Last Tuesday saw the start of the 2018 Track and Field season at Darlington. As with last year, it was a bit of a slow start – but Stevie Cooper, Mathew Carling and myself put on our Striders colours and gave it a go.
First up was the High Jump where I was happy with a pb of 1.40 metres.
Next was the 1500 metres. With what seemed like the entire junior population of North East England competing – there was a bit of a wait for the senior heats to start. When they eventually did, Mathew set off in heat 2. An accomplished middle distance runner at junior level, Mathew was keen to test himself again at senior level. He ran well in a fast heat to set a Striders benchmark of 5.00.6 minutes. I followed in heat 3 recording 5.06.4 minutes.
I managed to finish first in the senior category of the triple jump (9.52 metres) (and nearly snapping my leg in half on jump 2…) before the final event of the evening – the 200 metres.
This was what Stevie had been building up to. With his daughter watching on he was nervous about finishing last in his heat. He needn’t have worried as he put in a great run, clocking 34.10 seconds, and ahead of several other runners in the heat. Now, Steve, if you can keep that pace up at the Barrage Parkrun for another 4800 metres, I worked out you’d finish in a time of 14.05 minutes!!! (smashing the course record by nearly two and a half minutes)
I was happy with a win in my heat in a time of 27.80 seconds and 2nd overall in the men’s senior category.
It’s not all about times and placings of course – and these are not events just filled with elite athletes. (Some of the 1500 metre times were around 7 minutes, the 200 metres around 40 seconds, and the javelin throws under 10 metres). It’s about trying out an event – often for the first time since school – and seeing if you enjoy it.
Next up is a trip to the Stadium at Middlesbrough on Tuesday 1st May.Hopefully we’ll have a few more Striders and some of the ladies returning to action.
Paul J