Jack's Marathons - October and November 2012

My 298th marathon was on 30 September 2012 leaving me just Preston Marathon to complete on 28 October before heading out to the USA for marathon number 300. This left me an ideal opportunity to squeeze in some races at various different distances. A suitable challenge for October seemed to be to see if I could complete a 10k, a 10 mile race, a half marathon, a marathon and a cross country league race in a month. 

I started with the Standalone 10k on 7 October (40:58) and then ran the Oxford Half Marathon on the 14 pacing a friend round in 2:08:25. Next were the RAF Henlow 10 mile race on 17 October (1:22:30) and the Chiltern League 9k cross country race at Oxford on the 21 (where I was surprised to come 3rd out of 8 in the vet 60 group). 

Preston Guild Marathon: 28 October 2012: Every 20 years Preston holds its Guild Celebrations and for 2012 the city introduced a marathon to coincide with these. This was to be my 299th marathon and, as with most new marathons, I was slightly apprehensive about how well organised the event would be. It turned out that the only thing I should have been worried about was the Lancashire weather. 

Every aspect of the race had been carefully pre-planned with efficient and fast registration and baggage facilities, a warm and commodious race HQ building, ample toilet facilities with very short queues and tremendous drink stations with huge supplies of gels available just at the right locations. It was raining at the start and the downpour continued throughout the race. In addition there was a strong northerly wind and in one spot the leaves being blown from the trees hit us like bullets. Throughout all of this the marshals and drink station volunteers (who must have been frozen) remained cheerful and supportive and it was amazing that so many members of the public braved the weather to support runners along the course. 

The route was undulating, but mainly traffic free and once we left Preston we ran over the River Ribble and through some pretty countryside before returning to the finish outside Preston Guild Hall. I had a good run finishing 361st out of 1132 and 4th out of 20 in the 60-64 age group. I returned to St Albans to news that many flights to the USA were being cancelled because of Hurricane Sandy, which didn’t bode well for my scheduled flight out via Washington DC on the Thursday. 

300 up!

City of Oaks Marathon, Raleigh, North Carolina: 4 November 2012: Thankfully my flight out was not cancelled and Raleigh had not been affected at all by the hurricane. The race organisers had promised to let me have running bib number 300 to celebrate my 300th marathon and I had remembered to pack the convict outfit that I was intending to run in. I’d run this race two years previously and whilst the race director had advised that he had altered the route to cut out some of the worse hills local runners were telling me that there weren’t any flat stretches anywhere (which proved to be true). However, my main concern was that I had not done any practice runs in my outfit and that on the day the trousers seemed quite loose. I had visions of me ending up with them around my ankles. As it turned out the main problem I encountered was being too warm and by half way I found myself wishing that I’d not worn a t-shirt under my costume. 

Once we got going, my anxiety vanished and my attention was diverted early in the race to a model cow half way through the showroom window in the Wells Fargo offices in downtown Raleigh. I then started to notice spectators at regular intervals holding signs proclaiming ‘Run like you stole something’. I was indeed trying although one lady succeeded in apprehending me at around the 24 mile point so that I could be photographed with her kids beside their sign. She thanked me profusely as I assured her that this time she had convincingly apprehended her man. 

Over the weekend we’d had a policeman from NYPD staying with us and at a turnaround point close to the finish I noticed that he was catching me up quite quickly. Consequently we had a real ‘cops and robbers’ style finish to the race. My time was 4:06:52 and I won an award for being 3rd in the 60-64 age group. 

At the end we had a group photograph taken of me with three of my most eccentric friends. These were (1) Matt Jenkins, who runs all his marathons barefoot (2) Peter, the NYPD man who had almost caught me at the finish and (3) Rich Holmes, who had run his 200th marathon at the same marathon in Nashville where I had run mine. 

Jack and friends

I had a great time during the race and the encouragement I got from both spectators and fellow runners was unbelievable. However, the convict outfit is now safely packed away and I have no plans to race in it again.

Richmond Marathon, Virginia: 10 November 2012: After a week of sightseeing around Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown we made our way to Richmond. Richmond Marathon was a well organised, but busy race as they’d increased their permitted numbers by around 1500 to allow entrants from the cancelled New York Marathon to compete. The course was gently undulating, but it did start getting warm quite early on and I made the mistake of setting off with the 3.45 pace group. I stayed with them until 17.5 miles, but then had to let them go as the heat got to me. I struggled over the last few miles and finally crossed the line in 4:01:41. Curiously all 4 of us who were in the previous week’s group photo ran faster times at Richmond than at City of Oaks and Matt, Peter and I crossed the finish line within 2 minutes of each other. 

Jack Brooks

Chiltern League XC 1, Oxford - I'd been here before…

Cross country is back

Shotover Park, November 1981. Oxford vs Cambridge second team, tortoises versus spartans. I was too rubbish to make the first team. The first teams raced in Richmond Park, we lesser mortals had to battle it out at Shotover, a hill a few miles to the east of Oxford. Back in ‘81 we had to start at the top of the hill, hurtle downhill, wade through a muddy bog, then struggle back up the hill. We did this three times, seven and half miles in all. Great fun. I cannot even remember if we won or lost. That probably means we lost. 

Shotover Park, October 2012. St Albans Striders versus the rest of the Chiltern League. Probably our strongest team yet in the Chiltern League? Certainly the best turnout since the St Albans fixture last December. How would we fare? 

The course was more challenging than Verulamium Park. Granted the Start and Finish were something out of a school sports day: a pancake-flat field with not a hint of mud. Even the grass where we dumped our bags was mud-free, a welcome change from some of the alfresco changing areas, aka quagmires, I have sunk into (Hillingdon, Alexandra Palace, Parliament Hill). There were changing rooms indoors, but the weather was too nice for those. 

After a lap of the nice flat sports field we had to exit the field via a ditch, 10 foot wide, two foot deep with a foot of water in it. There was a bridge about the width of a railway sleeper to help cross this, but it had sensibly been roped off to prevent the race being too easy. 

The ditch

The ditch itself was jumpable, I managed this three times in the warm-up without getting my feet wet, but the ditch was sufficiently wide to interrupt your running rhythm, i.e. you came to an abrupt stop whilst you regained your balance on landing. Surrounded by other runners in a race, you would not have much time or opportunity to choose the best landing spot, so I decided in the race I would take the alternative route through the ditch on the right hand side, where you could take two steps shin-deep in the water and keep running through and out the other side. Two wet feet, but momentum preserved. 

