A return to running

                              Thanks to Michelle from NRR for the photo taken at the Mag 7


DECEMBER

     2017 was a wonderful running year for me and a lot of fast times were achieved with PB's over most distances. 1hr 28.14 for a half, 40.28 mins for a 10k, 31.34 for a 5 miler, 19.02 for a 5k and 5.29 for a mile. I was over the moon!
The last race of the year for me was the Bovington half marathon which I was just going to jog round and enjoy with Simon Ashdown. This I did and it was a great day on the Itchen Spitfires coach with my friends Paul, Paddy, Rosie and Helen.
The next day I cycled my customary 6.5 miles to work but on the way I had a head on collision with another cyclist. I was coming down a hill early on Monday morning in December. We were both on a cycle path. We both had lights too. There was a child about the 10-12 years old who was in front of the older cyclist. I braked a little but all seemed okay until the last minute.
The cyclist behind decided to try and overtake the kid despite me coming the other way. I didn't even expect it! It seemed like a ridiculous thing to do.
The next thing I know I am thrown into the road and badly winded with fast approaching traffic coming towards me. I had to roll over from the road and back on to the cycle path. I lie there in pain and trying to catch my breath. As soon as I can breathe again I get up and swear at the older cyclist. I think this scares the kid and he cycles off. The cyclist claims that he didn't see the kid on the bike. "But you must have seen me I said! I have a 300 lumen light and a hi vis!". He doesn't really know how to answer this and goes quiet. I feel bad and apologise and shake his hand and tell him to have a good day. His handle bars are bent from hitting my ribs so hard. I cycle the remaining 3 miles to work were they tell me i'm going to hospital as i'm so pale. My blood pressure had dropped from the shock. Doctor says I've cracked some ribs. I shrug it off and go back to work straight after the hospital the same day.
The next I can barely move though. I am given 6 weeks minimum for the ribs to heal. No running for me over xmas.


JANUARY

I did manage a painful and slow Southampton parkrun in January with Stuart Smith and baby M.
Things seemed to be improving. I also did a slow farewell run with Di Mattingly before moving to Cornwall. I was looking forward tom a new season in Cornwall running all the Cornish Grand prix races. I had joined Newquay road runners as a second claim runner which means I could compete.
My knee started to ache a bit but wasn't sure why. I did a beautiful run around the mining trails one day. It was a few days before my first race, the Stormforce 10 in Camborne. I got a little bit lost but it was a stunning route and I managed 11 miles. Around 8-9 miles my leg was starting to tighten up and my knee wasn't bending so well. I persevered anyway, like us runners do.
The next day, I could barely walk. I had trouble bending my knee. It would be sensible not to race, so I withdrew from Stormforce 10 and tried to rest the knee/leg.

 
FEBRUARY

It was getting colder and my knee was hurting more. I tried a 5k pushing through the knee pain from start to finish. Probably not a good idea but I was frustrated. It was time to enrol at a doctor's surgery and see a doctor. The doctor looked it over and suggested an x-ray at the hospital. He also prescribed some Naproxen which did absolutely nothing to ease the pain. Work was hard. I was lifting heavy objects all day and I had recently moved to a farm. It was only a 1.5 mile walk home from work but sometimes I was struggling with that as the pain was so intense in the knee joint. Most of my free time was now spent cycling. It just wasn't the same though. I was really missing the running and it seemed like everyone around me was out running!


MARCH

March had come along and there was yet more snow. Walking was painful and work was hard. I was really suffering. I had missed out on the Newquay 10k in February as well but at least I got a refund on the Falmouth half marathon due to the snow/adverse weather conditions. Was I ever going to run again? You can only stay positive for so long. I was starting get really down and was drinking more and my diet awful. My x-ray results were clear. I went back to see another doctor. This time he advised that I had a sports massage as it was probably just something that needed loosening up. He pretty much told me to man up and made me feel like I was wasting his time.
I booked and had a sports massage in Green Bottom. Chloe was a lovely young masseur and did a wonderful job but it did nothing for the leg/knee tightness. I still could bend my knee or put pressure on it. Around this time I had also sprained my ankle and was struggling to walk on it for a couple of weeks.
Again, the frustration was getting the better of me. I went out and ran a 5k as hard as I could and then a couple of slow miles back. I was running in a £25 knee support now but I don't think it was really doing anything to be honest. After the run the knee tightened up so badly that I didn't sleep and couldn't walk without a limp the next day. I was to take 3 days off work sick with it.


