Taking bends more quickly can shave vital seconds off my parkrun time – or send me hurtling face down into a gravel path. Which is it to be?
This is Shaun. He drives me round the bend.
Paul and Petrina, on the other hand, are masters at getting me to run fast in a straight line. Sometimes they even throw in hurdles so I can unleash my inner Sally Gunnell and pretend I’m 13 again.
All three are members of my running club, Eden Runners, and give their time to coaching other club members at all levels. Our Tuesday morning training session is a model of inclusivity that brings out the best in everybody. I don’t feel left out or left behind, and I can put in a surprising turn of speed for all of, er, 10 seconds. The rest is a gentle shuffle, with short cuts across the football pitch to rejoin the leading pack.
Last week Shaun took the helm to give us some tips on cornering. As you can see from the nuclear submarine that is Penrith parkrun, there are quite a few to negotiate. Twice round. He claims that good cornering on this course can save us a minute.
Shaun’s suggestion is to treat a corner or bend as if in a car with a manual gearbox – change down as you approach, then change up and accelerate away. He says:
“Just a suggestion! Think it through, try everything and do what’s right for you.”
I haven’t driven for three years, so I’ve rather forgotten what driving felt like. Before that, my gear-changing was pretty much from the ‘If you can’t find it, grind it!” school. And I go so slowly that slowing down for a corner means grinding to a halt. So the car thing wasn’t so helpful for me.
Be prepared
In the drills that followed, I realised that I could do a lot more to prepare myself for corners. For people with Parkinson’s, changing direction can be tricky. There’s a lot to process in a short space of time. Marshals waving you on, faster runners lapping, change of surface. One thing I’ve definitely learned not to do is look at my watch when cornering – because the next thing I’ll see is the ground coming up to meet me. I’m grateful to the good folk at Taunton Longmeadow parkrun for scooping me off the floor when I tried this one back in February.
One of Shaun’s exercises was called Crowded House, where the wobbly tortoise set off before the hares so that lots of people arrived at the corner at once. Mayhem! But I didn’t fall over. There are bottlenecks on our parkrun course and I do feel quite uneasy being lapped. Being more aware of who’s behind me helps me to keep my balance.
Another hazard I have to negotiate is puddles. These, too, require some risk assessment, some slowing down and accelerating out. Straight through or skirt around? Generally I’m a straight through girl, preferring to hold my line rather than change direction. A confident splash rather than an oo-er skiddy moment. It’s what Gore-Tex is for.
It’s exhausting having to be so cautious over ground that other people literally take in their stride. But it takes my mind off other things like the constant pain in my hip and, oh heck, did I leave the gas on? So I’m grateful to Shaun for showing me a few handy ideas, and to all the considerate parkrunners who keep their elbows tucked in. Did it work? Hell, yeah! I clipped 38 seconds off my 2022 best for the parkrun.
Onwards and upwards! And now, around!
Play > Up around the bend > Creedence Clearwater Revival
“There’s a place up ahead and I’m goin’
Just as fast as my feet can fly”
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