“Our doubts are traitors,
and make us lose the good we oft might win,
by fearing to attempt.”
— William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure
The weather was calm, the first time for weeks, and the quote was for the benefit of PB hunters who might like to consider, contrary to most advice, actually going off a bit fast at the start. Interesting advice, and on another day I might have given it a go, but today I settled in at the back of the runners and waited to see how I’d get on in my first parkrun since January. I’d been quite encouraged by the Pier to Pier and decided to see how I got on with something short and fast.
This is my second time at the Ormskirk parkrun and it might just be my favourite parkrun. It’s set in the campus of Edge Hill University and it’s great to see it promoted so positively. It’s warm and welcoming, with changing rooms, toilets, tea and coffee, a nice course, and best of all, you get some culture on the start line. The usual briefing also included the reminder that under 11s must be accompanied by an adult. “Why must under 11s be accompanied by an adult?”, we were asked. “To slow them down!”, came the instant reply.
How we laughed, but it was no joke. It was great seeing so many young children out today; it wasn’t so great being convincingly beaten by so many of them. You’d think they’d at least have the decency to look as if they were struggling or trying. No respect, kids of today.
I wouldn’t say it’s a fast course, given that it has hills and circuits; two little ones and two big ones. I think. It didn’t matter as the marshalls seemed to know exactly where to send us, or maybe I just have that ‘still on his first lap’ look about me. I got round all the laps and up the hills and finished in under 26 minutes; when I say ‘under’ I mean in much the same way as £3.99 is under £4.00.
Still, the year is young, and perhaps next time, with some suitable cultural inspiration pep-talk, I can get that down a bit more.
Download file for GPS