APRIL

Back to the doctors for more advice. I seemed to be getting nowhere fast! Yet another different doctor. He said that it was just "Wear and tear" and "Old age". I should get myself to a physio and that i'd be better off paying privately as the NHS take too long to sort them out. I took his advise and got myself to a physio. The old age comment seemed a bit stupid though as I am 43 and our hero Roger Bradley still runs marathons at 74 years old!
The physio was great. He said, ligament damage was unlikely and I could bend my knee in various directions without pain. It was more likely to be a meniscus tear in my knee. I was advised to go back to the doctor and ask for an MRI scan. At the end of April I did manage a parkrun at Heartlands though and the knee pain afterwards was manageable. I had also volunteered a couple of times at Trelissick parkrun.

                                                Helen and myself at Eden project parkrun

MAY

I was expecting some visitors in May. They were both runners too. Kevin Willsher was coming down at the start of May. Heartlands was a good test for my knee. My physio had told me to take it slowly at Trelissick parkrun with Kevin. Well, I raced it as hard as I could. Kevin was a big influence and inspiration to me. It was a great day and I iced the knee straight afterwards to aid any swelling. I was happy with my time on a hilly course and plus I had piled on the weight this year. 

Two weeks later, Helen Bonaer was to visit. We thought we'd mix it up and bit and do Eden Project parkrun. Again, I raced hard and did an okay time. The problem this time was I could barely walk for a week after my efforts. The aching was constant. I couldn't even sleep without being woken with the pain. All my positivity and hope just seemed to be getting beaten out of me. I was so down at this point. I was starting to think that my running days were over. At least I could cycle still right? I can still walk to places? I am lucky to have my legs and I have done a couple of parkruns. It was no good. I was really feeling sorry for myself now and drinking more and more. 

At the end of may though, I decided to try Lanhydrock parkrun. It really is the toughest parkrun in the uk! It was hot and hilly. I did okay though and my knee wasn't too bad afterwards. There seemed to be no reasoning to the pain in my knee. It just hurt when it wanted to. Although the trails do seem to be a bit more forgiving that the roads.

JUNE

I got a letter for my MRI scan. I had the MRI which was a whole new experience to me with lots of loud noises and trying to lay still inside a machine. I rang the doctors a few weeks later but the receptionist said the doctor hadn't had time to look at my results. I phoned back for my results a few days later only to be told that I needed to make an appointment to discuss my results. The Meniscus tear had been confirmed with some other stuff going on too. It was like one big party going on in my knee. I felt down about it as both doctors and physio told me that Cartilage doesn't hear. They will need to stitch it up or laser through it depending on the direction of the tear. Either way it meant surgery. My next step was to make an appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon. 

    In the meantime, I was running again. I'd cycled 14 miles to Penrose parkrun and managed to run a sub 20 on Cornwall's only fast and flat parkrun course. I was over the moon. Bit of aching afterwards but manageable. I also cycled to Cubert to pick up my new Newquay road runners vest. I had entered my first race of the year. I was going to run a hilly, cross country race called "Meet your Max". I did a 7 mile run a week before just to make sure I could do the distance. I also got a course PB at Trelissick and Heartlands. I was running again and I was running quite fast for me! I was happy. I had missed this so much. How could anyone live without running in their lives? 

I was very shocked at Meet your Max as I got a little trophy for 3rd V40 finisher. It was a small field of V40's but I was so happy. First race of the year and my first race for NRR. 

    One more race. A 5k charity run in Truro called "The Roc 5k". It wasn't as quick of a course as I was expecting although it was flat. It was a very hot evening but I just about managed a sub 20 and came 10th overall. What a wonderful month and such a trun around. There were still some bad days with my knee though. 

JULY

I headed back to Southampton for a week to visit friends and family. It was so good to see everyone that I was missing. It was quite a hard and lonely winter really and now I was surrounded by sunshine and wonderful people. Before I came back to Cornwall I manage another goodbye run with Di. It was one of the best runs even in my eyes. I hadn't run with another person since January and that was Di the last time I left. It had made me kind of tearful. I quite missed social runs with other runners, especially my good friends. 

