I know it’s an arbitrary celebration, but I like to celebrate each 50 as it’s a long way to 500 (the next official milestone). I wanted to make it a special event, and it took a while to decide where to go. Initially I realised that Dad was away, so we would not run together, then I found out I wouldn’t have the car (Andy would be at football in Southampton), so I started looking at Cambridge parkruns as the train could have been an option (I’ve been to the parkruns that are fairly easy by train, so now it’s further afield that I have to look) but then Andy suggested going down to Southampton on the Friday. What a good plan.
I’ve been to a few around there already (Southampton, Eastleigh, Bartley Park, Netley Abbey, Itchen Valley, Winchester, Andover, Portsmouth Lakeside and Queen Elizabeth), so I had a choice between Whiteley, Fareham and Lee on the Solent. As I like Hove Prom so much, and as it had been wet weather and the risk of cancellation felt the lowest there, I opted for Lee on the Solent. It’s an out and back along the prom- there is some elevation as you run up a slope to a higher path and then back down for a bit, but it’s minimal. The parking was close by and free, and it was a fairly easy drive from where we stayed.
I got there nice and early, and had a gentle warm up along the prom, finding the purple pop up and getting a picture, and then further on finding the board for tourists to write on.
There wasn’t a new runners welcome that I saw, but as it was out and back one way, then out and back the other, maybe they don’t feel the need? It was very narrow in places (I’ve not seen a marshal with a sign warning you of rocks before) and we had to keep left for a lot of it as the front runners were heading back. At one point I realised I recognised one of the marshals as being someone from the With Me Now patreon group (and Instagram- hi Rebecca)- I managed to say hi as I ran past so that was lovely to see a friendly face.
I have to say that the whole event was really friendly- I had on my vegan runners leggings, and a couple of vegan runners chatted to me at the start, asking where I’d come from etc, and one of them bumped into me at the finish and we carried on our conversation for a bit too. I did love running by the water, but I also felt really sluggish and not great. (The benefit of hindsight as I was very sick on Saturday night and not feeling great all afternoon but I put it down to being tired) My time was 28:30 which I should be very pleased with and I was just so happy to have completed my 350th parkrun! My 250th feels like so long ago. I worked out as I tend to manage about 40 a year that my 500th will be around 3 years away still!
The finish on the beach, my token, a post parkrun purple pop up picture, and then heading back to the car.
Once finished I had to head back as the parking was only free until 10am, and I had to be back to shower and check out so we could get lunch before the football.
After my quick shower and hotel room breakfast of a porridge pot I was ready to head out! That chai latte from Cafe Thrive was really good.
I loved my visit to LOTS and I would happily go there again- it’s always good to run by the seaside and Rebecca, next time we will have a proper catch up.
Do you like to celebrate arbitrary milestones? How far away is your next parkrun milestone?