It was a good plan: I did not lose any time at the ditch in the race and could look forward now to the joys of the rest of the race. Unlike 1981, when we started at the top and ran downhill, in 2012 we started at the foot of the hill and made our way upwards, a long twisting climb, slightly reminiscent of the Ridgeway Run. At the top of the hill, it flattened out nicely into a broadish plain, with plenty of opportunities for overtaking. To my surprise, I caught a couple of slightly younger Striders here and then embarked on the descent. 

The descent was a blast. A twisty, muddy, rutted, quite steep path down through deciduous woodland. For some reason, I suddenly seemed to have no fear and started overtaking the sensible, timid people, who had started faster than I had and who did not fancy a reckless charge downhill. One wrong step and it would be a twisted ankle. At the bottom of the slope we took a sharp left into more woodland, which had a generous carpet of mud throughout. At this point, I surprisingly caught up with Ed, who I later learned did not have his spiked shoes with him. 

I was also gaining on the guy who has run every London Marathon in less than three hours. Did I dare catch him? Could I catch him? It would have to wait until lap two, which we were soon getting almost literally stuck into. Once more uphill. Several of the people I had overtaken on the downhill caught up with me again, Ed included. But I was just biding my time, getting ready for another bout of downhill madness. Four miles done with a mile and a half to go we hit the downhill again. I caught Ed and Mr 30+ Sub-3 marathons on the helter-skelter descent. I was not going to get caught again if I could help it. 

Dodging an impatient motorist at the foot of the hill, I turned left into the muddy woods for the second and last time. A few more bogs to negotiate, then it was a dash for the finish. School sports day all over again. Well, it felt something like it. 

I had just scraped in as eighth scoring Strider. The fast guys had had a good race, taking us to top of Division Two, and ahead of many Division One clubs. A great start to the season. Definitely more memorable than 1981. 

Colin Braybrook

Race Report: Windsor Half Marathon – 7 October 2012

I only did this race to beat my brother-in-law (occasional Strider, Matt Humphreys) and he beat me by 70 seconds. Bugger! 

Having said that it wasn’t a complete waste of time, Windsor Half Marathon is a great course on the traffic free roads inside Windsor Great Park. The course comprises of a mile up the Long Walk, a first lap of 4 miles, a second lap of 7 miles and finally a mile back down the Long Walk towards Windsor Castle. 

I last ran the course in 2001, when I ran 1:42:19, so I was intrigued to see what affect 11 years had had on my fitness, turns out not a lot as I finished in 1:41:40. 

So I guess with an improvement of 39 seconds over 11 years that’s the 'Most Improved Strider' trophy lost for another year. Humph! All this celebrating improvement gets a little wearing after a while. 

So how did I manage this incredible feat of consistency? Well running with the Striders of course! 

Training-wise from a reasonable base fitness I did a couple of months of three runs a week all with the Striders. Tuesday speed sessions; Thursday race pace tempo session; Saturday long slow sessions. I didn’t do any other training. I know we all talk about recovery runs, core strength, and cross training, but for me and for this race I found three sessions a week was a good balance of increasing my fitness and giving myself enough recovery time. 

I used the Thursday session to work out my race pace, I found I could do the 8 min mile group okay but struggled to keep up with the 7:30 min mile group. So at Windsor I already knew I needed to keep my pace to between 7:45 and 8:00 to last the race. 

For the race itself I broke it down into 3x4 mile sections (maths not being my strong point). I took a time check at 4 miles (30:40) feeling pretty fresh. This gave me confidence that I was running at the right pace so I targeted to get to 8 miles in 62 minutes, took a gel and focused on relaxed running for another half an hour. I was at 8 miles (61:20) feeling pretty tired but pleased that I had finished 2 of my 3 race 'sections'. This helped me focus on the next 4 mile section. I did drift a bit on this one, I reached 12 miles (93:10) but still it left me with a fighting chance of a PB in the last mile, if no idea where Matt was. 

As it happened he was a minute or so up the road looking over his shoulder a lot. Oh well! I’ll have to invite him over to Watford in January.

Steve Alexander

Strider in the Spotlight – Colin Braybrook

As he steps down from the Exec Committee, Colin steps into the spotlight... 

1. How long have you been running and when did you join Striders? 

I started running at secondary school, when I was about 15. So that’s over 35 years ago. We had to play rugby before that. When cross-country was offered as an option, I discovered that the sooner you completed the course, the sooner you could go home, so that was an incentive to improve! I also discovered that with some of your own training, it was easy to progress far faster than those who did not train. 

Colin, in the London Marathon

2. What’s been your best moment as a Strider? 

No single moment really, but a lot of good experiences (and a few bad ones!). In a race, possibly winning the Veteran’s prize with a PB in the Watford Half Marathon. Going sub-3 for the first time in Paris in 2004 was pretty special too, as was getting 3 hours in the Snowdonia Marathon. 

Outside of that, being awarded the Strider’s ‘athlete of the year’ in 2003 was a big surprise. I was always glad when the MWRRL fixture I organised for five years was finished without mishap. 

3. What’s your pre-race ritual? 

No big ritual really. The hardest part is getting out of bed in the first place. After that mind and body know pretty well what to do. I normally eat an apple, a banana and maybe some other fruit and drink as much as I can. Plus there is the usual queueing ritual to be performed! I once did not eat my apple before the Gade Valley 17 and felt quite lost towards the end of the run. I tend to get nervous the day before a race rather than on race day. 

4. What’s the most useful piece of running advice you’ve been given? 

Listen to your body. (But do not give in to all of its complaints!) 

5. Who is your sporting hero? 

The Ugandan hurdler John Akii Bua is hard to beat. He achieved Olympic Gold and a world record 400 metre hurdles in the 1972 Olympics pretty much by obsessive hard work. It is a shame he could not capitalise on his success. The Puma shoe company rescued him from a refugee camp after Idi Amin went off the rails. 

Let’s not forget our own Strider heroes. Mike Jubb, Deborah Steer, Zoe Lowe, the ladies marathon team, Caroline Walsh, Paul Adams and Jack Brooks – they have all achieved great things in their time. 

