2012 race reports

Dragonslayer Duathlon - Sunday 29 April

Report by Mark Brown

The first inkling of things to come came in an email from the organisers on Saturday: we were advised we may wish to consider trail shoes due to the conditions at Hog Hill. Like many others I half expected the race to be cancelled but went ahead and prepared anyway.
Come the morning I commented to my son Isaac several times about the wind and rain. I got precious little sympathy and was urged to hurry up and get ready. (There will indeed be payback for this over the next few weeks Isaac).

On arrival at ‘The Hogenburg’ we were informed that the bike section was to be shortened because of flooding on the course. It was now only 10k rather than 40k but all Hill and no Hog. With no flat sections and some tight corners I removed the tri-bars as surplus to requirements.

The race itself went off like a rocket. The run sections were mainly off-road and quite steep in places with a new overnight addition being the river crossing at the bottom of the circuit. I managed to make up about five places on the bike section with my recent trip to the mountains of Southern Spain having had some benefits in the descending department. 
As always with a duathlon the final run was grim and best forgotten. However, I did enjoy the race and the rain, and came in a creditable 1st male veteran!  You can see how relaxed and fresh I was after finishing by checking out the photo.

I should mention that the East London Triathletes were a very encouraging bunch and even managed to look up competitors’ names as we passed so they could offer personal motivation. It was much appreciated. And thanks to Isaac for his encouragement and lap counting abilities!

PS.  So where were the three other CPT members on the start sheet? Not put off by a little rain were you?!

PPS. I would thoroughly recommend this race. It’s more varied than others with an off-road run and the hilly course. It also offers a chance to descend fast and to test your cornering abilities on the bike.  

Read more on Tri 24/7. Results not available yet, but will add as soon as.

Sevenoaks Triathlon (Aquathlon) - Sunday 29 April

Race report by Ruki Sidhwa

At 6 oclock this morning, when my alarm clock went off, I could still hear the wind howling and a force 9 gale outside! On looking out the window, the rain was still coming down hard and I thought ' best not to bother' with the race as I didn't fancy the steep descents and narrow lanes in this!  A flurry of texts took place between ex-CPT member Karen Grieves, fellow Dulwich Runner Clare W and myself - they too were still debating whether to go or not... With an earlier swim start, Karen decided to go and see how bad it was out there and Clare then decided to show support and said she was also going, proposing just to do the swim and run if it was still very wet.... meanwhile I had gone back to bed  (no surprise there !)... but come 6.30, I thought well now as I was awake and that those two were going, I'd better also show willing even if I decided not to race once there!
 
As I crossed the Pembroke Rd/Suffolk Way traffic lights, I did notice that the cones for the left turn from the Leisure Centre were not out, but figured the bad weather may have delayed things - but once at the car park and on meeting Karen (and her husband John) I was told the bike leg had been cancelled - hooray  (I have to admit I was pleased!!!) 
 
So now running a bit late due to my dithering, I got myself ready and to pool side.
 
My swim was faster than last year - which had been faster than the time before - (so years of CPT training, seemingly finally making a difference even though still comparatively slow compared to the majority of the Club !) and despite some idiot resorting to breast stroke and getting in my way even though any breast strokers were asked by the organisers to go in a separate lane, I enjoyed it... then on leaving the pool we had to negotiate a huge puddle across the path to transition prompting me to comment to a marshall something about an open water swim which drew a laugh! 
 
And then it was onto the run! I had put out my CPT cycling top and a rain jacket ready but once in race mode, off I went, just in my tri suit and it was refreshingly warm (if that makes sense  - rain but warmish !!??) - I loved the rain and wasn't cold at all  (apart from a blast of cold air on one long stretch ) and having chosen to wear trail shoes, it was great splodging through all the puddles and mud and I just thought of it as a x-country race! Although the run is a hard one and I did think how glad I was not having had to do the bike course beforehand, I really did quite enjoy myself  (worringly so - !!)... and it wasn't until the finish when the rain came down heavier again that I began to feel cold. 

