Milton Keynes
Park Run
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One of the reasons why I like parkrun is that the
runners all seem to be friendly with one another and nobody is so competitive
that they are just focussing on their run and nothing else. Participants
(runners and volunteers) are also genuine and caring bunch. There are quite a
number of parkruns in the UK but distance-wise for me, Milton Keynes is
currently the nearest.
Milton Keynes parkrun has runners participating from several local counties and
there has always been one or two youngsters who run / jog / walk the course. I
have had quite a few good conversations with them along the course about their
interests in PE at school and the other sporting activities that they do. If
they complete 10 parkruns they receive a special t-shirt whilst the adults have
to participate in 50 to receive theirs. For the last month or so, I have been
running with Annie and she has really improved in her times.
The 5k course is a trail course which leads to the back of the Peace Pagoda,
climbing the 'zig zags' (anyone caught using the stairs gets a 'ticking off')
and then around the lake itself. Not exactly a park but it is nice enough
especially when the weather is good and the swans are in a friendly mood.
Today was nice, bright and fairly warm (well it was actually an oven in the
banana costume - could do with some air vents). It was also quite eventful, not
a lot happened in the actual run but I got a little side-tracked with thoughts
about text messages on my mobile. I received a one just before the run and had
to delete it as I had reached my quota. But whilst running the 5K I was thinking
that I had quite a considerable amount stored and that these could easily be
transfered into a book; fiction but based on true life, after all text messages
could in theory be classed as non-fiction. I am sure that a lot of it would be
interesting read to some (now wondering if Stu read them when I left my mobile
at his the other day?!) but quite time consuming for me to type out every single
word or text speak, adding the smilies and other details of 'particular
importance'. Obviously I would throw out the text messages which were along the
lines of "Kat can you get me a Coke, I'm just going for a wee" but others would
certainly give 'food for thought'. Books are formed with a beginning, middle and
end and so could the texts.
Whilst passing the 'little Stone Henge' at Willen Lake I then thought that
instead of writing out the messages, it would be so much easier to pass my
mobile on to someone who wishes to have a 'read' when making a long journey or
whilst relaxing on a beach or by a pool. Books, in the wider scale of things
could eventually become redundant. The text messages may inspire the reader, may
give them the motivation and confidence to do something that they should have
done a long time ago or to realise that things just are not always what they
seem.
By the time I had finished my thoughts I was up at the finish line, with the
marshals and finishers cheering. So the moral of todays running is this ....
"sometimes remaining focussed on running and getting the PB that you always want
can at times be too much pressure, but every now and again it is good to let the
pressure off and 'run in thought".
Alternatively another moral could be...
"be careful what you send by text if you do not wish it to be made public
especially if (mentioning no names!) you really would like a full fat coke
waiting for you whilst you use the bathroom." :-D
Katarina