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.

Sittingbourne Invicta 10k 2015

The Sittingbourne Invicta 10k had been selected as the second of my running club's Grand Prix races so with the lure of GP points I finally got around to entering it this year (2015).

The online registration process was handled by Runners World and I paid the £12 affiliated runner fee (unaffiliated runners would have paid £14). On-the-day entries were an extra £2 making it £14 and £16 respectively.

#teamslgr pre-run photo [photo: tony giles]

The race headquarters was at Westlands School, and upon arrival I was directed into the grounds where I found plenty of space to park. The race village was set up on the school playing fields - here there were various gazebos set up selling cakes, breakfast rolls etc..

Plus a local radio station (SFM) were broadcasting live from the race and provided plenty of chat and music while I chilled out on the grass.

number collection / chip collection marquees [photo: 7t]

Another couple of gazebos were in place to deal with the race number and timing chip collection. The number collection was in one gazebo and the chip collection next door in another.

I thought it a little strange because there was a risk that a runner could turn up, collect their number but not their timing chip. Fortunately I was prompted to go and collect mine.

course map [photo: 7t]

The rest of my running club started to arrive around this point and we found a nice spot to hang out and chat in the sun before starting our respective warm-ups.

Once warmed through, it was time to check out the toilet facilities which were inside the school - there was only a short queue and before I knew it I was back outside and stripping down to my club vest. I stored my excess bits and pieces in my car, but there was a bag drop area for anyone that required it.

during the early stages of the race [photo: brian page]

About ten minutes before the race start time, which had been set at 11am, I started to head towards the start area. It was pretty full but I managed to filter through to a spot quite near the front.

It was here that one of my team mates informed me that he didn't have a timing chip because he wasn't prompted to pick his up after collecting his race bib. So if there's any feedback for the organisers it would be to merge these two collection points to make the process easier for the runners in future (or maybe change to the timing chips that are embedded in the bib).

st peter and paul church, borden [photo: 7t]

Then at 11am sharp the horn was sounded and the race was underway. The race took place almost entirely on tarmac country lanes to the south-west of the centre of Sittingbourne.

The course, which was run anti-clockwise, undulated throughout but the general theme was that the first half featured more inclines and the second half brought you back down. With this knowledge to hand I decided to push fairly hard through the first half and hope that gravity would assist with getting me back to the finish during the second.

a typical stretch of the course [photo: 7t]

The first section was through residential streets and these quickly gave way to the country lanes where all I could see to each side were open crop fields.

Just after a mile into the race, the course passed through Borden where the lovely, grade 1 listed 'Saint Peter and Paul Parish Church' could be seen on the right - records say that it is at least 800 years old.

part of the 300 metre off-road section [photo: 7t]

It is worth noting that the roads remained open to traffic and there were a few cars around, with some drivers not particularly sympathetic to the runners.

The course continued to undulate (mostly gentle climbing) as it lead further south along the country lanes until it passed over the M2 motorway and then a marshal directed the runners through a tiny hole in a hedge for a 300 metre stretch on a slightly bumpy dirt path that runs along the edge of a crop field. The end of this section is roughly about half-way into the race.

around eight kilometres into the race [photo: brian page]

The course then turned to the north to head back across the M2 and back towards Sittingbourne - the water station was around this point. I had spent the entire run so far with an ever-changing selection of Sittingbourne Strider runners and this theme continued right until the end.

This is the still-undulating-but-generally-downhill half of the race. The funny thing is, that even though my GPS data confirms that this half was indeed generally downhill, it didn't feel like it during the race. All I can remember were more uphill sections and the occasional downhill.

finish line in sight [photo: tony giles]

Towards the end of the race the country lanes gave way to the residential streets which lead the runners back into the Westlands School, past the start line and up onto the grass playing fields for a final dash to the finish line, still with my Sittingbourne Striders race companions.

