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RE: Diary of a middle aged runner
Race 2
January 7th
Ludlow park run
Welcome to the park run phenomena Bierzo Baggie!
First heard about it here on the RC forum. Discovered this one in the Mortimer Forest near Ludlow. Offroad, undulating, pleasant atmosphere and friendly people. It was all very low key. An eclectic group of about 60 ladies and gentlemen, kids and dogs had gathered below the pine trees. There was also the odd serious athlete looking a bit sheepish as if they had gate-crashed somebody’s party but this time they were the odd ones out..
Set off and soon discovered that in a park run I was in the top third of the field. In fact I was probably about 10th. If so, 9th was a 10-year old boy and some way behind me in 11th was, yet again, a guy in his 70s. As the race progressed I realized that history was going to repeat itself. I reeled in the 10-year old but granddad was getting closer with every stride and soon he was trotting, no, gliding along at my side. Pulled away on a downhill section but as the trail rose again over the final 500m he flew past me with embarrassing ease. I had no answer. There was no answer. For the second time in a week I had been outsprinted by an over-70.
This time I was determined to talk to the guy. And his name was indeed Guy. And he was a very nice Guy. Stop it.
In fact Guy was a Croft Ambrey runner just like GG (see previous entry). A well-spoken chap, he seemed to think a lot about what he was doing, how exactly he was running, etc..etc.. I listened and tried to learn something. In my 70s I want to be like Guy and Gary. Maybe it’s time to refocus my running.
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Diary of a middle aged runner
