February Newsletter Club Contacts Chairman: Bobby Shepard Hello Everyone, and Welcome to This Month’S Newsletter

Newsletter February 2017 Issue No. 2

Ponder the path of your feet…..

February Newsletter Club Contacts Chairman: Bobby Shepard Hello everyone, and welcome to this month’s newsletter. Secretary: James Mason Email: [email protected] Yet again, it’s a bit on the late side, but well worth waiting for of course. This month, we have started to see Treasurer: Ange Stark the start of the long run season, as runners prepare for Email: [email protected] marathons and more. Some of the long runs Membership Secretary: Faye Buche experienced through the last few weeks have been a UKA Secretary: Tracey Stocker little unconventional. Email: [email protected]

WSFRL Race Rep: Richard Daniells SCAA Race Rep: Stacey Buche We're are also gathering interest as to whether people SGP Race Rep: Andrew Vine would like some routed trail runs around the Crawley/ Email: [email protected] Horsham area which will be led by qualified Run Leaders. Tilgate 5 Event Directors: The runs would be free of charge and will aim to suit as Martin Presland, Nick Keating many runners as possible. We aim to provide the joy of Email: [email protected] trail running to local runners without needing to travel Club Kit Officer: Tina Massiah long distances away from home. Email: [email protected] Please complete the survey below by clicking the link if Club Coaches: Mark Smee (Head Coach), you are interested: Vanessa Harrold, Fiona Clifton https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/KPTKKQ3 Learn to Run Leaders: TBC Email: [email protected]

Website Administrator: James Tombs We’ve a new Runner of the Month, and some other great Email: [email protected] achievements to share with you, so please read on and Social Media Reporter: Alex Wakefield continue to keep your contributions coming in. The next Social Events Organiser: Deborah Bristow few weeks promise to be rather exciting, so please email Email: [email protected] to [email protected] Newsletter Editor/Press Reporter: Alex Wakefield Email: [email protected]

As is now traditional, we will start with a calendar of events, and finish with something offbeat from Robin Nower.

Stay in touch!

Alex

2017 EVENTS CALENDAR (Mark Smee and Fiona Clifton) 19 March Hastings HM (SGP), Hampton Court Palace HM, Reading HM 22 March Last training session at Oriel 26 March Mel’s Milers 10k, Cranleigh 15/21 1 April Sussex Road Relays at Christ’s Hospital (may be cancelled) 2 April Croydon Half Marathon 9 April Brighton Marathon 17 April Lewes 10k (WSFRL) 23 April VM London Marathon 29 April East Grinstead 10 mile (WS Marathon Weekend) 30 April Haywards Heath 10 mile (SGP, WS Marathon Weekend), Three Forts Challenge 1 May Burgess Hill 10k (WS Marathon Weekend) 7 May Hastings 5 miles (SGP) Hedgehoppers 5 (WSFRL) 13 May Bewl Water Marathon, HM and Ultra (37.5 miles) 14 May Eastbourne Trackstar Marathon, Arun River Marathon, Nutbourne Vineyards XC 17 May Trundle Hill (WSFRL) 21 May Horsham 10k (SGP) 24 May Highdown Hike (WSFRL) 28 May Rye 10 mile (SGP), Mud Monster Run (East Grinstead), Weald Challenge HM and 50k Ultra 3 June South Downs Way 100 mile relay 4 June Worthing 10k (SGP) 11 June Hove Park 5k (WSFRL), Martello Rotary Seaford HM 17 June South Downs Marathon, HM and Relay 24 June Downland Dash 5 miles (WSFRL), Race to the King 53 mile Ultra, Crawley Race for Life 25 June (Heathfield 10k SGP???) 2 July Bewl 15 (SGP) 5 July Roundhill Romp (WSFRL) 7 July Rye 10k 9 July North Downs Way Marathon & HM 11 July Beat the Tide 10k 12 July Beach Run (WSFRL), Phoenix 10k (SGP) 15 July (Elmore 7???) 15/16 July Race to the Stones 100k ultra 26 July Bexhill 5k (SGP) 30 July Seven Stiles (WSFRL) 9 August Windlesham House 4 (WSFRL) 11 August Rye 10k no. 2 12 August Thames Meander Marathon & HM 13 August East Sussex Ultra 84k 20 August Hornets Stinger (WSFRL) 27 August (Newick 10k SGP???) 3 September Fittleworth 5 (WSFRL) 10 September Hellingly 10k (SGP), Bacchus HM 17 September Tilgate Forest 5 (WSFRL) 24 September Barns Green HM (SGP) 1 October Lewes Downland 10 (SGP) & 5, Alf Shrubb 5 miles XC, (Downs Link Ultra???) 8 October Hickstead Gallop (WSFRL), Sussex Marathon & HM, (Heron Way 10k???) 15 October Bright 10 29 October Steepdown Challenge (WSFRL), Hove Prom 10k (SGP), Crawley 10k 4 November Thames Meander Marathon & HM 5 November Gunpowder Trot (WSFRL) 11 November Poppy HM 26 November (Crowborough 10k SGP???) 2 December (Worthing Christmas Cracker Chase???) 3 December (Mince Pie 10 mile???) 16 December Brighton City Race

