Sunday 10 May 2009

Love running?

I've done it. I've done something that I have never done before, never even contemplated doing before. I ran 10 kilometers in the Bristol 10k race.

I was running as part of the Love Running team taking part in the event. There were 300 of us, all from our church, and we raised £50,000 and counting for three charities: One25, St Peter's Hospice and World Vision Zimbabwe.


Unbelievably, amazingly, fantastically I actually ran the whole circuit without stopping even once - except to scamper about on the Portway to retrieve the pieces of my asthma pump that I had tucked into one of my very stylish sweat bands. It was dislodged during some over zealous high-fiving with my friend Matt Smith as he came the other way and scattered in every direction on impact with the tarmac. Roger Bannister never had to deal with that kind of challenge. The resultant scampering only added to the distance though, so it doesn't count as a stoppage in my books. In fact I do believe it means I ran about 10,005 m rather than the advertised 10k. So you definitely got great value for your money.

I didn't quite hit my target of £500, so the amusing costume is staying in the wardrobe until next year (did I just say that?!). I did, however, don a rather fetching headband which, although it made me look like a tool, was actually quite useful. Sweat was kept at bay - an important consideration when you have a hairline such as mine.

I pounded the roads as best I could. I wasn't fast by any stretch of even the most limited of imaginations, but I kept going and even managed a cool sprint finish when the crowds got thicker in the centre of town. The atmosphere of the whole event was a real surprise to me, never having associated myself with such things before. Seeing the other Love Running shirts and hearing people cheering you on was a real inspiration and made any thoughts of stopping unacceptable.

I never thought I'd say this, but I enjoyed the running. The buzz after the pain of the endeavor is addictive. I'm never going to be quick, but I think I'll keep my hand in once I've recovered the use of my ankle. In the meantime, feast your eyes on these. Pay special attention to number 94: a masterclass in athleticism and fashion smarts on the race course.

1 comment:

  1. Well done 10K is a long way. Especially for those such as us who have started running later on in life. (By that I mean 30+).

    Are you still running? I hope so.

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