06/09/2010 by Barry.

Well that’s the summer done for another year and time for everyone to get back to work and school… but wasn’t the Beach Bash a fantastic way to finish off the summer.

We worked hard with The Grand Theatre of Lemmings and the Manningtree District Business Chamber to put on what turned out to be the biggest and best Manningtree Beach Bash ever.  There were entertainers, stalls, competitions, activities and lots of fun to be found on the Beach, South Street and dotted around the town too.  The mime artists based at Cafe Rio were brilliant, the activities in South Street so popular there was just sea of heads and the sand sculpture and ‘Soundimal’ animal tamer on the beach were completely captivating.  In fact Dillon the dog is still trying to work out where the horse went.

There have been so many events throughout the summer that the Beach Bash seems a fitting end to the summer 2010 season.  Talking of other events did you manage to get along to the Manningtree Regatta?  Despite our bravado in last month’s newsletter we didn’t enter the mud race after all.  We’d like to say it was because Dillon the dog would of chased after us and got stuck or some other good reason but the truth of it is we chickened out.  Maybe next year…

And even though we didn’t enter many people did take to the water and other braver souls took on the various mud challenges.  We must say a particular well done to our good friend Kevin Lucas for his win and also the girls from Lucca for winning the tug of war.

But how about what’s coming up?  Well although we’re not ready to write off the next few months just yet, we already have to start thinking about what the town will be doing to celebrate Christmas.  Yes you read correctly, we’re talking Christmas and it’s still the summer!  No, it’s no good, we’re dropping that thought from the newsletter as at the moment we’re sat at the allotment typing away on the laptop in blazing sun… the winter will surely never arrive, although those black clouds approaching disagree.  For now though, why not take a look at the “What’s on” section of the web site to see if there’s anything coming up that grabs your interest.

To help forget we mentioned Christmas we’re going to soak up some more sun and rest up after yesterday’s challenge.  If you happened to be out and about on Sunday you might have seen our founder, Barry, taking part in a great annual event.  The Essex Way Relay came through Manningtree late in the afternoon.  Starting at 8am hundreds of runners from all over the area took part in a relay race that starts at the beginning of the Essex Way in Epping before it finished later the same day in Harwich after completing the 82 mile route.  So if you happened to be out walking and saw a load of lycra clad people hurtling past you now know what it was all about.

We hope you had a great summer and if you’re like us and sent a child back to a new school we hope the transition went smoothly with maximum excitement rather than nail biting nerves or tears.  Take care for now.

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02/08/2010 by Barry.

Did you miss us?  We decided to disappear for the July edition - with so much happening in the area and the usual build-up to the whirlwind of a school year ending it became obvious we just weren’t going to get our news out to you all.  Anyway now all the school plays, awards ceremonies etc. are over for another year we’re back.

As you’ve probably gathered we didn’t quite make it to as many of the events as we would of liked during July.  We even managed to miss the Tendring Show but from what we’ve read and heard it was a great day out, albeit a bit on the hot side.  We aren’t about to complain about the weather though, despite developing longer arms from carrying watering cans around the allotment.

The highlight of July for us was the Highfields School production “What a Knight”.  Yes we’re probably biased but honestly it was very funny and the children were superb, so confident and well-rehearsed.  But what else happened during the month?  Well there’s been art exhibitions, physical activities, music festival, nature walks, fashion exhibitions, a new club just for Dad’s to take their children to and the Hopper Bus has started again.  We’re just wondering if you managed to get to more of them than we did.

So August is now here and we’re sure many of you will be heading off somewhere on your holidays but for those that are around for some or all of the summer break here’s what’s happening this month.  Mistley Norman Kids Club has got some great events lined up for the children, personally we fancy the water slide day.  There’s a Teddy Bears Picnic or perhaps you’d rather see the Fire Engines at the 999 open day.  Perhaps try your hand at furniture upholstery or simpler art and craft activities, or just relax with some Pilates or maybe the Foxash Beer Festival can tempt you.  There’s plenty more to choose from so to get the details for these and many others just take a look at our “What’s on” section.  Remember if you’ve got an event let us know and we’ll list it for free on the web site.

We’re also looking forward to the Manningtree Regatta, this may well be the year we’re brave enough to get muddy.  Dillon the dog has already had a practice at that just 2 days after having his summer wash and haircut - hard to be cross when he looked so funny.  And there will of course be the Beach Bash in September but we’ll tell you all about that a bit nearer the time, but from what we’ve heard this year will be the biggest and best yet.

So that’s it from us this month, enjoy your summer and we’ll be back after a well earned holiday.  Take care for now.