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS (Bobby Shepard)

Before I get into congratulating everyone, I would like to wish a very speedy recovery to someone who always goes above and beyond to help, support and encourage everyone. He continually forgets his own training programs to help others and I am one who has benefitted from his words of wisdom. Recover quickly and come back stronger Mark Smee.

It is fair to say that “Racing Season” got well under way during the month of February and it was a tough task keeping track of everyone’s achievements. Hopefully I have managed to capture everything but apologies if I have missed anything and I know a lot of people swapped numbers and places for various events so apologies but I am going with names and times listed.

Worthing ½ Marathon ~ Sunday 12th February

Amelia Brown ~ 1:33:29

Mark Smee ~ 1:36:11

Nick Silvey ~ 1:36:43

David Lague ~ 1:37:54

Bobby Shepard ~ 1:52:57

Ange Stark ~ 1:53:05

Janine Haynes ~ 1:59:36

Vicky Revis ~ 2:03:28

Cathy Holroyd ~ 2:17:08

Hampton Court ½ Marathon ~ Sunday 19th February

Jason Harrold ~ 1:17:06

Nina Jesih ~ 1:43:43

Rob Kernaghan ~ 1:45:25

Kevin Griffiths ~ 1:59:55

Paul Codd ~ 2:06:18

Brighton 1/2 Marathon ~ Sunday 26th February

Glenn Mitchell ~ 1:21:59 Ant Neal ~ 1:36:11 Mark Austin ~ 1:39:39. Laelia Bantin ~ 1:41:26

Rajinder Sorroy ~ 1:42:39. Joanna Fiveash ~ 1:42:59 Cara Law ~ 1:39:15. Andrew Vine ~ 1:39:15

Richard Bryant ~ 1:51:21. James Mason ~ 1:51:21 Nick Baker ~ 1:53:50. Carolyn Mynott 2:08:03

Maria Weatherstone ~ 2:17:14. Claire Reeves ~ 2:15:14 Jen Veal ~ 2:15:40. Matt Breeson ~ 2:16:47

Robert Shepard ~ 2:27:42. Tina Massiah ~ 2:36:59 Miranda Attwater ~ 2:55:54 Sarah Thomas ~ 2:24:44

Claire Helen Oak ~ 2:31:45 Tracey Stocker ~ 2:24:55 Marion O'Connor ~ 2:18:22. Ange Stark ~ 1:58:36

Carole Mills ~ 2:16:24. Jess Melville ~ 2:40:55 Elinor Flatman ~ 2:40:55. Kristina Kohler ~ 2:22:39

Samantha Slade ~ 3:02:15. Bridgette Russo ~ 2:55:54 Paul Ferris ~ 2:36:58. Paul Chandler ~ 2:37:31

Chloe Doyle ~ 2:27:35. Alex Wakefield ~ 1:44:44 Sue Kemp ~ 2:03:24. Jody Blunt ~ 2:04:51

Stu Melville ~ 1:44:13. Annabel Kolter Goodwin ~ 2:19:17 Clare Hall ~ 2:10:55. Janet Doyle ~ 2:09:44

Stella Daff ~ 2:14:33. Jo Langdon ~ 2:03:21

Thorpe Park 1/2 Marathon:

Janine Haynes ~ 1:58:36. Amelia Brown ~ 1:29:40

Fiona Clifton ~ 2:06:57. Rachel Boxall ~ 1:42:10

Caroline Ross ~ 2:40:13

STE Multi-Story Carpark Marathon (71 laps):

James Tombs ~ 3:51:45. Andrew Bullock ~ 4:06:38

Gemma Berrill ~ 5:22:21

SVN Marathon (#13):

Cathy Holroyd ~ 5:39:55

Sincere apologies if I have missed anyone but it's not intentional just difficult to keep up with everyone. I know Sue Kemp, Jody Blunt, Annabel Kolter Goodwin, Stella Daff and Jo Langdon all ran but not sure who finished where, so let me know.