Once I had crossed the line, the timing chip was removed from my shoe and I was given a medal and a goody bag. As it was a fairly warm day my first thought was to rummage through it to look for the water; During the process I also found a banana, a peanut bar thingy and loads of paper things including a list of runners in this year's race - a nice touch, I thought.

some of teamslgr awaiting (and cheering) the rest of the team [photo: tony giles]

After a brief spot of recovering on the grass, I went and found a nice spot to cheer in the rest of the team, and as each runner finished they came over and joined in with the cheering. We'd all had a great time at the event and some of my team mates even headed home with new personal bests, as confirmed by the official results that were published on-line later the same afternoon.

mission accomplished [photo: brian page]

Looking through my GPS split times it looks like I ran the first 5k in just a shade over 21 minutes and the second half in about 19.50. For the record my official chip time was 40.56 giving me and age grading of 68.38% which translates into 69 points in the club GP competition. Overall it was another great morning out with #teamslgr and I can't wait until the next one. Lastly, I would just like to add a huge thanks to Tony Giles and Brian Page for the photos.

Beckenham Team Relay 2015

With the warmer months and lighter evenings rapidly approaching, it was time to start looking for some midweek relay races to enter with my SLGR team mates. The first of the 2015 season that we liked the sound of was the Beckenham Team Relay Race, which is hosted by Beckenham Runners.

#teamslgr [photo: dani]

In the weeks leading up to the race we managed to gather enough runners to form five teams which was much better than we had managed the last time we tried to get some relay teams together. As expected, there were some changes in team line ups at the last minute, but thankfully it all went roughly to plan and there were no major problems.

Relay races come in lots of different shapes and forms, and this one was an undulating 3 x 2.6 mile race. Underfoot was tarmac, paving stones or gravel so road shoes were the way to go. I assigned myself a place in team SLGR 2 and secured the services of Richey and Adam by using the lure of vegan waggon wheels as a bribe. We decided to run the legs in order of expected pace with us getting progressively faster after each changeover. The three of us in SLGR 2 wore bibs displaying number 79, but Richey had an 'A' prefix, Adam 'B' and I had 'C' to indicate which legs we would be running.

i do love a chalk start line [photo: dani]

On paper, we were the fastest SLGR team present on the night which you might imagine would take the SLGR 1 moniker. However as the original idea to run this race came from my team mate Kat, I thought it only right to allocate the coveted number 1 to her team. The five teams were made up of 2 male teams, 2 female teams and 1 mixed team.

Race HQ was at the Beckenham Cricket Club and that's where we all met and registered our teams. The cost was £10.50 per team (£3.50 per person). Our five teams and supporters then headed over to the start-finish area which was within the grounds of Beckenham Place Park. It took about 10 minutes to walk over and our five first leg runners only just made it into the start funnel in time. Note: don't hang around in the race HQ taking team photos immediately before the race! (my fault, sorry)

the mass start (leg a) [photo: dani]

With the leg 'A' runners sent off around the course, it was time for the leg 'B' runners to warm up and then head towards the changeover area to await the return of their team mates. It was at this point that I realised exactly how many teams were in attendance. The race had reached its race licence limit of 100 teams and it was pretty packed in there!

Richey had soon completed his leg of the race and was now free to spend the rest of the evening cheering, which is actually one of the great things about relay races. Having only a few runners out on the course at a time means that there's always a great atmosphere and support for all the runners at the changeover area.

richey handing the virtual baton over to adam [photo: dani]

With Adam now out on the course I knew I better start getting properly warmed up for my leg and after a bit of running and some dynamic stretches I got myself into the changeover area, which was pretty packed with anxious looking runners awaiting their respective team mates.

Then, in the distance, I spotted Adam and moved into position to await his arrival. A quick tag and I was off. The course started at one of the high points of the course and first section was downhill along a private road which weaved through Beckenham Place Golf Course where I managed to gain two places for the team. At the end of the road the route left the park and went out onto the streets, where I caught and overtook another runner.

my turn to take the virtual baton [photo: dani]

The first incline started about 1 kilometre into the lap and went on for about 600 metres; at its steepest it reached a grade of 8%, during the ascent I managed to grab another two places. Once at the peak of the hill, the course turned to the left and the descent started.

