Chorlton Runners isn't a cult..... but sometimes it can be mistaken for it! Usually there is something on 6 days a week (and probably a 7th if you know the right people) and often more than one option depending on speed and interest. I am part of the group who organise run leaders for Tuesday night (main club night) and sometimes Sunday social run (though the amazing Val does this most of the time). Add in all the racing, and informal 'fancy a run together?' runs and actually, it can easily fill up and free time I have if I let it.
So when it stopped in lockdown, it left something of a hole.
I don't envy the committee. They have had to deal with a lot of flack from all camps during lock down varying from 'you need to stop people running as much' to 'why on earth aren't we running already!?'. And that is just from club members. Being a big, loud club, we have a bit of a tense (at times) relationship with the local community and other clubs.
But on Tuesday the committee decided to run the first club run since March. I was off work, Martin offered to have the dog so I put myself down to lead a group. It was limited it to 6 group of 6 which is a very small compared to the over 100 we often get on a Tuesday but it was what was felt to be safe for the runners and public.
For once we were inundated with run leaders, and most of the slots in the 9:30 and 8:30 group went quickly, though there was a few spaces in the fastest and slowest groups. There were some disappointed people, but I got the feeling a lot of people were keen to see how things went, rather than rush in. Everyone sets their own risk level I guess.
So everyone was set to go, self declaration forms were completed and then...... the weather set in. Now it rains a lot in Manchester (understatement) but this was pretty unpleasant even by Manc standards. Apparently there was flash flooding in parts of the city, and it was a named storm. In addition, I think people are a bit used to summer weather after the last few weeks.
So I dug out my rain coat, and carefully started to drive down to Chorlton. Even before I left there were a lot of facebook activity with people cancelling. A few people managed to jump in to the now vacated slots but the general theme was 'out'. One group got completely cancelled, then another nearly went down. By the time I arrived, my group had gone from 6 to 5 and finally to 4. I felt disappointed, but mostly for those who hadn't managed to get spaces.
But then my lovely company arrived in the form of Helen, Vicky and Kate (who was new!). And we set off at a trot, waterproofs doing a good job in the wet and windy evening. We trotted out through Chorltonville, and Darley Avenue, down the Parkway, over to Northernden, up Palatine Road and back via the Darley dash. We chatted, we laughed, the weathe temporarily improved to more of a light rain than monsoon, and it started to get dark.
As we neared the car park we bumped in to two other Chorlton Runners out for their own run, and we did out stretches together. It felt so good to be out running with the club (no matter how small the groups)
We may have missed out on a summer of running down the Mersey and through the waterparks, but at least we have something rather than nothing. The ever hard working Andy is looking at a way to get the sign up process to work better (including wait lists etc), and I am sure things will get a bit back to a more normal state if very slowly.
Sadly I can't run with club next week as I am on nights. And sadly club run this week was a single highlight in what has been an otherwise very unsuccessful exercise week due to dog, work and a slightly selfish partner. But I am trying to cling on to positives at present and that's about all that can be said.
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