Why am I doing this crazy 350k run???
I ask myself the same question, trust me!. When Aisha mentioned this run to a bunch of us in our small community running group Hassocks Community Runners I instantly jumped at the opportunity because who else can say they have done something like this.
This is the kind of event that I will no doubt never forget for the good and the bad that will undoubtedly happen during training and doing the run.
So me and the team are running to Paris from London, in just 4 days. Wish us luck but more importantly please donate. Your donation will go towards two really important causes, Supporting Parkinson's UK and SSAFA. I really appreciate your support.
If you would like to follow me training on Strava please do so. Here is a link to my bio - Dominic Farrer | Strava Runner Profile
My Updates
Steyning Stinger Half Marathon
03 March - The usual race prep for this one. This race is a new one for me. It is off road and the race offers multiple distances half, 30k and marathon.5k turns into 7km
28 February - HCR evening run and I joined Marys 5km run. We headed out towards Ditchling and we ended up doing 7km in the end. Not sure what happened there. But it was quite good fun to run along the road tonight and try to dodge all of the puddles that are everywhere al the moment.Brighton Half Marathon - Pacer Mode
25 February - Preparation for this race went as usual. I big pasta dish the night before, plenty of sleep and hydration the day before. Up at 6am and breakfast which is overnight oats. Hop on the rail replacement bus and we are in Brighton.Last minute takers for the Brighton Half
21 February - This evening run was an easy paced 7k. As my partner haven't been able to train properly for the Brighton Half Marathon this coming weekend I thought it only proper to offer her place to anyone else who wants it. Thankfully someone piped up very quickly and snapped up the place as it sold out months ago.Taking it easy before another big race
19 February - Another HCE evening run and I am really trying to shake the reputation I seem to have gained as being too fast for anyone else to join me on a run. To tonight's run I made it crystal clear that it would be 'fast' and I informed everyone of the pace in which I intended to do which is my Easy pace.Easy long run
18 February - In light of my new wisdom from reading my long run today I am trying to do at an easy pace. For me my easy pace is between 08:30 - 09:30min/mile.Reading up about running
16 February - I recently purchased a book called Daniels Running Formula. Jack Daniels is an American running coach who has helped many different people achieve great results from college cross country teams, track teams, short, middle and long distance runners alike. With many going on to represent their county and even at the Olympics.Breaking with convention
12 February - No long run this weekend as I'm feeling a bit lacking in motivation. This is quite odd considering last week I achieved a new personal best. You would think that that would help to drive me forwards and continue. But apparently that doesn't work for me. This has happened before about 2 years ago when I achieved a 1h41min half marathon and after that I tailed off my running completely.Still riding the high from my PB
07 February - A relatively small group at this evening HCR group run and nobody wanted to do a 10k so just by myself which is nice.Aching like never before
05 February - Today has been quite a struggle. Aching all over in particular my shoulders for some odd reason after Saturday run. I did warn my colleagues that I was in a bit of a bad mood thankfully they understood.Chidham Trail Half Marathon
03 February - Race day here we come. I arrived with lots of time which was great and I didnt forget anything which is a bonus. As it has been really dry now for weeks I was wondering how many other runner would wear road shoes but I took my trails. It turns out that was the best choice.Steady as she goes
29 January - A nice and steady run this evening with some other HCR runners as well as a little 5k row first thing this morning.First long run with low heart rate
28 January - So after all my research here is my first attempt at a low heart rate run. I decided to stick more to roads and try to keep it fairly flat for this first one to see how I do.Core like Superman
26 January - We all know that it is not only the legs that need working to be a decent runner. Almost ever aspect of the body needs to be worked. Only me personal opinion here but the core is a key part in all of this so I am going to start doing at least one session a week where my main focus is just that. So today I did just a really simple 6 minute core routine. I used the Stephen Scullion routine that I found on YouTube where I just needed to follow along with him. Quite a nice easy routine so I'll do this for a few weeks and look around for some more advanced routines as I get better.Low heart rate training
22 January - I have been doing a lot of googling recently about low heart rate training and its benefits. It seems pretty simple on the surface by only running in my aerobic heart rate zone. For me this is between 135-150 beats per minute. In all honestly I probably do most of my training in this zone but my heart rate will fluctuate in and out quite a bit.Me and Amanda running together :)