6. Where do you keep your race medals? 

I am sorry to say that most of them have been consigned to a bottom drawer! For a while I was winning veteran 40 trophies and kept an array of them on top of the lavatory cistern. But the dusting was too much hassle. The Watford Half and Snowdonia trophies plus the eight consecutive London Marathon medals are the only ones on show in the living room now. 

7. What’s your favourite local running route? 

Across the fields and the A414 to Tyttenhanger lakes, then over to Colney Heath and back via the Alban Way is a nice escape. The path from the A414 over Hedges Farm and back by the Ver is a nice little escape route too! I quite enjoy running to the Pub Run, doing the Pub run then running home. This brings me close to 19 miles without really thinking about it. Running to the parkrun and doing the parkrun beforehand makes it nearly a marathon! I tend to train quite slowly these days, and rely on the adrenaline of doing races for my speed rather than doing speed sessions midweek. 

8. What’s your next target? 

I need to do a crazy ultra some time soon. I have been feeling very claustrophobic working in a basement for the past year or so. I think it got to me recently – I ran 98 not particularly fast miles in a week without planning to. It just happened thanks to a spell of nice weather!

Jack's Marathons - September 2012

The Mooathon Marathon, County Donegal: 30th September 2012 (Marathon No. 298): Because I was ill on the day of Milton Keynes Marathon I had to find another marathon to keep me on target for running my 300th marathon in North Carolina on 4th November. The Mooathon seemed like a fun event and I happily registered for the Full Moo (the half marathon is called the Semi-Skimmed). The guidelines for the race are that competitors should only wear black and white clothing and that ideally clothing should relate to cows in one way or another. While some runners took this to extremes I borrowed a black t-shirt with a picture of a cow on it and the words 'I ran with the herd' emblazoned across the front. 

Unfortunately, once the gun went off runners started to appreciate that this would be an extremely demanding race. I don’t think that anywhere in Donegal is flat, but this course from Kilmacrenan Town to Downings plus a loop round the coast contained an awful lot of very steep climbs, which were certainly a lot tougher than any of the hills in Snowdonia. I think that I can safely say that, whilst the scenery was spectacular, this was the toughest marathon I’ve run since Liechtenstein Marathon in 2001. In the event 5 out of the 39 starters failed to complete the race and I was much relieved to finish 25th in a time of 4:38:01. 

The rest of the trip to Ireland was not without its odd quirks. Our hotel’s address was Lower Main Street, Letterkenny. Having driven the full length of Lower Main Street we discovered that the hotel was actually located on a completely different road. Subsequently on the way to Arran Island we came across 2 speed signs facing us on either side of the road. One of these stated that the speed limit was 50 and the other that it was 60.

Jack Brooks 

Everything you ever wanted to know....

....about running and Striders, but were afraid to ask!! 

Thursday saw the first ‘Essentials’ session at the King Harry pub and offered a chance to marvel at Mike's incredible knowledge of all things run-related. In a fantastically comprehensive session, fuelled only by assorted bar snacks and a drink or two, we learnt all about Striders and how to go about improving our running performance, including: 

• The different seasons in the running year 
• How Striders’ runs and training sessions fit into a training programme 
• How you can help Striders and get involved in the club 
• How a training diary (and blogging) helps 
• What it takes to win the club championships (or at least be in contention) 
• Why it helps to have a running buddy on a long run (to pass the talk test) 
• And why men shouldn’t run in boxer shorts...... 

And what did I take away? Finding out that I might be just 12 months into what could be at least five years of continued improvement if I put in the training was really encouraging. I suspect that actually winning the club championships is a very remote prospect for me, so I’ll be focusing my efforts on identifying some A, B and C races, building Striders’ sessions into a training plan and seriously considering a cross country race or two (I still bear mental and physical scars from school races). 

While it might take some time to stop consulting my Garmin at regular points through a 5K parkrun, I am reassured that it will take a spectacular shopping spree to come close to becoming St Albans’ equivalent of the Imelda Marcos of running shoes! 

The next session is scheduled for 18 October, at the end of the current Get Started course. For anyone looking to learn more about getting to grips with their training, achieving their goals and understanding how Striders can help (and how you can help Striders), it's not to be missed. 

Kate Webb

Strider in the spotlight – Emma Halldearn

With the third Get Started programme about to get underway, we check back with one of the ‘graduates’ of the first course to see how they are getting on.....let's hear from Emma

1. How long have you been running and when did you join Striders? 

I joined Striders through the first Get Started programme organised by Becky and Helen in September 2011. I have always done a little bit of jogging here and there, but never really been sporty. At that point my weekend long runs had got to 3 miles, and that felt like an extremely long way at the time! 

I thought about joining the Striders on numerous occasions but after seeing what I assumed were Striders ‘bouncing’ cheerfully around Verulamium Park, I couldn't pluck up the courage to just turn up on a Tuesday / Thursday session. 

I saw the Get Started course advertised on the Striders website and registered myself straight away before I could wimp out. From day one everyone at the club was extremely friendly, supportive, organised, and lots of fun. It’s been onwards and upwards since then! 

Emma in the Striders spring handicap

2. What’s been your best moment as a Strider? 

My first real goal was the St Albans half marathon in June this year. I had never imagined I could run 13 miles so I was pretty nervous before the race. I wasn’t actually sure I’d get to the end! 

Running a race in your home town, wearing your race vest, is just the best feeling. I couldn’t count how many times someone shouted ‘GO STRIDERS!’ and every bit of support puts an extra stride in your step. I remember at one point feeling more popular than the two men dressed as bananas behind me! 

To cross the finish line, in a time more than 10 minutes better than I expected, and hear over the tannoy ‘…and yet another Strider crosses the finish line’ – was simply brilliant! 

3. What’s your pre-race ritual? 

Mmm, probably a million trips to the loo along with every other runner before a race! I’m not sure I’ve developed a ritual yet, but eating breakfast and not having a hangover is definitely a good start! 

4. What’s the most useful piece of running advice you've been given? 

I’m not sure who told me this - Gladstone or Jack - but the one piece of advice I use on a regular basis is: ‘Pain is only temporary’. I can’t tell you how many hills that has got me up, or how many last miles it’s got me through. 

5. Who is your sporting hero? 

Like the rest of the world I've recently been Olympic mad, so Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah at the moment. I was lucky enough to see them win gold at the stadium. So inspiring! 