A few of us stayed for the prizes and had a good giggle as Clare and I were called up for our Evergreen medals (you can register online if you have completed more than five  7Oaks Tris...) and we cheered as Katie collected a cup  (not sure what position?! - 2nd female and 5th female was our very own Phil Feldman!) ..... then some three hours later (the medal ceremony took forever with one bloke having completed 30  7 Oak Triathlons!!), we made our way home and I was ultimately pleased that I'd made the effort and turned up after all! 
 
View CPT results.

London Marathon 2012 - SS vs GG

Report by Selwyn Smith

After months of running here there and everywhere, the London Marathon was finally upon us!
Grant and I had done a few warm up races together and were evenly paced so decided to keep each other company on the big day!

Having won our places through the Club, we were positioned at the Blue Start for fast runners (that's us!) and to make things better we were penned in not too far behind the elite guys!

Matching our starting colour, an unexpected clear blue sky greeted us the morning of race but heavy rain was forecast around 2pm so a sub 4 hour marathon was in order to avoid the down pour!

To help get us around the 26 odd miles, we thought we’d need as much help and support as possible so I had totally blinged my CPT vest top up big time with ‘SELWYNATOR’ in gold. And Grant had a little ‘Grant’ added to his vest!

I smugly came up with a game of ‘count the cheers’ – my huge name plate against Grant's – there would be no contest. I may not beat Grant's marathon time but defo win this little contest! ‘Or so I thought’.
Soon there were chants flooding in for Grant left right and centre to my one puzzled ‘Selwynator?’! I thought it was because he was on the inside lane, or had a more struggling face. So I tried all these tactics, swapped places, put on a painful face to no avail. I even got Grant to draft me (to hide his name), but the Grant chants were still coming thick and fast!

I decided to quit that stupid game sharpish and get back to concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other….unlike Grant! Not his fault but Grant has a tendency to get lost on races or unable to count laps or something always goes wrong. For him what could possibly go wrong for Grant here – surely there’s no way he would get lost or anything! However, there were some strategically placed police cones and an anti-terrorist knee high kerb that he almost had run ins with whilst he was thanking his ongoing fan club. As tempting as it was to watch him go flying, I pushed him to safety at the last minute.

Talking of run ins - amongst the 37,500 happy smiley people running, Grant decides to find the one and only grumpy old man and picks a fight with him! This outrageous runner cut us up big time and then has a go at us. It was one of the few times I let Grant go in front, with me right behind him (well, a fair few yards!)!

We had our personal support crews dotted around the course as well. Surely after seeing a few thousand runners pass, we would become blurry moving masses but Kirsten, Mat and co somehow saw us and gave a big cheer (got my second ‘Go Selwynator 'at mile 9!). The crowd around them also joined in (with our encouragement) and it felt like we were celebreties!

Grant also had his family and friends popping up everywhere around the 26 miles which gave us that extra needed burst!

The crowds really were amazing the whole way around, no real unpopulated places anywhere – lucky we didn’t need to take any emergency ' pitstops (silent 't') I thought!

Canary Wharf was my favourite part of the marathon – so many people cheering us on but as we left CW, leading up to mile 20 things got tough!  I was thinking, yay only the homeward straight along the Thames…all six miles of it!  CW to Tower Hill seemed to go on for ever (like this race report!)!  Our smiley happy faces took a turn as did our cheery chat.  We still managed to muster energy to get the crowds revved up if we came across a quiet patch (rarity).

Grant's gels got to him at about mile 23…we didn’t want to stop as didn’t think we’d get going again, so he held which can be seen by his face.  I have no excuse for my face though!

We saw a few CPT members, Keith and Beth, and Laura Boyd during the last few miles which helped us along.

Suddenly (as if by magic and after a few miles of torture!), we passed the 600m to go, then after what seemed like 600m, came across the 400m to go – then we turned up the Royal Mall and finish line was in our sights.  A huge smile came over our faces as we crossed the line and grabbed our medals.  Forest, I mean Grant kept on running to the nearest portaloo and after being not more than 2 yards apart for the past 3 hours 47mins, I decided it was time to give each other some space!

