2005 -- Discovery of a sport i should never have stopped.

 July 24th 2005 was what turned out to be a momentous day in my life.

This was the day after many years of Smoking, Drinking and Drugs I decided after seeing a grandad playing with his grandson without losing breath whilst I attempted to play football knackered that it was time to stop everything and change. The very next day I got an inhalator from the doctors giving up smoking and threw the Marijuana away and vowed to make a change positively with my physical health and the almost monotone non committal ambition free mental existence of functioning whilst smoking weed and getting high on a weekend.

With this in mind I decided to try a run as this was a sport until 1993 I was pretty good at holding school records and running as a colt with the now defunct Cramlington harriers. Even after a few years of smoking, smoking weed, drinking Southern comfort and taking LSD and magic mushrooms between 13 and 15yrs old I was still able to beat the perceived best in the school runners at Cross country without no training so figured I could at least run.

I set out on the sand of Blyth beach running towards Seaton Sluice and struggled massively going a bit purple and my near 14st was coughing and breathing heavily. This however didn't put me off and for some reason being a determined so and so i thought just keep on trying.

Over the next 2 few weeks I gradually increased my volume and distance ran whilst getting actually emotional not being able to smoke anymore. One day i had a chat with one of my work colleagues Dave Kitching who unbeknown to me was heavily involved with a local running club Blyth Running club and invited me to run at an event the Blyth Links 10k on 14th August 2005.

I really was looking forward to this with excitement and trepidation at running a 10k with effort. On the night there was 207 runners of all shapes/sizes/ages lining up. I felt a bit out my depth but set off when the gun went and headed off down the links path in large group of runners. The part going up along the dune path was really enjoyable but up the back to the pub was torturous. I felt exhilarated running down Coldywell bay road passing runners but once i hit the dune path each little incline felt like mount Everest as a few runners were passing me regularly. I finished 82nd in 43.15 knackered.

I was told afterwards this was a good first attempt at a 10k and i may have ability based on it and invited to train with Blyth Running club.

Next up was the Whalton classic 5 miles which i DNF as just felt ill with cold.I entered a 10 mile in Derwentside on a tough course and ran 1.14.03 then a boring Heaton 10k which I PB in 41.55 on a freezing cold day.Finally i had a really good day at the Bramton to Caelisle road race doing 1.08.41.At this stage i was really enjoying training and meeting people at Blyth and did 2 of there Winter series events running near 6 minute mile pace at the 2.5 mile events.

14/08 Links 10k  43.15 PB 82nd of 207

18/09 Whalton 5 mile  DNF

09/10 Derwentside Mixed terrain 10 mile 1.14.03 PB 85th of 196

09/11 Winter series 2.5m 15.33 16th quickest

13/11 Heaton 10k 41.55 PB 111th of 306

19/11 Brampton to Carlisle 10m 1.08.41 PB 240th of 618

21/12 Winter Series 2.5 15.11 9th Quickest

I was addicted.!