You know you are a runner

Just under two years ago, I went to an early edition of Nonsuch parkrun.  As usual, I arrived stupidly early and wound up talking to a runner called Richard McChesney, also a parkrun tourist, who had been a fast runner when he was young, but had then stopped running for a while and had now traded in speed for distance*.

Since then, Richard has set up the first New Zealand parkrun**, joined the half-Cowell Club***, become the first parkrunner to have run all the events in two different countries**** and written a book.

I say book.  It’s more of an illustrated guide to runners’ foibles.  There are 40 illustrations in total, and if you don’t recognise a trait in yourself, I have no doubt that you will be able to point a finger at a nearby runner who is a textbook example.

Of course, being a foible-free runner, I didn’t identify with any of them.  I’ve never planned a family holiday around my next big race (that romantic getaway to Iceland with my non-running husband just happened to coincide with the inaugural Icelandic parkrun), don’t have a wardrobe which is overflowing with running shoes (they’re all in the hallway, piled haphazardly on top of a far-too-small shoe rack) and have never had chafing in strange and unmentionable places (I’m brazen.  I will mention anything.  Though I may use the odd euphemism to protect the delicate ears of non-runners).

If you’re looking for an epic blockbuster which will help you kill hours in an airport, then this isn’t the book for you.  If you’re looking for a beautifully***** illustrated gift for the runner in your life or another way to assess yourself against a running rival, then this could be just the ticket.

*He ran the parkrun in 20:29.  Just saying.

**Lower Hutt

***50 different parkrun venues.

****Ireland and New Zealand.

*****This may not be the best word to describe the snot-rocket picture

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