After the police sent us the wrong way and made us walk so much further than our legs could manage, we rewarded ourselves with a well-deserved pint or two!

Lesson learnt – don’t get a complicated name in massive gold print put on your running top.  People think you’re an idiot and don’t cheer your name!

The end

Tour of the Weald sportive - 8 AprilReport by Hans Geberbauer

Another Sunday, another sportive, this time the Tour of the Weald, 108km around Staplehurst. It was raining while we drove out as well as on the way back and I thought we'd be in for a miserable Sunday but it didn't rain once while we were out on the bikes.

At registration, we bumped into Haydn and Adrian (who was one of the organisers). While Haydn was waiting for Lauren to arrive, Wim and I set off to see whether we'd be able to stay ahead of them.

We took the course rather faster than the previous sportives, enjoying the many flat and gently undulating sections (including one that I recognised as Miles 9 to 11 of the Paddock Wood Half course so we tipped our helmets to Peter Mack's recent PB there) and generally wondering where the climbs were. Lauren's bike computer registered around 1000m in elevation gain much of which must have been gentle inclines as there was nothing to compare with Toys Hill or Rowdow Lane during last week's Fool's Errand. The organisers threw in a timed climb which was not something we'd done before. The real challenge though was not the climb (which took some three miles to reach) but the infuriatingly sticky tarmac on the approach.

We reached the finish a few minutes ahead of Haydn and Lauren, not nearly enough of a margin though to record a faster time than them. We went for a ten minute run but whereas Wim took off in good form, my legs and feet were completely scrambled after all the work on the bike and wouldn't settle into running - definitely something to work on before Challenge Henley.

Fool's Errand Sportive - 1 April

Report by Karen Ayers

I decided I needed to do a long sportive in preparation for the Ride to Rye at the end of the month, so decided to join Hans and Wim for the inaugural Fool's Errand, 120k sportive starting and finishing in Wrotham.

When I got up on Sunday morning and had to scrape ice off my car windscreen I almost changed my mind! I packed the car and set off for a really quick journey to the Widehorizons Outdoor Education Centre in Wrotham. There were only about six other cars in the field! There was frost on the grass and it was pretty chilly. After getting my helmet number I headed for the canteen and tried to warm up with a cup of tea. There was no sign of Hans and Wim so I decided to join a group of Dulwich Paragon riders and headed for the start. Hans and Wim arrived just as I was listening to the briefing. We were told the sign was well signed, but were given an instruction sheet (just in case)!

I was dropped by the Dulwich Paragon riders before the first turn! I cycled on my own after that for most of the ride. The first section of the course was undulating, but with lots of gravel on the windy downhills, I had to go slower than I would have liked.

After about 2:15 hours I could see two cyclists up ahead and wondered if I could catch them, Unfortunately I did, at the next roundabout, looking at the route instructions trying to find out where the direction arrows had gone! We had no idea where we had missed a turning but they agreed to stay together until we were back on the course. This was the only bit of drafting I managed for the whole ride! We found the turning we'd missed, with a sign so far down the turning it was really easy to miss it from the road. The first of too many missed signs for me!

I think I missed a right turn off the A26 somewhere between Hadlow and Shipbourne. The A26 was fast and reasonably flat and I was really enjoying myself until I realised I hadn't seen any arrows for a very long time and had no idea where I was meant to go next. So with my instruction sheet and no reading glasses, I struggled to work out where I'd gone wrong. I stopped and asked three different locals, who all pointed me in completely different directions. I then proceeded to do a quick recce of part of the Sevenoaks Sprint and Tonbridge Sprint routes before getting back on course somewhere on Hildenborough Road. Somewhere along the way I stopped my watch instead of pressing the lap button and didn't realise for quite a few kilometers!

