This race was to be in Portrush and what better way to arrive there than by train. Since the family were heading up to Derry, I decided to catch the first train from Ballymena, run and then get picked up to make our way to the Maiden City. Travelling by train is something I haven't done much of recently, not since my student days. Therefore you can imagine my surprise at being charged £8.40 for a single?? A fellow runner from work picked me up at Dhu Varren with his young son and we made our way over to the East Strand. Glenn is a great lad, a useful sub 3 hour marathon runner who is with North Belfast Harriers. He does have a tendency to take his running vest off when there is any sign of the sun. Quite often he can be seen running topless along the towpath near Cutters Wharf at lunchtime!!
Why Portrush? Today history was created, nothing to do with golf or the Red Arrows but instead it was the world's first ever Parkrun event to be run entirely on a beach. 5K runs are difficult enough but to run this distance on sand can be leg sapping especially on the softer sand. The parkrun in Portrush is free and entirely run by volunteers with a great deal of support from local club Springwell Runners.
Pre-race briefing complete and a group shot for the Coleraine paper taken, we were ready for the off. Whether to run barefoot or not had been a consideration and I opted to run in a minimal trail shoe with a near zero drop from heel to toe. What is he on about I hear you ask? Barefoot running is very popular at the moment and the beach is a safe surface. Although if done correctly you can run barefoot on tarmac etc as the foot is only in contact with the ground for milliseconds. The idea of barefoot running or using minimal shoes is to encourage the runner to strike and push off from the front part of the foot. In theory this aids propulsion and forward motion. Some experts argue that normal cushioned trainers will encourage runners to 'heel' strike, which in effect is like putting the breaks on with each step. On a short race like this I decided to try these trail shoes as previously on they had felt great.
The run started at the watersports centre near the Arcadia and the course was to Whiterocks and back. Therefore there would be no excuse for anyone who got lost on the course. After approximately 3/4 mile, Matt Shields (a very experienced and faster runner) passed me and I thought, oops (or words to that effect) - I've went out too fast. This is one of the easiest mistakes to make when running as you will go into oxygen deficit and this is usually followed by periods of walking and being passed by loads of other runners. I still felt ok and decided to keep running at this pace for as long as I could and hopefully I wouldn't completely blow up. The run out to Whiterocks is spectacular with the Skerries casting their rugged gaze over the golden sands. It's a fab spot and I've had many early morning runs along that stretch of coastline. Whether it's the height of Summer or middle of Winter it really is a fantastic spot.
A few of the runners who had passed me along the outward stretch now appeared to be going into their 'oxygen' overdrafts. This was good news for me as I realised that there was only one mile to go and I still felt ok. The last few hundred metres involved a run across very fine sand which was hard work. The usual push to the finish line resulted in my customary strange face pulling which undoubtedly will make the rounds on facebook later :)
Afterwards, it was nice to catch up with friends from our running community and discuss everyones' plans for future races. Portrush parkrun provided great hospitality and the coffee afterwards was most welcome. As with all the parkruns they are a great way to get into this sport and are suitable for everyone of all abilities. An event where beginners are particularly made to feel welcome.
The title for this blog post was - Two's the magic number? Why? This was race #22 and although I'm not superstitious I've always seen that as a recurring number. A few of the occurrences are below.
22nd - date I was born
22.22 - time Ben was born
22 - house number where I was raised
Therefore you can imagine my surprise to receive the following results email from parkrun HQ today.
Portrush results for event #1. Your time was 22:22
Congratulations on completing your 6th parkrun and your 1st at Portrush today. You finished in 15th place and were the 9th gent out of a field of 98 parkrunners and you came 1st in your age category VM40-44. You can view the full set of results here. As this is your first run at this event we have set your PB.
What next? Waterside Half Marathon
When? Tomorrow :)