20 January - My partner Amanda and I rarely run together but as we are both training at the moment we thought why not do our long weekend run together. So off we go to Hove for a long flat run. We decided to both start from the same point and run for 45 minutes in one direction straight along the coastline towards Brighton and back again.Road runner fast
19 January - As with my previous training plan working on speed and the anaerobic system is important when wanting to complete any race in a particular time. So tonight's run is short nut difficult.Morning glory
17 January - I think this is my first morning run in ages before work. Up at 6am and out the door at 6:15. The El Clasico route was quite alright despite the cold temperatures. Only two places where there was some ice and I had to slow down.Minor injuries
15 January - I realised after my long run yesterday that I had sustained a little damage to a toe on my right foot. So a bit of a breather is in order for it to heal and rest my legs.13 The Hard Way
14 January - Long run day :) I had planned to only do part of this route but when I got to Black Cap after 6 miles I thought why not just keep going and do the full route. Well it ended up in a 16 mile run and by the end of it my legs were dead. Especially with an average pace of 09:00min miles with a decent bit of elevation as well. All in all really happy with this long run. Pushing the distance a bit, lots of elevation and I didn't stop going up the gruesome tank tracks.Row row row your boat
12 January - Hoped on the rower this evening as it is freezing outside. So a nice gentle 10k ended in 46minutes will do the trick until the frost melts and I won't end up on my ass.Like a greyhound chasing the rabbit
10 January - HCR run this evening and again nobody wants a 10k so I am all by myself. As it is quite icy all of the groups are doing the same out and back route to Hurst.Park Run Personal Best
06 January - After feeling quite good after the run yesterday I thought why not go and do a park run in Hove. So off we go on the train.Back home and fighting fit again
05 January - Arrived back home from Devon yesterday and thankfully I have another week off work. It is always nice to avoid the new year madness at work. Plus it is my partners birthday so I have a great excuse.South Devon coastal long run
03 January - Happy New Year everyone. I attempted this run a few days ago but I got about 1 mile in and had an issue with my nose. So here we are again for round 2.First run back
29 December - Just a nice easy 4 mile run this morning with some of the HCR runners. An easy and quite flat route from Hassocks to Ditchling and back again. Not feeling 100% but certainly getting there and this will help a bit.Illness :(
24 December - Just was I needed at this time of year being ill. Fingers crossed it will pass by in no time but I'm not sure I'll be that lucky.Christmas Eve
24 December - As one of the running volunteers at HCR I am responsible for organising the Christmas Eve long run and as it falls on a Sunday that is quite alright with me as it fits into my usual schedule.Sheep staring at me from the abyss
21 December - The darkest day of the year is here and we now celebrate the coming of the light. Instead of the route that was set out I decided on doing a slight different route up the downs which doesn't involve going up the tank tracks. Instead a slight more gentle route but one also filled with perils including brambles previously encountered which can inflict great damage.Winter is coming
20 December - The winter solstice is almost upon us. To mark the occasion the HCR team are running from our base in Hassocks up one of the steepest track I know (Tank Tracks) at 7am on Thursday 21st Dec.Hills, Hills and more Hills
19 December - Not many updates recently because of all of the HCR Christmas Hills reps challenge. So yesterday concluded my efforts for the challenge with a grand total of 21 efforts of the same 1.7 mile segment. This shall never be repeated again. Unless next year the segment is more interesting.Long and slow 10k
06 December - A nice long and slow 10k tonight which is fairly flat but with lots of mud so the trail shoes are on. It was great to have two other runners with me who don’t usually go for longer runs. Some people get a little intimidated by the usual 10k running group because of the extra distance and usually faster pace. So it is great to break that barrier for people.HCR Hill Reps are hotting up
04 December - With a bunch of us from Hassocks Community Runners in the running for completing most repetitions of the hill challenge this month I thought why not get a few more in and stay in the lead. Back on top now with 12 reps in the last 2 weeks. Just 2 weeks left.Sussex Downs Half Marathon
02 December - As the title suggests I ran the Sussex Downs Half Marathon today. But this is an extra special today for many reasons. Where do I start.Time warp
29 November - bit of a time slip here in this running diary/update system. But all I have done since my last post is running ip and down the same hill for our Christmas challenge. Practise makes perfect right? I hope so because when I come to trying another fast effort in a few weeks I am hoping to be like lightning.More hills 😭
25 November - i don’t usually run on a Saturday but as this event requires consecutive running days I thought it good to get some practise in and feel how I am on Day3/4. So just a short 4 mile run today before tomorrows longer run.Practising those hills
