This isn't the post I hoped to write. This is, yet again, a failed attempt at finishing a parkrun unassisted. I have, over recent months, built up sufficient strength (in my right arm at least) to push 3 miles at walking pace. Big proviso, smooth ground and reasonably level route essential. The slightest upward gradient and I'm painfully slow, slightest downhill and I speed ahead. On average, things even out and at least with the climbs I burn a few calories! The problem comes when descents are too steep and my (usually faithful) all-terrain Trekinetic Mac McLaren requires reining in or spins wildly out of control. A great waste of all that hard-earned gravitational potential energy. I have also learned the hard way not to touch my too-powerful hub brakes (tailspin risk) but use my gloved hand to pull back on the wheels.
New Year's Day is the only day of the year it is possible to complete two parkruns. So after volunteering as usual in Street, I joined the rest of our team and headed off to nearby Shepton Mallet for parkrun number two. I had understood the course to be suitable for chairs with tar paths and no significant hills. How wrong I was! In the photo I'm pushing slowly up a long gradual climb. The chance to catch up was never possible. Survived most of the first lap (which included pushing up a short steep off-road length and carefully negotiating a congested out-and-back stretch with four lanes of runners) before pulling off across the grass to avoid spinning out of control on a steep downhill and wiping out a whole lot of people! To my credit, I refused help and got round the uphill section unassisted.
Sorry to say this little mouse cried all New Year's Day afternoon and felt rather sad and sorry for herself.
What have I learned?
Research well. Wheelchair racing is a whole different kettle of fish to running. Look for smooth surfaces and pancake flat courses!
New Year's Resolution:
1. Buy or borrow a racing chair and practice regularly.
2. Use this horrible experience to encourage parkrun to be more wheelchair friendly. It would be fantastic to see a few chair-friendly events, with experienced volunteers and, maybe, chairs to borrow.
I did try a Bromakin racing chair last year on the track at Exeter with the wonderful Sonya Ellis of South West Athletics Academy:
On the track, this was like running on Speed! Chair is so light, a quick push sends it whizzing round!* Hoping to be able to meet up with Sonya again in 2019. I've also plucked up the courage to contact the team at Bromakin Wheelchairs in Loughborough and hope to visit soon. Ebay is great, but it kinda needs to be right.
I only want to get round a 5k. Target first attempt 50 minutes, my old 10k PB. Maybe parkruns are too busy for chairs (which is great!) but we're lucky to have our local Yeovilton 5k race series. Yeovilton is a flat single lap course around Yeovilton airbase and, I'm reliably informed, popular with wheelchair athletes. Got a suspicious feeling they'll be sub 20 ex-military guys, not 30 minute fun runners! I have also entered, along with John and Louise, this year's Edinburgh Half Marathon. No need to be too impressed, it's generally downhill!
It's a big problem I think, there is no wheelchair equivalent of jogging or fun-running. We either see paralympian or Invictus athletes (typically super-fit spinal injury) or people with MS in electric chairs.
Why is this? Use it or lose it #ThinkHand
*John had to break into a gentle run to keep up!
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