This lead the runners back into the park where I overtook another runner as I ran along the slightly gravelly meandering path adjacent to the Ravensbourne River (this section also forms part of the Beckenham Trail 10k race which I ran in 2013). Once at the other side of the park, the runners venture out onto Beckenham Hill Road for a short 100 metre stretch along the pavement.

part of the last 700 incline through the park [photo: 7t]

Upon re-entering the park it was time for the second uphill slog. I spotted another runner in front of me and set my sights on catching him. This incline was around 700 metres in length and took the runners all the way to the finish line. With an average grade of 4%, it was not as steep as the first incline but, as it came right at the end, it felt just as hard.

I caught and overtook my opponent about half way up the hill, and then I became the prey! After working hard to take the position, the last thing I wanted to do was hand it back, so I put everything I had left into the last couple of hundred metres and even finished with a decent sprint, eventually crossing the finish line two seconds ahead of my rival to the excited cheers of my awaiting team mates and supporters.

the course hill profile [image: my strava gps data]

Before the race, I had looked at previous years' results and it was pretty clear that none of our teams would be anywhere near challenging for one of the top spots, but that really didn't matter because what we took away from the evening was a fantastic team experience on a lovely early summer's evening.

The official results were available early the next morning, which was pretty good going considering that the whole event was timed manually. I'm guessing someone had to sit up pretty late in order to get it all processed - great commitment and it was the icing on the cake of a very enjoyable and well organised event.

slgr 2 race complete [photo: clive penny]

Our teams' results were as follows;

SLGR 2 - Richey 18:25 / Adam 17:30 / Steven S 16:30 (total time: 52:25) (40th)
SLGR 3 - Terry 20:06 / Alex 20:45 / Steven B 18:29 (total time: 59:20) (72nd)
SLGR 5 - Renee 22:52 / Dawn 20:53 / Chris 19:56 (total time: 1.03:41) (81st)
SLGR 4 - Carla 24:46 / Michelle 21:55 / Caroline 20:00 (total time: 1.06:41) (90th)
SLGR 1 - Kat 28:39 / Carol 29:03 / Lynne 22:58 (total time: 1.20:40) (99th)

go #teamslgr (heart) [photo: dani]

We had a small but great team of supporters with us which was fantastic, so thank you to you all. A special thanks must go to Dani and Clive who, despite the light conditions being tricky, managed to get a really nice selection of photos between them, some of which I have used here. As always, I recorded my run using Strava so if you want to check out the course in more detail you can click to view my GPS data.

#teamslgr

Darent Valley 10k 2015

I ran this race in 2014 and came away with a pretty good result (39.57). It's probably handy to read that blog post (Darent Valley 10k 2014) before reading this one because this one contains a few references to last year's event. For the record the event is superbly organised and hosted by Swanley and District Athletics Club.

dv10k [photo: 7t]

A year later and my running had fallen to bits. A lingering knee injury has meant that my training had been almost non-existent for four months leading up to the 2015 event, and up until 48 hours prior to the race I wasn't going to enter.

However, it had been set as the first race in the 2015 SLGR Grand Prix. I'm not that fussed about competing against my team-mates but the opportunity to run at a race with such a huge group of them was too much to resist. So I gave in to temptation and entered the race via the runbritain website and paid the £13 affiliated entry fee (£15 for unaffiliated runners). I used runbritain because they do not add a fee to the entry price like some other race entry websites (*cough*runner's world*cough*).

sparepenny lane [photo: 7t]

Considering my knee troubles I knew this was going to be a poor performance in comparison to what I achieved at the previous year's race. So my only real goals were to come away without making my injury any worse and to enjoy the morning. I definitely succeeded in one of them. *sigh*

On the day, just like the previous year, I jumped on my bike and headed down to Farningham/Eynsford to the race HQ in the Anthony roper School. I arrived and found the bike racks that I had used previously. If I had driven I could have parked up in the official car park adjacent to the school. Number collection was out in the school playground and involved going to a big board, looking up my name and making a note of my race number, then going to the collection point and quoting my race number.

darent valley path [photo: 7t]

I met up with a small group of SLGR runners who were huddling in a corner of the school hall. There were other groups outside but as it was a chilly, but beautiful, morning I was glad of a bit of warmth - the cycle ride over to the venue had left me with cold knees.

