A Festive Return

November 16th. 

The last time I laced up my running shoes with the intention of racing. I've not been completely out of action, despite the rest period I've taken a few trips to the Forest as the planning continues. This has included finding and testing new routes as a very wet and muddy route run in November made it clear we needed alternatives. I've also started playing squash again, though my swimming has stopped, need to pick up on this as we enter 2015. 

During the time off I've also volunteered as work commitments have allowed me. With Event Directorship in my future it has been imperative that I've continued to learn the various roles required to keep an event going, even if it does mean getting chuffing cold on a December morning! That in itself is a lesson, if you're just standing around you need more layers. I'll be investing in some decent gortex boots to get me through the wet and cold mornings. 

Of course I had promised myself I'd stretch and rest and of course I've done one of those and it certainly wasn't stretching!

Chelmsford parkrun - Xmas Day special

A banana for breakfast on Christmas Day? Surely not! Normally by 9am on Christmas Day I've consumed multiple chocolate bars & am already slipping into my first food related coma after a combination of eggs and salmon (recently the benedict variety). Last Christmas I ventured out locally for a run, before settling in to the usual overfeasting that is expected.

Though I'd started to properly get into parkrun towards the second half of 2013, 2014 really was the year of the parkrun for me. My total stood at 35 at the end of 2013. By October 18th it had increased to 62. Yet it would be another 9 weeks before that total would increase. I hadn't since a gap between parkrun attendance that large since 2012, had I fallen out of love with parkrun?

Not quite. Statistics only tell you the part of the story you want to hear. Since that time I'd had my enforced break, but also been in attendance half a dozen times to volunteer. In addition I'd made plenty of trips to the Forest & spent countless evenings in meetings or putting together paperwork & here I am moaning as if I don't enjoy it!

One thing I was certain of, I'd certainly be slower than the last time I went to Chelmsford & took home a lifetime best over 5k. Although one forest run had shaded under 30 minutes, realistically I didn't know what to expect. I'd promised myself not to start too quickly, blowing up after a stupidly quick 2km would be ridiculous.

My first visit to Chelmsford since volunteering in November also provided a couple of interesting sights. Event Director Gerry was resplendent in a Santa Claus outfit & brother in law Alec was donning the fluorescent vest for the first time & volunteering as a marshal. As I was parking in Meteor Way for the first time & unsure of how far the walk was I ended up being one of the first on site, so lent a hand with funnel setup, finish cones etc. The parkrun itself would be minimalistic, zero signage & just a handful of on course marshals. Thankfully the A route was runnable so there wasn't a need for too much guess work by the runners.

The Run

I lined up alongside fellow Core Team member Jim who is in the form of his life at the moment. I'd last seen him dressed as David Hasselhoff at Notley's fancy dress day, this time he was in standard running garb & ready to attack a PB set on the far harder Notley course.

Easy to spot when I have bright blue legs (Smurf outfit one day perhaps)

We did initially run together, but after the first corner I told him to go on without me, I didn't need to drag myself along & I didn't want to cost him any time. I settled straight back into a rhythm, through a kilometre in 5:02 despite my best efforts to slow down! I was able to apply the brakes a little during the second click, only ten seconds slower but I was feeling more comfortable. This was the first time I was using trail shoes at Chelmsford, on Alec's advice as he runs there more regularly than I do. The stretch 2-4km does include a fair amount of grass & I was thankful for a bit more grip certainly. With their recent Forest exploits I've now covered 100km in my trail shoes. If you'd have suggested this to me at the start of 2014 I'd have laughed at the idea of even owning trails!!!!

My pace continued to be reasonable & I was soon out of Admirals Park & heading through 4km & onto the finish. This was a well known path to me, Christmas Day being the occasion on which I ran a single event for the tenth time. Chelmsford has been good to me this year, 8 visits so far I believe, the adaptability of the team to the issues the many parks present has led to many different course configurations during that time.

I still felt reasonable as I entered Central Park & readying myself for the final lap. Despite having no intention to race I was still checking over my shoulder, old habits I guess.

As I said, no intention to race, just get home. Then I spotted Alec as the last marshal. I beckoned him to come a bit closer and with a high five I turned onto the grass and kicked into an almighty & completely out of character sprint finish.

Sprint finish - A return of my happy running face....

The Result

Turns out the sprint, though ill-conceived, was worthwhile (in my mind at least), I'd clocked an unofficial 25:01 (nearly going through the funnel), but Jim was certain I'd ducked just under 25. Given that I always start a couple of seconds early, that was certainly plausible. Until that text message came through, nothing was certain.

Mid morning, the phone bleeped & there was confirmation, 24:59! Surely, nearly 2 minutes over PB, but a result I was exceedingly happy with. After nearly two months off, I really wasn't expecting to be that quick. Bizarrely, the Run Britain handicap system (and the SSS & vSSS ratings that I still don't get) put this effort in my top ten. Guess that means that it was tougher on the day than I'd originally thought.

Jim not only broke his PB, he ran up behind it, tapped it on the shoulder & knocked it to the ground. I'd promised Chelmsford was fast & I was true to my word, a mid 22 for Jim. A PB for Christmas, nice start to the day (well less of a start when you have two young children)!

The Eat

Christmas Day, even with 500 extra calories from a 5k, it was going to be a day of gluttony wasn't it? Be it a refuel with a bag of Snow Bites & an Orange Lucozade (they should really sponsor me through Berlin) on the drive home. Toast with a slab of butter upon my return home, a full Turkey roast at my Mother's place, the completely unnecessary but predictable 4pm table of extra food or an evening of Celebrations & Sausage Rolls, it was a day of complete overfeeding.

But I ran a 5k at the start of the day so that makes everything all right yes?

The Conclusion

A very satisfactory return to running, what could possibly go wrong after this Xmas Day effort (bit of foreshadowing there as another blog post is to follow)?

After seeing the camaraderie & enjoyment the event brought, it reminded me that by this time next year, my core team will have a decision to make (if the venue allows for us to run an event). Holding an event on Christmas Day might seem like lunacy, but can mean a lot to those who run & volunteer.