I went to see the orthopaedic surgeon and he was pretty useless. He told me that the tear in my knee was very complex. Did I want the surgery or not? My decision. "Sometimes I lose the feeling in my leg" I said. "I don't know anything about that". Do you want the surgery?". I decided that there were big improvements in my knee and I would leave it and have another review in 10 weeks. 

I ran a 10 miler back in Cornwall and it felt ok until about 8 miles but I managed fine. There was an ache in the knee joint but it wasn't anything like the pain and suffering of the winter months. It was training for my first road race of the year. I was actually going to run a road race! Magnificent 7 was a hilly race in Saltash. It had 7 hills. I walked about 5 of them. I ran fast down them though. I came 51st and 2nd for Newquay road runners. Another shock. 

I am running well again and have another race this weekend. I still get knee pain and realise that my knee will never be or feel the same again but I am so happy to be running and running well again. My diet has started to improve as well and I am not drinking 20 pints of cider on a Saturday night anymore. Although, I still like a few.. 

I have entered a couple of other races too. 

It's great to have some running goals back in my life and a purpose that seems pointless to many. Will it last? Who cares! Run while you can. Maybe i'll try a half marathon in September.

Meet your Max

  We're 6 months into the year and I was pretty nervous about my first race of the year.  I was going to be running a tough multi-terrain course for 6.5 miles. My knee seems to be improving and there is much less pain during recovery. I can even walk most days! Should I be racing with such a list of injuries? See photo below for my MRI results. Next stop orthopaedic surgeon.. The main fear was that I was going to be running for a new club where I hadn't really met anyone or knew anyone. This isn't strictly true though as I met Jane when I collected my awesome vest the other day and have had email contact with a few others.

      I love the fact that this race is on a Wednesday evening and I was able to get a bus into Truro from where I live near Mount Ambrose. I arrived in Truro with plenty of time to spare and then another mile walk to the Rugby club and a big hill called St. Clement hill. I got there and picked up my race number. I stood around for a bit until Jane recognised me and called me over to a small group of other Penguins. NRR's nickname due to the Black and White kit I guess! Everyone was very welcoming and it didn't take long until I was chatting away while more and more club members arrived. It was getting pretty busy despite there being less than 250 runners in the results.

       I did my mile warm up and then we walked to the start line. On the start line it began to rain while the run director spoke about the perilous course. Was this a good idea? I'm more of a road runner than a trail runner I think. My ankles aren't too strong either!
No chip time in this race, just good old fashioned gun timing, so I made my way near to the front. And off we went running through a field and towards a narrow looking gate. It soon opened up though when we hit a road and started to run downhill. This is where I got carried away and started to pass lots of people with my long legs. I was running at 6 minute mile pace and I had only been racing parkruns since April. I tried to reason with it and say to myself that it's good to blast the road section and it was downhill afterall. Mile one in 6.12.

      We soon hit the trails and the course became quite technical. There were many tree stumps and roots to manoeuvre around. It was nice and undulating through the woods and under the trees. We could have been anywhere. I was so disorientated by direction due to all the weaving in and out of trees and concentrating on my footfalls. We rounded Pencalenick school and were soon beside the Tresillian river. Even though we were racing I had time to admire the beauty of the course with the River on the left and a lake or pond on the right? I thought that I should come back here sometime for a walk with my camera. It think it was actually St.Clement.

    I had hit the 5k mark and sure enough, I was starting to feel it. I passed three of my club runners earlier on, on that downhill section and they were to overtake me now with lovely words of encouragement as they passed me. I had definitely gone out to fast as my splits show. It was quite narrow on a lot of the course and hard to pass others. I would offer to let people pass me.
I saw the girl in front of me trip on a tree root, she went flying but cleverly managed to stay on her feet and continue running. I had also kicked a tree root and my big toe was throbbing. I was wondering how many runners got injured on this race with the dangers of nature. We descended some steps that were quite spread out as well. 

   We came out of the woods and I was glad to see the water station halfway round as it was quite humid now and the rain had stopped just after we got running. Verity shouted encouragement as I ran past. I have got to know quite a few Truro Road runners due to doing Trelissick parkrun quite a bit. Lots more lovely people.
   Now, my story is a bit all over the place as I can't quite remember where stuff was on the route or even where I was. We had a tough drop which was a bit muddy so I just slipped down the bank and into the water. We then had to run through a muddy but shallow river, climbing over one tree trunk and ducking under the next. My feet were nice and wet but I knew this about the course and brought spare trainers with me.