After that there was a series of serious climbs that really sapped my legs, especially after doing the Super Saturday session the day before. After cycling through Bough Beeches Reservoir I knew Toy's Hill wasn't far away. I managed to get to the top, very slowly and was then on familiar roads and getting closer to home! At the bottom of Polhill I seriously considered cycling home then trying to persuade Bruce to drive me back to Wrotham to collect my car later! Instead I headed along Pilgrim's Way and a hill I'd never encountered before... Rowdow Lane. It was like doing Toys Hill again only a bit steeper at the top. Unfortunately, despite being determined to reach the top, I wobbled around a pothole with jelly legs and thought I was going to end up lying on the verge, so unclipped quickly and got off. I had to walk the rest of the way as it was impossible to remount at that point. I stopped for a hot cross bun at the top and a quick check of the instructions to see how much further I'd got to go.

We went through some really pretty villages, including Eynsford and Farningham. There was a lovely fast downhill in Farningham and I was enjoying myself so much I managed to miss another arrow! I didn't go too far before turning back and luckily saw some cyclists making the left turn so I followed them (then checked the instructions to make sure I was following the right route). I missed another arrow after this, but spotted the arrow pointing downwards that we'd been told would be positioned just after any turning that had been missed (it was the only one I saw!).

With only about 4k to go to the finish, there was one more steep hill, Michael's Lane, which is very narrow, windy, gravelly and lots of potholes. Again, I was determined to stay on my bike to the top but a car came round one of the bends a bit too quickly for my liking. I panicked, got off and had to walk again. I was so pleased to see the marshals guiding us back into the finish.

Because I'd forgotten to restart my watch, I don't know exactly how many extra kilometers I actually did but I had a missing 1 hour 12 minutes on my watch, so although I had to stop and start asking for directions, I guess I did about at least an extra 15k!

There was hot food for all finishers so I enjoyed a bowl of delicious chilli and rice and fresh baked baguette.

As I was leaving, Hans and Wim had packed their car and were going for a couple of laps jog around the field. I didn't see Beverley but, like Hans and Wim, she also went off route too.

A very challenging ride that would be great for anyone who loves hills and hopefully next year will be better signed.

You can see the route here.

Hotchillee Sportive - 25 March

Report by Lisa Collins

It was a freezing cold start near Box Hill but the sunshine through the mist promised a good day ahead.

The route had three significant ascents – one at the start and two at the end, one of which was an 18 percenter – and was undulating in between. For the first couple of miles John and I made gradual progress upwards, desperately hoping our fingers would soon defrost. Somewhere along the way I lost John. It transpired he was unable to engage his bigger chain ring and was peddling like a granny some way back!

Once warmed up it was time to get into the groove and enjoy the open roads. It was still early and relatively traffic-free, and I took full advantage. I was having a whale of a time in the sunshine and solitude, but I had also set myself a conscientious task of eating and drinking on the bike. Usually I’m terrible with my nutrition on the bike, my biggest extravagance being the notorious brown carrots I once took on a club ride. I also never take on enough water and this is one aspect of my training I intended to improve. I’d packed a pouch full of fruit pastilles and took my water and sweets at regular intervals, and I was instantly amazed at how much better I felt.

I managed to tag onto a couple of trains along the way, providing me with a welcome boost in the slipstreams and high spirits of the other riders. But it didn’t last as I was gradually dropped. Not to worry, I had two big climbs ahead to save my legs for, and it would have been silly to force the pace. I was riding along thinking “I hope John is having as much fun.” (He wasn’t; earlier problems sorted, he later came off his bike when his chain came off – welcome to your first sportive!)

Back at the finish, I was uncharacteristically indulgent. I had a massage (I never have massages). I cleaned my bike in the Muc-Off tent. I feasted on sausage rolls and tea. I sunbathed on the grass. All of which I made sure to update John by text. I thought it would give him something to look forward to while grinding up that last hill…

Photos: Lisa looking very happy, John, not so! (SportivePhoto.com)

Leith Hill Half Marathon – 18 March 2012

Report by Grant Georgiades

This Sunday my London marathon schedule took me to Dorking for the award winning but by all accounts gruelling Leith Hill half marathon. For once instead of Selwyn I had the far more pleasant company of Katie Crowe. Katie was completely unfazed by the prospect of tackling a route that would take in the highest point in South Eastern England. I on the other hand was more than a little daunted when I heard that there is no higher ground between the top of Leith Hill and the Urals. Allegedly a distant London and the South Downs could be viewed from up there on this clear crisp morning.