There were plenty of portaloos in another part of the school playground and I got in the queue a little bit too close to race start time. By the time my turn had come around there were only 3 minutes left before we'd be heading off. It was a bit of a struggle getting through the crowd of 623 runners (double 2014's number of entrants!) but I managed to reach a spot that was close enough to the front to mean that I wouldn't be held up.

looking across darent valley towards the race hq [photo: 7t]

After a short briefing we were off. The first thing I noticed was that the main road was much smoother this year (in 2014 it was heavily pot-holed following a very wet winter). I wound my way round the road until reaching the first kilometre point and turning into Farningham High Street.

After passing the lovely St Peter and St Paul Church, and then crossing the River Darent the course started to head uphill. Gently at first, but getting quite a bit steeper after turning left again onto Sparepenny Lane which runs parallel to the Darent Valley path (Dartford parkrun also passes along the same path, but about 10km further north). The 2 kilometre point is shortly reached. Then the 3 kilometre point, which I'm pretty sure is in the wrong place - both times I have run here I have found that I reached the marker in a time that was inconsistent with the pace I had been running.

lullingstone road [photo: 7t]

After spending the next few minutes glancing over at the view across the Darent Valley the road came to an end and it was time head down Lullingstone Road towards Lullingstone Castle, but not before passing underneath the Eynsford viaduct, which never fails to impress! The route then went past the road that leads up to Eagle Heights birds of prey centre, which is also home to some big cats and various other animals.

One more feature that the route passes here is the Lullingstone Roman Villa, which has a visitor centre built around it. The Villa dates back to around 100AD and features some of the finest excavated remains of a Roman Villa in Britain. I remember visiting it as a child. Actually my parents often used to take me, my sister and brother on days out to Eynsford back in the 1980s (it was a proper day out because we lived in central London). It still looks and feels exactly the same as I remember back then.

eynsford viaduct [photo: 7t]

After the Villa the road narrows and starts to undulate as it finally winds its way past Lullingstone Castle and the half-way point. I glanced at my watch at this point and found that I was about a minute off my time from 2014, which was pretty much what I was expecting. It was now time to leave the paved roads and go off-road for a while.

If this race was run in the winter you'd probably seriously consider wearing trail shoes to help negotiate this section, but as it was April and the last few weeks had been pretty rain-free, the soil was bone dry so road shoes did the job perfectly. It's a rocky uphill path to begin with and then the path becomes grassy. It passes through a few separate fields (the brand new Lullingstone parkrun uses part of this section) before swinging downhill along a narrow, tree and bush-lined pathway that contains some protruding tree roots.

just before the 4km marker having run under the viaduct [photo: brian pitkin]

At the bottom there is a sharp right-hand turn and the off-road section is complete. A fairly short, flat road section is followed by a quick detour through Castle Farm and this is where the longest section of climbing starts. The road gets gradually steeper as it reaches the A225 main road. Then as you reach the top, pretty much at walking pace, you turn left hoping for some relief, but the hill continues (albeit at a more comfortable incline) and it seems to go on for ages.

The eighth kilometre has been my slowest split on the two ocassions I have run here. But just before the end of this kilometre, the peak of the hill is reached and the remaining two-and-a-bit kilometres are almost exclusively downhill. The course soon weaves its way past Eynsford train station and then into the centre of Eynsford (Kent village of the year 2006). The course passes the St Martin of Tours Church which is opposite an ancient ford and medieval hump-backed bridge.

neck-and-neck with drr approaching the finish [photo: brian pitkin

Now inside the final kilometre all that is left is to weave along Eynsford High Street, which is now fairly flat but there is a very small undulation that feels bigger then it is when running on tired legs, and then turn back into the Anthony Roper School and cross the finish line.

