Half Century Beckons...

Well here we go the countdown is well and truly on, I've just completed my 49th Parkrun, this morning my 24th at Durham the rest have been at Newcastle bar one which was a one off at Princes Park, Liverpool. Another chilly morning down at Maiden Castle and despite the lingering sciatica pain of the right leg, which is currently undergoing some fabulous work by my sports physio Ian " Buster" Gallagher and the addition of a freak injury of a cut lip, which was bleeding profusely after having cut it on the tin foil packaging whilst administering Ibuprofen tablets for aforementioned leg pain, yes it could only happen to me! Stripped to shorts and vest with Tiger Balm daubed on hamstring and Vaseline on lacerated lip, good job I got the application the correct way around or else it would have been hot lips for the rest of the day, I set off at my usual greyhound speed, no half measures with me, it's off from the start and hang on till the finish. Glancing at Graham Garmin at Km signs, hitting the frozen grassed part of the course hard, and the riverbank towpath and finishing home straight even harder, all under the watchful eye of magnificent Cathedral and Castle and regular Parkrun spectators including my sisiter Janet, I crossed the line in 25th position in a time 20:37 A quick ice bath followed by hot shower, then I analyse my performance over a six item breakfast in the wonderful Maiden Castle café Mmmm 20:37 not too bad all things considered, crazy weekly mileage, midweek blood donor session, ongoing runstreak (toady been day 1861) and of course the right leg and bottom lip ailments, yeah I'll take today's time & position! As always great craic from everyone, volunteers, runners and spectators alike in the confines of the cosy café and on checking my mobile phone I receive a Twitter tweet from Hartlepool United legend and current player/coach Ritchie Humphreys who due to the postponement of today's match at Bury I managed to cajole, encourage him to run Parkrun at Sheffield's Endcliffe Park. Ritchie said he enjoyed his first Parkrun and was eagerly awaiting his official time. On hearing that Ritchie had ran a Parkrun and enjoyed it on my suggestion gave me more satisfaction than my own personal effort this morning, however he needs to stick at it as he has a long way to go to catch me up, as the time ticks down to next week and my milestone of 50 Parkruns, I can not wait, bring it on!!