    I actually knew where I was at one point when we came onto a road and into Malpas. At this point I was greeted by the Devil... or a lady dressed as the devil at least. Little did I know that this was a sign that the true suffering was about to begin. We turned right and then there were these steps. I started walking up them and most others did too. I think maybe 2 people passed me. This steps were hard work and I could feel the lactic acid forming in my calves. Even when the steps were done the course still seemed to climb. I was really struggling now but didn't want to lose the guy in front of me in case I got lost. Not that I should have because the course was so well signed and the marshals on course were great.

    I came into a field and was able to pick up some pace again. A marshal said something as I ran past but didn't quite hear it. Sounded like "Watch out... Wheel...?" I kept on running through the long grass looking for a wheel and trying to decipher the marshals message. Then it came to me. Watch out, it's real uneven. The grass was long and it was hard to see what was underneath. It wasn't too bad though but the field afterwards was quite rutted with 4x4 wheel implants.
  After my third mile all my miles that followed were around the 9.30 minute mile pace. I was almost dead and running on empty... apart from the fact that I needed the toilet really badly. This made me press on quite hard. Not sure that I would even make it! On the last mile I looked around for somewhere to stop despite having no toilet roll. My stomach was cramping and it was getting quite intense in there!

     Not long and I could hear people cheering. I turned left into a field and could see the finish. The race was described as "a long 10k nearer to 7 miles" by the race director at the start. I was expecting 6.7 miles but ended up just over 6.5. This made me happy. Someone shouted my name and some of the lovely penguins cheered me in as I did my best to race to the finish. See the pics of how bad I look! Not sure who took them but thank you.
I finished in a time of 55.15 and was 52nd overall. I was also shocked to pick up the above plaque for 3rd V40 male. Not bad for my first race back and my first race for NRR with all my injuries. To say I was over the moon was an understatement. Oh yeah and there was a total of 747ft of elevation. Probably the toughest 10k I've done but a great experience.
 

    Looking so destroyed in the above photo but the good news is that I made it to the toilet in time and got a nice medal and a cup. "What no pasties?" Everyone was saying..lol. I had a couple of Doombars while I waited for my plaque in true athletic style.

Lanhydrock parkie

     The thought of doing Lanhydrock parkrun definitely wasn't at the top of my list. I had done the Bodmin half marathon a few years back and I can tell you now that it is hilly, very hilly. But this is parkrun right and it's only 5k? I was heading to Plymouth anyway so I thought I may as well jump on the train from Redruth and alight at Bodmin. This would be my 155th parkrun, my 40th different location and the last of all the Cornish parkruns for me to complete.
It's important to remember your barcode for parkrun or else you won't get a recorded time but also in Cornwall and Devon, quite a few of the parkruns are run on National trust sites. I have also done a few in Wales. I usually remember my barcode but sometimes I forget my National trust Loyalty drinks card! Let's face it, we only really go to parkrun for the coffee and gossip afterwards ;) Anyway, I made a conscious effort to take my card this time around.

   I get off the train at Bodmin and realise that I don't even need Google maps as Lanhydrock is sign-posted from the station. It's a lovely 1 and 3/4 mile walk too. The sun was out and the birds were singing and the only other sound I could hear was that from a babbling river on route. I got to a gate and an entrance of Lanhydrock but wasn't really sure where to go from here. I looked at Google maps but still no idea. Luckily all parkruns have a website and I followed the postcode to the car park at the top. I had a big hill to walk up where I saw an arrow sign. One of the ones they use in parkrun in fact. There were cows everywhere though. Surely we weren't going to be running here? I walked to the big house which I remember from the half marathon and take a right up another hill. I could see the "Finish" sign to my right and further up the "start" sign to my left with a few people gathered around. It was still early though. About 8.30.