24 November - Why not try to get both crowns I was thinking on my run? Fastest time and most repetitions. So here we are two more efforts if the hill. Thats is 3 now for me so likely in the mead at this early stage. I need to find out what the record was last year.HCR Christmas challenge begins
22 November - My club has set a Christmas challenge to everyone. A 1.7m run up and down a relatively gentle hill in Hassocks to Oldlands Mill. Prizes will be awarded at the party in a month for fastest time and most attempts. So tonight is attempt No1. Again not my idea to do another fast run but I wanted to set myself a quick time at the start to see how much I can progress in a month. So first attempt done in 13:14. I need to take over 1min iff that time to be in with a chance of taking to top spot in a months time so renewed efforts are needed on my speed and hill climbing ability.Fast as lightning
20 November - The usual Monday evening run with my local community running group HCR. As its getting colder it is normal for less people to turn up so nobody else wanted to do a 10k run with me so I set off by myself. I got a bit carried away with myself early on trying to catch the 7k group who had set off shortly before me. Instead if settling into a nice recovery run pace after yesterdays long run I decided to keep going at a fast pace and finish the 10k in about 46min. Quite quick and probably detrimental to my training but oh well. I’ll pay for it later.Long run day :)
19 November - I always quite enjoy my long run day. Not at first because it is a bit if a test of endurance and determination to keep going but after a while you know you can do the distance so you enjoy it so much more. I did a new route today from Hassocks to Plumpton and then into familiar territory up the South Downs to Black Cap and back to Ditchling Beacon, Jack and Jill and then home. A 14 mile run and nobody with me so managed to push the pace a little and finished in a nice 2h 16m.Its all in the hips
17 November - Worked a bit more on hip mobility this evening with a little warm ip on the rower at home and then a youtube guided hip mobility and stretching session. All I had in my head was the character from Happy Gilmore saying ‘Its all in the hips’ swish swish swish :)Muffins muffins muffins
15 November - I don’t know anyone that doesn't like a muffin but there is always a debate between chocolate and blueberry so last night I made a batch of both to please everyone. They went down very well at work with only a few left over to take home to my partner Amanda.Getting lost again
13 November - I volunteered to lead a 10k run this evening and it was nice to go out with just one other person for a change so we had the change to get to know each other quite well. But I did end up missing my turning so the 10k run turned into 12k. Woops.Remembrance Day Long Run
12 November - My running group Hassocks Community Runners have organised a run today to the WW1 memorial The Chattri which is a memorial to Indian soldiers. I decided to add an extra few miles onto the run so I setup a little earlier and met the team on the hills at the meeting point. I ended up doing over 14 miles which is my longest run on record :)Flu jab and an easy 7km
Bake sale No2
08 November - Bake sale no2 in the office today with Lemon curd cookies. I must admin making them last night was not easy. The curd was great, easy and came out really well. Certainly something I will do again. But the gluten free dough was a bit of a nightmare. But the end result was really great and looks very much like the picture form the recipe which is encouraging.Goal setting and a cold
06 November - Felt a bit under the weather today and starting to get a bit of a cold. Good job most if my work mates have a cold as well so not concerned about others catching it from me.Sweat test No1
05 November - I decided to do a sweat test for the first time today and I ended up loosing exactly 1kg in weight in the 1h30min run this morning. So that is 666ml of sweat per hour. I'm going to do this test a bunch of times over the coming months to see if I can get some consistent results to help better understand my hydration needs.Longish run and a bramble injury
Hip mobility and Yoga
04 November - This morning I went to my first yoga session in I don’t know how many years and it was great. Considering I attended a wine tasting last night and had 5 glasses I am feeling quite good. Really glad the group asked to work on shoulders and hips as it really payed off. Really felt a bit looser after the session. I’ll certainly be going again. But my yoga mat is a bit tired now and little purple buts were sticking to my hands at points.Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Brownie Making
31 October - Just making brownies for the work troop for tomorrows first day of fundraising :) I have made 18 brownies so fingers crossed that will be enough.A bit about me
Oct 2023 - Captains Log Day 1. Hi everyone. For those that don’t know me well I am taking on this mammoth challenge of four consecutive half marathons from London to Paris with my teammates to test myself, raise money for well deserving charities and it is the kind of thing that I’m sure I won’t forget in a hurry.Thank you to my Sponsors
£40
Dominic F
£31.20
Hannah Robbins
£25
Anonymous
£16
Dominic Farrer
From bake sale 1st Feb
£10.40
Ian Ashton
£10.40
Matthew Trigg
Run well! (If it had been doughnuts I’d have bought the box)
£10.40
Mark Johnston
Good luck!
