Things NOT to do after you’ve packed in racing … part 1 (probably).
We’ve just spent a week up in the Lake District (that bits fine … it’s just certain parts I’d not recommend).
On the drive up, my Son reckoned we would just arrive in time for the Saturday morning Rothay Park 5 km Run. ‘Pah … it’s only just over 2 miles … literally a walk in the park’ was my initial response’. No … just over 3 I was told. That’s not even from our house to Eltisley. I can virtually SEE Eltisley from our house.
So … after a near four-hour drive, without breakfast, with no warm-up, and not having done a stroke of cardio work since my last race some 15 years ago, I found myself on the start-line with 130 or so other bodies of all shapes and sizes and, no doubt, various levels of fitness.
Where could I go wrong? I keep telling myself (even now … after the event) I’ve held or broken over 50 National cycling titles / records in the past. I’m going to be fitter than most … surely?
The plan was to start steady … and finish strongly. I certainly didn’t plan on walking any of it. It was only just over 2 miles anyway!
To anyone who’s never taken part in one of these events, they are run VERY well (time trialling could probably learn something from them). You can purchase T-shirts indicating how many Park Runs you’ve taken part in. My (very cunning) plan was to follow someone who didn’t LOOK particularly fit but who was wearing a T-shirt saying they’d completed 50 Park-runs. They'd know how to pace themselves ... surely? This seemed a great idea (at first) as the initial pace seemed quite leisurely (for me).
Someone had mentioned that the event was over 3 laps, so when I started (what I thought was) the last lap I thought I might be ok. But … as we approached (again … what I thought was) the finish, my Son came past me (having lapped me) and took the turning right to the finish … meaning … I still had another lap to do.
I still swear blind that the event was over 3 ½ laps … and not 3.
The last lap was purgatory. My ‘pacer’ disappeared into the sunset so I tried latching on to someone wearing an ‘I’ve completed 100 Park Runs’ t-shirt (who looked correspondingly bigger / slower / older than my previous ‘pacer’) … but even that wasn’t a good idea.
I ended up … walking.
I finished. It WAS just over 3 miles … take my word for it!
Total respect to anymore and everyone who takes part in these.
Would I do another? Probably not, as it would mean having to do some training if I didn’t want to become the week’s weakest link.
PS … ok I know Ian Silvester can run up and down Ben Nevis (we ‘walked’ that a few years ago, but that’s another story) … I also know Greg Simcock does extremely well in the St Neots Park Runs … but back in the day (I keep telling myself) blah de blah ...
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