Ian on the way up - dispensing with his training top
Today was the day of The Sheffield Half Marathon. Plenty of roads in our sector of the city were closed off to enable some 8,000 runners to stride out safely into the nearby countryside before swinging back to the finishing line in the city centre..
I stood in the middle of Ecclesall Road and watched them coming up the hill. Great waves of competitors and I was struck by the obvious realisation that each one of those runners was different from the next. Tall and short, fat and thin, male and female, black and white, young and old, dressed in running gear or dressed like bananas. On and on they came, their feet thundering on the tarmac.
Amongst them was our forty year old son, Ian. He had travelled up to Sheffield for his mother's birthday and decided to squeeze in this half marathon as extra preparation for The London Marathon at the end of next month. He is not a competitive runner but his training has been building well and he finished in the middle of the field today.
Sheffield is Great Britain's hilliest city whereas the London marathon route is as flat as a pancake. Getting up to "The Norfolk Arms" pub at Ringinglow will have been demanding for all of today's runners but at least the descent would have been a comfort. What goes up must come down.
There's Ian on the way back down waving at me.
I am very proud of our Ian's effort today but sorry that my photos of his participation were pretty poor. I just didn't see him coming. I am also pleased that I got to see 86 year old John Burkhill bringing up the rear - pushing his pram up Ecclesall Road. He has raised well over £1,000,000 for Macmillan cancer nurses in the last fifteen years. What a legend!
I'm catching up on my favourite blogs tonight and I was so sorry to hear you're having some health issues. The reassuring news is that everything of concern is being investigated and plans are being made for treatment. I'm confident you'll sail out of these choppy waters all tuned up and ready to go another thirty plus years.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was as confident as you Melinda.
DeleteWell done Ian and John Burkhill. I did a half marathon once, in my early forties, and decided at the end of it that there was no way in hell that I would ever do a full marathon:)
ReplyDeleteAlthough I can plod, my body was never designed for running.
DeleteGood on Ian but really good on John Burkhill! That's amazing!
ReplyDeleteHis wife died of cancer having enjoyed the assistance Macmillan nurses. THat is when John Burkhill started to fundraise. He remains a familiar sight around this city.
DeleteThe Pram Man sounds (and looks) like a great guy!
ReplyDeleteA woman asked asked if he would like to do a podcast to boost his donations. He said, "All right but I don't know what a podcast is my dear!"
DeleteGreat on Ian. I admire marathon runners. You have listed all the variations of runners so when you see that you think that many people are capable of doing a marathon.
ReplyDeleteYes...many people - but not me!
DeleteWell done Ian. Maybe next year it'll be you doing it YP.
ReplyDeleteIn your dreams Addy!
DeleteHooray for Pram Man! I gave Ian a little wave. I could never do a run like that. I used to run for the bus, but rarely do that now, preferring to wait for the next one. I'm just not a runner. I'm a walker.
ReplyDeleteMe too Elsie!
DeleteA half marathon would be too long for me; the longest distance I have ever run were the 10k of Ludwigsburg's City Lauf. I enjoyed running and can understand everyone who does so, but my running days are over.
ReplyDeleteThe uphill bits would have been too hard for me, but a steep descent can be just as demanding, as one has to be really careful not to overstrain one's knees and other joints. Being slim helps.
Well done Ian, and well done Pram Man!!
He did the 13.4 miles in 2 hrs and 1 minute.
DeleteI'm not trying to be argumentative but as soon as I saw "What goes up must come down" it struck me that with a race a lot depends on where a race starts and finishes. If it's the same place then so be it.
ReplyDeleteI've just heard on the news that the price of a pint may shortly exceed £5. No wonder pubs are closing. It's over 50 years since I was able to "go to the pub" English (sic) style. I think a pint then was about 30p.
In some pubs, a decent beer has been over £5 for quite a while - especially in and around London.
DeleteIan did well. I hope he "enjoys" the London Marathon. P has completed it three times and says it is exhilarating but oh, so totally exhausting.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise he knew big words like "exhilarating" JayCee.
DeleteThe Brighton Half-Marathon was a couple of weekends ago, I was neither a participant nor a spectator. My two next-door-neighbours both took part.
ReplyDeleteI was cheering the runners on with a wooden rattle. Now my arm hurts.
DeleteI prefer a slow walk myself... ;-)
ReplyDeleteMe too. It would not be my cup of tea at all.
DeleteEveryone who finished is a winner.
ReplyDeleteSo the few who had to withdraw for medical reasons are losers?
DeleteGood for Ian and the Pram Man! That's quite an accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteI always wonder what my grandparents would think of all of these runners, tho. I think that they would be amazed that so many people run for fitness and fun.
Nobody was ever out jogging or running when I was a lad.
DeleteWell, almost nobody. Hence The Loneliness of the Long-distance Runner.
Deletebtw, a quick squiz at the wikipedia entry for the film is amusing for some of the listed "uncredited" actors.
Beautiful! Hurray for Ian and hurray for Pram Man! They are inspirations, both in their own ways.
ReplyDeleteGrabbing life - both of them. The Pram Man's fundraising began when his wife died from cancer.
DeleteYay for Ian! The longest race I ever ran, back in my running days, was a 10k.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean your running nose days?
DeleteWell done, your son, and congratulations to pram man. I admire the charity 'fun' runners.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite a sight to see so many runners.
DeleteWell done Ian..... good achievement. Also good to see the pram man doing his thing and raising more brass for charity!!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you will be Huddersfield's pram man... one day!
DeleteI am catching up on my blog reading and saw that you are having health issues. I was sorry to read this but it sounds as if you are in good hands. I am hoping that all will be well. Great job on Ian's part! My longest race was a 10K back in the day.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind thoughts Michael. Appreciated my friend.
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