I did the usual (for me anyway) on New Year’s Eve, ate all the chocolate left in the house, drank far too much alcohol – partly in celebration, partly to clear the house of rubbish ahead of 2017. So, what better way to start 2017 than to complete a double parkrun at two new tourist events? After all, I had some calories to burn after the amount I ate and drank in the final hours of 2016!
I set the alarm for 7am on New Year’s Day and with a slightly fuzzy head got in my winter running gear. Thankfully, a friend was driving so my prosecco was only a consideration for me and not other road users. We drove an hour away to the lovely Clumber Park (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/clumber-park) and in the pouring rain made it to the start of our first parkrun of 2017! I am still not long back from injury, so still taking my runs steady but wow it was so much harder after my Christmas/New Year indulgences! But whatever the time, parkrun number 1 of the year was complete. Clumber Park parkrun is a beautiful setting for a 5k, partly through forest and well supported by many friendly runners.
We than ran back to the car, to drive 30 minutes away to nearby Poolsbrook parkrun (http://www.parkrun.org.uk/poolsbrook/) – and we were definitely not alone in doing the double on what was most definitely the wettest day we’ve had for a while. And as an extra treat, the founder of parkrun, Paul Sinton-Hewitt was joining us on this wet and cold morning! Poolsbrook is a 3 (and a bit!) lap route around a pretty Country Park in Chesterfield and was flat – just what I needed to force myself round the second 5k of the day (and year!).
Back to the car, where we got changed into the spare clothes that we thankfully took with us and headed to find the nearest (open) coffee shop.
And the final bonus, I had completed my 21st different tourist parkrun and 60th in total – now how do I get the secret cow buff?!
With all signs of a hangover gone and a 10k in the bag (only 990 left to go in the 1,000 challenge!), I most definitely had started the new year in the best way possible! Well done to everyone else who got themselves out in the challenging conditions thrown at us. And once again, Happy New Year!