 
  I talk to a few friendly marshals who tell me... A: This is not a PB course and B: This is the toughest parkrun course in the U.K. Now, I have heard the latter stated by a few proud parkrun directors before including Trelissick which has nothing on Mount Edgcumbe or Parke parkrun. So, I was going to take these words with a pinch of salt. I put my bag and hoodie into the back of a jeep thing where they tell me the bags get taken to the finish for us to collect. I decide on a warm up and do a couple of Kilometres which entails lots of effort and heavy breathing. "That's just the way it is sometimes I tell myself".
I was feeling like I might get a top Ten finish here as no-one the previous week could even manage a sub 20. Not that I was at that level of fitness and it was only the previous night that I had had an MRI scan on my knee. The knee wasn't feeling too bad but I never knew until a day or two later what sort of pain I would be in, if any.

    Anyway, I kind of missed half of the first timers briefing and the course sounded quite complex so I would do what I always did.. follow the person in front and then the person in front of them etc..

3.2.1. We were off. It was a fast start and there was no congestion whatsoever with such a wide path and just over 200 runners/joggers and walkers. I guess the fast start was due to it being down hill. There appeared to be a lot of people in front of me too and I wasn't passing many. Think I remember glancing at my watch and seeing a sub 6 pace at one point. I was soon to slow though. We passed the big house and then there was a brief climb on a gravel path that I also remembered from the half marathon. After this climb though it was back downhill at full speed. It was all uneven gravel paths. every footfall was exciting yet dangerous. You had to think and place well every time you landed. It didn't help that my eyes were watering. I wiped them dry as I ran twisting on the gravel paths with the woodland all around us. It sure was a very hot day. The sun was shining but here we were protected by the trees, but not the heat.

     It's very hard to try and remember a course when you are racing. it wasn't like I was taking in all the beauty of the course but I was aware of it. I was also struggling to breathe despite the majority of the first mile having so much descent. I was close to twisting my ankle just before the end of the first mile as well but I survived.
Coming to a junction I had trouble slowing and turning right. I nearly ran straight on as it didn't seem to obvious to me. The marshal managed to steer me to the right after I had asked. I guess I should have been paying attention to the runner who was in front really! It flattened out but before long, we were running downhill again. So much downhill. Doesn't seem like a tough course right? Maybe a little technical underfoot though.

   6.44 for my first mile and 7.20 for my second mile. I was slowing and really feeling it in the heat after the first mile. And I knew it was going to get worse! In fact, I have just checked my strava stats and it's pretty much downhill for 1.5 miles and the rest just climbs with a nice bit of a downhill sprint finish. My heartrate felt pretty high on the last mile and I was struggling to keep it down. My breathing was really laboured too. I decided to walk for a bit. A couple of people passed me as we headed on the road back up towards the big house.

   I started running again though and soon caught them up. We turned right and crossed a field and then another ascent began where I walked again. Ok, it was a tough parkrun. That pinch of salt was now truly sore in my open wounds. I kept on going regardless. A bit more running and a bit more walking. Not many people were passing me though. Maybe one or two? It did flatten out again eventually and then there was a crowd of people supporting and cheering including Lordshill's speedy Pete B who I had spoken to at the start. He was supporting and his wife was running. He shouted words of encouragement that pushed me that little bit harder and all I can remember shouting back was "brutal mate". It was a nice speedy downhill sprint through another field and I felt fast at that point even though I had run/walked my last mile in just over Nine minutes.

    A finish time of just under 23 minutes and 18th place. It's a lovely course and the marshals were fantastic. I chatted to few after the run as well while I waited for the jeep thing to turn up with my bag. The jeep thing never showed though. I walked towards the café hoping it was there but no sign. It turned up in the end but I was getting a bit concerned at one point. I was in no rush to be anywhere. I was in such nice surroundings and the sun was shining. The weather forecast was set for thunderstorms, they never came, thankfully. After tracking my bag down, I then went for Coffee and got my loyalty card stamped. I had sadly forgotten about Pete and his Wife and never saw them again.

   I felt satisfied with my run as I drank my Latte in the café. I also decided to retire my trusty Mizunos that day too.
It is a very hard course. Tougher than Mount Edgcumbe with its 3k climb at the start? Tougher than Parke with the hill that you can barely walk up near the start? I couldn't say but they are all lovely places to visit and great experiences to be part of. What's next? All the Devon parkruns? I think I need to head back to Penrose for a faster time as I had cycled about 500 miles to get there the last time I did it.

