Event 6 – Blood, Sweat and Beers as we return to where it all began…
Chris Heggs
42 of Totley’s very finest foolishly decided that running around a park at 9am in temperatures exceeding 20 degrees seemed like the sensible thing to do – they were wrong.
5 months previously, the Totley Parkrun Challenge was born, with the inaugural run taking place in Millhouses Park. The puddles on the course that day were due to a downpour the previous evening. This time around, they were formed wherever anyone stood still for more than a few seconds to wring out their running attire.
As has become the pre – challenge ritual, several members decided that the best way to hydrate the evening before was to consume cans of alcoholic beverages.
This time, they enhanced their preparation by sitting in a hot tub barely big enough for the group of men who somehow squeezed in.
I think we can say that the experiment proved unsuccessful, with Matt Ridge a no show (boo!) and Scott Blanks being absolutely destroyed, following a whopping 1.27% humiliation by Mark Goodison (who rumour has it was immersed in an ice bath shortly before taking to the start line).
Some may have questioned just how random the pairings draw is as yours truly completed the proceedings and fortuitously (or perhaps not) managed to receive a bye in the men’s section.
In theory, this meant that I could afford a very gentle jog through the almost tropical surroundings. But that is not in the spirit of the challenge, and so, to show my utter commitment and respect for the event, I somehow managed to throw myself to the ground on the home straight of the second lap, whilst chasing no one.
Blood pouring from several minor cuts on my hand, and my pride well and truly dented, I bravely completed the third lap before receiving superb medical assistance (and several plasters for my poorlys) from the race director and the volunteer team.
The overall leader board after 6 events shows 3 ladies ahead of the pack (Caz Kay, Kylie McAteer and Yvonne Twelvetree) with the top 3 men (Matt Burden, Richard Watts and Ian Bates) holding a slender lead in their respective league.
For the seventh challenge, we return to Graves Park on the 21st of October, I hope to see you there.