My reasons for leaving
After eight whole years running for Kirkstall Harriers I have decided to not re-new my membership and become an un-affiliated runner again. The main reason for this is simply because I just don’t run enough races anymore or able to come training, join in with club events and club races like I once did. I joined the club in October / November 2011 and I have had some amazing memories running with the ‘Purple Army’ that is Kirkstall Harriers and memories that will always stick with me. It’s such a brilliant and friendly running club and mark my words, if I do join another running club again it will definitely be Kirkstall Harriers.
Over the last couple of years my running and entering of races has been very sporadic and I just don’t think it warrants me being a member of a running club anymore. In reality my running has been on and off for the last four years now. I made a marathon comeback in 2018 and entered a good run of races for the first six months of 2018 but other than that, my entering of races has been very sporadic. It’s got nothing to do with losing my passion for running, I still love running and will always be running until the day I die, it’s just at this period in my life I have other priorities and things going on that mean I’m not dedicated like I was four or five years ago.
For five years, between 2011 and 2016, running was a huge part of my life and I did take it seriously during that period and I strived to improve and achieve things in running and earn PB’s, it was a glorious time and I have so many great memories which no one can ever take away from me.
My next chapter in running will for now atleast, be on my own as a lone ranger and my main goal is to reach 20 Leeds Half Marathons in 20 years. In 2020 this year it will be my 14th year running the Leeds Half Marathon !
Kirkstall Harriers is such a welcoming and friendly running club and right from the start when I came down to training and met in Kirkstall Leisure Centre, I was made to feel welcomed. Naturally I was a bit nervous coming down on my own and I particularly remember Adam Moger and Peter Hay (who was Club Chairman at the time) and a few others coming up to me and introducing me to some of the other runners. Straight away I loved the atmosphere of the club and wanted to join straight away.
I had some great relationships with many members of Kirkstall during the five years I was heavily involved in many of the events and races etc and I always had a great time at the social events too.
REASONS FOR JOINING KIRKSTALL ORIGINALLY:
I was 26 years old running had always been second fiddle to football for me but as I was approaching 27 years old, I really felt that I was coming into my natural physical peak years and I really wanted to take my running to the next step and achieve something in the sport. I wasn’t just doing it for the social aspects but also to challenge myself both physically and mentally and do something that I could be proud of.
I had been running road races since I was 22 years old and had some really good times without much training and I was running a handful of races a year. I had also won a 5K when I was 22, finished in the top 5 in a couple of other local 5K races and was unbeaten as a teenager in school at 1500m until I came 4th at the Leeds High School Championships so I knew I had some running ability and wanted to see what I could do.
I also had a few problems outside of sport and fitness and joining a running club would give me a focus. For me joining any other club was not an option. Kirkstall Harriers is my local club and I always wanted to run for my home area and represent the ‘purple army’ of distance runners.
In no particular order:
I also had a very painful I.T. Band injury at the time after injuring it whilst hiking the Yorkshire 3 Peaks two weeks before and a week after running a 2:57:29 marathon PB. I was 29 years old and really felt at my peak.
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Below video from RJ Sports TV: checkout me finishing Leeds Half Marathon in 35th position and earning my PB
This was the one and only ‘meander race’ I ran with the club and I started right at the very back starting last as it was a handicap race based on PB’s for the 10K distance. I so desperately wanted to win a trophy and finish in the top 3. I absolutely ran my heart out that evening and kept overtaking and overtaking - I saw every human figure in the distance as a challenge and the challenge took away the pain I felt from running so hard - what an experience it was. See two photos of my trophy for 3rd place. I was so proud of myself that night.
See my overall PB’s below:
See one of my photos pre-race below:
This race really helped me grow in confidence as I had never broken the 1:30:00 barrier previously. My times were always very close but never the cigar and it showed me that now I was actually properly training and with a running club I knew I had so much more potential.
The half marathon for me was an underachievement for me though during my peak years. I really should have ran a sub 1:20:00 half marathon but I never ran a flat half marathon, I really do wish I had now but who knows, if I take my running seriously again in the future I may get back to that level again?
Checkout the race finishing video of Liversedge in 2012 via RJ Sports TV:
Bridlington Half Marathon 2013 club trip
This was a great day out where we ordered a mini bus. It was a comeback race for me after a painful achilles injury and I finished in a great time of 1:27:00 with a good position too. I’m not going to lie though, I was knackered by the end of it.
We all went to weatherspoons afterwards and also had some fish and chips before driving back home.
This was a brilliant day out with our running club. We hired a mini bus and a group of us went to the popular and famous country festival called the Yorkshire Wolds, which included the very tough Bishop Wilton Half Marathon. I ran most of the race with Paul Miller who was the same speed as me and we both finished in 1:35:00 and during that time we were consistently running 1:25ish half marathon times so that tells you how tough this race must have been.
We also all took part in a ‘Tug Of War’ against the locals at a festival after but we sadly lost ha ha. See the photo below.
This was such a fun run and a great morning running my leg with Paul Miler, who as we were similar speeds at that time we ran together a lot I races and pushed eachother along and also paced eachother. This run where we took turns in holding the baton was great fun and the route was very scenic, running through cornfields and farmland, it was euphoric at times.
See some photos of me and Paul running together below:
I had a two to three year stint where I loved the cross country events and the trail races but the cross country events I lost interest in after 2013, the mud and freezing cold feet and hands just weren’t for me anymore after years and years of playing winter sport since the age of 7 and 8 when I first began playing football and rugby league, I think I had just had enough.
However I loved the Pecos and had some amazing races and fun times with the runners after chatting away and having some warm food and a pint (or two). See some photos below:
We have organised Halloween Fancy Dress runs and Christmas Santa Runs every year and these were always great fun running through the streets of Leeds City Centre creating a scene and making onlookers laugh.
See a Halloweeen photo below:
How can I not include this in my favourite Kirkstall Harriers memories? What great fun and an experience this was. It was always tough running dressed in this clobber but it really was a great experience to look back on being the club mascot for the race.
For 3 or 4 of those years I was very competitive too with runners taking on the ‘Beat The Mad Monk’ challenge. My best position was 14th place in 2014. I was actually thinking of running the London Marathon dressed as the monk to try and break the Guinness World Record got Fastest In A Monk Outfit. The world record was something like 3:45:00 at the time, I really should have done it to be honest looking back.
I am very proud to say that I will be leaving Kirkstall Harriers officially as a V35 (Veteran 35 category) and I am inside the top 5 in the club for all the recognised distances.
I can also honestly say that I am content with all of them, probably except my 10 mile PB. I mainly ran off-road or hilly 10 milers and my PB of 1:04:00 would have been much better if I hadn’t only just come back from injury and a 3 month lay off at Eccup 10. My One Mile PB was so close to breaking sub 5 minutes but it wasn’t to be. I had and still have so much more potential in the marathon but ultimately I broke sub 3 hour mark which was my long term running ambitions so I can’t complain, plus I have officially retired from the full marathon distance in 2018 aged 33. I can be very happy with my PB or 2:57:29 for the marathon.
You can see the Men’s Leaderboard below as I leave the club:
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed my insight into my sporting world....
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