Unfortunately I caught a cold over Christmas.  I was not sure if I should run at all let alone run hard but we all know what runners are like.

25 December 2016

I had to go to Barnsley anyway on Christmas Day so decided to give it a go.  108 runners took part and I started near the front, my typical parkrun strategy is to start perhaps 10 or 15 people back and within about half a mile be in around my finish position, so that’s what I did.

Barnsley is a good course, all on paths with some hills (probably the hilliest parkrun I have done but I had not done many different ones).

My breathing was not great and my time was a little disappointing 19:09 in 3rd place.  But I was not feeling great.  I have run Barnsley parkrun 3 times (it was my 1st parkrun) and this particular run was my highest age grade of the 3 so that’s something.

Splits were 6:34, 6:48 and 6:40.

New Years Day – 1 January 2017

For the last 2 years we have done the Cleethorpes 10k but this year we thought we would stay a little closer to Doncaster and do the parkrun double.  James Osborne suggested Clumber Park 9am and Poolesbrook at 10:30.  They are 30 minutes drive apart.

So it was a chilly, wind and wet morning (it got wetter and windier as the morning progressed).  Several Doncaster AC runners met at Clumber Park and some went on to do the double parkrun.

I had not done Clumber or Poolesbrook before so just ran in road shoes (racing shoes) which was fine.

Clumber was a mix of road, trail and gravel.  With some gentle hills in woodland, 2 laps (usually run clockwise but the reverse today).

Poolesbrook was a good firm track and very flat.  3 laps around a lake and a bit extra to get the 5km in.

I am not over the cold and am still coughing, but I don’t think these runs caused me any problems.

Clumber Park was my 50th parkrun, its taken me 3 years to get to 50 and I am pleased to have done so.

Special mention to Jordan Street (Clowne RRC) – very encouraging guy, always gets me going when I am fading in races including both parkruns today.