Emma (r) with Lucy, and a couple of race medals

6. Where do you keep your race medals? 

I have only collected about 6 so far, at the moment they are hanging in my dinning room. I’m trying to collect enough to decorate the Christmas tree this year (although I think I’ve got a fair few races to get that far!). 

7. What’s your favourite local running route? 

I love the country routes in and around St Albans, I try to keep it varied and Thursday night group runs explore so many different routes around the town. I sometimes think I have to keep up or I’ll never find my way back home! 

8. What’s your next target? 

I’m currently training for my first marathon – Amsterdam on the 21 October this year. I’m up to 18 miles at the moment and only a few weeks until tapering begins. After that, I’ll probably relax a little on the distance training front and bounce cheerfully around Verulamium Park! 

Jack's marathons - August 2012

Northumberland Coast Trail Marathon: 19th August 2012: (Marathon No 296): Unlike most marathons, the start time for this one is determined by the tides as there are several long stretches along beaches. The race starts on the beach at Alnmouth and proceeds north mainly following the Northumberland Coastal path until the turnaround point at Long Nanny Bridge, just south of Beadnell Bay. There are spectacular views along the whole course and the route goes through Boulmer (where Linda Powell advises that she was carousing in the Fishing Boat Inn, not knowing that a marathon was about to go past the pub entrance) and Craster and then past Dunstanburgh Castle. The sea is rarely out of sight. 

It was very hot for the first half of the race, but as we turned the sea breeze picked up and the going became easier. Alison Campbell and her family were manning one of the drink stations and her brother Mike (who occasionally trains with the Striders) was well ahead of me. It was good to see some familiar faces. I thoroughly enjoyed the race and was also pleased with my time of 4:40:58 given the nature of some of the terrain. My performance was good enough to earn me the first male vet 60-64 trophy. The train to Edinburgh stops at Alnmouth, and the race start and several B&Bs are only just over a mile away from the station so this is a race, which is easy to get to by public transport. The race director is seeing if he can get a permit for larger numbers next year. If you like trail marathons this is one that I can highly recommend. 

Thames Meander Trail Marathon: 25th August 2012: (Marathon No 297): A number of us take turns in guiding a blind runner, Paul Watts, around marathons. I have previously taken him round three road marathons, but I was apprehensive about taking him round this trail marathon. The Thames Meander starts in Kingston Upon Thames, runs through Richmond Park, follows the Thames towpath to the turnaround point at Putney Bridge and then returns along the same route. When I ran the race last year I thought that the paths were in fairly good condition, but when you are responsible for someone who can’t see anything in front of them you become much more aware of every stone, root and obstacle in your path. Fortunately we managed to avoid any major trip hazards, but one thing we couldn’t avoid was the torrential rain, which thoroughly drenched us on the return part of the race. The hot meal waiting for us when we finished in 5:33:27 was extremely welcome.

Jack Brooks

A bit of digital inspiration

Missing the Olympics already? Can’t wait for the Paralympics? I’m with you. For me, the sense of excitement around London 2012 built from the first sight of the Stadium during the Striders Olympic Relay. But it was something else to be able to watch elite athletes in action. I’m fairly sure I was not the generation that was meant to be inspired – let’s call it a happy side effect.

These were famously the first digital games, so we will be able relive some of the highs and lows, laughs and gasps via the net – which means we will always have the chance to see Mo Farah running away from things - and the Mayor of London stuck on a zip wire - and no doubt over the next couple of weeks the Paralympics will offer up some amazing stories and memories. 

But the net’s also there for inspiration and more, so to harness the spirit of the games as we head into the autumn .... check out these links: 

Our very own Lucy Waterlow finds out how Nell McAndrew improved her marathon time to under three hours in London this year.

Relive Dave Wottle’s run in the 1972 Olympic 800m final ....he’s the one in the hat... talk about getting your timing right. 

And when someone else has put it so much better, a motivational quote or three.... 

Happy running! 

Jack's Marathons - June and July 2012

St Albans Half Marathon: 10 June 2012: This is one of those races where I can track how my times have got progressively slower over the years (1995 = 1:30:01. 1996 = 1:35:41. 1999 = 1:35:47. 2000 = 1:40:47. 2002 = 1:41:21. 2008 = 1:51:43. 2010 = 1:50:53. 2012 = 1:48:50) At least my time this year was over 2 minutes faster than my time 2 years ago, but the trend is still clearly visible. However, it was great to see so many Striders taking part and there were some excellent Striders performances by both men and ladies that far outshone mine. 

The Holly Challenge Trail Marathon, Lightmoor, Shropshire: 16 June 2012: I don’t think that I could have been totally compos mentis when I signed up for this 31.4 lap race. It started to rain as I left the Travelodge in Wolverhampton and continued throughout the race. On the first time round I discovered that each lap contained one very steep muddy hill, one long, but gradual hill and one short hill. There must have been some downhills as well, but these didn’t really register with many runners and everybody was convinced that there was more uphill than downhill. It defied logic. Another matter for speculation and discussion as the race progressed was whether or not the water level in the two lakes we ran between would rise high enough to flood the narrow footpath running between them before we finished. Given how hard the course was I was satisfied with my time of 4:16:44. The medal was also nice, but far more attractive was the engraved pint glass filled with Pimms that I received as I crossed the line. I returned to St Albans with a substantial chunk of Shropshire caked to my legs. 

Hamsterley Forest Trail Marathon, County Durham: 1 July 2012: Having run the St Albans 7 mile mid-week road race on 28 June I wasn’t sure how my legs would cope with the steep hills in the Durham Dales. I started off cautiously and ran the first couple of miles with one of the girls I’d run with at Druridge Bay Marathon in May. The course comprises an out section followed by 3 laps and then a return stretch of about 2 miles to the finish at the Visitor’s Centre. We quickly discovered the 2 major uphills in the first half of each lap. The consolation was that a good proportion of the second half of each lap was downhill. I finished in 4:21:00 satisfied that there were still quite a few people behind me and pleased to have completed my 100th different UK marathon in one piece. This was yet another well-organised marathon put on by the North East Marathon Club. I’m now looking forward to running their Northumberland Coast Marathon in August.