The good thing is that I have had very little knee pain after this parkrun and had little knee pain after Trelissick parkrun but after Eden project parkrun in between, I had bad knee pain for 7 days where I struggled to sleep every night. The trails seem to be better for me because of less impact I guess.
Either way, it's good to be running parkruns again even if that is my limit at the moment :D

Heartlands parkrun

                I'm only 5 miles away from Heartlands parkrun so I thought i'd give it a go. It has only been going for 3 weeks now but was a bit put off when I heard it was 4 laps! I was later to find out that it's actually 3 and a bit laps, consisting of almost 1 mile loops. Anyways, i'll go through the course with you as I ran it....

     

       I get to the start, say hello to a few friendly faces and try a 1k warm up. My ankle hurts and so does my knee. I am recovering from a sprained ankle and I have cartilage damage in my knee. My doc and Physio both say I can run though as long as I take it easy and go slow. I hadn't run a 5k in 3 weeks and I was hardly training with the achy knee.

The usual race briefing ensuing and then the 3.2.1... 

    You run out towards the Heartlands Engine house and Café, which I forget the name of both. Then you take a right a run across this narrow bridge. If you wanted a speedy time you'd better start at the front. Although they barely get over 100 runners at the moment, but we all know how that goes ;) Remember, I am not racing though am I? Doctors orders and all that. 

     

       The course kind of gets technical now as you enter these lovely enclosed gardens. There are lots of twists and turns and the lead runners take a left past a cone when they should have gone right. They don't lose too many seconds though and are back on track in no time. I get to witness this as I have obviously gone out too fast in my excitement of being able to run. 

   There are more tight turns until we exit the gardens from the otherside. Now we take a right onto a path and then a left onto a little bit of off road. Another tight bend and through a gate and then we are heading back towards the café. I get to the straight and realise than I am running too fast for my own good. My breathing heavy and laboured. You run a nice flat bit towards the road though, nice and straight too. Then you go left around the grass, sticking to the smooth path. 

       I get a few words in with a fellow runner. I can't even remember what we talk about but we exchange a few words of pleasantries in the sunshine. He leaves me and then I notice we are running into a children's play park. I duck just in case I am tall enough to hit my head on the bridge that we run under. It's an interesting park with lots to look at. I later go back and notice I am a couple of inches clear of the bridge when I stand under it.

      We appear at the start again and pass the parkrun tent thing. 1 lap done but not quite a mile yet and I am feeling it. But something inspires me and pushes me. There is music coming from the tent. We have music! Also it's a song I love... Highway star by Deep Purple. A surge of energy hits me and I run my first mile in a little over 7 minutes.

   
      It's much easier to pass people now as the field really opens up after the first mile. Plenty of space for everyone. It's not long before I see the tail runner and we are lapping people. The ones who are running and sweating I shout words of encouragement as I can see they are putting all their efforts into it. They usually huff and puff a "well done" back unless they are wearing headphones of course.

    So, around we go again. I guess there isn't much more else to say except that I slowed on that 2nd mile and ran about 20 seconds slower. The course may have lots of twists and turns but it is pretty fast as it is flat and if anything there is a bit of overall descent.

   The last mile or loop 3, I picked up the pace again and ran with another guy at a similar pace. We chatted a bit. I told him to stop slacking when I caught him up again and he laughed and obliged by picking up the pace. The last mile was only just about my fastest. The ankle had stopped hurting after the 1st mile and the knee felt ok after the 2nd. My body almost felt normal again with no aches and pains!

     I hadn't even thought about position or racing today. I was more concerned if my knee and me would actually complete a 5k. After the 3rd loop you begin to run a 4th but then turn left along another path and towards the finish. I was glad to get there and I was on such a runner's high. I had missed running so much. I was on cloud 9 for quite a few hours after parkrun but knew I would pay for it in the coming days. It would be worth it though. Next parkrun I will run slower and see if the recovery time is quicker with my knee. It was a fantastic sunny day and my 38th different parkrun location.

   Surprisingly I came in 9th place with a time of 21.51. Not a speedy time at all and the winner only ran a 19.01. I guess he did go the wrong way near the start though! Lots to see on this parkrun despite it being just over 3 laps.

