Regents Park 10K Winter Series #5
Sunday 4th February 2018
On Sunday 4th February, John and I did our #5 of the Regents Park 10K Winter Series. Looking back, I realised that I’ve been doing the Regents Park 
10K since 2002. People have asked me why I love running so much and why I can keep up religiously to take part in a single event (ie: the Regents Park 10k) for almost 16 years without even missing one year.
One of my “raison d’etres” that I love running is that it makes me happy. Certainly, there are many things in the world which can make people happy but I just happen to have chosen running as the medium to make me feel happy. There was time when I was training for both the London Marathon and the Milton Keynes Marathon back-to-back, the training was hard and I was mentally and physical exhausted. I did tell myself to try something else to make me happy. But I always know running is in my heart and I am just following my heart. So, why is running is always in my heart? This is because once upon a time, running has mended my broken heart. Back in 2003 I had a divorce. It was a very devastated experience in which I never wish it to happen to anybody else in this world. It was running which kept me going and kept me positive towards the outlook of life. I had something to look forward to before a running event and I felt elated after crossing the finish line. I felt at least I had achieved something else in my life outside a failed marriage. I even felt a sense of happiness after training. Then fast forward to 2005 when I met John through the Comets Running Club, we met through running and running is the sport which has given me hope and restore my faith in humanity. As long as I am injury free and healthy, I will never stop running and will never give up pursuing my happiness through running.
OK, before you take the violin out, let me go back to the Regents Park 10k. It was a very cold morning nearly 0oC. Even John had to wear a t-shirt underneath his running vest. I finished in 57’11”. I had done 32 miles that week before the Regents Park 10k. I was still feeling stiff that morning from my 16 miles long run on Friday evening on the treadmill. With the 10k from the Regents Park race, it had brought the total mileage I had done for that week to 38 miles. Not quite 40 miles a week yet according to my training plan for February. John finished in 1:04’39.
My London Marathon training is going on track. Touch wood I am neither ill nor injured. I am praying I will keep this form until the marathon is over.
Our next race is the Hemel 17 miler. This winter is unusually cold. We are bracing for another freezing cold morning on the 25th February.