But more importantly, a massive well done to every single Saints & Sinner running today. Whether your first half or just another Marathon for you, you guys were fantastic and continue to be an inspiration for everyone in the club. It feels great to be able to run with you all and call you friends. Enjoy what you have achieved and roll on the next goal.

RUNNERS OF THE MONTH (Bobby Shepard)

One of the things I am finding more difficult in my role as Chairman of Saints & Sinners is singling out one person as our runner of the month. This month has been no different as we have so many members doing fantastic things and achieving wonderful goals.

So with this in mind, I would like to introduce our two Runners of the Month for February:

Ant Neal This is a guy who I am so pleased for and has taken his running to a new level this year. In cranking things up a lot, he has also helped inspire a lot of others within the club and still shows up to training smiling and willing to lead a band of insane speed demons with him as part of his own marathon training plan as well as achieving a new PB during the Brighton half, even though he is marathon training!

In spreading the "pain" and the joy, please help me congratulate Ant Neal, or as we have gotten to know him this year, Ordinary Ant.

Bridgette Russo Our second runner of the month is someone I have had the pleasure of running with on a few of our Monday night social runs. She is someone who always feels she is holding everyone back and tries to ask people to run ahead but it has been a pleasure in seeing her progress so well.

Her progression has been so great and I have been keeping a close eye on her training runs as she often juggles an already hectic work and personal life. She has managed to take on the Brighton Half Marathon and had a great running buddy to keep her company as she crossed the finish line safe in the knowledge and assurance she smashed her goal and claimed her finishers medal.

Please help in congratulating our second Runner of the Month, Bridgette Russo.

NOTICES

UKA Affiliation (Tracey Stocker)

For all those that are registered with UKA the membership renewal period is due at the beginning of April. Therefore can all those that wish to continue as UKA registered athletes please ensure that the membership fee of £14.00 has been paid by the 25th of March in order for the club to process the transaction smoothly. Payment can be made via bank transfer directly to the club, but please state that the payment is for UKA fees so it can be cross referenced easily.

For all those that are new to UKA membership and are eagerly awaiting the membership packs UKA only do one mail out per month so sometimes the packs can take 4-6 weeks to arrive. If you require your UKA number prior to receipt of your pack for race entry then please contact me and I shall be able to forward it to you.

Several members have already paid for their UKA membership alongside their club membership so no further action is required for these people.

Any questions or queries can be directed to me at [email protected]

Junior Saints (Sarah Duff Cole and Miranda Attwater)

Hello Members,

We have been talking to Bobby for a while now about the possibility of starting a Junior Saints. We have enlisted the help of Carole Mills, soon to be fully qualified athletics coach and have had the go ahead to consult you all. Please keep an eye out on the Facebook group & email for a survey. This survey will look to gauge interest and numbers and will address price per session. We will also be seek- ing help from run leaders & parents to support the sessions if this venture goes ahead!

Sunday Long Runs (Alex Wakefield)

Well done everyone who has taken part in long run training, since last Autumn! Who can believe it has been so long? It’s all paying off now with some having reached their half-marathon goal, and others now homing in on the marathon finish line. This means that there’s only really one more Sunday run, before Cranleigh 15/21 and tapering for Brighton and London Marathons.

Keep an eye out for the route of the last run, which will be shared in advance of Sunday 19th March.

RUN REPORTS

Multi-storey car park + Tollgate Hill half marathon (James Tombs)

I think it was in August/September on Facebook when I saw Sussex Trail Events put up a post about a possible new run they’d put on in 2017 which would be a marathon in a multi-storey car park. My initial thought was “great” which apparently isn’t the normal response. A few weeks later they started taking entries to go in to a ballot. They could only have 50 runners take part and for some reason there were more than 50 that had expressed an interest in running up and down a multi-storey car park in Worthing so a ballot took place just after Christmas to select the lucky 50 runners.

