Having dutifully replaced any kind of physical exertion with liberal imbibement and quantitive consumption over the last few days I had little choice but to join the local Park Run this morning. Sliding bleary-eyed from the soft, warm embrace of my duvet I fumbled in the semi-dark for my GPS. Pollok Park is home to the Glasgow ParkRun; a beautifully landscaped green space nestled in the south west suburbs. It lies approximately 5 kilometres from the SECC where I now staggered about amongst the wreckage of my hotel room in a desperate search for RC vest, shorts and shoes.
Being a glutton for punishment I chose to lope the 4.8 k to the start, figuring on half an hour for the journey. With the help of a cool breeze under heavy leaden skies I made it in 28 minutes, only to learn from the few whippet-like runners loitering at the entrance that wed be off at 09:30. So much for my warm-up plans. Cars streamed into the carpark, a procession of alarmingly honed bodies spilling onto the concourse. As start time approached there must have been close to 200 runners. I searched in vain for the expected clusters of ample figures, horrified to learn that anyone approaching normal size appeared to be a marshal. Oh well.
After our briefing, conducted in a high pitched yell from a grassy knoll, we set off, bounding down a gentle slope before thundering into the tree-lined trails that wind through the park like a tarmac rollercoaster. Theres not a hundred yards of flat running in this race. Up and down we ran, past gorgeous blossom and blooming flora, splashing through puddles of last nights rain, fording the occasional slippery mud bath. I felt OK, running within myself, having assured myself Id be happy with anything sub-25 minutes, soaking up the wonderfully cool woodland atmosphere
I cant over emphasise the number of excellent runners up here. I ran fairly well 24:23 a good outing considering the 5k warm-up yet finished 105th (out of about 180). Its hard to equate this run with PR in Hove but I reckon Idve finished around 50th 60th there. After a brief stretch I set off back to my hotel, another 4.8 kilometres starting down St Andrews Lane and finishing alongside the Clyde on the Govan road. Im pleased to have bagged (albeit slightly disjointedly) 14 hard-top kilometres in around an hour and twenty minutes running time.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
