On 7th January 2023 Stockley Country parkrun joined the event roster and being inside the M25 meant I’d become unLonDone. Keen to restore my ‘status’ plans were made to attend on 14th January and even with a continuation of the terrible weather leading up to the Saturday, the plan was stuck to #massivemistake
This parkrun is just inside the M25 to the west of London. The MP for Hayes and Hillingdon is John McDonnell of the Labour party however this is no inner city constituency. With its leafy streets and signage for the golf club you could be forgiven for thinking you were Buckinghamshire. With the opening of the Elizabeth Line, providing easy speedy access to central London, and evidence of new attractive housing stock, there was the smell of prosperity in the air. Alas the air also contained rain, lots of rain. And as we walked to the start my heart sank seeing how days of rain had converted the park into a veritable mud pie.
Fortunately, I was with Shveta and friends, this the only saving grace, I don’t dislike running in mud, I loathe it.
The course commenced with a lap of an alleged football field but you wouldn’t know due to the amount of slosh everywhere. Then two laps of taking in other parts of the park. There was a wonderful ‘A’ framed bridge which the course incorporated before taking a right into a more trail-covered section but honestly, all I was doing was concentrating on not falling over. Multiple laps just made the course more precarious and I nearly fell on several occasions. The volunteers were cheery and there were many around me who clearly LOVE these conditions running with gusto through puddles that I was doing my best to avoid. All I could do was grunt, grit my teeth and finally after 22min 23secs it was over. I collected my bag hunched over and chuddered to myself whilst waiting for Shveta and friends to arrive.
Once everyone had finished brunch was agreed upon at a greasy spoon near the station which had plastic chairs and complimentary Sun papers for each table. This place served up the best baked potato, bacon, salad and cheese for me 🙂 My friends Gemma and Chris-Dee had also reclaimed their LonDone status and even posed for a picture wearing the paper crowns I’d brought for the occasion. And just like that everything was right in the world again 🙂
Next week Kingston parkrun
Learn something new every time.