Luckily both myself and Andrew Bullock got pulled out in the ballot and had our places secured. Training consisted of hilly loops around Tollgate Hill as well as repeats one night when most of the loop ended up being too icy to run on safely as Andrew found out when he arrived and promptly fell over on a bit of ice at the bottom of the hill. The first weekend of February also saw the excellently timed Toll- gate Hill half marathon which had a bumper crowd in its 3rd year.

Andrew Bullock formed the idea of running a half marathon around a loop of Tollgate Hill and Hollingbourne Crescent which is 15 laps about 1500ft of elevation gain (about the same as the Petronas Towers in Malaysia) in 2015 along with Chris Bullock and 2 friends. 2016 saw the field shrink to myself and Andrew with Jason Harrold doing 10 miles of it as part of his long run during marathon training.

2017 however got a huge crowd. I ran to the start on Tollgate Hill from parkrun with Bobby Shepard and went up with Jason Harrold who was parking on Hollingbourne Crescent, upon getting to the start line we had a small crowd awaiting to take part. Tim Winkley, Robin Nower, Andrew Bullock, Paul Codd were all waiting as well as Mal Thornton and Paul Burgess of Horsham Joggers. Darren Hunt had just finished his loop of the course before we all started which he’d started a couple of hours earlier looking rather drained and tired, telling the eager runners the tales of his run. But despite that none of them were put off.

Just before we set off a familiar face was running towards us down Tollgate Hill. Carolyn Mynott was out doing a long run. When asked if she would like to join in we were met with some expletives which were well warranted.

The run went well and there were no incidents other than a “slip” by Tim at the dog poo bin corner which Tim described as “nearly fall- ing over”. The cuts on both knees and hands suggest that there were 4 points of contact on the floor which could only best be described as “he fell over”. Jason set a new course record of 1:42:18. The current course records can be found here - https://www.strava.com/ segments/8857224 .

On the day of the marathon we turned up in a rather dull looking Worthing with grey skies, we’d driven through rather thick low fog on the way down the A27 so the fact that we were able to see the top of the car park when we arrived was a positive (I think?).

Registration was very quick and efficient, we picked up our numbers and timing chip and were given a quick description ofthe course which was left, left, left, left, left, left, left, left, left, left, left, right, right, right, right, left, left, left,left, left, left, left, left, left, left, left. Thankfully the organisers had sorted out very large white painted arrows on the ground which looked a bit weathered.

The run itself was actually quite enjoyable as much as a marathon can be. The repetitive nature of the course was no more mind numb- ing than that of Brighton and the ramps in the car park not really that torturous despite climbing the equivalent of Ben Nevis during the run.

There were moments where wind and rain were coming in on some of the ramps and the top of the car park but there were also moments where the view of the South Downs from the north side of the car park looked fantastic, nicely boxed in by the white fencing and concrete pillars.

I finished in 3:51 and Andrew was not far behind at all in 4:06 which was 15 mins off his marathon PB. Andrew had a very solid run pretty much keeping pace constantly for all 4 hours where as I had tailed off by 20 miles and ended up run walking much of the last 6 miles.

There are plans to put it on again in 2018 which I will certainly be looking forward to. Unfortunately the car park we used is likely to be torn down this year for a housing development but a new one will be found.

Also for anyone interested in Tollgate Hill half marathon 2018 please talk to either myself or Andrew and we can give you details.

Worthing Half Marathon (Bobby Shepard)

On Sunday 12th February a gathering of Saints & Sinners with an honorary Burgess Hill runner in our ranks (Carole Mills) took to Worthing to pound the pavements for 13 and a bit miles in what was known as Storm Doris!

In what was my first time running this event, I was in great company with both Ange Stark and Carole Mills keeping me in check. Unfor- tunately Carole had to withdraw after 6 miles being sensible but managed to run Brighton and North London thereafter.

Running with Ange, we had set ourselves a target of achieving a sub 2 hour finish for Ange which I am pleased to report we smashed in style with an outstanding time of 1:53 and overall, the event saw massive PB's reported for all Saints & Sinners running.

Starting by the Lido, the scene of our former WSFRL league race, we took off and weaved in and out and around the streets of Worthing often commenting how pleased we were to be out of the open and not being battered by the wind and rain. In an extremely flat, fast and fun route, it was encouraging to see so many fellow yellow Saints & Sinners pass us on the way in still smiling as they finished strongly.

This is an event I have already earmarked for 2018 and it is one I would recommend that we, as a club make it a Saints & Sinners event to remember!