The starter set us off rather unexpectedly as we thought the husband and wife carrying race was still to come. Straight away we were into the first steep climb that lasted at least a mile before a little bit of relief came with a few sections of downhill and flat. I remember feeling pretty comfortable and being a little frustrated at being stuck behind some ‘plodders’ on a long stretch of single track. I over took them asap but I should have known much better. From 2 to 6 miles it was entirely uphill. One by one the plodders retook the places I had gained.

In addition to the incline it was thick with mud. Around half way my trainer got stuck and decided it was too tired to carry on the journey with me. I had to wade back in to a big bog to yank it out. It made for a squelchy last 6 miles. Around the same time Katie came back past me looking very comfortable and smiley. I was glad our crossing hadn’t been 10 meters earlier as she’d have caught me still moaning about my sodden trainer whilst walking up the last incredibly steep section from Coldharbour before finally reaching Leith Hill Tower. At this point I turned pleased with the knowledge that I was heading for home.

However the legs took as much of a pounding on the downhill as the ground was so uneven and steep.  My legs were shot by the time the short sharp climbs came around at about 11 miles.  At least now everyone around me was also walking. Eventually with roughly half a mile to go a sign appeared saying ‘All Down Hill From Here.’ By this point I just needed it to be over so I threw my body weight forward and let momentum carry me home as fast as my legs would spin.

I finished in 1.52.33 glad that JH convinced me to abandon my plan to run with Katie who finished in a brilliant 1.46.30, a full 4 mins quicker than her time from last year but unfortunately just outside the female placings.

It is a great race and I thoroughly recommend it for anyone wanting a tough challenge next year. It was definitely much more picturesque and interesting than last week’s tour of suburbia. Plus there were jaffa cakes, jelly beans and carrots at the end.

Photos can be viewed on the Trionium website.

Major Series South 10k – 17 March 2012

Report by Brigit Brown

The Major South is half-assault course / half-run, organised by British Military Fitness, which takes place in the Eridge Estate near Tunbridge Wells. 10k is my comfort-zone distance, so the opportunity to try one with a bit of a twist really appealed.  Six of us signed-up, including a couple of friends working on their fitness for the Crystal Palace Triathlon and fellow CPT’er, Sara Hoolahan, fresh from cycling 110K in The Spring Onion sportive less than a week earlier.

Appropriately for St Paddy’s day, yesterday’s weather could certainly be described as Irish but so was the mood and we were all in fine spirits. Liberated from the shackles of aiming for a time and just doing something for the craic made a real difference: we were really up for it and not nervous at all. Although a mixed ability group we had agreed, in a pact of sisterly solidarity, that we’d be traversing the course together in case one of us needed hoicking out of mud (they did!).

Runners were set-off in four waves of 250. Our group was in the third wave. The setting was very picturesque with a mixture of open countryside, woodland, streams and tons of mud. I can’t remember running for any long stretch, because it seemed like every five minutes we were crawling through a quagmire, or up to our waists in brown water. These moments were interspersed with jumping over fences, negotiating a giant spiders-web, zig-zagging around in bumpy ground and climbing over haystacks. In one particularly muddy section, a marshal plucked a runner out, only to leave her trainer buried two feet below…  The final obstacle on the course was a giant slippery slide which Sara and I hurtled down back-to-back (not intentional!) at top speed.  Then, nearly two hours and 11.5k later (err walking pace), we came through the finish line. Tired and cold but totally elated.

The event itself was really well organised as you’d expect from a military outfit. Marshalls were strategically placed, offered lots of encouragement and generally added to the merriment. Perhaps runners could have been spaced out a bit more to avoid bottle necks at certain points. And a hot chocolate at the finish line would have gone down well. But these are minor things. Our ‘after’ faces say it all. It was a great morning and I’ll defo be back for more.

