Ride and Run Log
Back to parkrun: A Saturday Morning with James
Today I did the Southend parkrun for the first time in several years, after my son James suggested we do it together. I’ve been running regularly over recent months, gradually building up my distances. I’ve done most of my training on my own, so it was a nice change to run with James and a…
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Richard Ellis Memorial 100: An Audax with a Few Extra Hills
Today’s ride was the Richard Ellis Memorial 100, a 106 km, or roughly 66-mile, Audax starting from Great Dunmow and heading north through the Essex and Suffolk countryside. I rode it with Paul, and this was his first experience of Audax riding. As introductions go, it had most of the essential ingredients: quiet country lanes,…
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This Time, I Finished the 6.5K
After my last attempt at 6.5 km ended with me calling it a day at around 5 km, today’s training run had one very simple objective: complete the full 6.5 km. I deliberately wasn’t worried about pace. At this stage of my training, getting used to running farther matters more than how quickly I cover…
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When a 6.5K Training Run Becomes a 5K
Today’s training run didn’t quite go to plan. The session was supposed to be 6.5 km, another step toward my forthcoming 10K runs. I started strongly and, for the first few kilometres, felt reasonably comfortable. But by around 4 km, I could feel myself beginning to weaken. I carried on to 5 km, but at…
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RIDE Essex 2026: 68 Miles Through the Essex Countryside
Today’s ride was the RIDE Essex Classic, a 68-mile sportive that started and finished at ARU Writtle, near Chelmsford, organised by Action Medical Research, which I did with Paul S. Although for a moment, I wondered whether I was going to make it to the start! I’d fitted new tubeless tyres yesterday, and while pumping…
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Vitality 10K Training: My 5K Run Metrics
Today’s session in my Vitality 10K training programme was a 5K easy run, sandwiched between a five-minute warm-up and five-minute cool-down. Altogether I covered 5.81 km in 48:46, but the important figures are those for the 5K itself: 38:42 at an average pace of 7:44/km. The run was consistent from a cardiovascular standpoint. My average…
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Keeping It Local: One Week Until RIDE Essex
Today I decided to stay a little closer to home. With the RIDE Essex Classic coming up next Sunday, I didn’t want to do too much this weekend. There’s little to be gained from squeezing in another long ride this close to the event, so today was more about keeping the legs moving and enjoying…
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Challenging Yet Enjoyable: Today’s “Little Essex R&R Audax Ride”
Today’s ride was the Little Essex R&R, a 100 km Audax starting and finishing in Witham, organised by ACME.Bike. It was good to be back riding an Audax again, with my last one having been on 3 May. If Audax riding is new to you, I’ve also written a short introduction explaining what an Audax…
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