This week I am back on home turf for my training.
The challenge on Saturday morning was the Park Run 5K time trial on Roundshaw Downs.
Park Runs are a great community event, run entirely by volunteers. They take place around a carefully measured course, which is marshalled and sign-posted. The starting line for the run is a few yards away from the end of Imperial Way.
At just before 9am, around 50 of us were nervously jigging about, waiting for the 9am whistle. Then we were off for two laps round Roundshaw Downs.
I was paired up with Bill another runner of similar ability.
The pace set by the leaders on a roughly circular and deceptively flat course had me gasping for breath a few minutes after the start.
The field soon spread out and Bill, a very fit veteran Clive, and I jostled for position around the course, completing our second lap at almost exactly the same speed as the first.
How did I do? My time was 22 minutes and 9 seconds, only 2 seconds behind Bill.
Not exactly a world record, but a satisfactory 16th out of 47 runners.
Next week is the Park Runs fifth anniversary so a big turnout is expected. I will be there again and I am hoping to drag two other generations of Brake runners along too.
To find out more about Park Runs, visit parkrun.org.uk/roundshaw If you would like to make a contribution to St Raphael’s Hospice, Tom Brake’s charity www.justgiving.com/tombrake.
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