How 'resting' opened my eyes

Thin Coloured Line: Runners putting their best foot forward on a 

parkrun - observed by a few feathered onlookers!

THINGS work in mysterious ways.

Although this blog’s called Can Run Will Run, when I originally drafted this post I was not active because of injury. A touch frustrating, given the blog's title. Yet the ‘resting’ opened new perspectives on the amazing world of running.

It became even more interesting and exciting!

First, I volunteered at my local parkrun, and continue to do so.

parkrun is a weekly event across the UK (and other countries) where people of all ages, shapes, sizes and skill levels gather at 9.0am on a Saturday morning to run a 5-kilometer course.

I'd intended marshalling at some point, but completed more - and sooner - than I might otherwise have done. This even included volunteering on Christmas Day and Boxing Day! What festive delight!

So far I’ve been Marshal, Tail Runner, Funnel Manager, Number Checker and Finish Tokens Support.

These roles have meant:

Waiting to run: From the
Tail Runner's point of view

 Marshal - standing at points around the 5K course to cheer runners on, help them to follow the route and make sure they’re ok.

Tail Runner – following the last runner around the course, to both give support and to let themarshals know when everyone has completed the run.

Funnel Manager – helping at the end, when runners cross the finishing line and move down the cordoned-off ‘funnel’ to have their time recorded.

Number checker - recording any discrepencies that may arise between the timer and the numbers given out.

Finish Token Support - the Finish Token person hands out tokens to all finishers in the correct sequence. The role can be assisted by Finish Token Support. As the parkrun website explains: 'This role calls for nimble fingers and grace under pressure.' Not so easy on a cold morning with fingers like icicles!

There are several other roles as well.

Everyone has their assigned task, yet all work together to ensure the event runs smoothly. The parkrun team are extremely helpful and supportive. It’s a great atmosphere.

Standard bearers: Members of the Massey 
Ferguson Runners Club at Coventry parkrun.

parkrun, which celebrated its 10^th anniversary in 2004, is one of the most positive community events going. You can keep fit at your own pace in a friendly and encouraging environment. But if you want to compete – with yourself, if nobody else – you can do that as well.

If you want to find out more, and how you can be involved in your own event, see the parkrun website at http://www.parkrun.org.uk/

My second new experience was booking in to see a physio.

This is something I never dreamed I’d be doing.

Yet it highlighted the wonderful complexity of the body, and the amazing process of running, where numerous factors –  fitness, breathing  stride length, posture etc – all come together, hopefully, in fine balance to achieve the desired result.

My 'encounters' meant enduring some prodding, poking, pommelling, twisting, turning, stretching, balancing etc, not to mention the rigorous exercise regime between sessions.

But the prospect of my body, and crucially, my running form, being in better shape than it was before (though, admittedly, this wouldn’t take much!!) made the effort and any ‘discomfort’ well worth it.

Warm up: Runners stretch and chat before the parkrun.

The visits brought home some messages:

• You have to take things more carefully (slowly!) than you might realise. In the longer term, that’s more satisfying – and less painful!

• As a relative newbie, I think I’ve possibly been one of those ‘too much too soon’ runners. Or perhaps my form has not been good. Or maybe it's a mix of both.  You have to 'listen to your body' and understand your limits. But you don’t necessarily know what your limits are until you reach them. At least, I didn’t!  You don’t feel too bad at all – until that little devilish pain decides to strike when you least expect it. And then, of course, it can be too late. The damage is done.
• With the help of my physio, I undertook the slow and steady - and more sensible? - road back to running. It's certainly made me more appreciative of what's involved.

• I’ve developed even greater respect for runners generally, and those who take part in parkrun in particular. And this is not to forget the organisers and volunteers, many of them runners themselves, who make it all happen.

Now I'm back on track and aiming to improve my PB - though this time, hopefully, with a little more wisdom and restraint!

Overcast fun: Even a wet, grey morning
 fails to dampen the spirits of parkrunners.