Finchley 20
Report by Grant Georgiades

It’s getting to the business end of things in training for the London marathon. So Selwyn and me found ourselves in Finchley this sunny Sunday for Hillingdon AC’s Finchley 20 or as they like to sell it, ‘The world’s longest running 20 mile road race.’ And boy, did it feel long. The organisers have managed to find a loop that takes in plenty of main roads and very little scenery and the best bit is that you get to do it four times.

Still it was a very useful learning experience. I’d run 20 miles in training a couple of weeks ago with my brother along the Thames Tow path at a comfortable 8.5min/mile and felt surprisingly fresh at the end. So obviously I fell victim to over confidence this time around. It’s amazing how easily you can let yourself get sucked along when, after getting used to running alone or in small groups on your long training runs, you suddenly find yourself running with 700 other competitors.  That’s my excuse for setting off a good 20 secs per mile faster than intended and for convincing myself that I felt fresh enough to carry it off.

Having based all my training on JH’s incredibly useful HR zone test I knew that by the end of the second lap my heart rate was 10 BPM above where it should have been. 20 secs here and 10 BPM there didn’t sound much at the time but by about mile 13 I’d reached my lactate threshold and was having to race flat out to cling on to the pace.

West Ruslip’s Art Deco-ish looking Tube station had been one the most interesting sights to take in on the route but it is situated at the summit of a rather long incline that by mile 18  left both my legs and my lungs on fire.

But cling on I did, finishing in 2 hours 46 mins. Much wiser for the knowledge there’s no way I could complete a marathon at 3hr 37  pace. Other useful things I learnt were; the splashes of water I managed to consume from a plastic cup each time I passed the water station definitely weren’t sufficient, despite being Greek I need to wear sun cream in March, lock laces would be worth investing in and if you want a settled stomach Vietnamese food is not the best pre-race dinner.

As for the Selwynator he thundered round in 2 hours 24. His major discovery along the way was that Decathlon’s cheapest socks don’t cut the mustard for long distance running. He ended up with some nasty blisters but still pleased with a pace that would give him just over a 3 hr marathon. Though he thinks 3hr 15 will be a more realistic target on the day.

By the end we had just enough energy to pose for a photo and to hobble back to the car.

Check Selwyn and Grant's results at the Finchley 20.

Oberharzer Grenzlauf - Cross-Country Skiing

Report by Hans Geberbauer

Wim and I joined my dad in the Harz mountains in Northern Germany for a spot of relaxation and cross-country.  Naturally, when we heard that the ski club in nearby Benneckenstein was putting on their annual x-country race, we didn't hesitate to sign on, Wim for the one-loop 13km race, myself for the two-loop 26km.  The course went across fields and through forest and substantially followed the line of the border fence that separated the two halves of Germany until 1989. 

The race was a mass start to be run in the classic style (where the skis move parallel to each other in tracks pressed into the snow), not skating style.  Our skiing skills weren't exactly advanced and our equipment was not designed for racing but long-distance trecking but we figured we'd just fire up our aerobic engines trained and tested on the pavements of south London and the hills of Kent and Surrey to make up for it and hold our own against the locals. 

We gathered on Sunday in bright sunshine and bitter temperatures (-12 degrees) and politely slotted in at the back of the starter field, giving us a chance to see what everybody else was up to and pick off the slower competitors once we had hit our stride. Naturally, we sported full club kit, although it was obscured by the bibs we had been handed.  This turned out to be just as well since the field dropped us within three minutes of the start.  Five minutes in, and I could see only two people ahead of me, and very very few behind us.  I managed to hunt down one competitor early in lap 2, and raced the remaining 10 kms encountering only the occasional tourist .  

At the finish, my dad supplied warm clothes while we enjoyed hot teas and pea and sausage broth and tipped our hats to the locals for their friendly reception and sporting prowess  (although I also secretely wondered how they would fare if they happened to be visiting London and decided to sign up to our club race on a whim - ha!).  Anyway, great race laid on by a small club.  