Post race there was a medal to collect and some drinks, chocolate bars and bananas on offer (in fact, this is one race where I went home with more bananas than I arrived with!) I spent the next hour or so hanging out with the rest of the team as we exchanged stories of our adventures on the course. Quite a large group of us stayed for the prize-giving ceremony where our leading lady won first placed female.

2015 race medal, which continues the theme of using a scene from around the course [photo: 7t]

After a final team photo (there were a few throughout the morning, but sadly not one of them captured everyone from the club together) it was time to hit the road. So I said my farewells, changed back into my cycling gear and had a leisurely ride back to Dartford via the country lanes around Horton Kirby and South Darenth, taking exactly the same route as I had done a year earlier.

The official results were online a few hours later and I was about 2.5 minutes slower than in 2014 but that's just how it goes sometimes - you can view my GPS data on Strava. We had 48 declared first claim members of SLGR running in the race which was amazing. Last year we weren't even an affiliated club and we had about 10 runners running as part of the original 'So Let's Go Running' running group. I'd say that's pretty good progress!

(most of) #teamslgr [photo: ian pullen]

Time: 42.24 (chip)
Position: 76 / 623
Age Grade: 64.71%
Link: Official results

Lastly, I'd just like to add a huge thank you to all the volunteers that helped to make the event possible. And also to all of my team mates, to all the friendly faces from clubs near and far I had the pleasure of chatting to and to Dartford Road Runners Ian Pullen and Brian Pitkin for the fab photos that I have used above!

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)

Gravesend Floodlit Series 10k - November 2014

I first heard about the midweek Gravesend Floodlit Series of races, which are held at the Cyclopark (Gravesend, Kent), last year (2013/14 series) and I had always intended to enter one. In the end I never managed to build up the enthusiasm to leave the warm house to run in the cold, wind and rain on a dark Thursday evening.

the runners forming at the start [photo:dani]

By the time the weather had started to improve, the series came to an end and I had missed that season’s opportunities. So I made a note to make an extra effort to attend when the 2014/15 series came around. This series started in October 2014 and as I was a little bit injured, I sensibly sat out the first one of the series. By the week of race two, I was fit enough to run. So a few days before the race, I put my entry in via the runbritain website and paid the affiliated entry fee of £8 (unaffiliated was £10 in advance). The series features two different race distance options; the 5k or the 10k. As I have run 5k around the track on many occasions, I decided to go for the 10k.

On the night, I arrived at the Cyclopark and parked in the onsite car park (£1) and continued into the Cyclocafe to pick up my race number and meet up with the rest of my So Let’s Go Running (SLGR) team mates. A lot of runners had been delayed by the terrible traffic jams caused by a number of incidents on the roads around Dartford throughout the day, so some of the runners that had intended to run the 5k (7pm start) had gone for the 10k (7.30pm start) instead – while some other delayed runners had run 5k but started at the 10k start time. So at 7.28-ish the 72 10k (and a few 5k) runners formed on the start line – the big difference with this race to any other that I had done here was that we were running anti-clockwise; in the past I had only ever run it clockwise, so as well as running a new distance on the track, it was also like running a completely different course.

arty 01 [photo:dani]

I had lined up a few rows back from the front of the grid and after a few brief words from the Race Director, Martin Burke (of Nice Work), we were sent on our way. The 10k race consisted of four laps of the track and although my fitness was a bit off what it had been a few months earlier, I decided to approach the race with an optimistic attitude and set my sights on running under forty minutes. Another thing I had never done at the track was run on it in the dark.

The main start/finish area is very well lit and this continued down and into the first couple of bends, however when reaching the extremities of the course, the lighting was not quite the same – at best we were guided by some small beacons at the edge of the track. Fortunately I had been pre-warned of this darkness and I had brought a torch with me. Admittedly, it wasn't very bright but it threw out just enough light to help me to see the edges of the track where they border the grass.

arty 02 - it is me btw [photo:dani]

The weather conditions were good for November, but the Cyclopark suffers from being in quite a windy spot and it was blowing quite a bit at some points on the course. I ran lap one with a few other runners in close contact, however by the end of the lap it had dwindled down to just two of us and we passed the start/finish line in 9.43. The SLGR club chairman, Brian Page, was at the start/finish area to give all of the #TeamSLGR runners a boost every 2.5 kilometres and as I passed he also advised me that I was in sixth position.

