Hockley Woods parkrun - event 384

On the 9th December 2023 I ran the Hockley Woods parkrun which was the 384th event held at the venue, my 158th parkrun and 84th different course I'd attended.

These pages of tales of parkrun tourism are littered with revised plans, changes of venues, weather related disruptions and generally things not going as expected. This weekend was probably the greatest example of all of those things happening at once.

I'd originally scheduled a visit to Sunny Hill parkrun, but Stephanie said that she thought the car was making funny noises so I changed to Highbury Fields as I could visit quite easily by train. We are borrowing my mum and dad's car for a period of time whilst they go on their travels starting this week, so our car issues will temporarily go away whilst we have two cars for the duration of that period.

My niece Layla was off Saturday and wanted to come along with me, which was great - the more the merrier. However, on Thursday she asked me if she could give it a miss as she didn't have the money for the train. We then worked out an alternative course, after borrowing the in-laws car and interrogating Layla on what type of course she fancied?

Do you like hills, trees? Do you fancy laps or a single route? Out and back or lollipops? After providing definitions for all of those things and getting answers in reply I suggested a visit to Hockley Woods, which might be very muddy I warned. No problem Uncle Adam she says.

Until Saturday morning comes along and it's dark, pouring with rain. I mean, really pouring - the cats and the dogs kinda rain. And very windy. I get a test message from Layla who is in the room downstairs beneath my own. She messaged her apologies, but wasn't going to becoming after all as she was too tired 

I looked at my watch to see if there was still enough time to catch the train and pick up my original plan at Highbury Fields. I may just be able to make it, but it would be tight. By the time I'd weighed up the pros and cons I'd missed the window of opportunity and so no, I'd stick to the one I'd agreed with Layla but I'd be going without her.

As plans had been hurriedly made, rearranged, maybe reverted and ignored I hadn't done my proper research and read all of the travel instructions on how to get to Hockley Woods. I simply typed Hockley Woods into Google Maps and off I went. It was a hairy drive to Essex due to the weather and there were times where it felt like I was driving a submarine rather than a car. But I blindly followed Googles instructions and arrived at my destination 50 minutes later.

Except it wasnt where I needed to be. I had been taken to the edge of a new housing estate aside a wooden fence. The other side of which was evidently Hockley Woods. No carpark, no entrance, no purple pop-up sign. Just a new estate and a row of identical houses with gardens that are far too small.

I tried again. Opened my 5k app, navigated to the Hockley Woods detail page and pressed 'launch navigation'. Again, I followed along blindly and drove another ten minutes until I was told I'd arrived at my destination. This time Google had taken me to another housing estate and another dead end road. Except this housing estate was larger, with bigger gardens. But still no parkrun.

Back to the 5k app, my anxiety levels rising and the clock getting closer to 9am. I read all of the fine print and directions for road travellers to the event which described a carpark next to The Bull pub. 

So I drive again, back the way I had come and find the pub, but not the road I needed to find the car park to the event. I decided to park at The Bull and see if I had better luck on foot. Which I did, I spotted some people jogging by so followed them up a partially hidden drive way which was the road to the car park I'd been looking for!

I had finally arrived at the venue and was much, much later than I normally allowed myself time for. It was straight into the welcome.meeting and afterwards, feeling nervous about parking at The Bull I asked the volunteer who had just given the briefing whether my car would be okay where I'd parked it. He sucked his teeth a little and suggested I move it. If I ran I'd be okay and would make it back in time for the start.

So off I went, jogging back to the car, moving it back around into the right car park and making my way back again to where everyone was congregating for the end of the race-briefing. There was one last burst of applause and we started to make our way around to the start, which was a good 5 minute walk from the meeting point.

Except I was busting for a pee. All the way along to to the start I was keeping my eye out for places in the woods, off the main track where I could have a pee behind a tree. But  there didn't seem to be a right moment. I was fighting with myself trying to convince myself that I could make the run without peeing. As we got closer and closer to the start line it became clear that the run would start before I could find somewhere discreet.

Hockley Woods is an almost two-lap event around the woods themselves and was described to us in the welcome meeting as 'undulating'. We were also told that the course today would be muddy. I had already clocked the mud, and as the rain bucketted down the mud and puddles were growing before our eyes. On the walk to the start line the path took a turn downhill, along with it streams of water that looked like mini white water rapids which were growing with volume and velocity.

I'd made my decision to embrace the conditions. There was no point trying to step over certain parts of the path as everywhere was wet and everywhere was muddy. It was a case of full steam ahead. Which is how I started, splashing my way through the course and being surprised at how firm some of the paths were despite the conditions.

All was going well until we got to the first marshall point. He was standing on a bend with a path that disappeared off behind him. It was the perfect place for a pee and my ever aching bladder made the call for me. He wondered why is taken a detour as everyone else veered around to the right as I turned left. 'Need a pee marshall!'.

The relief was instant and I made my way back to the main path where the back markers were still going strong. I tried to get myself going again but couldn't quite find my rhythm and was being irritated by discomfort in my left leg.

I've had some discomfort in my left leg for the past three weeks and its normally been something I've been able to ignore up until now. As I was running and trying to ignore my left leg I could feel flapping around my right foot and I checked my laces, they'd come undone. I tried to ignore them too, but the further I went the more irritating they were. So I stopped again to do the them up 

My run wasn't going to plan and my head had gone. Running is much more of a mental discipline than a physical one and it's always the mental battle that I seem to be beaten by, even if the physical element had paid a small part in this week's defeat.

The description of the course couldn't have been any truer. It certainly was an undulating course, but none of the hills were particularly long or taxing. On an ordinary day I'd have run up then I think without much issue. But Saturday morning was just one of those days, summed up by the fact that half way around the second lap my other lace on the other foot came undone and I had to stop and do that one up as well. I can't remember the last time I ran and had to contend with a rogue shoelace and had two to contend with in the space of 15 minutes.

At the end of each lap is the steepest and trickiest hill of the course. Which at the end of the second lap precludes the finish. As I reached the top of it on the second lap the skies opened once more and the puddles that had formed to cover the pathway to the finish funnel resembled a small lake. I bounded through it like an excited puppy and was determined to get some enjoyment out of the event.

I finished in 49th place out of a field of 64 participants in a time of 33:48. It was my slowest parkrun effort for some time (ignoring the events I've walked around with Hayden). But despite all of the trials and tribulations I really enjoyed the course at Hockey Woods, it offers a decent challenge amidst scenic surroundings which I imagine can look pretty spectacular in spring or summer. Definitely one to take on again another day!