Brighton Half Marathon—Sunday 26th February (Alex Wakefield)

Despite early morning gloom, no fewer than 42 Saints & Sinners dragged themselves to a breezy Madeira Drive start line for this first of the big runs. Many of those crammed into the park and ride bus were doing their first half marathon, and some nerves were felt on the misty drive in, from the American Express Stadium. Others were using the event as a recce and springboard for longer distance events later in 2017.

The popular local DJ, Norman Cook (Fat Boy Slim) fired the klaxon, as some 12,000 runners started to stream first toward the city cen- tre, before doubling back on themselves, making their way up a steady incline toward Saltdean. Drummers, music and anti Norman Cook protests kept everyone in step up to the turnaround on the A259, before a nice long recovery back toward the pier. At the half- way point, we turned into a head-wind which challenged for a couple of miles until reaching the Hove basin, and the return leg to the finish, this time with the wind behind us.

The run into the finish was much more pleasant, and spurred on by the crowds, a host of runners made their objective, achieved PB’s and swore never again to do anything quite so silly. Comments were generally favourable, despite many observing that certain parts of the route were rather cramped, drink stations were perhaps a little too far apart, and disappointment about the lack of finisher T– Shirts.

The full list of Saints and Sinners results is published above, with PB’s from Ant Neal, Cara Law, Alex Wakefield (amongst others), and first run completions for Marion O’Connor, Claire Oak, Sarah Thomas, Richard Bryant and Sam Slade heroically running over the finish line, despite never having completed the half marathon distance before, even in training. Of course, we mustn’t forget Jen Veal and Claire Reeves crossing the line hand-in-hand. True running spirit!

Perhaps the biggest news though, was the dramatic finish-line proposal of marriage, from Paul Ferris to Tina Massiah. In her post run confusion, she said yes and received a better than usual piece of bling at the end of the 13.1 miles. Congratulations—we are all looking forward to crashing your reception, dressed in yellow.

Parkrun – 2017 so far (Richard Daniells)

Ten parkrun days into 2017, and we already have three Saints and Sinners members who have completed eleven parkruns! Darren Hunt, Jason Harrold and Richard Daniells have run every week, plus took advantage of the New Year double and were three of the eleven Saints who ran at either Horsham or Reigate Priory before dashing off to Tilgate to run a second parkrun. Only two other of our members, Martin Presland and Robin Nower have reached double figures of parkruns completed this year so far, but with a last minute cancellation at Tilgate on 14th January, very few runners were able to make alternate arrangements and had to miss out on their parkrun fix!

With parkrun doing away with the Points table from the end of February, the 2016 – 2017 points competition is already over, and as a club we have winners in both the Male and Female categories. Jason Harrold won the Male competition by a country mile, with Darren Hunt, Steve Baker, Martin Presland and Dave Tibbals all in the top ten final places. The female competition was a lot closer with the top three places all up for grabs at the last run in February, but Mary Freestone just managed to pip Jo Fiveash for first place, with Ga- brielle Presland and Carole Mills also finishing in the top ten overall places.

As usual we have had good turnouts each week (except the week Tilgate was cancelled at the last minute) and again as usual some very impressive performances. PB’s this year have been achieved by Paul Ferris, Amelia Brown, Jim Scott (4 times!), Emma Booysen, one of our Learn to Run group doing her first parkrun and improving in each of her next three runs, Mandy Jenkins, another of our Learn to Run group with three PB’s so far this year, Ken Tulley, four PB’s and a PB in every single one of his runs since his first parkrun, Alison Lacey, Brittney Ryan-Jeffery twice, Miranda Attwater and Debby Scott. First time parkrunners so far this year are Rebecca Wathen, Dawn Shepard and Emma Booysen.

Several of our runners have hit milestone numbers of parkruns including Richard Daniells (200), Gabrielle Presland (150), Annabel Kolter, Robin Nower, Jody Blunt and Andrew Bullock (all 100), Founder club member Derek Brailsford, Alex Wakefield, Chris Bullock and our parkwalker Richard Elmsley all reached 50.

Although parkrun is a run rather than a race, we have had some very impressive finishing positions, Jason Harrold has finished first twice at Tilgate so far this year and also finished first on his debut run at Hastings finishing over a minute in front of the second place finisher. Jason also has several second and third place finishes at Tilgate (and Horsham). Amelia Brown was the first female finisher in her only parkrun so far this year, and Laelia Bantin has also notched up a top three finishing position.

