May 2022 took me on one of my biggest challenges yet. Five of us from SRC (6 months previously) had signed up to run from London to Paris over five days. Yes, the actual route from London to Paris. Training began, each month we ran four or five consecutive days and up’d our distance each time.
2022 was not meant to be a ‘running year’ for me. I ran a lot through lockdown and loved it but, as things returned to normality, I no longer wanted to plan my weekends around running. Instead I wanted to focus on regaining some of the strength that a long-term shoulder injury had decimated. While I was still doing weekly sprint sessions and gentle runs I had no desire to push further.
I took part in the 6th 7th and 8th Salisbury 10s in the late 80s and sadly events that took place before the internet are long forgotten. The route was similar to the event these past 25 years, except the start and finish was at Victoria Park.
When I first came to Salisbury in 1985 I was surprised there was no running track in the city! I managed to win in 1985 but I remember it being a small field of 300 not like the near thousand now.
Interesting to note… despite better kit and training support, winning times are not much different today. I have attached the journal write up from 1987.
Something I hear a lot these days from friends and family. “I still can’t believe you actually run”.
Through most of my life I have loathed participating in sport. I think the problem is that I am so uncompetitive, and this is never a good trait if you want to be good at a it.