parkrun changes lives

Back to Sheffield Castle this week - after the warm welcome I received a fortnight ago it seemed the obvious thing to do. No volunteer pacemakers this week but I had my own pacemaker in the form of my pet Labrador, Isla. 

I arrived early so there was plenty of time to chat. I began by striking up a conversation with a lovely couple, Zoe and Matt (photo attached below), who were celebrating their first wedding anniversary (congrats both!). They spoke about the importance of parkrun in their lives, in particular how it has helped them cope with Matt's mental health challenges - a really heartwarming story which once again demonstrated the power of parkrun to do powerful things in people's lives. 

Isla and I then proceeded to follow Matt and Zoe around the course - towards the end I encouraged Zoe up the final hill enabling her to post a personal best time which she was clearly delighted about!

Then it was off to the community house for a quick cup of tea and ginger biscuits where I met Pauline, conspicuous with her bright pink hair, a self-confessed lifelong Star Trek fan (the T shirt she was wearing was a bit of a clue) and an occasional parkrunner. Apparently the new Star Trek movie comes out on Monday on Netflix - Pauline told me she is taking the day off work to watch it. That's dedication for you! 

Before leaving I think I may have been propositioned by a lady (I didn't catch her name) who told me I was handsome followed by (and I quote) "'I've never had a tall one." Ailsa (my wife) will no doubt be pleased to hear that I made a swift exit!

Driving out of the park I met 'trekky Pauline' again and offered her a lift home which she gratefully accepted. After dropping her off I continued on towards the city centre on my way home. Whilst navigating a roundabout I suddenly went into a mild panic as I couldn't see Isla in the back of the car and also couldn't remember collecting her before leaving. I began to shout her name whilst continuing to navigate the roundabout, initially with no response, at which point my panic escalated from mild to severe. I kept shouting "Isla, Isla". Eventually, and to my huge relief, Isla's head appeared, but not before I had circled the roundabout for the third time, much to the amusement of other car drivers and pedestrians! 

The most interesting thing about today was my conversation with Matt and Zoe about their mental health challenges. We all know that mental health is a growing problem in the UK, but rarely do I hear any meaningful discussion about the root causes, one of which is our high pressure, 24/7, materialistic and individualistic society, the exam factory in schools and excessive marketisation in higher and further education which I believe are putting unprecedented pressure on children and young people, not to mention the people who work in those institutions.  I put much of the blame for this firmly at the door of our politicians (by which I mean successive governments of different political persuasions). That said, let's remember that we elect these people which then allows them to make the big decisions that shape our society and all of our lives. 

More funding and better access to mental health services is needed of course, but there will always be a limit to the amount of public money that is available, and no amount of funding will ever solve the mental health crisis.  Surely it is society that needs to change  - and I believe fundamental change is required.

Apologies for 'going off on one' but this is an issue I feel very strongly about, and after talking with Matt and Zoe today, I felt I needed to get it off my chest. Fortunately, in the midst of all this negativity, parkrun continues to be an amazing force for good in so many people's lives, including mine.

To finish on a lighter note...

I may not have left the dog behind today but I did leave an item of clothing - fortunately it wasn't one of my favourites and I'm sure it will be there for me to collect next time. Little wonder my parents called me Mr Forgetful when I was a kid - some things never change!

Please leave any comments below.

64 parkruns now completed and as the photo below confirms, still losing my hair - reminds me of that wonderful Beatles song.!

Until next time, happy parkrunning...