Just before I set off, something told me that I should take my mobile phone with me today. I have only ever taken my mobile with me on a run once before and that was on Wednesday earlier this week. On both occasions it was due to the snow and ice and was just in case I had a nasty fall. However, today it came in handy for a very different reason.
I had met up with my brother Andy for what is now becoming our regular Friday freedom parkrun. We had done a warm up lap, done a bit of stretching and set off at a steady pace aiming for sub 25 minutes. We didn't want to push it with the icy ground conditions and with parkrun tomorrow morning.
About 3 minutes into the freedom run itself my phone started to ring. I've never talked on the phone whilst running before. This was a strange experience in itself. It was my wife, Charlotte. She had taken the wrong set of keys out with her to collect our daughter from pre-school and now she couldn't get into the house. Could I go and let them in as I had the key she needed. I had to of course. Luckily I was at the very closest point on the parkrun course to our house. I split my lap time on my watch and set off as fast as I could for home. I told Andy I would aim to meet him in the same spot on his second lap.
I sped home at top speed, trying not to slip or fall on the black ice. At home I quickly opened the door for Charlotte and our daughter, said a very quick hello and goodbye and was then back on my way to the park. When I reached the park I realised that I had done the round trip to home and back in about 7 minutes. It would normally take me 5 minutes each way at warm-up and warm-down pace, so I hadn't hung around.
I ran backwards around the course and finally met up with Andy at the end of the first straight on his second lap. When we reached the point I had left hm on the previous lap I restarted my watch. It had basically been about an 11 minute sprint in the middle of my freedom run. There were a couple more interruptions as I stopped to take photos of the snow covered park. I couldn't resist!
I completed Andy's second lap and my first in 11:57. I decided to carry on and complete my freedom run as Andy headed back to work. I didn't like the thought of not registering a run. I picked up the pace a little on the second lap for a 10:36 and an overall time of 22:33, yet again well inside our target.
The parkrun course was particularly icy in places today. There were large stretches completely free from snow and ice, but there were a few tricky sections where everyone will need to be extremely careful in the morning. Certainly worse than at parkrun last week when the snow was fresh.
I have a feeling that I am going to be hard pushed to make parkrun in the morning. Charlotte has to go out early in the morning and will be cutting it very fine to get back in time for me to make the start. But, I am so committed to the cause, that I have even said that if she makes it back by 9:10, I'll probably sprint up there and run anyway. I'll probably challenge myself to catch up with at least one person if that's what happens. Either way I'm sure I'll enjoy trying. Fingers crossed I somehow make it up there in time for the start.
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