Heaton Park parkrun

Heaton Park is my parkrun home, it's where parkrun all started for me. Luckily as somewhere I've been visiting for the last 37 years, it's also one of my favourite places to be.

The course at Heaton Park is challenging, it features multiple types of terrain and different gradients.

parkrunners flood across the park from the many entrances, the average attendance in decent weather is now over 400. It can be pretty busy as it gets towards 9am.

The gathering place is in front of the Lions at the front of Heaton Hall, Rick, Duncan, Bernie and Damien are the core event team who make sure it goes ahead. Barbara does a brief for any HP First timers at about 08:45 and then one of the core team does the Pre run brief.

From the collection point, we move 50 meters up towards the orangery, and with a GO! we're off. (1)

The course is approximately 87% on Tarmac (@parkrun_danny likes these kind of stats) and The first 90 degree corner (2) can be difficult with the number of runners jostling for position. Everyone then swings around the back of the hall and onto the long downhill stretch. We go past the stables on our right, (3) then the paddocks on the same side and after reaching the bottom of the hill (4), a slight uphill brings us the 1k marker.

After a wave to the Marshall stationed at this point (5), a sharp left gives us the beautiful view out across the lake to our right and we pass the cafe to our left (Where the run used to start and finish) as we head up the slight incline and cross the tram tracks, you can see those runners ahead who are climbing the bottom of Angina Hill for the first time. The road continues to wiggle left and right, past the gate from the back of the lake (6), trees and grass to the bottom of the aforementioned hill.

Many parkruns have hills, some are small, some large, some grassy, others disguise themselves, Angina Hill at Heaton Park is out on its own. It's not massively long, it's not massively steep, but it's a challenge every single time you face it and you face it one and a third times every time you tackle Heaton Park parkrun.

There's usually a big puddle at the bottom of Angina Hill (7) just as you come up to turn left onto it, so most runners take a slightly wider turn, but as you come around the bend, you know it's a hill, then as you get past the trees at the bottom of the hill the incline makes itself known. But it's not too bad, this time we're only running about a third of it. Another wave to another marshall, and we're turning left (8) down the hill and then back up the incline through the copse. Halfway through here there's a crossroads (9) with the 2k marker and usually someone with a stopwatch shouting out times and encouragement to runners.

Uphill out of the copse and then a steep downhill back to point 4 again, that slight incline again and back up to 5 but this time, instead of turning left, we bear right and commence our tour of the least well paved part of the route. there's Tarmac here on the route out to the furthest part of the course, but it's a little broken. There's usually a Marshall at the furthest point (10) cheering people on, but we turn left, leaving the Tarmac, and heading 'off road' onto a dirt track, this heads towards the lake and the 3k marker. (11)

At this point, you might not be aware, but you're rounding the lake, some runners head up and over the car park, but that's only because they obviously know something you don't. Unless it's been very, very sunny, there are going to be large puddles around the back of the lake, and you can either edge around the sides, or save some time and go straight through the middle.

Following the puddles, a leisurely jog under a canopy of trees is only tempered by the thought of the upcoming scaling of the entirety of Angina Hill,

When you reach the gate at point 6 again, you turn right and head past the puddle at 7 to the bottom of Angina Hill. I've seen many fit people end up walking on Angina Hill, New runners at Heaton find it to be one of the last parts they master, but the feeling when you've run all of the way up it is uplifting. The 4k marker is about 3/4 of the way up and there's usually a Marshall at the top (12) who is encouraging you for the last 900 metres.

The next section is a mixture of pleasure and pain. Pain because of the hill you've just suffered up, and the incline in front of you and pleasure because you're on the final stretch.

The next section (13) affords beautiful views over the Heaton Park Golf Course and Manchester as you round a few corners and crest the final hill (14) by the highest point of Manchester for a sprint to the finish in front of the lions. (15)

From here you join the queue to be scanned and take in the fantastic view out over Manchester.

Having done this course many times, I love the variety of the route. Hopefully we'll see some of you soon.

 

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Half Centurion - 50 T Shirt

I completed my 50th parkrun on the 16th of March at my home parkrun of Heaton Park. I enjoyed the run on the day that Adidas brought their Boost technology to show us.

My shirt was sent out a couple of weeks ago but I was at South Manchester last week when it was due to be presented, so I had to wait for this week.

So this morning, during the race briefing Duncan shouted my name and Bernie presented me my now prized shirt.

Photo Courtesy of Dunc

So now the (parkrun) world can see my commitment. My biggest challenge is making sure that it's ready each week to be worn. Graham has been baiting me with his for a couple of months now, so for the time being I'm Level(ish) although I'm 11 runs behind.

To round off the post, here's a photo of Graham and I in our 50 T's

And Finally, myself with Dunc and Martin. They're tackling the Manchester Marathon next week, and I can't wait to hear their stories when they've completed it.

 

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Back on the Horse

Well, yesterday was my first first decent run since I hurt my back and it was parkrun which drew me in again.

