Midsummer running

Puffing bit here

Here's the new parkrun in Derby, described as flat - it wasn't quite! It's on the course of an old railway line, but I don't think an express train would have coped with the ups and downs, more likely it was an old industrial branch line. Derby may be a long way from the sea but but you may be interested to know that in the middle of the 19th century the MP for Derby was Samuel Plimsoll who gave his name to the Plimsoll Line  the indicator on shipping worldwide that shows if they're overloaded! Plimsoll's efforts to get parliament to pass legislation making his line a compulsory item were initially thwarted by lobbying from powerful shipowners but in time the law was passed and became an international standard.

Swag!

We seem to have been park running and not much else this year but Vicky had a very good go at the Denbigh Triathlon. Starting off the swim she was disconcerted to find that she was in the same lane as our friend Tony who had announced that he was using an unconventional swimming stroke. Sure enough there he was all six feet two of him swimming the back stroke! She got comfortably ahead of him and managed to avoid colliding as they passed, had an excellent cycle and run and then went on to win the ladies over 60 award - here's a photo of the haul of goodies she was presented with: a nice medal, a super trophy, useful buff and a rather odd star prize (for June) a woolly bobble hat!

Cruising along

Meanwhile I had a crack at the Ruthin evening 5K, I'd done this race three years ago and despite all the shenanigans with my health issues since then I managed 21:51, less than a minute outside my previous time - so smiles all round, that's me in the blue with the fancy shades with Paul G on my left, he's been running very well lately but with about a K to go I got past him as he blew up a bit. More parkruns to report on include Conwy a couple of times, Conkers (down in south Derbyshire in the National Forest no less), Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough and a parkrun in one of the loveliest of settings at Fountains Abbey - the slightly undulating course goes right round the abbey twice. And here it is:

What's this doing in the middle of our parkrun course?