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07/06/2010 by Barry.

At the moment summer seems to be firmly knocking on the door waiting for spring to let it in and take over.  The lambs and calves out towards Flatford are all growing fast and the blossom, insects and birds are all in fine form - we think we even saw the first dragonfly but we’ll wait for another sighting before being certain.  But best of all we’ve spent time hunting out the Bluebells and have to say that the best of all were just a few minutes away in Little Bentley - a woodland floor completely carpeted with these amazing flowers… roll on next year so we can see them again!

The month of May certainly had a variety of events happening, including trips with the RSPB, craft shows, farmers markets, darts, rock ‘n’ roll, talks on the concept of Community Supported Agriculture and much more.  In fact so much happened we can’t possibly cover everything here so let’s just give you a taster of what’s happening in June and leave you to go online to the ‘What’s on‘ section to find out more.  At the moment we’ve got wildlife walks, river cruises, history talks, the latest play at the Manifest Theatre and lots of music events to choose from, there’s even a Teddy Bear Parachute Jump!

For us, the most recent event we took part in was the Rotary Club Mayflower walk from Harwich to Manningtree (around 14 miles).  This year we decided to take Dillon the Dog along too to see if he could cope with such a long walk.  The Essex Way covers such a stunning diversity of habitats and views which inspired us and weren’t wasted on Dillon either.  In fact by the time we arrived at Manningtree Train Station to complete the walk he was very eager to turn round and do it all again… maybe next year Dillon.

At the moment we’re not sure what event will tempt us next but we hope to be around on the 26th June for the Paddle and Oar festival.  I guess we’ll have to wait and see.  Remember though, if you have an event or experience you’d like to share with us, please do let us know but for now take care and we’ll catch up with you next month.

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10/05/2010 by Barry.

With the 25th April now assigned to the memory banks the challenge to run the Virgin London Marathon is over… but I’ve got a taste for running now so the journey to tackle many more challenges is only just starting.

To say goodbye to you all (from a marathon point of view) I’d like to share some experiences of the day itself, a few tips to consider if you ever feel the need to tackle a marathon and some well deserved acknowledgements. 

The excitement really starts building a few days before the marathon when you go up to the Marathon Expo in London to sign in and collect your number.  It’s a great event and well worth staying a while to look around.  However, if you do, make sure you don’t spend too long on your feet, as you’re supposed to be resting, and drink plenty of fluids as you wander round.  And if you haven’t already get your name printed on your running top, it’s worth every penny for the experience of hearing spectators shout your name as you run past, it gives that extra boost when perhaps you need it most.

The race day itself started early for me, getting up at 4:45am to pack the last few items in my kit bag before catching my lift to Great Bentley.  Here I connected with the excellent coach service their local running club organises for a 6am departure.  The coach was buzzing with nervous energy but that was nothing compared to the excitement of seeing the start lines as we approached.  But here is the next piece of advice, try and stay as calm as possible otherwise you’ll be merrily burning through all the energy you should of stored up ready for the race.

Shortly after leaving the coach the rain fell and the wind brought the temperature crashing down so many people dressed for the cold then promptly handed in their kit bags to the officials.  I stuck to my resolve and wore the shorts and vest as planned and put on a bin liner that I’d packed for the occasion, so here’s the next piece of advice, always dress for the run a few miles in and not the start.  And sure enough the rain stopped and the temperature soon climbed causing many to suffer in the humidity.

After crossing the start line the challenge ahead starts to really hit home.  The first few miles can be fairly chaotic as everyone scrambles for a clear space in a sea of people and you certainly have to watch your footing as you pass the fancy dress brigade.  I for example nearly had my feet taken out from under me by a husky dog sledge being pulled by three men!  Try and relax though and be mindful of your actions and the space around you, taking particular care at water stations and all the empty bottles on the ground.

The experience of running 26.2 miles through the streets of London, along with 36,000 other people, whilst being spurred on by tens of thousands of spectators is an experience that words cannot do justice.  There’s music, parties and noise the whole way but especially when you finally turn that corner at Birdcage Walk to run up to Buckingham Palace for the last 385 yards to the finish line.  My finisher’s medal will be a prized possession in this family.  It really is one of the highlights in my memory bank and something that has connected me with some great people in the community throughout the tough winter months of training and fundraising.  Whilst not guaranteed, if you do like a bit of celebrity spotting keep your eyes peeled during the marathon – I managed to run with Richard Branson for a while before leaving him behind.. I had to; everyone was shouting his name and not mine!