Last Monday, I went out for a quick 2K to see if my back could handle it. Two days later all was good, so I decided to go to South Manchester which is Hill free, so it would be a decent run in controlled conditions to allow me to ease back in.

 

As of today, it's 4 weeks until the Half Marathon at Chester, so I have my work cut out, but if I keep increasing my distance, I should be fine, then 2 weeks later it's the Manchester 10K

 

The Races are going to come thick and fast soon, and I have to make sure I'm ready.

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South Manchester parkrun (Platt Fields)

Over the last few months, our parkrunning team have been bending to my wishes quite often, from visits to the Uphill Capital of the North West (it seems to be 99% uphill) to an early morning dart across to Princes parkrun in Liverpool.

With Team Armstrong currently split between various home parkruns, a chance was taken this morning to bring as many members of the team together in one place, and South Manchester was the consensus.

I'd first run at South Manchester in May last year, and recorded a time which, then, was about 30 seconds faster than my Heaton Park PB. The reason for this is that South Manchester is flat, very flat, i saw a maximum elevation of 4m from the start.

Speaking of which, if you're sitting comfortably, I'll begin.

I love the start, it reminds me of the old start at Heaton Park by the lake. The runners are shuffled up to the start (1), and before long are let loose.

We wind our way around the lake on tarmac, then as we turn left (2) we head onto dirt track and around the edge of the park. Straight through the T junction (3) and follow around the track, through the 1K marker, the puddles and carry on until you go past the car park by the start (4) by this point you're back on tarmac and (If you're running at the back, like I was today) you start to see the leaders coming back.

It's a long curved stretch passing runners going in all kinds of directions as you head out to the end by Wilmslow road before turning left over the bridge (5) and left again to break through 2K and start a figure of 8 starting from point 5 to a crossroads (6) then out to the other side of the lake from the start and over the bridge, and back to point 6 before turning left out to the furthest point from the start at 3K (7) where you turn right past the church and the largest incline on the course (Which I wouldn't even begin to call a hill.)

Turning right at the end, brings you back to point 5 and you're over the bridge and turning right again to run a long stretch back towards the start, then at point 4, and 4K you're sent back around the extremities of the park until you hit point 3, where the kind Marshall will direct you right to head back around the lake and sprint for the finish.

The write up seems boring, but do not let that lull you into thinking that South Manchester should not be taken on or that you won't enjoy it. Platt Fields is a beautiful park which has some lovely views, and the course is playful in that even though the sight lines aren't brilliant over the whole course, there are glimpses of other runners as you wind in and out, and the course is well thought out to keep it interesting, it could easily have been plotted around the borders of the park and then a few detours to add a bit of distance.

My thanks as always go to the Organisers and Volunteers, especially Sarah who ran with my daughter and myself at the Tail end.

I'll be heading back to South Manchester soon, when I'm ready to break Sub 30.

 

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Frustration 5:42

Following on from my post about injury, it was with a heavy heart I left the house this morning to attend parkrun.

 

I had planned to go to Woodbank, but the injury to my back, which I sustained on Monday, has not recovered to the extent where I was able to run 5k this morning, so I opted to volunteer at Heaton Park parkrun.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy volunteering. It's a chance to see another side of the events,but the only parkrunday I'd missed in 2013 was due to a snowed off Heaton Park parkrun, so missing another was frustrating to say the least even though it was the right decision.

 

I'm also due to run a Half Marathon in 5 weeks, so it's frustrating that I can't run at the moment with that looming.

 

Upon turning up at the Lions, the weather was gorgeous and Bernie and Damien were expecting a record turnout.

 

Marshalling was the role I was assigned, and I was asked to go to the 2km marker and shout out times to the runners so that those who were running 'naked' could have an idea how they were getting on.

 

Waiting a the start line, I started the stop watch as Bernie shouted 'Go' and then made my way down to the right point, which is a crossroad in paths beneath a copse of trees. And waited.

 

The first runner blasted through at 5:42, well on target for a good time, and to the best of my ability, for the next 13 minutes, I did my best to both inform people of the time since the start and encourage the runners on to enjoy their outing.

 

It was a different role to that which I'd carried out before and gave me another different view.

 

Hopefully I can do a gentle run next week for parkrun

I other news, Graham ran a palindromic 24:42 and Laura ran with her friend Michael at just over 31 minutes.

 

 

 

 

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Injury

It comes to all of us sooner or later.

I've been running since 2009 and apart from missing the odd run due to tweaks which I didn't want to risk making worse, I've avoided being injured.

I'm poor at remembering to stretch, so I can only put it down to a mixture of not being fast enough to injure myself, and dumb luck.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been feeling my back aching. It's not been bad enough to stop me running, but it's been a niggle.

This morning though, whilst putting some things away, I felt something go around my left hip and the ache was painful.

Most of the day I've been hobbling around like a little old man and this evening's run has had to be postponed. Hopefully a few days of activity, anti-inflamitories and some gentle stretching will get me back pounding the pavements soon.

Finally it's caught up with me.

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