Although only ten weeks into the year, twenty different parkruns throughout the country have seen Saints and Sinners representation, nowhere exotic yet, but Bradford and Lancaster have been the furthest afield so far. Our serial tourist Tim Pinkney has been to five different parkruns so far this year, and that doesn’t include Tilgate!

Please put April 22nd in your diary as this will be our latest Learn to Run group’s graduation, and we will be looking for members to buddy up with the L2R group and for everyone else to turn up in club colours and cheer them all home. Oh and there might be cake!

All the above has been worked out against runners who have Crawley Saints and Sinners Running Club against their parkrun profile. If you haven’t then you won’t be counted in this section of the newsletter. To set your profile, either go to your own parkrun page or click on the Manage My Profile link on your parkrun results email. Then select the top link entitled ‘Update’, and select Crawley Saints and Sinners Running Club from the long drop down list against the Running Club (optional) box.

Don’t forget, parkrun is not just about running, without the numerous volunteers parkrun would not take place. If you are injured, resting or just not feeling up to running on the day, you can get just as much pleasure in going along, marshalling, or undertaking any other volunteer role, knowing that you are fully appreciated by all those running, and giving something back to ensure that Tilgate (other parkruns are also available) can take place each week.

News from Up North (13th March 2017) (founder-member Derek Brailsford)

I thought that I'd give you an update on what has been happening to me since my last news.

The very bad sweats that I experienced after starting my Hormone Therapy Treatment (up to 7 times a night and stripping my bed every morning) are now under control due to a “Magic Pill”. That’s good considering I’m on the treatment for another 2½yrs.

My 37 Radiotherapy Treatments lasted all through December and January but are now finished, but have left me with a few small side effects. For one I have a “Macmillan Card” asking if I can urgently use a toilet as my toilet requirements are very random!!!! I’ve used it several times when out on runs (shops, private houses, businesses, Pubs etc)!!!!

The other major side effect is that I get very tired for no particular reason and often fall asleep in the afternoon or evening. The tiredness means that I never quite get round to doing the jobs or runs that I want to do.

Now that my Radio Therapy treatment is over I am starting to get my life back together and I’ve even returned to Indoor Climbing after 10 weeks off and so far even the easy routes are exhausting.

My running has been severely affected by the physical and mental tiredness and also the extra 16lbs I’ve put on due to the Hormone Therapy Treatment, but I’m continuing to train as much as I can (averaged 20mls for 3 weeks January / February) and I’ve done two races as part of my marathon training (which was about 8 weeks behind schedule at the beginning of February). Four weeks ago during a very muddy trail race I slipped into a deep water filled ditch and had to be pulled out by 4 ladies!!!!! Unfortunately as a result of my impromptu swim I tore a muscle in my right groin which has resulted with no running since then and three visits for physiotherapy (more to come), but the Physiotherapist allowed me to try a parkrun last Saturday as the start of my come back and I managed 4k before having to walk. .

One result of my illness and treatment is that I had the opportunity to read a book produced by the "Macmillan Organisation”, and as a result I have been talking to lots of men about Prostate Cancer, and trying to persuade the older ones to have a PSA test done at their doctors as it is the only test that can highlight “The Silent Killer” So please spread the word!!!

My next article should be how I got round the 26.2ml London Marathon course!!

If you feel that you would like to support me, my small flier is below.

I’m 72yr old Derek Brailsford and on the 23rd of

April I’m running the London Marathon to raise

money for Prostate Cancer UK.

If you would like to make a donation, please go to

my Fund Raising Page.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DerekBrailsford

And Finally….. Musings of a run obsessive (Robin Nower) Being an asbestos geek my work takes me to some exotic far flung places – Oxford, Woking, Tower Hamlets… Wigan, you get the pic- ture, wherever there are beautiful (horrific) old (concrete) buildings. Nevertheless I always try to make things interesting by planning a run to take in some of the more interesting sights and features, be it a run along the Leeds and Liverpool canal to the site of an old coal mine and a little known memoriam to a WW1 Victoria Cross recipient, or a run through the dreaming spires of Oxford’s University Quar- ter; anything to try to see the best (or at least better) side of the town or city.

My favourite is to plan a cheeky little half-marathon before work starts, an early morning busman’s tour. There is nothing quite like the feeling of having done a decent run before an important meeting or site visit, just as long as I don’t have to sit down for too long for fear of nodding off!