I stayed tucked in behind the other runner until we reached the hardest of the inclines where I moved into fifth position and began to pull away. By the end of lap two I was running alone, but had somehow let the pace slip a little (I wonder if I had got caught up in running at the other runner’s pace rather than my own during our time together) and went past the start/finish in 19.53. I was still just within the window for a sub-40 finish, but my speed had dropped below the required pace. From this point the only other runners I encountered were the ones I had begun to lap.

arty 03 [photo:dani]

I came back around to the start/finish at the end of lap 3 with the clock showing exactly 30 minutes. I was still in fifth position and there was around a 40 second gap between myself and the runner in front of me, and the runner behind me was over a minute adrift. So I knew my finishing position was secure. This just left my own personal goal, I had completed the first three laps in 9.43, 10.10, and 10.07 but I now needed a sub-10 minute final lap to get a 39.xx time.

I got my head down and throughout the last lap caught up with more and more of the slower runners and had to weave through them (sometimes taking the corners a little wider than I would have liked). I came around the last hairpin bend and had about 200 metres left to go, soon after, the timing clock came into sight. I was running as hard as I possibly could at this point and as I reached the crest of the final incline I felt the course profile change to a slight downhill and I continued, now sprinting towards the ticking clock; 39.55, 39.56, 39.57… I was giving it all I had at this point. I crossed the line and as it was downhill I carried on for another 20 metres or so before I could break my momentum and stop. The clock was showing either 39.59 or 40.00 as I passed it, but I didn't know exactly which one it was as the last few metres were a blur.

some of the slgr runners that ran and our club chairman [photo:from dawn annett's camera]

Once all of the runners had finished, we headed into the Cyclocafe for the prize giving ceremony. We had a good turnout of SLGR runners (10 in the 5k and 6 in the 10k) and one of our team (co-founder of SLGR, Dawn Annett) won one of the women’s prizes (a bottle of wine), she looked very thrilled when she heard the news and it was great to see one of our club come away with a prize. The official results were online very soon after the prize ceremony and my official time was 40.00. Not the sub-40 that I was hoping to run, but still respectable and it has given me a short term goal to focus on before the next race!

Rocky Road Trail Race 2014

When I cycled on the mountain bike trails at the cyclopark, I couldn't help but wonder what it might be like to run on these trails. Then, by some strange coincidence, the Rocky Road Trail Series at the cyclopark was announced. It was to be a series of three races with one each in May, June and July. I was out of the country for the May race and the June race was two days after the North Downs Run, and I didn't want to ask any more of my body after running that. Thankfully the July race fell quite nicely and there was nothing to stop me from entering this one.

#teamslgr [photo: dani]

This race took place on a Tuesday evening, which is usually our main club night. But with this event being a one-off, I thought it would make a nice change for any of my team mates that fancied mixing things up a little. So in the weeks leading up to the race, I spread the word on the So Let's Go Running Facebook page with the goal to turn the cyclopark black and orange. In the end, we had a very respectable turnout of 11 of us from our club. I also took the family along and asked the wife if she wouldn't mind taking some photos of us all as we raced. Some members of SLGR registered (£8) in advance, but I waited until the day and signed up upon arrival at the cyclopark.

walking to the start line [photo: dani]

The series was put on by Steve Cable and his wonderful team of volunteers. Steve also organises the free, weekly cyclorun (facebook), which is 5k around the tarmac cycle track every Sunday morning at 8am. Steve was one of the first people that I bumped into and he had just finished marking out the course. I was going to recce it before the race, but time ticked by, people arrived, and in the end it just didn't happen. I did manage to squeeze in a short warmup run on part the trails with a couple of SLGR runners a few minutes before the start of the race.

the start line in the gravel [photo: steve cable]

