What it's all about

Yesterday I ran the Albert Park Run, nothing unusual in that, I run it most Saturdays. Yesterday however was a little bit special for me. Nothing to do with my running though, in fact I didn't even manage to get within a minute of my own personal best. Not that I had a problem with that, it was my first run of the week and was a glorious scorching day. It was actually what happened about half an hour after I finished, more than forty five minutes after the winner had run through the line. I was talking to some friends when Rosie Lightfoot (the splendid lady who runs the I Run group on a Wednesday evening) finished her 5K (having run it alongside another lady to support & encourage her) and said that she was going round to catch up with Bill and Alec as Alec wanted to complete the 5K this week. Bill and Alec (father and son) also come to the I Run group and whilst Bill is a fine runner in his own right, he usually does the Park Run with Alec his son who isn't quite as able and needs Bill's support and encouragement. The volunteers manning the finish were happy to stay on and a small crowd at the café where also there to watch and cheer, about 15 minutes later this fabulous lady finished followed by Bill and Alec. (Photos by Karen Larkin) The cheering and applause in support of their effort was both long and loud and just reinforced the fact that I have been fortunate to discover a rather splendid community to be part of. This group of people who meet rain and shine on a Saturday morning and pound the paths of the Park show that, actually, running isn't just about fast times and winning, it's about supporting each other and encouraging each other to be the best they can. I think I shall be hanging around until the very end more often on Saturday mornings from now on.

On why you should never let people take your picture as you cross the finish line.

I rest my case...

It has been too long since I wrote on here, not that I have been slacking, I have actually been running on average twice a week with a few extras thrown in. But life has a habit of being busy and keeping you away from things. Tonight, having got back from the I Run group at Hemlington (more on which later) I decided that I should catch up.

The day after the last blog was the Albert Park Run and obviously it was a good week, as I managed (somehow) to knock a minute off my personal best. Now this obviously is an achievement, some might even say a good achievement, but then when you stop and think about it its perhaps not quite as good. That amount of time off a PB means its going to be harder to beat it. There's a reason why the likes of Yelena Isinbayava break world records a centimetre at a time and it's not just because she gets money every time she does it. Small amounts are easier to better, so me knocking a whole minute off just made it harder for the next time. Sadly I didn't learn and two weeks later I reduced the time by a further 90 seconds, I really must stop trying.

Back to the picture at the top of the blog... this was taken as I staggered across the line at the end of the Tees Barrage 10K which was my first 10K race, I had aimed for under an hour and was pleased to get a few minutes under that coming in in 266th place, there were far nicer things to look at as we went round including the very lovely Infinity Bridge (look at the reflection and you'll see why it is called that).

Sadly I never got to thank the lady whose equally lovely bum made getting up one of the uphill stretches significantly easier.

I think I commented last time that I'm getting quite addicted to this stuff, to the extent I'm seriously considering putting in for The Karrimor Great Trail 10K in June. Just got to pluck up the courage to do it.

And that brings me to tonight, for the last few months I have been spending my Wednesday evenings with the most lovely group of people running in circles around Hemlington Lake. They really are an amazing group of delightfully normal yet exceptional people who make this whole running business an absolute joy. Tonight it had been suggested that, as a few people were getting a little bored with running round the lake, Craig (a really rather good club runner and generally top bloke) would lead a run out to Newham Grange Leisure Farm and around the 5 K trail there before returning to Hemlington lake, a total distance of about 10K. About half the group were up for the full run, the other half elected to drive to the farm park and join up for the 5K when they got there. It worked wonderfully, the weather was kind, the change of scenery was delightful and the run even had muddy puddles to splash through. What more could you ask for!

Losing my virginity (in a park, in the rain)

This week has been horrendous, nothing to do with the training - that's been easy, I haven't done any! Unfortunately life interfered fairly majorly in the worst possible way and resulted in me not even trying to train (Although I'll admit to freezing conditions and rain earlier in the week reminding me that sunshine is my preferred element). Friday night, for a variety of reasons, made me realise I needed to take control back again and move forward.

All of this lead me to send a text to my friends Izzy & Andy saying that I would see them Saturday morning for the Albert Park Park Run. For those of you who haven't come across Park Run as a concept, it is an international, volunteer run 5 km run that is timed, free and open to all ages. Its run every Saturday throughout the year and includes people new to running as well as local club athletes who use it as part of their training regime.  There are something like 8,600 Park Runs run around the UK and 9,500 worldwide. The Albert Park run attracts such luminarys as Jo Jackson, Commonwealth Champion at the 20 km walk and multiple world record holder Sharon Gaytor (look at this woman's website, she is incredible and makes any petty efforts of my own look pitiful!).

So as I say, I committed myself to doing my first Park Run, part of the reason for sending the text was that it made not turning up on Saturday morning somewhat harder. Izzy's return text informed me that her and Andy were doing it in fancy dress to help raise money for the chosen charity Zoe's Place. I decided that losing my virginity in a public park whilst wearing fancy dress was possibly outside my comfort zone so said I'd just turn up in my normal running gear. Which I did. Walking across the park to the start at 8.30 this morning I realised a) that I really was going to do this, b) there were a lot of people there and c) it was bloody freezing and I didn't have any gloves. The route itself is fairly straight forward, a clockwise loop of quarter of the park, followed by two full laps of the park. Finish by the cafe alongside the Lake.

So we ran, Izzy in a wetsuit, Andy in a mariachi costume (no maracas disappointingly), a slightly overweight Capt Jack Sparrow, a significant number of bunny ears and a few other costumes as well as 200 or so others in a variety of running gear. I have decided I like running in a group, I seem to run better, it seems less difficult and although I don't do the conversation bit whilst running, there is a camaraderie about running round a Victorian park in the rain that is pleasing. Reflecting on it whilst soaking my legs in the bath afterwards, I think I'll do it again next week. I ran 5 km in 28.18 mins and felt comfortable, I was the 153rd man over the line and the 202nd runner over all, I have no idea how close to the back I was, but to be honest I don't care.

So I am no longer a Park Run virgin, guess I'll be doing the Hemlington Lake run on Wednesday next.