First non-volunteer run at Jesmond Dene since… actually, I don’t remember! I tailwalked there last August, and ran after giving the first timers’ briefing in February 2020 just before the hiatus… but the last time I ran there without volunteering could well have been December 2019. It’s a tough course hence why it’s my usual parkrun for volunteering at!
However, as Geth is now volunteering there every week, I’ve decided to take the opportunity to spend a couple of months tackling the Dene’s hills again. Maybe I’m just doing more hills in general these days, but the course was actually really enjoyable and not as tough as I remembered.
I also hadn’t realised how much I had missed that sprint finish during the last half mile down the hill. Makes all the earlier climbing worth it… sort of.
I’ll give it another go next week. Might push a bit harder during the early sections!