Trelissick parkrun

It was a tough decision to make. Should I run Trelissick parkrun? I had been injured since January and only ran 2 miles the day before, there was a bit of knee discomfort but I got through it albeit very slowly with some heavy breathing.
I was discouraged again when I woke up to the sound and sight of torrential rain. I knew it was a 10 mile cycle there along the coast to coast path with some challenging terrain and a couple of very big hills. Coffee and crumpets first to wake up.... Fuck it, let's do it!

         I leave the farmhouse at 7.15 and arrive at Trelissick at 8.30. Perfect! I am soaking wet though. My feet are freezing and wet despite the waterproof clothing. I have spare socks and a t-shirts though. It's still quiet but I chat to an elderly man who tells me about the parkrun and informs me that he is to become the next race director at this event. We chat for 10-15 mins and the national trust site is starting to get busier. Another guy comments on my lack of clothing, which makes me observe all the other runners wrapped up in coats and leggings etc.. I shrug it off and smile... "I'll soon get warm".

        At 8.50ish there is a race briefing where we are told about the course and at the end this little girl turns around and says "Mummy, what does undulating mean?". They ask if there's any visitors. Someone says Somerset, someone jokingly says Cubert and Truro. I was waiting for my mate Larry to shout "Singapore" but he wasn't there.
We then walk about half a mile to the start. Down the main road on the right as the King Harry Ferry is located at the bottom of this hill. We then cross the road and walk up some steep steps and into the woodland with what I am guessing is the river Fal on the right. We get to the start where we are told that it may get congested at the start. I look around laughing to myself thinking... they obviously haven't done Southampton parkrun. There is a total of 83 runners here. No dogs and no buggies. Just as well as the buggies would probably need tractor tyres in the hilly, waterlogged field.

          And we're off. I start mid pack and there is no congestion whatsoever. It is a downhill start and an out and back course, which does mean a nice uphill finish. The terrain is a little tricky as it's bumpy, uneven trail with bits of rock and slate everywhere. It gets easier though and my knee feels okay. At the bottom of the descent is a little stream with a stepping stone. Not sure my balance is good enough for the stone so decide to just try and jump the stream. I don't quite make it but don't get too wet.

      The trails continue and it's nice and flat now. At this point, I am thinking that 5k is such a long way as I've only done a mile and already my breathing is becoming more laboured. And then we hit the field. It's muddy, it's waterlogged and it's straight uphill. I decided to walk it along with most of the others who wore road shoes. This gave me the opportunity to take a few photos of course.
When you reach the top of the field, you run from left to right looking for the least boggy path and then descend. This was the technical bit! I dared not run as I was already sliding all over the place. I was close to falling over at least 3 times despite being very cautious. Very surprised I stayed upright. Obviously the marshal at the bottom was laughing like a drain at our levels of concentration.

        We were just over halfway and now would be running back the way we came. What a crazy course I thought to myself. I bet it's nice in the summer though. I exchanged a few words with another guy. He had quite annoying squelchy shoes from running in the flooded field... or so I had thought. He was just behind me but I was picking up the pace a bit now after my second mile was over 11 minutes. Knee was hurting a bit too but around 2.5 miles, I had found a second wind as someone had commented as I passed them. I even managed to balance on the uneven stepping stone on the return journey.
Someone also commented on my squelchy shoes as I passed them too. I was passing people happily but knew the hill was to come soon.

       The last climb is roughly a quarter of a mile. I wasn't going to walk, I kept on pushing myself as I saw more opportunities to pass other runners. It was a bit late to start getting competitive but I was enjoying it all the same. I crossed the line in just over 28 minutes. Which will be a course pb as it's my first time here. It's good not to set your targets too high to start with. Although, seeing how boggy the field it at the moment, I had decided that I was going to volunteer next weekend. I was happy enough with 32nd on my come back tour of running. The knee was hurting but who cares about a bit of pain right?

    I took my shoes off and wandered into the National trust café for a Latte. I sat there and some guy asked if he could join me. Somehow we got talking about Genealogy and some other stuff and I almost felt intelligent for a while. Then another guy asked to join our table. Three complete strangers chatting about life, beer and cake. That's what's great about the community of these smaller parkruns. We all put our names down to volunteer too, so i'll see them again next week for more coffee and banter. Then Another 10 mile cycle to get home... but it was worth it :)