Cool Down
Co-operative jogscotland 5k challenges
Behind the Scenes
And just like that! The 5k challenges are over, my first ever challenges series! I reflect back on the good, the bad and the darn right funny moments of 2008 co-operative jogscotland 5k challenges.
Borders
After a very memorable trip down to Dryburgh with Ed and Boydy in the van (we played a very entertaining game that is too rude to mention in Stride!) we arrived at the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel. What a place! I was busy planning my wedding there to my imaginary Scottish boyfriend when I was interrupted by Elaine and told to get to work! And work we did peeps! I was quietly confident that my BodyPump classes had prepared me for all the heavy lifting at the challenges but boy was I wrong! There were marquees to put up, bananas to move (do not underestimate how heavy a box of bananas is!) water to hump around, secondary finishes to put in place, branding to put up (Ann Davidson is now an expert in putting up tear drop banners?just don?t ask her to put them down!). Once everything was in place I had just enough time to get changed into my Jog Crew T-Shirt and people were arriving. Soon enough it was time to start and boom everyone is off! My job was to help Ross with the announcing, easy enough to do when it?s not pouring down with rain! But Ross and I soldiered on and I really enjoyed cheering everyone over the finish, I was impressed with how many people were still smiling even though it was pouring down. By the way taking everything down in sheets of rain is not much fun!
Aberdeen
Before I even had time to think about last night I am up and in the van going up to Aberdeen?we made an emergency stop for coffee as Miss Hubbard was a tad grumpy! We made good time and arrived at Hazlehead Park at lunchtime. Legendary Alistair Simpson came down and gave us a hand and it was soon show time. The Aberdeen 5k had an amazing atmosphere to it and I really enjoyed going around and chatting to the members. So many people were wearing the jogscotland moisture management tops and they looked great! I was hoarse after cheering everyone over the finish line, in particular banner boy (Johnny from Team Challenge Company) who was crazy enough to run round the whole 5k holding up a banner?insane Irish man! A big shout out to all those who stayed and helped us pack up afterwards it was so nice!
Edinburgh
Struggling with a cold, I was a bit slow and weak setting up for this one, but luckily we had Mr Ed and our new recruit Ermias to lend some muscle and we had soon set up. This run was exciting as not only did we have two in one night but we also had Nina from ?Nina and the Neurons? children programme starting the junior race and Scott Hastings running in the first 5k. Scott was a legend by the way so lovely (and yes girls he looks good with his shirt off!) and Jen from the Co-operative had a fab time with him and the Inverleith Rugby boys posing for photos, she now knows how it feels to be lifted in a line out! Nicole from Virgin did a good job of warming everyone up and it was great to watch all the runners being lead over to the start by the Piper. I now know why my Jog Leader never looks puffed after one of our sessions; she crossed the line in 21:18mins as the third female! Well done Megan! (no I?m not being a blonde she is lucky enough to share the same name as me!) There was moment which caused me to have a lump in my throat (and it had nothing to do with my cold!) which when Moira, John and Andrew from the Jammy Little Francers crossed the finish line with Sharron in the 2nd run, they obviously have the ?no man will be left behind? mentality (not that I?m referring to Sharron as a man). What a fantastic group effort, it was a true jogscotland moment seeing them all cross over the finish line together.
Inverness
I was quite excited about this one as I have never been to Inverness before and it was our first year in taking the 5k challenge to Inverness, so after the emergency coffee stop (we were all a bit tired after the Bank of Scotland Cup event the night before) I was raring to go. Inverness set up went smoothly (well other than Malcolm Sutherland tying me up in a marquee bag?did I look that bad I needed to hide Malcolm???) and it even managed to stay dry all the way through till the prize giving! It was great to see the Muir of Ord group drumming up the participants and looking particularly fetching in their bright yellow bibs! We had another outstanding curry that night and got happy on one of my favourite New Zealand wines Vidal Estate (I thoroughly recommend it ? in moderation of course!)
Glasgow
The last one! I can?t believe it! We were all quite excited about this one and set up goes well apart from some dog deposits on the gantry that Jogster had to wipe off! There was a huge turn out from the co-operative, Strathclyde Park jogscotland group, Daily Record/Sunday Mail and First Milk and the seven Eritrean athletes from Shettleston Harriers made great photos with Jog Scotty! We always knew it was going to be a fast 5k with it being the fifth round of the Stewarts Scottish Road Race Grand Prix but at 14.06 (by Amanuel Hagus) it was the fastest 5k in Scotland since 1993, (thanks Al statistics guru!) what a fantastic way to end the series!
Thank you to all those volunteers, sponsors, and all of the participants that helped make the 2008 co-operative jogscotland 5k challenges series the best yet!