(Incidentally, while we were doing this, a few hardy fools ran 80km from Göttingen to the summit of the Brocken, at 1146m the highest peak of the Harz - check out this blog from an English runner who participated to get an idea of the area - obviously, I will have my eyes on this for next year).    
 
Oberharzer Grenzlauf - Cross-Country Skiing (classic style)
26km - Hans - 1:42:44 (26th of 29 finishers) - winner's time: 1:05:03
13km - Wim - 0:57:08 (8th of 9 finishers) - winner's time: 0:37:25

Sidcup 10 - Race report - 12 FebruaryReport by John Buchanan

A very cold Sunday morning saw six brave CPTers head to my home town for the Sidcup 10 miler.  To be fair there were another 310 souls I would consider brave, it was so cold.  The odd person in just their vest and shorts were viewed with a mix of sympathy and concern for their sanity. 

After a rousing pre race talk (which no one could hear) we were off, all running down a very busy road which wasn’t closed off at all.  The race involved three laps of us traversing the exciting pavements of Sidcup.  It was very well marshalled, especially considering the amount of roads being crossed, and had a good mix of minor inclines and declines to maintain the runner’s interest. 

The race was attended by a friendly bunch, though clearly in the dark ages. When asked the pace we were running on the first lap I responded “4 minutes 22 per km”. “That means nothing to me” came the response to a few chuckles.  As we introduced the metric system in the seventies I found this hard to believe and decided to run faster for a bit rather than do the conversion for the young chap.

My first lap was fairly solid.  Being my first 10 miler I wasn’t sure of the pace so decided to just amend my last half marathon pace.  On the second lap I was feeling good and hoped to take a good few places but by the third lap my legs were weary and, as I hit the last three miles, I had really started to slow.  I was overtaken by a runner in blue who was having a good race and then two faux CPTers (Dartford Road Runners having exactly the same club colours).

As often happens in these races my mind had started wandering and as I approached the final km I wondered what Brendan Foster would say here, “Oh, he’s got to dig deep” came the commentary.  Well as Brendan Foster knows his stuff who was I to argue and was promptly running at 5k pace. The two Dartford Road Runners were quickly overtaken and a half dozen other runners I had been chasing for miles, I chased the runner in blue all the way to the line, but couldn’t quite catch him, and finished in a respectable 1hr 11mins. Lisa crossed the line shortly after with her arms raised in personal victory.  

After a good morning’s racing we then made the very short journey to my mum’s for a roast, perfect.

Sidcup 10 PBs.

Box Hill Fell Race reportReport by Lisa Collins

7.5 miles / 1700ft ascent
(category B, medium distance)

Three weeks after the cavalcade of Knacker Cracker, two CPTers returned to Box Hill to run the fell race (it would have been three CPTers but one was in Serpie disguise – boo hiss!) This was a far more austere occasion, a ‘proper runner’s race’ John quipped as we dumped our bags under a tree and observed the wiry, grizzled contenders (yes, some even had bushy beards). Gone were the bagpipes, the costumes, The Flight of the Valkyries… there wasn’t even a water station along the way. But at only £5 to enter it satisfied the bank balance while waiting for January’s pay day.

After a simple pre-race briefing in which we were instructed to give our names at the end in case anyone went missing, we were off. The start was tricky enough, running on a slant uphill over grass moguls. My legs started to complain and this was only the first of several climbs! But I was realistic. My first go at fell racing and not being a contender for top spot, my aim was to clock up some solid winter training. I’d purchased a pair of trail shoes during the week and this was their first outing outside the gentle terrain of laminate flooring in the flat. I prayed to the God of Asics for a cushiony soft landing and plenty of grip.