So that just leaves me to say thank you to everyone that has supported me; especially my partner Sue and my family for putting up with my disappearances to train; Jeremy at Manningtree Osteopathic Clinic for keeping me in top form; Minar at the Mogul for letting me take over his restaurant for a fundraiser; the Harwich and Manningtree Standard for letting me hijack regular space here; everyone at Harwich Runners for guiding me through the process of making me a runner and lastly everyone who sponsored me.  So far together we’ve collected over £2,100 for LEPRA and the amount is still climbing.  Well done everyone and thank you it’s been great, the question is what’s next on the challenge list?

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29/03/2010 by Barry.

The time has nearly arrived to start reducing the amount of training, ready to rest up and ensure I’m fresh for London Marathon day on 25th April.  There is, however, one last long run to do before I can start relaxing.  This will push me beyond the 20 mile mark that I achieved in the recent Essex 20 where I crossed the line in under 3 hours – to say I was pleased with the result would be an understatement.

The plan for my final long outing is to run round Alton Water three times to clock up around 23 miles on some softer terrain.  Road running is all well and good but it’s also important to mix in a little off-road terrain just to help ease the stress of impact on hard surfaces all the time.  I’ve not been very good at following this advice myself as the poor weather over the winter had me concerned that I’d have some freak mudslide accident or rabbit hole ankle trap incident to shatter my plans.

Those of you that know Alton Water will appreciate that it’s a lovely place to visit and perfect for running.  Each circuit of the smaller loop is just less than 8 miles with great views to distract your mind and some very steep hills just to get the heart pumping a little harder every so often.  In fact the hills are so steep in places crampons and rope would probably be better than trainers.

So once this run is over I’ve really done all I can to prepare physically and mentally for the marathon.  Over the months I’ve experienced rain, snow, sleet, ice, wind and floods, in fact the only thing that might surprise me is if the sun actually shines on the day, but I’ll plan to be prepared for that too.

Over the next few weeks I’ll go a bit quiet as there won’t be much else to report until after the marathon.  I’ve got to collect the results of my recent Renogram scan to ensure nothing nasty has been happening to my kidney but fingers crossed all will be fine.  For now though there are just a few final preparations to make.  I’ve already booked myself on to a coach that travels up early on the Sunday morning laden with other runners.  Now I need to decide on the other important elements like setting aside the trainers, socks and other items I plan to wear on the day.  These have all been well broken in over the training period so none of them should cause any discomfort on the day.  Even the slightest rub can have disastrous effects over 26.2 miles so this will be important to get right.  I’ve also got to travel up to London soon to the Marathon Expo where I’ll be issued with my number and timing chip.

It really has all come together now so I have to rely on the fact that my body will know its job on the day and my mind will support it in it’s goal of crossing that finishing line without stopping to walk at any point.  It’s been an absolute pleasure to share my experience with you all and I’ve certainly appreciated all the support I’ve received from the running club, local businesses and the wider community.  I look forward to letting you know how it all goes, wish me luck…

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26/02/2010 by Barry.

We’re now into single figures with the number of weeks left until the London Marathon and the nerves are getting the better of me every now and then.  This hasn’t been helped by a couple of weeks of very poor training.

I’ve said before that looking after yourself during the build up is crucial – and in fairness I was doing very well.  But then I got hit with an awful cold the week before the Great Bentley Half Marathon and missed all the training sessions I needed to do.

I did, however, feel recovered enough to turn up on race day and put in an effort I was very pleased with so I guess the rest was needed after all.  Unfortunately my luck didn’t continue as two days later I had to go for the annual Renogram scan I told you all about last time.  Sure enough I ended up missing another week of proper training through the pain and discomfort it caused in my kidneys.

Then I tried to break in a new pair of trainers that were a new style recommended to me.  BIG MISTAKE, I won’t be doing that again in a hurry so I’ve returned those and replaced them with a new pair of the style I’m used to.

To help overcome all of these problems I’ve added to my Reflexology treatments with a series of appointments with the new Osteopath in town.  The treatments are proving to be very beneficial and ensuring my body is coping with the increased distances without too much trouble.  That said you have to expect to ache no matter how much you look after yourself on rest days.

I’ve also started to have to adjust my diet as the weeks have gone by.  I’ve lost weight so I resemble a more streamlined runner than I was at the start so that’s good but I’ve had to make sure the calories are replaced in the right way.  So a healthy diet with protein and carbohydrates is the order of the day.  I’ve also had to start paying more attention to looking after my skin to avoid getting sore patches through the repetitive motion over several hours.

