10 Runs that Made Me #3 Basingstoke parkrun 15/08/09

Having done one event, I was looking around for another, but didn't know where to look. There wasn't another suitable (i.e. short) 2:09 event coming up, but searching for 5k events I stumbled across Basingstoke parkrun. At the time there were only 15 parkruns in existence - that's in the world. So no Frimley or Reading which could have been a bike ride to. I had to wait until school holidays until I had a car available to go. 

It was a fine morning. I had registered, set off and arrived early so people were just setting up when I arrived. I helped stake out the finish funnel, listened to the briefing and then we headed off to the start. It's a two lap course, largely tarmac paths on the wooded perimeter of the park, gently undulating with a short section on grass. The gentle rise behind the tennis courts seemed like an interminable hill and I felt like I struggled round finally getting to the twisty path through the woods and the finish straight to be passed by one Richard Hammer on the run in. 

At the finish I was given a little metal token with a number stamped on it, then went over to Euan Bowman, who had a laptop open to tell him my name and hand in my finish token. No barcodes. After the run I helped tidy away the kit and got credited with being a volunteer. Finish position 59 in 26:29. 

I looked at the results. I ran 6 times at Basingstoke over the summer but only finished 4 of them, twice pulling out after a lap because I was just too tired! What the hell was I thinking!? I think I pushed too hard at the start, blew up and couldn't face going round in a time way off my PB. It didn't occur to me to slow down and just enjoy the run, tick off another run on the way to a 50 shirt or even just pace the run differently and finish stronger. Come the end of the summer and on Saturdays the kids were back doing swimming lessons in the morning and I couldn't get to Basingstoke for a run. In fact after that summer I just about gave up running altogether until the following June. 

Looking at who else was running at my first parkrun, there was Richard Hammer, a Chineham Park runner, who for a long time was my nemesis - I was always about the same pace and trying to beat him in parkruns and local races. I think he had a lot of knee injuries around 2012 and he's a bit slower now, but a proper parkrun tourist. Fetchies Corona and Excitabubble (Colin and Elaine Brassington) were there, and Sandhurst Joggers club mates Lisa, Trish and James were way up the results table. I still thought you had to be an elite runner to join an running club. 

How times change - now I think nothing of just going out and enjoying a run for the sake of it. And running clubs? - they let anyone in these days. 

Richard Boese
Sandhurst Joggers - Chairman