There were moments of déjà vu where the route crossed parts of the Knacker Cracker but this was far more evil. Up Box Hill and down the other side, then back up an ascending trough going single file. The race was a roller coaster of limey mud and gravel, splattering up the back of the legs as if we all had the trots. I lost all sense of direction at this point, so I’ll continue the report based on event info which was written by someone who knew what they were doing… ‘Descend again, then climb to the top to Box Hill village, head out northwards towards Headley Heath (small intermediate climb), drop to Lodgebottom Road (with another small intermediate climb), gradually climb White Hill, drop back to Headley Road, climb up the spur opposite all the way to another part of the summit plateau, back down a gully across the zig-zag road, a final sharp pull back onto the main north ridge and the all the way down to the finish where the start was. Five long climbs, three short sharp climbs, one steep descent on grass, another on grass/brambles, another on chalk/steps, one gradual but steepening descent on grass, and a gradual descent into a stony gully.’

In the final leg towards the finish you feel like Sir Lancelot in the scene from Monty Python’s Holy Grail, running towards the castle never seeming to get any closer. But it was a good day for all – John and I took approximately six minutes off our Knacker Cracker times (OK, the course was slightly shorter, but harder), and the Serpie bagged a whopping PB, shaving three minutes off last year.

The great thing about off road is you can really lose yourself in the terrain. It’s also tough, which means you know it’s making you stronger. Unlike pounding through a flat 10k in which speed is your only challenge, the terrain keeps you constantly interested and provides choices such as where best to place your feet – mud, ditch or bog? Leap over the tree/fence/cow or limbo under? Then again, you’ll probably experience them all.

I would recommend for anyone who enters an event like this with zero provisions and support i.e. no shortcuts, water stations or post-race grub, to consider taking water on the run, and have food/water in your bag for the journey home.

See how they got on ... go to the January results page.

Knacker Cracker race reportReport by Lisa Collins

What better way to start the new year than with a steely resolve to complete ‘the toughest 10k in Britain’, the Knacker Cracker? Well, actually this year was an Olympic special at 12k (12.4 according to Mr Garmin), but the tough part was certainly accurate. Whether it’s the toughest in Britain is a bold claim, but perhaps with the exception of fell races it just might be.

In any case it was the most bonkers. Standing at the start line at the foot of a hill surrounded by Wallys, smurfs, bananas, daleks, pirates and countless other random costumes, we could hear the sound of the bagpipes at the top drifting across the pre-race briefing before being engaged in a rowdy chorus of the national anthem. Quite frankly you feel a fool if you haven’t dressed up, and I watched John’s dashing bin liner cape flapping in the wind with envy. At 11am it began, straight up said hill and around the piper before coming back down and making a right turn onto Box Hill, which is the only tarmacked part of the route.

After climbing Box Hill for a while you turn left into the woods and continue on trail. It was a slippery and muddy course throughout, including three significant descents and ascents. Trying to descend as quickly as possible over steep, loose ground is a test of skill, nerve and balance, and I was cross-eyed at one point trying to maintain control. Some parts were just too dicey to risk running it unless you’re an experienced descender or are suicidal, and I saw a few runners taking a tumble. The ascents were another test altogether of pain and hill climbing ability (Carl’s excellent hill reps are a must-do training session) and the mud seems to suck all the effort out of the legs. Trail shoes are definitely recommended but you can do it in normal trainers as I did, though how much difference it makes to overall performance I don’t know. It is not the race to do if you are seeking a PB but I can’t stress how much fun it was. The atmosphere and scenery are great, the costumes make you laugh even if you’re struggling, and there is absolutely no shame in walking up the steepest parts, especially the endless number of steps in the last 2k (according to the briefing only the top ten finishers ever manage to run up these anyway.)

Fortunately I finished just as the rain started to spit. I can’t imagine how unnervingly slippery the course must’ve been for those who took yet another hour or so to complete in the rain. The finish itself was excellent, coming back down the starter hill to the sound of The Flight of the Valkyries and the best race goodie bag I’ve ever had (including a very decent winter running top, medal and mug) and soup and sandwiches if you can stomach it - I couldn’t. Luckily for John he’d finished his soup before I got to the line and revealed a three inch long blister hanging off my foot that would have made him sick!

Photographs can be viewed on the Knacker Cracker website.