This morning I was returning to an old haunt, the beauty of London’s East End Borough of Tower Hamlets. What instantly springs to mind is the A11, A12 and A13 all majestically meeting around the Blackwall tunnel Northern Approach, or the beautiful 1960’s concrete high rise housing blocks. However, scratch the surface and what you find are actually very pretty canals, grand old brick mills and indus- try, and Victorian terracing and schools. Seek and you shall find.

The run started from Trinity Buoy Wharf just off the East India Road, a little wharf of converted container units, a haven for the hipster community made up of little art studios and workshops doing goodness knows what with goodness knows what. But also home to my client for the day. The meeting was booked for 10am so naturally I arrived at 6am to claim my parking spot and crack on with the real task at hand, the run.

Starting with a short section weaving through the housing estates, I soon popped out on the Limehouse Cut, a short canal section that connects the River Lea to the Limehouse Basin for the River Thames. Dropping down below street level all of life continues above but all I can see and hear is the wildfowl on the water and the canal boats negotiating the water, heading towards the Thames.

Very soon I hit the intersection of the Limehouse Cut and the River Lea, a small brick arch bridge on the tow path takes me over the water to a strip of land between the River Lea and Bow Creek, just a short hop up the River and I am running alongside the Queen Eliza- beth Olympic Park and the former Olympic Stadium now draped in the sky blue and claret (not in the east end slang sense) colours of some two-bit lower league association football team (football is not my strongpoint).

Now another intersection, this time with the River Lea and the Hertford Union Canal, over the tiny single carriage way road bridge and down onto the canal tow path and within minutes I am running adjacent to Victoria Park. Now there are many runners on the tow path and in the park. In London’s idiosyncratic way my salutations are met with silence, looks of disgust, grunts, or the very occasional and pleasant ‘morning’ (in that order). I have never really understood why Londoners feel they have to maintain this reputation but it will never dampen my enthusiasm for passing on greetings, in fact quite the opposite as I am always intrigued by which response it will gar- ner.

Works are on-going at the interchange of the Hertford Union and the Regent’s Canals so I was encouraged to follow the diversion (non- existent as expected), luckily I know this section fairly well and am soon heading down the Regent’s Canal toward the Limehouse Basin. The Regent’s Canal is even busier with runners and now a few commuter cyclists are thrown into the mix as I head past Mile End, it is as if it is trying to emulate the Commercial Road which rumbles overhead along this section. 14

All of a sudden I am at the Limehouse Basin, a marina of sorts where there is an eclectic mix of canal boats, small fishing boats, and rather grand mini yachts. Goodness only knows how much a berth costs in there but one assumes it is on the ‘steep’ side. There is little evidence of the dystopia that once made this one of Charles Dickens’ favourite haunts for euphemistically observing ‘all of life’.

Now a bit that I dread, the drop from the Limehouse Basin onto the Isle of Dogs, why you may ask? Well this includes Narrow Street, or to many a London Marathoner, The Wall Street. Something about that short narrow stretch always reminds me of starting to ‘feel the burn’ of the London Marathon and looking for the next water station, one is not forthcoming this morning of course but I still psychoso- matically suddenly feel rather thirsty!

Onto the Island and onto the Thames Path that weaves in and out around the perimeter. First past the unmistakable One Canada Square (Canary Wharf) building then onto the Island Gardens and the Island entrance to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, nearby is the Thames Tunnel which is now used by the London Underground but was Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s first engineering masterpiece.

Further round and I can see a rather large Navy frigate on the river but at a strange angle. Very interesting I was thinking as I got closer and then I noticed that it was moving ever so slowly. It did not really register further, that is until I got to the Docklands Drawbridge and lo and behold the frigate is being taken into the locks for the island docks. A cheery cyclist informs me that I was in for a 45minute wait which, after 11miles and with an air temperature of 6C, could have been better received by myself. That said, it was lovely chatting with him and it is not every day that you get to see the bridge up and the Royal Navy at work.

The end of the run was a little ‘crampy’ after standing around for such a long-time but it still took in a small nature reserve and then back to Trinity Buoy Wharf. Unfortunately my Garmin informed me that I was at 12.6 miles, only one thing to do and three laps of the wharf later the half-marathon was in the bag.

A quick shower and change at my client’s office, and then a very satisfying Full English in the hipster café (all fresh ingredients cooked in frying pans on a range and including eggy bread) and I was ready for the meeting. Lovely job.