However, I refuse to dwell on all the negative bits so let’s push forwards with the rest of the news.  The fundraising dinner I held at the Mogul went really well and it was great to receive the support of Colchester United through, local resident and Mid-Fielder, Kem Izzett being the special guest and the reporting team from the Standard too.  I’d also like to say a big thank you to the Manningtree Co-op for letting me rattle my collection tin outside their premises recently and of course to everyone who donated money.  The amount raised is growing every day but the target of £3,000 is still a fair way off so more fundraising events are coming.

Anyway back to training.  I’ve now completed a 16 mile run twice so the next step is an 18 mile run.  After that’s been clocked up I need to have an easier week before then entering the Essex 20, which as its name suggests is a 20 mile race.  I have mixed feelings about this one – I feel fairly confident that I’m now more than capable of completing the distance but the course is actually two loops of a 10 mile route.  To be honest I’m more worried about mental fatigue when I cross the line for the first time with the thought of “here we go again” possibly creeping in.

After the race I’ll have another easier week before pushing on to my longest run of the training schedule that will see a 22 or 24ish mile run before the tapering down of distances occurs through April to rest up before race day.

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20/02/2010 by Barry.

Today was our first experience at a Re-skilling the Valley event.  Their being organised by The Apricot Centre with the help of the Dedham Vale AONB.  This one is particular was over in Dedham with local green wood worker Richard Bates.  Richard does a lot of work with Ben Law of Channel 4’s Grand designs Fame but when he’s in the area in practices the old art of “bodging”.

 It was a great day and my children really enjoyed it too.  In fact if I hadn’t of dragged them away a full hour after it was suppossed to finish I think they would still be there now finishing of the chair they were determined to make.  As it was they had very rough looking baseball bats to bring home!  Looking forward to some of the other events now.

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08/02/2010 by Barry.

 The countdown has really started now with the London Marathon date of 25th April getting ever closer.  There are a lot of people out there that have had their training plans scuppered by the recent snow and ice but thankfully it should still be possible for most of them to make the finish line.  The key is to be sensible regarding the intensity of the training and realistic about the time you wish to cross the line.

I must add though that my plan has remained unaffected – yes that means I was that solitary figure seen running the country roads in conditions that were far from ideal.  The upside was that it gave me some welcome relief from the impact on tarmac as the snow was more like running on carpet.  In fact throughout all the bad weather I only resorted to the treadmill once and to serve me right I slipped over on the ice on the walk home!  But let’s get back to my plan and approach to the challenge ahead.

Everyone approaches a marathon differently – for some achieving a personal best is everything, for others the goal is finishing before everyone goes home.  For me and many entrants the goal is simply to ‘run’ the marathon.  So that’s it, I don’t want to stop and walk BUT I would like to achieve this as comfortably as possible.  In order to do this I’ve had to consider what my body is capable of and what my idea of comfort is, and I’ve struggled with this a little as you can’t ask anyone’s advice – this has to be something everyone asks of themselves.

That said the internet and other running club members have been a great source of information to base things on but I think I’ve finally got there with a schedule and some goals.  The overall aim of wanting to run the full 26.2 miles of the marathon has led me to a schedule that has my longest run of 22 miles happening in late March, interspersed with lots of rest days.  I’ll then begin the all important tapering down to just 10 miles the weekend before the race.  The idea being that full recovery is needed but fitness shouldn’t drop off too far in that time either.

At the moment I’ve already achieved some personal landmarks.  So far I’ve notched up two 14 mile runs and another of 16 miles all of which exceed the furthest I’ve ever run before, and the good news is I could still walk the day after each run.  With those done I feel happy that the Bentley Half Marathon in February will be taken in my stride and a bit more work will see the Essex 20 in March done happily too.

It hasn’t all been smiley faces though and the challenge is far from easy or indeed over.  I’m about to have to undergo all my annual health checks that include such delights as having a renogram, otherwise known as a Nuclear Medicine Scan.  The leaflet I get through with the appointment booking says there are no side effects but, for me, that isn’t the case, I always come away feeling as though I’ve been hit in the back and it takes a while for me to recover.  But recover I will and continue to train for the big day.

Anyway that’s about all for now but as I feel I know all of you a little better perhaps next time we can cover a little regarding diet and that delicate issue of chaffing.

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18/12/2009 by Barry.

I can tell you now that my best foot forwards is my right one!  I’ve always known my left side was the weakest, and the operation certainly compounded the problem, so it’s been no surprise that the aches from running are appearing in my left leg, but I’ve never really known why.  Come January my training has to start getting really serious so I’m trying to iron out all the niggles and issues I’ve discovered up until now.