£10.40
Ian Ashton
£10.40
Neil Harvey
Congrats pal
£10.40
Tim Knott
Hello my lovely 🥰
£10.40
Anonymous
Cake credit 😉
£10.40
Anonymous
Run Dom Run!!
£10.40
Ian Ashton
£5.40
Anonymous
£5.20
Aileen
£5.20
Eamonn Harper
£5.20
Sophie Evans
Thank you for the delicious cake and good luck with the run!
£5.20
Tim Knott
£5.20
Dianne Reynolds
Good luck with the fund raising :)
£5.20
Ian Ashton
£5.20
Gemma Stanley
£5.20
Dominic Farrer
From Brownies
£5.20
Pete Coombes
£5.20
Darcey Haldar
£5.20
Afallon
£5.20
Emma Donnelly
£5.20
Tim Knott
£5.20
Afallon
£5.20
Ian Ashton
£5
Tim Knott
£4.16
Maria Mcintyre
£4.16
Tim Knott
£4.16
Tim Knott
£4
Faye Travi
Good luck!
£3.12
Anonymous
£3.12
Chris Stuart
£3.12
Anonymous
£3.12
Security
£3.12
Victor Martin
£3.12
Emma Powell
£3.12
Faye Travi
Good luck!
£3.12
Anonymous
£3.12
Jamie Moore
£3.12
Anonymous
£3.12
Darcey Haldar
The biscoff brownies are your best yet 👏👏👏
£3.12
Anonymous
£3
Anonymous
£2.60
Anonymous
£2.08
Maria Mcintyre
£2.08
Ania Abbott
£2.08
Sarah P
Supporting via baked goods
£2.08
Anonymous
£2.08
Anonymous
£2.08
Maria Mcintyre
£2.08
Clem
Thanks for the cake!
£2.08
Darcey Haldar
£2.08
Anonymous
Well done Dominic and thank you for the brownie! I think I’ll be a regular customer of these baked goods!!!
£2.08
Anonymous
Top brownies!
£2.08
Lily Holt
Good luck! Great cause, brownie was lovely :)
£2.08
Theresa Ward
Thanks for the yummy biscoff brownies!!
£2.08
Anonymous
£2.08
Flavia Sousa
Well done for joining such a great cause. Good luck!
£2.08
Darcey Haldar
£2.08
Mark Browse
£2.08
Emma Powell
£2.08
Darcey Haldar
Good luck!
£2.08
Anonymous
Delicious cake! Good luck
£2.08
Anonymous
£2.08
Anonymous
£2.08
Anonymous
£2.08
Gavin Sillitto
£2.08
Anonymous
£2.08
Ania Abbott
£2.08
Mark Browse
£2
Gordon Clark
£2
Gordon Clark
£2
Gordon Clark
£2
Anonymous
£1.56
Kelly Robinson
Thanks for the yummy granola bars. Good luck on your mission!
£1.56
Anonymous
Thank you for the cakes in the office
£1.56
Ania Abbott
£1.56
Lisa Bonnyman
Delicious
£1.56
Anonymous
Cakes in work kitchen
£1.56
Anonymous
£1.56
Anonymous
£1.56
Anonymous
£1.56
Anonymous
£1.50
Lisa Gibson
Good luck!
£1.04
Anonymous
£1.04
Cash raised through bake sales at work for Nov/Dec.