New Years Eve – time for reflection,
setting targets for the New Year and, for me, my 50th parkrun!!
This year has been a rare old mix of stress
and stress relief. Life in general has been tough but we are getting there-
running and all it has brought to us as a family has been a great reliever of
that stress! Discovering the parkrun community and Sar and Jamie starting to
run too has been the most fantastic thing- being able to run again helps too!
I recently posted some old race results I
found in the garage which showed some impressive results from 20 years ago-
chatting about it with Danny Norman amongst others I made a comment about how I
was enjoying running so much more now than when I was competing seriously and I
wanted to explain why.
In 1992 I did 16:28 for 5k- this year I
have managed 22:05. I once raced Wilson Kipketer in a national track final and
regularly competed for my county as well as being Leeds University Athletics
Captain. So what has made the difference?
Well, after 15+ years of not being able to
run anything has got to be an improvement. In those days I raced, always in a
team with a great bunch of people and usually with someone inspirational in
support but we were always a racing team. It was serious, it was tough but it
was always competitive, especially with your team-mates!
What I never realised was missing was the
community. In those days we had no Facebook, no forums and no podcasts. There
was never any mixing with those who ran for fun and we never thought about
anything but training and times.
Now I am slower but I am part of something
I am truly enjoying! Yes I still set targets and still do my best but it
appeals to my social nature to be amongst like minded people regardless of
standard! I have met some great people this year and look forward to meeting
more next year! Yes I enjoyed my racing career, but my second “vets” career is
much more fun!!
Something else I have been thinking about is my really annoying habit of talking to everyone about both running and parkrun. I have persuaded a few mates to give it a try, some have really got into it, some still do the odd one and some have never been seen again! One friend however has grabbed it like the thing that has been missing from his life all this time! Nicky Best plays pool for a rival team in our league and we got chatting- after his first parkrun he loved it- last weekend I saw him with a car full of 3 others he had brought along who also loved it! That made me very happy, though I am worried about how quick Nicky is going to get next year!!! Then there is Jabba - Stephen Jablonski: totally unfit scouser playing for our team who just turns up, week in week out! Not sure he even enjoys it but, apart from in this festive season when he is busily undoing all his hard work, never shows any sign of quitting! Respect! Though I think part of it is he enjoys winding Sam up about Chelsea.....
Something else I have been thinking about is my really annoying habit of talking to everyone about both running and parkrun. I have persuaded a few mates to give it a try, some have really got into it, some still do the odd one and some have never been seen again! One friend however has grabbed it like the thing that has been missing from his life all this time! Nicky Best plays pool for a rival team in our league and we got chatting- after his first parkrun he loved it- last weekend I saw him with a car full of 3 others he had brought along who also loved it! That made me very happy, though I am worried about how quick Nicky is going to get next year!!! Then there is Jabba - Stephen Jablonski: totally unfit scouser playing for our team who just turns up, week in week out! Not sure he even enjoys it but, apart from in this festive season when he is busily undoing all his hard work, never shows any sign of quitting! Respect! Though I think part of it is he enjoys winding Sam up about Chelsea.....
So what about 2012? More parkruns
(obviously) both at Leeds and around the
country, plenty of other races, including the real toughie of trying to get
back into the 800m!! Add into the mix taking Jamie to see the men’s 10,000m
final at the Olympics and I am getting pretty excited!
So to make it official here is a summary of
last years targets and next: bearing in mind at the start of the year my best
5k was 24:11 and for 3 months an Achilles injury crippled me after every
parkrun until the following Friday!
- Sub 23 minutes by the end of August –
achieved on the last weekend of August thanks to the brilliant Dave McGuire’s
suggestion of taking in a parkrun on the way to Wembley to see the Challenge
Cup final. Milton Keynes definitely suited me
even after a 3 hour drive!!
- Sub 22 minutes by the end of the year-
currently at 22:05 with one more to go…..
- Race the Yorkshire Vets 800m – came 5th
and 1st M40 knocking 6 seconds of my previous best of the season.
Not a great time (2:26.1) but I was racing!
So what about 2012: well I have tried to be
realistic but my targets are:
- Run without walking – the obvious exception
being the Guy Fawkes 10- no way I can do those hills!! If you see me walking at
a parkrun you have my permission to kick me.
- Sub 21 min 5k, sub 45 min 10k, sub 2:20
800m.
- Enjoy it!!!
Have a great New Year all! See you at a
parkrun near you soon!!
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