Race 42 Saltwell Harriers 10K

Vests in December!

Yes, I too ran in just shorts and vest on the 19th December for it was a warm day at Saltwell Park, Gateshead for the Saltwell Harriers 10K.

Is it another sign of age when I feel , yet again, the urge to share memories of places revisited? Whatever, for here are a couple:

First, lets go back nearly sixty years to when I really was young and as most other kiddies did,used to attend my church Sunday School. Every year we had a Sunday School Treat ( no, I will not bother to define) and for the year in question a fleet of double deckers was hired to transport us from Bishopwearmouth Church, Sunderland to ( did you guess?) Saltwell Park. Enough on that memory.

Second, I last ran in Saltwell Park some years ago in the days of the Gateshead Lunch Time Handicap Races. The race which actually came to mind as I struggled round this course described as 'undulating' wasn't even at Saltwell Park, but on the original course from Gateshead Stadium which used to drop down to the River Tyne before returning to finish on the running track in the stadium.

On the day I have in mind I was running off a 7.5 minute handicap for the 5K race and started well done the field. Well I was pretty fit then ( in my forties) and enjoying an injury free hiatus to my running career and did I go for it! Tearing off from the start, I was quickly moving through the field and by the time the course had dropped down to the riverside I could see a long line of runners ahead. Now, a magical memory, for I felt that I was flying as I hauled them in, passing each runner as if they were standing still. As I hit the climb to take the field up to the stadium the field had thinned out. At the top of the climb I asked a marshal, "how many ahead?" " Two", he replied. One I caught on the approach to the stadium, the second and last, on the track, to win the event.

And, the point of that tale? Well, simply that running should be enjoyable, infact if you are running well, free of injury and on form you should be able to feel that 'you are flying'. On that memorable day I was, on Saturday I 'got around' and was happy that I was able to. It was hard, I had a painful calf, out of form, etc, etc, but I got around and was more than happy to do so.

At the end there was the relief of  finishing without causing further damage to my calf, immediately followed by the question, could I double up tomorrow morning at Gibside. You will have to read my next blog to answer that question.

Statistics.
Finished 190th out of 415 in 49.36 ( my slowest ever 10K)
5th V65.