After 2 weeks, my chest infection finally cleared and I resumed full training on Friday 22nd January with an easy, post work 7 mile run in Paisley. I finally felt completely normal again. By the following Thursday, I had covered 54 miles in 7 days. In terms of races, my luck had been out. The Ribble Valley 10k on 27th December was cancelled due to the horrific flooding which afflicted the north of England. For totally different reasons, I didn't make it to my usual year curtain raiser at Beith though I intend to return in 2017. I hadn't planned to race the Inter District Cross Country on 9th January but had fallen ill by then anyway. For 10 days I couldn't run a step because any attempt to do so ended with incessant coughing. With none since 7th December, I was choking for a race, any race.
Back in November 2012, I ran in the 3k on the Green, a monthly race taking place at Glasgow Green at 12.30pm on the last Friday of every month apart from December. I began to work out how I could attempt this without taking a day off. I devised a plan in my head and, having explained the situation to one of my extremely understanding bosses, having attended work for 2 weeks unwell, was granted dispensation to disappear from the office for a couple of hours. All systems go.
Just after 11am I kicked the plan into action, leaving the office to walk the short distance to my car in the Paisley Centre car park where I'd stored my running gear. In an attempt at a sort of Clark Kent/Superman type transformation, I nipped into the customer toilet to change clothes. To say that being dressed to race in the middle of a working day felt strange is an understatement! I then jog/walked to Paisley Gilmour Street station, caught a train into Glasgow Central and jogged through the town and along the Clyde to Glasgow Green.
As happened on my last visit, informality was the theme with a couple of people turning up with pins, numbers, entry forms, water and a tin of chocolates. £2 entry fee paid and number received, I continued my warm up, eventually lining up with 66 others under the McLellan Arch. A few people I knew had shown up, Ian Hughes and Russell Couper of Calderglen Harriers and fellow Cambuslang man David Stirling.
We were duly set on our way on the out and back course. After a cautious start running with the pack, I started to make good progress until being freaked out by some pigeons. I genuinely have the fear of them. Having survived that brief episode I gradually moved into the lead and started to stride clear.
As is often the case, the weather proved to be everyone's biggest nemesis with a swirling wind making conditions very tricky indeed. At one point a huge gust pretty much stopped me in my tracks, and no doubt everyone else. Once it shifted, I consciously increased the pace to make up lost time.
My biggest fear had been remembering where the turning point would be. I recalled it came at a point where the path split into 2. Even so, I still feared missing it. Thankfully, it's obvious when you've reached it because to go any further would take you across a main road. Having got there, I turned round for home.
I was much more relaxed on the way back and pushed as hard as I felt able to and the wind allowed me to go. I appreciated Robert Anderson's attendance who gave me some encouragement on the outward journey. I managed to sprint a bit harder as the finish neared and held on to win in a time of 9:23. My time in November 2012 in better weather when much fitter and after being off work all week was 9:04 so this run boded well. Behind me, Graham McCabe (Kirkintilloch Olympians) finished runner up in 10:06, chased hard by Iain Carroll (no club given, 10:07), Steven Prentice (Bellahouston Harriers, 10:08) and several others also in hot pursuit.
I had a chocolate and some water to recover while chatting to some of the other runners before jogging the return journey from the Green to Central. With no showers in the office, I made use of those in the train station for £5, bought a cup of tea, caught the train back to Paisley, returned to the car park to change into my suit and was in the office again for 2pm, back to work after taking a few minutes to have some lunch.
I'm very glad I did this and it marked a new landmark in my life, the first time I've ever run during a working day when actually working. It caught up with me later but I had a feeling of satisfaction with a plan successfully pulled off. I'll definitely re-visit the 3k on the Green. After all, I have a 100% record to defend, 2 wins out of 2. A fantastic little event I recommend to all.
Results from the race
are here.
