'All this is marshalling is all very well, but what about the running?’ That is the question on the lips of every reader of this blog. And I must say that things have not gone entirely to plan. On New Year’s Day, hubristically, I climbed on a wall to address the crowds at the Seaford Striders New Year’s Day run on the seafront. Briefing delivered, when trying to climb down, I fell, and, I found some weeks subsequently, broke my arm, a fracture of the radial neck.
This held things up somewhat. Though I returned to running twelve days later, I have felt unsafe ever since, and in the early weeks running seemed to jar the joint, and caused a little discomfort. I failed to attend my planned long race for the first quarter of the year, the Eastbourne half, and also could not take part in the three remaining cross-country races of the season - I had also fallen, but less drastically, in the October race at Snape Wood. I have not covered long distances, and the short ones I have have been at slow speeds.
And yet, and yet….I have been increasing the miles, I had the great pleasure of completing my 100th parkrun at the new Seaford Beach parkrun, in fine company, and my 50th Twitter run. On Sunday last I ran eight miles around Seaford, the furthest distance I’ve covered for a while. I’m going to go to a Pilates class. I am, therefore cautiously optimistic about the events to come, the Mid-Sussex Marathon weekend on the three days of the May Day bank holiday weekend, the Seaford Half Marathon the following weekend and, the biggest test of the year, a return to the Bewl 15 mile in July.