Race start time was 7.30pm, and a few minutes before that, we were lead from the main reception building to a wider area where Steve marked a line in the gravel - this would act as the start and the finish. The course was a two-lap circuit of the mountain bike trails that run around the outer edge of park - they have different levels of difficulty with the black routes being the hardest. Underfoot the course was a mixture of some gravelly stones, dirt trail, rocky paths, and big rocks (or you could call them boulders). The terrain was mildly undulating and featured some very twisty sections of single track mountain bike trails.

and we're off... [photo: dani]

I lined up at the front, knowing that I would need a good start to avoid being caught up in the crowd once the route reached the single track which would make overtaking very difficult. So I started well, but made the slight error of being too polite as we approached the single track and I ended up out of position with no easy way to move through the field. I stayed patient and held back, then there was an opportunity to overtake on a corner, but again I was too polite and actually lost a place. I was now in 5th place, knowing that I was running at a slower pace than I would have liked and with no easy way overtake. The worst thing was that I could see the leader pulling away from us.

lap one [photo: dani]

I stayed patient as we followed the twisty path through the first kilometre of the course and then I managed to find a couple of points that were wide enough to make some overtaking moves. By the end of the first kilometre, I had made it up into third position, but was again stuck and could only watch as the leader disappeared further into the distance. Then I found an another overtaking point, moved into second place and had the task of trying to claw back some of the lost ground.

at the far end of the course about to enter a black route [photo: steve cable]

I was now 1.5km into the race, and at this stage, the leader must have had a 20-30 second lead, so I just stuck with a good strong pace and slowly I could see that I was gaining on him. As I came back past the main central area (2.8km), I had cut the gap down to about 10-15 seconds. By the 3.3km point, I had caught up with him but the narrow trail paths prevented me from overtaking. So I spent the next 1.5km on his tail waiting for the widest of the overtaking points to appear, and when it did, I took the opportunity to move past.

the final stretch [photo: dani]

I was now in the lead and did not want to lose it. I had a sense that I had opened up a little gap, but I wasn't sure if it would be enough. I was thinking about the team and how great it would be if we could get a win. With that thought in my head, I pushed as hard as I could along the final kilometre. The setting sun was behind me and I could see my shadow stretching out in front of me, I knew that if my competitor was gaining, I would see his shadow before he had an opportunity to pass. However, it never appeared and I crossed the finish line in first position and gave #teamslgr their first proper outright race win! A proud moment.

post-race analysis [photo: dani]

I had finished 22 seconds ahead of the second placed runner. I was really pleased with my efforts to catch him and then to still have enough left in me to pull away through that final kilometre (my gps data). After a few cups of water, I chatted to some other finishers and then got in position to cheer on the rest of the SLGR gang as they approached the finish line. They all looked really strong as they pushed through the last section - hopefully that's a sign that the Tuesday and Thursday sessions paying off!

#teamslgr [photo: dani]

Team SLGR results (overall position / name / time):

1. Steven Stockwell - 23.56

9. John Annett - 29.00

10. Aaron Bardoe - 30.14

16. Gary Clements - 33.02

17. Dave Reid - 33.05

18. Chris Preston - 33.07

19. David Cooper - 33.53

23. Stephanie Ham - 36.29

24. Janice Munday - 36.49

25. Rachael Bignell - 38.01

30. Stephanie Mills - 40.37

my winners' medal [photo: dani]

The prize giving ceremony took place on the patio area outside the cafe. I knew my result, and was very excited to collect my winners' medal from Steve. But there were also team prizes up for grabs. We had taken quite a large group down and I was hoping that we would be in with a good chance of another prize. In the end it turns out that we won the mens and the womens team prizes with our top three finishers of each gender picking up a bottle of wine each. The full results can be found on the cyclorun facebook page.

a perfect end to a brilliant evening [photo: dani]

This was a really good trail race - the terrain was much rockier than what you would usually find on a typical south east England trail race. The rocky nature of the course made this more like a mountain-style trail race but without the huge inclines. I really loved it and I'm already looking forward to next year's series.

To top it all off, the amazing sunset really did turn the cyclopark black and orange... What a great evening for #TeamSLGR!