarmac and following another brief section on a stony surface finally hit the longest and hardest of the course's uphill sections.

Towards the end of the uphill, the course meets the A225 and the runners soon pass the 7k (28.52) marker. It was at this point that I realised that I had quite a bit of work to do if I was to stand any chance of reaching my sub-40 minute goal finishing time. To save you the maths, I was running over 50 seconds behind the required pace.

just after 5k with lullingstone castle's gatehouse in the background [photo: mathew woolston]

Fortunately, the last 2 kilometres are almost entirely downhill (but with a few uphill undulations thrown in). So after passing the 8k marker and forgetting to check my watch, I started the push for the finish. The route brings runners back into Eynsford via the southern end of the village, past the train station and then down into the centre of the village. The finish line in the school grounds is further along the road, and there is one final, gentle incline just before the end.

Upon turning into the school entrance, there is a sharp drop which allows for a very fast finish over the last 30 metres or so, I glanced down at my stopwatch and saw that it said 39.54, so I sprinted as fast as my legs would take me, crossed the line and almost couldn't slow down in time to collect my medal from the marshals on medal duty.

the medal selfie

By the time I had stopped my stopwatch, the timing read 40.08 - I knew my finish time would be a few seconds faster but I didn't know if I had managed to break the 40 minute mark. Fortunately the results had been printed and were available for viewing in the main hall. My gun time was just over 40 minutes, but I wasn't right at the front when the race was started, so I checked for my chip time, which showed that I had came in just a few seconds under 40 minutes, in 39.57.

The course was clearly marked and the marshals were fab - I even knew some of them, so it was great to be cheered on by name as I passed (thank you!). The medal is slightly different to the standard run-of-the-mill offerings that are common at local races. Instead this one features an image of an interesting feature on the course - it changes from year to year and makes a nice change from the norm. The facilities were all fine, the only thing I didn't spot was a sign directing runners to the portaloos, but I'm pretty sure there would have been one and I just missed it.

#teamslgr

After some water and bananas (and watching the awards ceremony), it was time to hit the road so we (the two of us plus our new So Let's Go Cycling recruit - Ben) took a lovely relaxing ride through the country lanes around Horton Kirby and South Darenth back to Dartford.

If you're interested in splits and all that (including hill profile) you can take a look at my gps data from the race. My 5k splits times worked out at 19.57 and 20.00 so that's a slight positive split - not bad considering the second half had the bigger hills (or inclines if you prefer).

17th overall

Time: 40.05 (gun)
Time: 39.57 (chip)
Position: 17th (out of 319)
Link: Official Results

So Let's Go Running

The So Let's Go Running running group was formed to replace the Dartford Sweatshop Running Community run, which ceased to exist when the Dartford branch of Sweatshop was closed down at the end of 2013.

the runners at the first event

I had only been running with Dartford Sweatshop Running Community (SRC) since the summer of 2013 so was still fairly new to the group, but there were others that had been with the group since it started and over the years had formed a really strong running community.

The feeling was that this community could not just be allowed to disappear. So runner and chief editor of the So Let's Go Running magazine, Brian, along with run leaders Dawn and Les, set to work in getting this new group up and running. The group was registered as an official Run England running group and had it's first run on 7 January 2014.

the 'so let's go running' core team

The meeting point for the run is at the Goals football centre / The Leigh Technology College, just off Green Street Green in Dartford (postcode: DA1 1QE). The Goals centre has ample free car and bicycle parking, toilets, changing facilities and a bar area for a bit of post-run socialising. The group meets on Tuesdays at 7pm for a 7.15pm start. It is free to run, but you can contribute by buying a copy of the So Let's Go Running magazine, which features articles and run/race reports written by local runners (a couple of my parkrun blogs have been included in past issues) as well as articles on other subjects such as nutrition and cross training.

You can see the current standard 5k route in the photo below but if you'd like to examine it in more detail, feel free to have a look at my Strava GPS route from the group's second run on 14 Jan 2014 - I didn't run the first as my foot was feeling a bit iffy, but I didn't want to miss it completely so I turned up with my camera and took some photos instead.

The run heads out of the goals centre and turns left onto Green Street Green. Princes Road is then crossed via the pedestrian footbridge. The run then heads east along Princes Road where the runners use the underpasses and footbridge to negotiate the big roundabout. At the end of Princes Road there is a crossing followed by an out-and-back section along Watling Street up to the hospital roundabout and back.

the route

From here the route continues west along Watling Street, past the fire station and cemetery entrance, over the motorway and then swings left along Pilgrims Way. At the end of this road it is a simple case of retracing one's footsteps over the pedestrian footbridge and back along the paths into the Goals centre car park.

For those who do not wish to tackle the full 5k, there is the option to cut out the out-and-back section, which takes just over 1km off of the total distance. The route is pretty well lit throughout, is almost completely flat and has minimal road crossings. There is a 7km route which is an option for those who fancy going a little further - here's my Strava GPS data of the 7km route. I think it looks a bit like a scorpion.

Plus, there is a beginners interval session that uses the run/walk technique to help new runners get started and improve their fitness before progressing to one of the other runs.

post run chatting

Of course, this is not just a group for the ex-Dartford SRC runners. Runners of all abilities are most welcome to come along to run or run/walk with the group. So whether you are a beginner looking for some like-minded people to offer some encouragement or a more established runner just looking for something different, please feel free to come along.

For more information you can reach the group leader, Brian, via the So Let's go running social media channels;

So Let's Go Running on facebook

So Let's Go Running on twitter


stv/7t