Chris Worfolk's Blog

Last week I was thrilled to complete the parkrun obsessive challenge. Which is the achievement you get for completing 50 parkruns in a year.

It’s a tough ask, although New Year’s Day and Christmas Day mean you can miss up to four Saturdays if you complete those. I made it to 45 in 2018 and 2019 and then 46 last year. But around September I realised I had only missed two so far and if I could be consistent, I could get to 50.

That made for some nervous times with multiple storms, including Storm Darragh cancelling 16 of the 20 parkruns near me including all of my locals. But I made it! In fact, I managed to end the year on 52. parkrun has been such an important anchor over the last 18 months and I’m looking forward to plenty more in 2025.

For the final club swim of the year we did a video analysis session. It’s so much easier to work out where you can improve when you can see yourself swimming. So we did just that and took the footage to the pub for a Christmas drink and video review.

I’m really pleased with my overall body position. Lots to improve, of course, and some great action points for my hand entry, catch and pull.

Last week, Santa visited Elina’s office and met two bears.

Every year, Venla’s school puts on a winter concert. This year, Venla’s class sang Try Everything from the film Zootropolis. Well done, Venla!

I haven’t made bread for years. But I recently started experimenting with making my own butter, so for the hospital Christmas lunch I hade a few loaves of focaccia with some lemon and sea salt butter. Went down very well. One of the most important things I’v elarnt from Elina is that you can absolutely bake your way into people’s hearts.

What’s the standard unit of measurement for evelvation gain? TrainingPeaks has gone with giraffes and I’m on board with it.

More Than Yorkshire Puddings: Food, Stories and Over 100 Recipes from God’s Own Country is a cookbook by Elaine Lemm.

Lots of nice stuff in here. Again, I didn’t make too many of the recipes, but probably more than Coast, and I did make a few of them several times. If you’re unfamiliar with Yorkshire food, this is a good guide.

Coast is a cookbook by Rachel Allen and subtitled recipes inspird by Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Coast”. Its organised in narrative form as she takes us on a journey from Cork all the way to Donegal.

It’s a fun read. I didn’t make many of the recipes because they tend to be quite involved in terms of sourcing ingredients as well as the cooking itself. But it has some lovely photography and stories in, too, so it is a nice book to have.

Bliss on Toast is a cookbook by Prue Leith.

The idea of a toast cookbook might raise eyebrows but the book is excellent. I tried almost every recipe. It makes such good lunches. They’re often quick to make and still delicious. If you are bored of your usual lunches, this is a great way to mix things up for little effort and big results. This is instantly one of my favourite cookbooks.

I watched loads of ultra-endurance documentaries over lockdown and beyond and compiled a big list of them. This has been sat in my drafts for years so I am just going to hit publish. If you are looking for some running and cycling documentaries, here are the ones I’ve watched.

Iron Cowboy

One of my favourite documentaries. James Lawrence tries to complete the 50-50-50: 50 Ironmans, in 50 days, in all 50 US states. If you are ever going to do an Ironman, watch this first as you cannot help but coming out of it thinking “if James Lawrence can do that, I can do one Ironman”.

Brittany Runs a Marathon

This is a comedy drama and it’s a lot of fun.

3100: Run And Become

This documentary follows runners on around the 3100, a 5,000 kilometre race that takes place in New York named the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. They use a 883-metre loop that runners loop for 18 hours a day for nearly two months.

Safety to Nome

The Iditarod Trail Invitational is a 1,000-mile race that follows the Iditarod dog sledge course on either foot or fat bike.

The Race That Eats Its Young

Possibly the best Barkley Marathons documentary out there, following the 2012 race where Brett Maune set the course record and the only year ever to have three finishers.

Where Dreams Go To Die

Follows Gary Robbins in his attempt to complete the Barkley Marathons.

Last Woman Standing

Yorkshire’s own Nicky Spinks attempts to be the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons.

Kim Swims

Kimberley Chambers attempts to become the third person ever, and the first woman, to swim from Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Running The Wainrights

This is a feel-good running story as Paul Tierney attempts to set a new FKT for running the 214 summits of the Lake District as described by Alfred Wainwright. It’s a little over 510 km of fell running in less than seven days.

Icarus

Bryan Fogel attempts to make a documentary about doping in cycling and finds himself in the middle of Grigory Rodchenkov, head of the Russian anti-doping lab and mastermind behind the Russian state-sponsored doping of Olympic athletes, exposing the Russian scheme.

Stop At Nothing

This documentary looks at Lance Armstrong and how the widespread doping in the US Postal Service cycling team came out.

The Least Expected Day

It follows the Movistar team through their 2019 cycling season, where Richard Carapaz took a surprise win at the Giro d’Italia. It is in Spanish with English subtitles.

Once Is Enough

Jeffrey James Binney presents his experience going from non-runner to 100-mile ultra runner in a film that is half documentary and half live comedy show talking about what happened.

From Fat to Finish Line

A group of overweight individuals who found running come together to complete a Ragnar relay race.

Running for Good

Follows Fiona Oakes as she attempts to complete the Marathon des Sables to raise money for her animal sanctuary.

Inspired to Ride

Follows the Trans America bike race, an unsupported race across America (not to be confused with RAM).

London Edinburgh London

Follows the London-Edinburgh-London audax, and features A-Soc’s Chris Tedd!

Dragon’s Back Race

Follows the second-ever running of the Dragon’s Back race. Originally run in 1992.

Running for Freedom

Follows Gerald Tabios, a Filipino runner, as he attempts to complete his 5th Badwater 135 ultra.

Skid Row Marathon

Follows a running club started by a judge.

Being Unstoppable

Follows several first-time Ironman athletes.

Finding Traction

Nikki Kimball attempts to complete the Long Trail.

Tugende

Documents the 1,000 km unsupported race around Rwanda. Lots of beautiful scenery but difficult to follow at times as everything is explained by brief title cards.

The Longest Journey

RAM, also Race Across America and 3089 Miles Across America. I don’t even know what I wrote here. Are these separate documentary names?

Ultimate Triathlon

Follows Luke Tyburski as he attempts to complete a 2,000-kilometre triathlon from Morocco to Monaco. it has an irritating voiceover that you find on Channel 5 documentaries.

The Bill Chill

This documentary follows Gary Robbins’s attempt to be the first to link up multiple trials around his home in Chilliwack.

Wild Man to Ironman

This documentary follows Mat Pritchard doing a ultra-distance triathlon around the entire border of Wales.