Summer Enigma Trail Marathons 1 and 2, Milton Keynes: 7 and 8 July 2012: I knew July would be a tough month with 5 marathons in the first 4 weekends and it was the Enigma marathons that I was dreading most. The course for each marathon is described as 7.5 scenic laps around Caldecotte Lake. Unfortunately, the large puddle we had to run through on each lap was much deeper on the second day than on the first and my left shoe developed a Donald Duck squeak that became increasingly irritating as I grew more tired. Each lap had plenty of twists, turns, puddles and undulations, but this is still definitely not my favourite lake to run around. It was good to see another Strider (Kathryn Hall) beating me in on day 1 finishing in 4:15:19, but she had more sense than to turn up on day 2. Instead, on day 2 there was a fresh influx of runners to add to those of us demented enough to run both races. My times were 4:21:35 and 4:50:15 respectively placing me 20th out of 45 on day 1 and 26th out of 40 on day 2. 

Fairlands Valley Challenge Trail Marathon, Stevenage: 15 July 2012: For me this local event is one of the highlights of the year with the added bonuses that we rarely get rain while we are out running the Challenge and that the scenery is breathtaking. This year there were more Striders running the various distances than I can recall since I ran my first one in 1996. Steve Smith and Liz Walls ran the 50k route. Gary Warren, John Jones and David Perry were 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively in the 18.7 mile event, whilst Gladstone and 7 other Striders completed that distance at a more leisurely pace. In the marathon Ross Nugent (called back from Sweden to assist with Olympic Security) was 24th, Nick Bradley 44th and Jonathan Milne 104th. 7 of us (Petra Grosse, Peter Rogers, Abby Reilly, Fiona Snailham, Kathryn Hall and her cousin Caroline, and me) ran round together with plenty of photo stops and consuming copious amounts of bread pudding at the check points. We had a brilliant time and a thoroughly enjoyable day in spite of the mud. 

Konigsschlosser Romantikmarathon 2012, Fussen, Bavaria: 22 July 2012: This was one of the most scenic trail marathons I have run. From Fussen the route takes runners through the Hopfer Forest, round Lake Hopfensee, across the floodplain of the river Lech, along the banks of Lake Forggensee, across lush green meadows and past the royal castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau before returning to Fussen through the Schwansee woodlands. Unbelievably, with Austria and the Alps only 5 kilometres away from Fussen, the organisers managed to devise a fairly flat course and the views changed every time you turned a corner. There were plenty of cows with cowbells to add support as runners made their way towards the finish. Everybody I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed the event although it would have been even better if the rain had held off and produced a few less puddles. My finishing time was 4:13:32. Most important is the fact that Fussen is a beautiful town in which to celebrate post race. 

This was my 295th marathon. My aim is to run my 300th in North Carolina on 4 November, so I am now allowing myself a few weeks of rest before my next race. 

Jack Brooks

Strider in the Spotlight - Mike Jubb

It’s time for the next 'Strider in the Spotlight' – and it’s Coach Jubb in the hot seat!

How long have you been running and when did you join Striders?
I've been running since I was about 13. I was rubbish at all sports at school, but found out that I could hold my own when we ran cross-country. My sister got a lift to work with a member of the local orienteering club, so that was how I got into endurance sport. I chose my university based on their successful orienteering club (Sheffield), then post-university I joined Derby Athletics Club, and focussed on fell racing for a couple of years (until I ended up in intensive care after an overly ambitious descending technique resulted in concussion). I then found a niche for myself running the steeplechase in the club league matches (mainly because I was the only person prepared to do it)....but also found that I was quite good at it, possibly from my years of 'strong' running. So in my late 20s my year consisted of running the typical club timetable of cross-country all winter, road relays in spring, track racing all summer, road racing in autumn before heading back into the cross-country season again.

At the age of 32, when my track times started to get slower, I decided that I should have a crack at the marathon. We had moved to St Albans in 2001, but I was still running first claim for Derby, and only second claim for the Striders, so in my Derby vest I ran a 2:28:09 to finish in the top-50 in London. This was the only 'serious' marathon that I've attempted, as I then discovered the world of multi-sport, and started racing duathlon (run-bike-run). Since 2005, I decided to bring in the challenge of swimming to participate in triathlons, and since then I've competed in two Ironman races.

I've been coaching at the club, leading the Tuesday night track sessions, for around 8 years, and it’s been great to see club members go from strength to strength over the years. 

What’s been your best moment as a Strider?

In 2003, the year after I'd trained for the London Marathon (clocking training of 100+ mile weeks), I started to train for the duathlon and hence cutting my mileage back significantly to enable the bike training to be fitted in. So it was quite a surprise to me that at the National Cross Country at Parliament Hill I finished in 14th place. I had been on the osteopath's table the day before with a bad back, and was considering not running, even on the morning of the race. However after a 'steady' start I kept working through the field and on the last lap found myself overtaking people who I would not have dreamed of beating - like Rob Denmark and Mark Hudspith. By the last couple of miles I just wanted the race to keep on going, as I was still working my way through the field. I guess it was just my 'dream race' where everything goes perfect.

What’s your pre-race ritual? 

When I was at home, my mum always used to cook me spaghetti bolognese the night before a race, but I had a few bad experiences of a dodgy stomach on race day with numerous trips to the toilet, so I decided to swap to pizza....a food that you can find everywhere.....my favourite being pepperoni, washed down with a bottle of beer (to help me sleep!).

On race morning, I like to have porridge, 3 hours before the start, with a strong coffee about an hour before the race, and water or weak electrolyte drink being sipped up to the start of the race.

I like to arrive at races with at least an hour to go, start warming up (with very easy jogging) about 30–40 mins before the start, and with 10–15 mins before the race, I start doing drills and strides to get the legs ready to operate in 'race' mode.

What’s the most useful piece of running advice you’ve been given? 

I used to run with tight fists, and was then told to put my thumbs between my index and middle fingers........no more tight fists!

Who is your sporting hero? 

Lance Armstrong......the guy continues to compete in his 40s at the very highest level in the world’s toughest races.

Where do you keep your race medals? 

The important ones (National and World championships and my Ironman finishers medals) are on display, but the majority are either in the loft or hanging on the end of the banister rail.

What’s your favourite local running route? 

I love running hills in the park, but if I just want to go for a relaxing run, there is flat route from Park Street down the Ver Valley Way.....it’s about 35 mins from my house down to the end and back......mostly on off-road trails, alongside the stream.

What's your favourite race? 

