Park to Fell.

   I went to the Northallerton parkrun 5k today firstly to gather some intelligence on the time difference compared to the parkrun at Ripon and secondly to try something different. Blue skies, sunshine and a bit of a breeze made it just about perfect weather wise. Race wise I gave it absolutely everything and probably too much on the first of the three laps and completed the course in 17 minutes 27 seconds. I don't really know how much use my finishing time will be for future reference as I think the course is more personalised due to it being more akin to a cross country race. Factors such as it being off road, there being a lot of ninety degree corners that cause the need to slow down and then accelerate back upto speed and probably age, as in coping with all the slowing and accelerating were a young gun would probably hardly notice them. It might only be just a parkrun but that has got to be the toughest race I have done so far this year from a cardiovascular point of view. So by my own reckoning  I would say the Northallerton course is around 45 seconds slower compared to that of Ripon but in all reality they are not comparable as they are two completely different races. Ex Thirsk and Sowerby Harrier Steve Middleton did a grand jod being race director and so was the support from the marshals around the course. Steve said he had a couple of club vests that I could of had off him but he was thinking of rejoining Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers so he might be needing them. Anyway it was as another great day in the running world and tomorrow should be another as I'm off to recce the Levisham Limping fell race route up on the North York Moors. I will be taking it really easy this time round but come September  I will do a second recce mission and operate almost at race speed. It's been some time since I last did a fell race and I'm totally looking forward to it on all fronts and even more so seeing as I haven't done this one before.
   Oh ! To be honest Steve didn't say he was thinking of rejoining Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers, I just like to mess with local rivals Richmond Zetland Harriers who he joined.