Christmas party game . .

Here's a game for Christmas . . let's play Spot the Difference . .

there are no prizes . . just a shiny red parkrun t-shirt for me

Merry Christmas

A quick note to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy and Peaceful New Year. Keep warm, stay safe, and run strong . .

Turning a corner . .

Last month I wrote that I was approaching a corner in regard to my own running . . and I think it's now fair to say that I'm part way round it now . .

At the end of November I returned to East Park in Hull and on a windy morning somehow got myself round the 5k parkrun in 29.19, my fastest time in any parkrun since September 2009 . .

Dave Gowans always takes excellent photos at East Park but even he couldn't make me look like the runner I am in my imagination that morning . .

Since seeing the photo above I've tried to run taller and stretch my legs out more, rather than shuffle along all scrunched up . . 

And on each of the subsequent two parkruns, I've succeeded in running quicker on that course than ever before. I've not beaten the time I set in Hull, but I was pleased with 31.05 last week and even happier with 30.15 today on what is a slightly more difficult course . .

Many thanks to William Forde for the photo below . . it's hard for me to believe that it was taken only a week after the one above . .

John Harvey is another excellent photographer who comes along to parkruns and takes photos of us all running . . and thanks to him for this photo of me . .

Tomorrow morning it's my turn to take photos and I'm looking forward to being back at the Andy Reading 10k in Oxfordshire, before returning to Abingdon next weekend to see if I can shave any more seconds off my time there . .