I used to race a road race every Boxing Day in Barnsley. It's called the Ward Green 6, and is a two-lap course that runs down a big hill before climbing back up again. A number of athletes would be seen regretting their extra portion of Xmas pudding as they suffered up the hill. I won it or finished in the top3 for several years running, but what makes the race stick in my memory was the fact that the prizegiving was held in the local working-men’s club (with dripping sandwiches and pork pies laid out on the snooker table), and the prizes were donated by a local electricity shop.....the men picked up radios and TVs, while the women’s prizes were electric mixers, toasters and irons. LOL!

What’s your next target? 

My big aim for the year is the Helvellyn Triathlon. It finishes with an 8 mile 'run' to the top of Helvellyn and back. I'm also enjoying being able to run competitively again. After an operation on my calf in 2009, it’s taken until this year for me to be able to train consistently on it.....so I'm enjoying chasing the younger, fast lads in the club....hopefully it will push them on to race faster too to stay ahead of me!! 

Mike Jubb

MWRRL Mob Match, Trent Park - Mud, sweat & cheers

I had wondered for a while why the final race in the Midweek Road Race League was called a Mob match. It turns out it’s got nothing to do with the Mafia – although the final uphill stretch did make me an offer I nearly couldn’t refuse.

As we arrived surveyed the plush facilities at the Southgate Hockey Club in Trent Park in the middle of a torrential downpour, I had two thoughts:

1. There’s going to be an excellent post-match spread. (It’s true. There was.)

2. Can I hide here on the balcony and watch the hockey practice, instead of doing any running?

But I’d been spotted by too many people to go with the race-dodging plan, so off to the start line we trotted.

Shocked by the wet mud lurking below the grass, I set off like a startled gazelle, running way too quickly (for me) – sub 7 minute mile pace. I hadn’t even realised I could run that fast, which is one positive I suppose.

The remaining lessons were brutally handed to me over the next 4.5 miles. As I slowed to a more sensible pace, I was overtaken by a succession of Striders more experienced at steady racing, including Clare, Mandy, Richard D, Howard, Gladstone and Peter. While it’s always a little draining to be overtaken, every one of them had a word or two of encouragement. The Striders are a great team to run with.

We ran two laps round Trent Park, on quite a mixture of terrains. It’s probably beautiful when it hasn’t been raining so much. In places the paths were exceptionally muddy.

And while I couldn’t really relish the downhill parts for fear of losing my footing, the uphill stretch, especially on the second lap, was the closest I’ve come to listening to that niggling voice whispering, ‘Shall we just walk for a bit?’ The only thing that kept me running was the knowledge that it would mean I’d get to the end sooner.

As I neared the final stretch, as in previous races, there was a tremendous posse of already-finished cheering Striders. Someone shouted ‘Put this in your blog, Richard!’ but I was too tired to see who it was, let alone think of a witty response, so gritted my teeth and pushed myself back through the wet grass.

9k? It felt more like 10 and a half. After a minute or so making sure I hadn’t fainted, I was ready to cheer on those finishing just after me. Special mention to Jack, Katie, Sheryl and Kate, who all crossed the line with impressive sprints and smiling faces.

Back in the hockey club, the award ceremony was astonishing. The numerous prizes won by the club, both team and individual, will be recorded elsewhere, but as I stood at the back of the room cheering and clapping each trophy, I was struck by the smiles and pride of every Strider I could see. It really was shared effort and shared joy.

I run with Striders because it’s a really good bunch of people. It just so happens that a lot of them can run impressively quickly too, but it’s the friendliness and team spirit that matters most.


Richard Sved

MWRRL 4, St Albans – Crunch time

Race 4. The home leg, and with it lots of pressure. After such success in the last three races, hopes were high that we’d be able to capitalise on the great achievements in Stevenage, Welwyn and Harlow to seal victory in the league on home turf (and tarmac). Added to this was the pressure to host a good event, and make sure there’s something to eat at the end.

St Albans and the weather did their bit – the park and abbey gleaming in the early evening sun. Club members old and new stepped up to help, marshalling around the course and providing platters of food.

I was stationary for much of the evening, helping out with the start and finish on the green by Waitrose, and getting a pretty awe-inspiring view of proceedings as part of the deal.

The klaxon sounded and we saw the runners off. A kaleidoscope of club vests streaming down King Harry Lane (‘stay off the road please’) and off around the hilly seven mile course.

Marshall-wise that was the first job done, and with 300 runners out of the way for half an hour, it was time to set up the finish. Ably directed by Duncan, we each set to our task, mallets in hand, building funnels, and tying tape between stakes, making it look like a long, thin crime scene.

Raffle tickets were prepped and clip boards were at the ready for the first finishers. And we waited, with keen anticipation building as the predicted time of the first finisher approached. The wind was getting up, and the paperwork was rustling - would we get the result we wanted? Would the MWRRL title be ours?

And then the shout went out: 'First runner!' Hallam speeding down from the Hemel road on his bike with a blue and yellow vested runner not far behind! 'It’s Paul!' He was followed by Simon and Jonathon, and the Striders kept on coming! Five of the first eight men - clearly giving everything they had on a tough run. Perhaps this was going to be our night...

I’d been a spectator through all this, waiting to hand the women their raffle tickets. But before long, the next shout we’d been waiting for: 'First woman!' quickly followed by: 'It’s Lucy!' Perhaps this really was going to be our night...

And then, the flurry of excitement at the first finishers gave way to astonishment at the enormous efforts that the runners were putting in. Runner after runner, Strider after Strider, filed through the funnel. I’d marshalled out on the road before, but this was the first time I’d seen the business end of a race close up and witnessed what it takes to put in a winning team performance. It was inspirational and filled those of us watching with immense pride.

Demand for raffle tickets continued and slowly but surely the kaleidoscope of club vests was reforming on the green. Around 75 minutes after the start, and over 300 finishers later, proud photos were being taken, and it was time to take down the tape and head back for tea. It had been a great evening.

Friday morning and it’s time to check the results..... Striders had won! Nailing victory in the men’s and women’s team race on the night! And then, quickly scrolling down to check the final league table.....Victory in the league overall! And category wins for the men, women and men’s vets. What a result! And what an amazing team effort!

Next stop: Trent Park and the mob match. What odds on us putting the proverbial icing on the cake? See you there! 

Kate Webb

MWRRL 3, Harlow - Reasons. Excuses. Pride. And a limerick.

And so our summer running tour of new towns continued as we moved on to Harlow on a balmy evening. Already tired from the jog to the start line, I had been wondering recently how I’d feel if I was to run a slower time after four consecutive 10k PBs this year. I was about to find out. 