I’m trying to approach these aches from two directions – firstly to discover what is causing them and secondly to look after myself to minimise the chance of injury.  Before I dive into this though here’s a my confession to you, the reason the niggles have arrived is because I did a little bit of off-road running the other weekend when it had been pouring with rain.  Wet, muddy, slippery conditions coupled with an uneven surface, tagged onto the end of the longest training run so far of 12 miles proved a little too much.  No sympathy though as it was entirely my own fault.

Anyway back to the two directions.  As I said last time I’ve been lucky enough to find a great running club which has given me access to the wealth of their members combined knowledge.  I’m going to have to concentrate hard on my running style as it would seem I’m over compensating for the weakness on my left and holding tension and imbalance across my shoulders.  All of this came to light through a fellow runner watching me run on a treadmill – once I adjusted things it felt so much better.  All I need to do now is keep it going, which I suspect will be easier said than done.  I don’t intend making a habit of using a treadmill though as it really doesn’t prepare you for road running but it certainly proved very useful in this instance.

And then of course there is the second approach.  I’m trying to also look after myself outside of running experiences.  As if I wasn’t wearing Lycra enough already I’ve started doing Yoga to help me warm-up and cool-down.  Nothing too difficult, but already, for the first time in years, I’ve progressed to being able to touch my toes!  Another area that I’ve added is a regular course of Reflexology treatments – a therapy that involves massaging points on the feet that are believed to correspond to the various areas of the body.  It certainly seems to be helping and if nothing else they’re worth it just to have your feet pampered for an hour.

Another part of the preparations has been to sign up for some races.  Although the training is important it’s also vital for me to get in some proper race experiences so the day of the Marathon doesn’t become too much of a daunting process.  So with that in mind I’ve signed up for a half marathon in February and hopefully I’ll get a place in a 20 mile race in March too.  Both are good targets to add along the way to achieving the 26.2 miles April.

Well that’s it for this year; I’ll be back in January and by then I hope to have sorted out my training schedule and, fingers crossed, I’ll have clocked up the longest run I’ve ever done.  So for now I hope you have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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08/12/2009 by Barry.

It’s fair to say that when mornings and evenings are dark and the days seem to be a consistent grey it becomes a little difficult to be inspired to get out into nature for a run.  And judging by the hailstones that are bouncing of my window as I type, this afternoons run might be hazardous too!  But inspired you can be; it just takes the right perspective.

Preparing through the winter for a marathon in the spring was never going to be easy, finding the time to run in daylight becomes a weekend treat so for the rest of the week you feel like some sort of garlic fearing night walker.  So how can you get the right perspective and outlook to prepare mentally and physically?  Well, when I last wrote I commented that what I craved was knowledge from experienced runners… and my call was answered.  I’ve discovered a great bunch of people dotted around the area that all pull together to share their passion for running.  Now whilst I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m passionate about it, I do fully appreciate how the camaraderie can make a huge difference.

 Lift sharing with other Manningtree, Lawford and Mistley residents and travelling once a week down to Harwich to meet with other dedicated runners has opened my eyes to yet another world.  The world of club running which in turn leads to a whole new vocabulary.  I promise you, you haven’t lived until you have a go at “paarlauf” or “fartlek” sessions; it’s a challenge just to spell them.  It amazes me how you can become so exhausted and improve stamina so dramatically doing these weird sounding sessions, whilst covering relatively short distances.  When you add into the mix other runners of varying ability all pushing hard and encouraging each other, running in the dark evenings suddenly becomes, dare I say it… enjoyable.

These weekly sessions are helping immensely and have already seen my distances get longer and my times tumble.  But the real improvement is that feeling of support and encouragement; and knowing that you’re not mad to be out in the dark, cold evening running – or if you are at least you’re not the only one!

There are of course other challenges, to this journey of achieving my first marathon, that can’t be overlooked.  I’m coming to a point of needing to purchase new trainers as I need to break them in over a period of time.  I shuddered when I was told I needed a gait analysis – you may recall my run in with the iron gate last time, so I wasn’t looking forward to it.  But no, it’s alright, I misunderstood, it just means the way you run is assessed so you get the right pair of trainers.

And then there is the sponsorship money to raise.  I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has been to www.justgiving.com/barryhammick and made a donation.  With just two months of my training journey complete we’ve managed to find almost a quarter of the £3,000 total I’m aiming to raise for LEPRA.  I’ll continue to dig deep into my mental and physical reserves to clock up the miles and hope you’ll dig deep into your pockets to push up the amount.

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