Chinook vs the Chickens - LFC 1-2 on Salah Saturday

It was a new course for me today as I chose the hills and mixed terrain of Stadt Moers Park in Knowsley for the Easter Saturday Parkrun. I arrived at 8:10 and parked up at Jubilee Road at the far end of the course before doing a warmup over the last hilly segment that leads to the start/finish area. Luckily this event is well staffed and well organised so you can leave warm-up long sleeved gear at the pit and paddock area to remove just minutes before the start. With the drizzle and a noticeable northerly wind cooking the air this proved to be a good strategy as the race organiser called us newbies over for a pre race briefing about the route. It turned out that the decision to use the lightest shoes available wasn't so bonkers, rather than it would be ideal for all except 200m across a muddy field - hopefully not so impassable on future occasions. As such I joined St Helens Tri teammates Adam and Robert O'Shea at the start line and after a five second countdown we were underway.

A runner from Lancaster took up the pace making from the off and it was quickly apparent that he had the race in hand from the point we swung left into the trees near the muddy field. I thought I could stay with him on the asphalt but it turned out he was a fell runner prepping for the North West Championships next Saturday. As such he finished the race off at the field crossing while I had a guy in orange to get rid of in the attempt to keep second place. The three of us gradually spaced out over the course of lap one, the best bit being the long right hand descent towards the right left hander leading onto the backstraight. This part is a bit like the paths through Formby Dunes and as such was a bit nostalgic for me particularly with memories of high school orienteering (when I could only walk not run). At the end of lap one you plunge down a descent then into a sharp left turn for the pit straight which is reminiscent of the scene greeting you at the Helwith Bridge Duathlon, a favourite of mine (provisional date in the diary 21 October). On this long stretch of straight road I stabilised the gap to the leader but I was always going to struggle once more with the muddy field. However, the smaller entry than usual plus the fact that it's two laps not three made for more sustainable pace because there was no getting bogged down by backmarkers, though the few I encountered ranged from the dog handlers to the absurd - chickens, and plenty of them! It was, of course, the Easter fancy dress parade, Whiston edition, and some of the sights were just hilarious in fact I'd have had a separate classification just for them not least because their conduct while being lapped was much better than what I've come across at other events. They kept my spirits up as I turned round the done once more and into the woods for the sweeping descent again. After that it was up the hill via the left hand corner once again where we soaked up the encouragement from the many marshals lining the course and now it was simply a case of YOLOING down the hill towards the fans at the finish. While Joseph Twigg won the race in 17:50 I still managed to get within half a minute of my best at Southport and placed second, meaning I'm now 6-0 in my age group and on the overall podium for every Parkrun I've done this year!

After scrambling to find my barcode out of my pocket (at which point one of the helpers said "don't worry I'm not going to help you find it" - make of that what you will) I watched for my St Helens Tri teammates to come in, Adam finishing in the top 10 while Robert sneaked into the top 15 a little further back. Being Easter Saturday it was only appropriate that cakes were on offer, and so it proved as the Parkrun juniors/Merseyside Arianators with bunny ears handed out a variety of sweet treats. However, I didn't eat them all, preferring to leave most of them to the chickens still trotting in as team Saints walked back to the cars. During the trek back we discussed early season triathlons and the Rugby World Cup, for sure Ireland will give New Zealand a good game but is anyone else really any good? Didn't think so. But at least it was two LFC fans who got first and second, and our joy would continue as Liverpool got a critical win at Crystal Palace despite not playing anywhere near their best (Number 66 should go back to modelling for JD Sports he's obviously forgotten how to control the ball). Then it was into town where River Island and Forever 21 got raided for designer bargains including a Mo Salah inspired Egyptian print T-shirt plus I found a lovely cafe, Artisane on Bold Street where you get French rarebit, a pastry of your choice and a hot chocolate (or anything with kryptonite - I mean caffeine) in it for £7.60. Come 6pm it was time to go home but a great day was enjoyed by all. All good strength work for the triathlon season!

Now for the results, brought to you by Artisane of Bold Street:

Distance: 5k
Time: 18:08
Winner: Joseph Twigg, Lancaster and Morecambe, 17:50
Division record: 6-0
Dogs: 2
Chickens: at least half a dozen
Bunny Ears/Ariana fans: around 10
Post Race Nutrition: 10/10 (chocolate brownie at the finish, three pints of ale watching the match at the 22 club then French afternoon tea in town)

REJECT OF THE RACE: Chickens
(For sheer comedy value, need I say more)

Time for a late dinner before riding the bike tomorrow. Good luck to Joseph for the fell running championships next Saturday, I'll drink the beer for you in the pub while we win the derby!