Pendle parkrun - event 441

On the 6th April 2024 I ran the Pendle parkrun which was the 441st event held at the venue, my 177th parkrun and 101st different course I'd attended.

In between parkrun days are normal days that make up a normal week and are usually a rinse and repeat of work, eat and sleep. Mostly weeks go by with nothing much happening and occasionally something interesting might happen to make the week a little less dull. Even rarer than a less dull week are weeks when an event occurs that rocks you to your core and parkrun becomes a necessity as opposed to something nice to do on a Saturday morning. Sadly last week was one of those rare weeks.

We received news on Tuesday that Hayden's football coach had passed away and had taken his own life. Explaining that to a nine year old child was quite easily the hardest thing I've ever had to do as a parent. I've always said running has been a tonic for my mental health and nothing could be closer to the truth last week when I went out for a run on Wednesday lunchtime and again as I lined up on Saturday morning in a field on the side of a hill in Colne, Lancashire. 

Running for me helps me think and compartmentalize my thoughts, ideas and anxieties. I still cannot fathom how a young man with the world at his feet decided that this life wasn't for him and i dont think, even if I run a hundred miles a day for the rest of my life I'll ever understand it. But it helps, and we all need all the help we can get. Whatever works for you, do it. Mental health is so, so important.

But wait, Lancashire... What was I doing in Lancashire? Well, Gillingham were playing Bradford in nearby Yorkshire and so Stephanie and I decided we were long overdue a visit to her Uncle Gary and Auntie Ruth.

Our plan was to make a long weekend of it. Travel up early Friday morning, stopping off and spending the day at Alton Towers before continuing our journey north where we'd stay Friday and Saturday night. I'd do Pendle parkrun on Saturday morning before we'd all go to football and the Sunday morning the kids would do a junior event before a leisurely drive back home.

However, we made the decAlkiision to cut short our trip and travel home Saturday night in order to be at Hayden's football match on Sunday morning to show our solidarity with the rest of the boys from the team and the parents who've all been united in grief for what is ultimately a sad and tragic loss.

Pendle parkrun is two laps and starts at the rugby club on the northern edge of Colne and takes in part of the rugby fields, football pitches and adjacent Alkincoats park. It even skirts the perimeter of the football stadium belonging to Colne Town FC who play in the North West Counties Football League. It is also rather hilly and very, very muddy!

Following instructions from the course page on the parkrun website I parked at the suggested parking place, located just outside of Alkincoats park. Which is essentially a politer name for Alkincoats Hill, which is effectively what the park is, a public green space on the side of a hill! The 20k steps the day before at Alton Towers had taken their toll on my legs, but nevermind it would make a good warm up that's for sure!

Making my way up the hill, past the rugby pitch at the top and into the car park of the rugby club Les me into a false sense of security as the whole distance I'd just covered was all on tarmac. There was no mud to be seen. But as I carried on going and hit the field which held the football pitches my feet began to sink, and squish into what was very spongy territory underfoot.

A local gentleman came over and started talking me through the course and warning me about the mud. He eyed my feet up and confirmed I was wearing the appropriate trail shoes for the conditions. We were warned once again during the briefing which was given with the field of runners overlooking Colne in the valley below and the hills in the distance. It really was a beautiful place for a run and I was looking forward to it mud or not.

From the start, participants run parallel to the football fields which were hosting Saturday morning training sessions. Reminders again of home and normality that would no longer be normal for Hayden and the rest of his team mates. Conditions were slippy and spongy underfoot but no standing water for the time being.

After circling the football pitches the course turns off onto an elevated path that leads behind the back of the Colne Football Club stadium. The path starts off as a gravel track, but soon turns to mud and the fun begins to start. This section of the course which continues past the stadium and down onto the rugby pitches before heading off again through a section of woods is all one big muddy mess and was brilliant to run through!

There were a couple.of times when I had to physically stop and mentally work out which route I was going to take as I didn't want to slip and fall otherwise I'd have been in a right old mess! As it was my shoes and socks were completely covered in mud and my legs up to my knees were nicely decorated with various muddy splashes. Fortunately I managed to stay upright and made it to the edge of the woods without falling over!

After the mud had been conquered the course reaches the safe haven of a tarmac pathway which is the main cycle route through Alkincoats park. Starting at the top of the hill, the path runs all the way down to the bandstand at the bottom before looping around and coming back up again.

The downhill section was as always quite brilliant. I love the jeopardy of running downhill too fast, evoking the thrill of childlike innocence. But the long slog back up again was grueling especially on mud weary legs and walking too far the day before. On my first lap I also had the challenge of trying to have a conversation with a fellow runner who took an interest in my 50 venues t-shirt and wanted chapter and verse of all the different parkruns I'd visited.

Running and talking is hard for me, let alone trying to run uphill too! I jest, it's always nice to talk parkrun with other participants and the 50 venues t-shirt is a great conversation starter.

Once the hill has been successfully climbed it's a simple case of repeating the lap all over again and hoping not to face palm spectacularly into the mud!

I finished in 35th place out of a field of 53 participants in a time of 33:38 which was around 7 minutes slower than last week's time.

Every one of those 7 minutes were enjoyable in what was a very tough, but thoroughly brilliant parkrun!