parkrun, family and happiness

Back after a weekend away with the family in Edinburgh - my second favourite city (after Sheffield of course!). 

My daughter Katie, an Edinburgh university student, was running in a cross country event. I suggested I might join her and her running buddies on the coach, perhaps teach them a few drinking games learnt many years ago when I was a student. For some unknown reason she didn't seem that keen, so I decided to focus my efforts instead on persuading my son Luke to join me at the Edinburgh parkrun. Sadly he too declined my invitation in favour of a lie in, so I decided to follow his example. Later in the day we did a gentle 10k together around Arthur's Seat, which was fun, leaving Ailsa, my lovely wife, to relax in Katie's rather luxurious student flat which she shares with 4 young lads and a family of friendly mice. 

The run was followed by a trip to the cinema to watch 'Breath', a powerful portrayal of one man's fight against polio in the 1960's, as well as a love story and a comedy. Definitely worth watching - at times it had me in tears of both joy and sadness.     

This weekend Katie was back home in Sheffield so we toddled off to Endcliffe Park, arriving early to allow her boyfriend Logan (a serious athlete) to do a training run in preparation for tomorrow's Leeds Abbey Dash before the parkrun masses arrived. Whilst Logan was coasting effortlessly around the park, I chatted with Bernie (parkrun volunteer) and Laura (work colleague) about how we might encourage more people to try a different parkrun events around the city. I suggested that not only would this help ease the growing congestion at Endcliffe Park, surely it's also good to mix with people from different parts of the city, varied walks of life and social backgrounds. 

Recent media reports have suggested that UK town and city populations in are increasingly divided and segregated along ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic lines (sadly I suspect Brexit is a factor here). I do feel that more encouragement for parkrunners to get 'out and about' around the city could help in small ways to address this problem. 

This week I read an interesting article about how to be happy at work and in life generally. The article featured 7 academics from different subject disciplines offering their thoughts and ideas. Here's a selection, some of which could, with a bit of lateral thinking, be applied to parkrun.  

- Avoid comparing yourself with others and their achievements

- Don't invest all your identity in your work

- Learn resilience skills - they will help you to cope with disappointment and failure

- Don't take yourself too seriously

- Focus on helping others more than personal ambition

- Think carefully before applying for that promotion - you may end up having to do things you're not very good at, and having more money does not in itself buy happiness

- Stay physically active

- Maintain a sense of balance and perspective 

Sound advice I think - I hope you find it helpful in some way. 

Off to a bonfire party this evening with the family at the Norfolk Arms, Ringinglow - or as my brother prefers to call it 'my new office' because apparently I am such a regular visitor!  

Until next time, happy parkrunning.

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