Ive just read Helens comments about the parkrun, I so agree with all that she says, indeed I have my reasons for being grateful to Paul Sintern-Hewitt and all the the other people involved with the running of parkrun , As a hefty 55yr old completely unfit and rather overweight with high blood pressure, Id started walking on the moors initially to get my bp down, and loved the solitude giving me time to think, always feeling great afterwards blowing the cobwebs of life away. I started to think about jogging and searched the web found this parkrun and thought id give it a try so on June the 7th june 2008 I staggered over the line in 42.38 minutes, last of course, and exhausted, but all the way round I was encouraged by the marshalls and other runners. I felt compelled to keep going with it, it was and is my marker for my improvement, and general fitness level. I bought a book ' running made easy ' (as if), and started jogging for 1 minute building it up, till I my next goal was to do the park run without stopping, which I eventually did, this was brilliant, but while doing this my sister got ill with cancer. Jogging helped me enormously, mentally and physically,to cope. I have improved my times, by 14 mins, lost a few stones, my bp is normal, am running in vets races a treeathlon 10ks a 10miler, joined the eccleshill running club have entered and am doing the gnr for bowel cancer charity as my sister sadly died, on June 4th this yr .

I cannott express my gratitude enough to the people who have enabled me, given me the strength to carry on through this difficult yr, I am so grateful and thank you all so very much, I have made new friends found new strengths to cope with life's speed bumps and I now want to do a marathon, if I can.... so thankyou Mr Paul Sintern Hewitt, thankyou very very much indeed x

oo er ive got a blog, not sure how to use or what to say no doubt will find a use, am following 2 amazing triatheletes, have been out for a great early jog , 5.8 here endeth my first blog.