Early on, as we headed out into surprisingly beautiful countryside, I was puzzled to see Wendy, one of our faster women striders, running back the other way, but soon saw why. She was getting help as a Fairlands Valley runner had collapsed. I hope and trust she has recovered. 

At about halfway, I realised I was struggling a little, so in order to forget the pain, I tried to compose a limerick. However, I couldn’t get any further than a repetition of: 

There was a young runner from Harlow,
Who looked like a short Gary Barlow... 

So as I slowed down further my mind raced with reasons and excuses to explain my sluggishness: 

• I’d been feeling a bit queasy for a couple of days 
• My right calf was starting to hurt 
• It was quite hot 
• I didn’t like the uphill bits 
• I swallowed a fly 
• I didn’t like the downhill bits 
• After a while I also didn’t like the flat bits 
• A bloke behind me was breathing too loudly 
• I was mesmerised by the bounciness of Jack’s hair as he ran past me

Nevertheless, with the help of Roger, I battled through to the end, even managing to pick up speed as we careered round the field on the final stretch, cheered on by Striders who’d finished already (we scored very well again).

I made it through. And I had scored for the C team! It may be the slowest I’ve run this year (48:18) but it’s the proudest I’ve felt. Every race is different.

And then I found I could finish the limerick! 

There was a young runner from Harlow
Who looked like a short Gary Barlow
He slowed to an amble
And went off to gamble
His savings in posh Monte Carlo!

Richard Sved

35 miles. 50 runners. 1 club.

It was Striders’ big day out in the sun – 17 June and the
relay from Verulamium Park to the Olympic version
in east London. The route took in Elstree, Aldenham,
Mill Hill, Totteridge, Dollis Valley Greenwalk,
Hendon, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Parliament Hill,
Gospel Oak, Primrose Hill, Regent’s Canal,
Camden, Islington, Hoxton and Victoria Park.

‘35 miles, 50 runners, 1 club’ was the slogan for
the run, proudly emblazoned on the back of our
commemorative shirts, but these three numbers
don’t begin to describe the day, so here’s just a few more:

5 relay legs ..... 2 buses (1 big, 1 mini) ..... 5 different coloured shirts, giving Striders the option of wearing something other than blue or yellow for a day! ..... 5 wigs ..... 1 nun’s habit, from ebay ..... 20 yards of boggy mud to negotiate ..... 2 little dogs, terrified in the Dollis Valley ..... 3 times Abba’s ‘Winner takes it all’ played in the minibus ..... 0 public toilets (apparently, but plenty of undergrowth) ..... 6 kites being flown from Hampstead Heath ..... 30 SPF cream, surprisingly necessary given the recent rain ..... 2 whistles to announce our arrival ..... 2 clear views over London from Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill ..... 3 rounds of applause (at least) from impressed onlookers ..... 100% vote for Marge Simpson as best fancy dress ..... 1 group run along the canal ..... 3 amazing ultra runners, completing the full distance ..... 38 mile journey for one inflatable torch

And last, but not least:

1 Olympic stadium ..... 3 massive cheers for the organisers of a fantastic day ..... and countless photos of 50 happy Striders – check out the Striders gallery page and Facebook page

Strider in the Spotlight - Sheryl Norman

Welcome to the first 'Strider in the Spotlight' – a chance to learn more about your fellow Striders.

Sheryl in Paris, 2010

First in the hot seat - our Chair, Sheryl ...... 

 
How long have you been running and when did you join Striders?

For about 10 years. I started running to get back in shape after the birth of my son Oliver. I remember those first few weeks so well...walk 3 minutes, run 1 minute...and how hard it felt at the time. I've been a Strider for about 4 years. I'd had a disastrous half-marathon and thought, ‘Right, I need to join a running club to help me learn how to train better.’

What’s been your best moment as a Strider?

Doing my first (and only so far!) marathon in Paris in 2010. I don't think I could have done it without all the support from the club and especially from my training partner (and Strider) Linda Powell. She was training for London, which I think was a week after Paris. I'll never forget our last 22 mile training run and how we were both near meltdown but we carried each other through. Colin Braybrook also ran the Paris marathon and although he had pretty much showered and shaved by the time I finished (in 4:35) it was fantastic to have another Strider there to cheer me on as I took those last few, very hard steps across the finish. 

Linda and Sheryl in training, 2010

What’s your pre-race ritual?

This has been trial and error over the years (!) but... coffee & wholewheat toast with honey and a banana. 

What’s the most useful piece of running advice you’ve been given?

Give yourself plenty of time to recover after a marathon. This is advice I actually didn't follow after Paris and paid the price. I won't ignore that advice next time. Incidentally, that ‘next time’ is potentially to have another go at Paris next year. We'll see.... 

Who is your sporting hero?

Without a doubt Paula Radcliffe. She's been a big inspiration to me. She is (still) an amazing runner. Oh and James Cracknell is nice, too. I mean, he's an incredibly talented athlete, isn't he? 

Where do you keep your race medals?

Hanging on the back of the door in my spare room. Except of course my Paris marathon medal, which hangs on my closet door so I see it every day. 

What’s your favourite local running route?

That would most certainly be my run through the Wheathampstead fields into Kimpton to visit the alpacas. I do that one as often as I can; they're just so darned cute. 

What’s your next target?

Well I'm trying to build up the courage to do either London or Paris marathon next spring. It's likely I won't get into London so we'll see what happens. I just need to get my head around all that training again. It's fun... isn't it?! 

MWRRL 2, Welwyn Garden City - it’s the taking part that counts

And so I found myself in my yellow and blue vest again last Thursday for the second Midweek Road Race League fixture of the season. I normally only go to Welwyn to do the Christmas shopping in John Lewis, so this felt a little alien.

As we huddled together for the start, my Garmin was merrily picking up other people’s heart rates. I wasn’t the only one who was nervous!

Rather than running round parks, lanes or along country roads, at Welwyn we were very much in a road race. This meant that there were many more spectators. I was clearly running with some very popular local runners, and felt very strongly like I was in the away team.

There was at least one St Albans Strider supporter though, a chap with his bike, and I was very grateful for his vocal encouragement. Spurred on, I tried to keep Marc and Howard in my sights, and, although I never quite kept up with them, they definitely pulled me along.

