Back fully repaired, I took the kids to the fun run part of the Wycombe 10K / half marathon, the latter of which I ran a couple of years ago. But there was no way I was risking the back carrier again, so I borrowed a three-wheeler stroller for Emma. The route was 1.5 miles around the perimeter of the large park that houses the facilities for the main race. We lined up at the back of a field of 100 or so. Luke adopted a cautious race strategy, opting to start slowly with Naomi and me. Naomi meanwhile went for more of a sprint / walk style, the repeated change of pace causing Emma delight.
It turned out that it was all a bit much for a 4 year old, so with Luke now some way off in the distance, Naomi and I took a bit of a short cut around the mile mark. We saw Luke put on a nice sprint for the last 50m or so; he must have finished in somewhere around 20 minutes. We ducked under the tape onto the home straight and managed a sprint finish, where the announcer hilariously quipped that he thought I was the winner of the 10K. I guess it’s the only time that will ever happen.
Bouncy castle and ice cream ensued. (These should be available after all events, I feel.) Goody bags were devoured and medals cherished. As seems often the case with kids, they only seemed to remember the good bits. (Actually that applies to most runners, doesn’t it?)
It was a bit strange and sad not to be taking part in either main event. It’s a year since I last took part in a non-mega running event, and I felt a bit of a hankering. I see no point in flogging myself round a course in the height of summer, so maybe I’ll enter an event in September, when things are cooling off a little. Maybe it’s time for a 10K, with some proper training while I have some time.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, there has been no running. With the back now in good shape I returned to the loft, whereupon to date I have laid 96m of joists, 60 chipboard panels and somewhere over 200m of lagging. And it’s not finished yet.
But it’s made it all too clear why running tends to be a middle-class hobby: I’m getting all my endorphin hits from my daily work, and there’s no surplus energy to be burned off at the end of the day. It’s quite a contrast from my normal sedentary routine as a PC jockey.
The gorilla suit training has actually come in pretty handy though – for working in the hottest room in the house in mask, gloves and long-sleeved top. It brings back such happy memories.
So… hopefully I’ll be allowed down from the loft by the end of the week. Then I might get a bit of running in.
The rest of 2010 - between marathons
