Feeling hot, hot, hot!

Saturday started with good intentions! The forecast was for a damp start to the bank holiday which I wasn't chuffed with as I was to be stood on the Prom (as opposed to running on it) as I was Run Director. Thankfully the weather forecast was as wrong as it had been the day before, so the blue skies and bright sunshine was a treat! The weather plays such a big part in the attendance at Hove Prom parkrun as when the elements hit, there's no in-between! It's all or nothing! Thus an attendance of 355 was rather good! I do love being "RD". Much like the other week at junior parkrun, it's a power thing! Not the "power" of telling people what to do - which to me isn't power at all, that's just being bossy (and not that that is welcome at parkrun anyway!) - it's a power to be different, to make a difference to someone's morning (and who knows, maybe it makes their weekend??) Be it welcoming first timers and tourists to the event, chatting with nervous runners, catching up with old friends or just being able for a few minutes to help someone feel good about themselves, it's a lovely position to be in! I do try also, to engage with members of the public so that their view of parkrun is a positive one. A simple "good morning" can make a difference!

I think, though I got carried away with everything on Saturday as for one reason or another, it was close to 1pm when I left and you don't need to be clever (as I wasn't) to realise that hot sun + bald head - no suncream = a formula for headaches! With the forecast predicting thunderstorms at 5pm, then 6pm, then later, my plan was to head out at this time. Since the forecast was wrong again, I spent most of the time on my backside though I did have time to write the run report - which if you've not had enough of my ramblings, you can read here - I do recommend it of course, particularly the last couple of paragraphs.

Whilst sat on my brains, I was keeping in touch via social media with goings on at the London - Brighton ultra race. If I was suffering in the heat, gawd knows how those guys were getting on! One of my chums on Instagram, Molly, was taking part and there were regular updates from the field! Molly is aiming to run every day to raise funds for the GB Wheelchair Rugby Team to get to Tokyo 2020 and I'd already got in touch about saying hello at her recovery run that would take place on the Sunday. It was getting dark when she became an official ultra runner, but not withstanding, at 7:15am there was a text that was my half hour warning! Plans were hastily made to meet up with us running from opposite directions. Molly's biggest cheerleader, "Mam" - that's "mother" to any southerners who don't understand - was coming too so it was a great chance to show off the city! With temperatures already rising, I set off hoping for a nice 5km run (and also hoping to see them soon as I was adopting my usual run demeanour - horribly hot and sweaty!). The plan was to intercept before the pier....yet I found myself at the pier having only encountered a few revellers still out from the night before and the occasional runner! What to do? I came to the conclusion that I must have somehow missed them (or were they starting from the other (i.e. West) Pier? I headed back with a cooler breeze in my face (much needed) and decided to wait by the Peace Statue as if they were coming back, they had to pass this point! Barely a couple of minutes later, there they were...coming from the direction I'd just come from myself! Regardless, it was great to meet the two of them, and Molly looked like someone who'd ran for a bus, not ran an ultra! We squeezed in about 2-3km chatting about all things running and Instagram etc and before too long I turned and left them to head off for a much deserved breakfast! Molly (and Mam) have unfinished business with Brighton Marathon - it'll be great to welcome them back!

Monday was another hot one and once again there was thunder and rain in the forecast...hmmm, let's see! So with temperatures rising, I opted for the gym - surely no one else would be there? Wrong! A busy morning in the gym saw me opt for 20km on the bike followed by 2km on the rower. Rowing is a thrilling work out; exciting, exhilarating, and fun - that's a sentence that NO-ONE has ever said! The aim was to head out later on for a gentle run when the rain arrived...well guess what? Aside from a shower at 2pm, the rain never arrived!

The aim for Tuesday was to get a couple of runs in. The forecast was for cooler conditions and some rain....don't get me started on the forecast. Strangely, neither run happened and let's just say it was a pretty groggy day all round.

Wednesday I was determined to get out. The weather forecast was still as trustworthy as a Southern Rail timetable meaning a warm lunchtime 5km with Sal. You could feel the warmth bouncing off the concrete as we trotted along. Of course later than evening, it was time for my GoodGym visit. It seemed that everyone was out and about that evening and there were some familiar faces including Daz and Pip out getting some miles in. On the way back I got a funny comment from some lads as I went down the Prom. Years ago it would have put me off going out running for ages! I think he shouted something like "those that are last, take it up the arse!" Well for a start, there's no "r" in last you cheeky gobsh*te, and my retort was going to be something along the lines of "Who told you that, your mother? Well, she'd know!" Before the words passed my lips, I had a twinge of guilt. No need to bad mouth someone who wasn't there (and had to suffer this fool). I carried on leaving him looking good in front of his mates! Fletch and I had had a good natter and no idiot was spoiling my night!

Thursday looked promising as I opened the front door to a deluge of rain! Perfect running weather for me! (I always manage to perfect the art of looking like someone who's been running in the rain, without a drop ever having fallen - which is exactly how I looked later on in the day!) The only tiny snag was that I had to get to work. Still! The forecast was for 99% certainty of rain all day! Suddenly, a Southern Rail timetable didn't quite look the piece of fiction it seemed earlier in the week. Suffice to say that there was no rain during the 99% times and with work building up, I skipped the lunch run and went out after work.

The plan was to head to Rottingdean, come back along the cliff tops to Asda, drop back down and return to the office! Nice little route I thought! I'd already decided that with a day of office politics and banter behind me, the pace would be whatever my legs decided, so off I toddled* at about 9 mins a mile. (*for those of you that know me, the thought of me toddling will either make you laugh til you cry, or be violently ill). The pace was easy as it was like a recovery run from the working day. And then, I got a stitch! A real sharp one! Unusually though it was higher up, almost behind my right pectoral - I was immediately pleased that it wasn't on the left as that would have been near the heart and if anything was bad, I was doomed! Me, toddling, 3/4 mile in on a humid night...no one would go near me! I wrestled with the conscience about turning back and decided to do the classic, "I'll see how it goes". I remember setting the 5km turning point as a check point and then, me being me, promptly forgot all about it and headed up the slope at Rottingdean.

My word, that zaps the legs that ramp, and I was glad to work my way through the pub car park, busy with lucky gits...I mean cliental enjoying a cheeky beer. Hitting the top of the hill, there was a shout from one of the queuing cars, and there was Ash giving me a big thumbs up! Finally a bit of downhill to enjoy, but I knew that going on the cliff tops would be undulating (there's that word again!) and the run was just to recover from the working day. Pleasingly, the run was almost five miles exactly, give or take 0.2 of a mile and I then had the pleasant task of wringing out my shirt - not pleasant but purely included for dramatic effect as I sense you're snoozing a bit now!

With Worthing 10km to come on Sunday, Friday will no doubt be a rest day. Thursday though did finish on a real high for me, as I was asked by my friend Alice, to speak at BelongCon in July. I've attended a few of these and the calibre of speaker is astounding! I have a lot to live up to! I'll be talking about the sense of community that parkrun brings and how it is different for each and every one of us! I may even refer to this blog, just let me edit out the swearing first!

And so to Worthing! But that's another story!