It’s all very well running a two lap course, but it’s strangely demoralising when the start of the second lap is nowhere near halfway. It took us round the Rugby Club, before we ducked though a gap in the hedge for a ‘sprint’ finish. Happily for me, loads of Striders had finished much earlier and got their breath back, so there was plenty of cheering.

The quicker runners did the Striders proud again. Tom won the men’s race again, Lucy was second in the women’s race, we won both team events again, and all 12 of our men’s A team finished in the top 30. As they say in X Factor, we nailed it.

And if it’s not the winning but the taking part that counts? Well, we won the taking part as well! There were shed loads of Striders there! Over 50 men, and dozens of women. I ran another PB, 90 seconds quicker than last time (46:46) but was placed even lower down the list of Striders, so we had real depth. Even so, I am now proud to call myself a D-team stalwart.

Welwyn Garden City, you may have a John Lewis and beautiful tree-lined boulevards, but St Albans has got the faster runners. Or at least we did last week...

Richard Sved 

Jack's marathons - April and May 2012

Hull Marathon: 8 April 2012: This is a new, fairly flat and fast road marathon and there is an added bonus in that the race takes runners out and back over the Humber Bridge. The main problems this year were a virtually total lack of visible mile markers and an out and back section of about 2.5 miles each way along the front of Victoria Dock, which comprised lots of very tight twists and turns. There was much more support along the route than I had expected and the weather was just right for running. My time was 3:49:56.

Worcester Marathon: 15 April 2012: This was another new road marathon. The route was rural, hilly and pleasant, but there were a lot of issues that need to be resolved if they are contemplating running it again. The ‘nominal’ parking fee at the Rugby Club turned out to be £3 and there were long queues as people searched for their money. This meant that the race set off quarter of an hour late. Once we started running we discovered that what mile markers they had were in completely the wrong places. There were very few mile markers after 13 miles and there was at least half a mile between the 26 mile marker and the finish. Furthermore the 18 mile drink station ran out of drinks and there was a long gap to the next water station. I ran 3:48:35.

Madrid Rock’n’Roll Marathon: 22 April 2012: As part of my own personal mission to drag the Spanish economy out of crisis I booked to run the Madrid Marathon with a group of friends. On arrival it was actually very sad to see a large number of beggars out on the streets.

This was the first Rock’n’Roll Marathon in Europe and the organisation was fairly chaotic. Indeed, having the bag drop area around 1.5 miles from the race start caught both Spanish and foreigners out. I managed to deposit my bag and get back to the start area about 7 minutes before the race started. There was no chance of finding a toilet before the race commenced and I was subsequently advised that a number of the toilets provided had never actually been unlocked so people hadn’t been able to use them. I had run 15k by the time I actually located a usable portaloo by which time I was getting pretty desperate.

I knew the course was going to be fairly hilly and for the first time in the last couple of months my legs felt tired from fairly early on. As it grew steadily warmer I started to flag noticeably and I was relieved to cross the finish line in 4:04:48. I enjoyed Madrid, but the marathon organisers have a lot of work to do if they want to keep people coming back to do this race.

Belfast Marathon: 7 May 2012: I didn’t make the Milton Keynes Marathon on 29 April as I’d come down with a cold, but the weather at Belfast the following week was almost as filthy as it had been for Milton Keynes. When I ran Belfast in 2011 I’d run Limerick Marathon the day before and only finished in 4:19:00. This year my legs were a lot fresher and I was able to keep with the 3:45 pace group until around 23 miles, finishing in 3:46:26. The bad news was that I then had to stand around shivering for around 45 minutes before I could collect my baggage (and it was very wet and very cold).

Kildare Marathon: 13 May 2012: With my legs as tired as they were I could have done with a flat marathon and no wind. Unfortunately the Kildare course was undulating and very exposed to the wind. The race starts from and finishes at the famous Curragh race course and there were plenty of toilets and undercover changing areas. However, it was one of those days when the cold gets into your bones wherever you are and I struggled hard to finish in 3:53:48, but won the first vet 60 prize. As an extra bonus my pre-Belfast cold returned with a vengeance and travelling back on the Monday was miserable.

Druridge Bay Trail Marathon, Northumberland: 20 May 2012: This is a beautiful 4 lap marathon along trails, footpaths, roads and beaches. Whilst it was windy in places there was also plenty of sun and there were even people swimming in the sea. The scenery was truly spectacular. I’d forgotten how beautiful the Northumberland coast is and I’m now looking forward to the Northumberland Coast Marathon later in the year. It was good to see Steve Smith from Striders there (he was born a few miles away from Druridge Bay) and great to see him come 2nd overall in 3:13:58. Alison Telfer’s brother, Mike, was also running and he came 8th in 3:24:56. I finished in 4:18:05, which won me the first vet 60 award. I later discovered that I had been the only vet 60 running, but what the heck.

Edinburgh Marathon: 27 May 2012: I don’t particularly like running in the heat at the start of the summer so I wasn’t overjoyed that it was warm from the start at Edinburgh. I also couldn’t understand why the half marathon started 2 hours before the marathon. The marathon started at 10am thus ensuring that we bore the brunt of the midday sunshine. Surely it would be more sensible to have the marathon starting at 8am rather than the half. Last time I ran Edinburgh Marathon was in 1999 when the race started in Dunfermline and finished in the centre of Edinburgh. Since then the route has totally changed and the majority of the route follows the coastline. The first 17 miles were not too bad as we benefited from some breeze off the sea, but after that I started to wilt and I was certainly pleased to finish in under 4 hours on this one. My time was 3:53:08.

Jack Brooks

St Albans 10K - the day the sun came to town

It was the day the sun came to town..... Sunday 13 May and the St Albans 10K. Like the Fred Hughes 10, the St Albans leg of the Mid Week Road Race League, and the cross-country, events like the 10K rely on the enthusiasm and dedication of club members and they couldn’t happen without their expertise. So, on behalf of those runners who got in touch with comments and feedback afterwards, here’s a ‘wordle’ thank you card to everyone involved:

To the marshals, the bakers and great sandwich makers,

The race leaders and sweepers, and important time keepers,

The course setter uppers, the photograph takers,

The course taker downers, the lovely tea makers,

The givers of medals, our slick registration, 

And those who ensured our runners’ hydration

The vital first aiders, the litter collectors, 

And last, but not least, to John, race director!

Cheers! We couldn’t have done it without you!