A real life Running event
The last few months have been tough for people in so many ways. We’ve all seen so many changes and as we stumble out of lockdown the world is a very different place. I’m a runner and I love to run. Over the last 4 or 5 years I’ve had an ‘A’ race. One that is pretty epic and requires focus and planning. I also love to take part in other shorter races and local events. Sadly, everything has been cancelled or postponed this year so racing has been off. As a club runner I also take part in our local league races which are great for pitting yourself against other local runners. I love these events as its a chance to meet friends from other clubs, have a jollie out with KADS and see how the old legs are fairing. With all races being cancelled its been hard to keep the motivation there. Thankfully I love being out in the fresh air so I have continued to run and train and although I may not be as fast as I’d like to be at the moment I have the miles and the fitness in my legs.
So its with great excitement (and nervousness) that I recently found out that there is a local event going ahead. The Belper Rover on the 16th of August confirmed that they have all the appropriate measures in place to satisfy the government guidelines for event management. The list of changes and rules is pretty long but it certainly seems to cover all the risks. I did read the guidelines with a heavy heart as it seems so clinical and certainly takes a lot of the fun elements out of the event. You have to turn up alone, ready to run and there are no areas you can congregate with others. One of the reasons I love local events is that its a great way to catch up with other local runners. I often bump into runners who I only see at the same event each year. We hug, catch up on our running glories and then swap race stories after over a butty and a cuppa. With this all gone it feels a bit like ‘what’s the point?’ Well the point is that its about the running. Its about the businesses that are struggling through these times and its about adapting to our strange new world. I am nervous about the day but I want to go and support the event and I want to see how the event organizer’s have made changes to keep us safe. I want to do something that I love with other like minded people. I know a lot of the runners there will have thought long and hard about whether or not to attend on the day. We were given the option to defer to next year so it may be that there aren’t that many who turn up on the day. Those who do, I know will follow the rules, stay safe and be pleased to simply be out running. Its not so much about the times for the Rover, its about getting a little piece of life as we know it back, even if it is not quite the same.
I’m off on holiday for a week prior to the event but I’m excited to be off in a camper van to Scotland and the Lakes. I’ll be taking my running kit and getting some miles in. The Belper Rover is on Sunday the 16th so I’ll rest up on the Saturday and hopefully be fresh and ready for my first event since February. I’ll let you know how it goes afterwards so keep a look out for a blog afterwards.
Happy running folks and stay safe. We’re a long way from being out of the woods yet
Kerstine
