Dave Harte writes: Now that my daughter runs for BRAT, the summer is punctuated with track meetings. Worcester Open Meet was a chance for her to take a few seconds off her 800m PB and a chance for me to participate in my first ever track event.
I’m not quite sure what possessed me to be honest given the poor form I’m in at the moment. I think it was partly because the distance (3000m) was a new one to me although I was actually hoping it was a 3000m steeplechase, an event I love to watch and have long wanted to run.
Alas this was a straight 3000m run with 16 of us, from juniors to seniors, lining up together for the seven and a half laps.
We started cleanly and the field stayed together for about half a lap before it settled down into three group: senior males at the front, teenage girls plus me and a young lad in the middle, another group of juniors behind.
It became clear that I couldn’t keep up with the teenagers so I settled back just determined to run a 3:40ish/km pace.
I was lapped by the senior men (the winner came home in 9:20) but I managed to hold off the group behind me to finish 10th out of the 13 who completed the distance.
My time was 11:23 which I’m really pleased with. The meet was really well-organised and as long as my daughter keeps up her track work then I think I will too.
Top running Dave. glad to see you enjoyed it.
Congratulations to you and your daughter in running 3000m track and 800m track PBs at the recent Worcester Open Meeting. I am now in my 7th consecutive year of track running. It is encouraging to note how many families now participate in this great sport of ours.