It was a busy week end in the Burgess Family. On Saturday 20th October 2012, all five of us completed the Milton Keynes parkrun. We were supporting the final week of our Tring Running Club Start to Run course and cheered in 10 STrunners over the line. Michael (veggie) and Verna and Stephen (both vegan) all came first in age category in a field of 323 parkrunners.

 

Michael 18.48 MV50

Stephen 20.12 JM 14

Verna 23.20 FV45

 

On Sunday 21st October we headed over to Slough for the Black Park Duathlon run by West Drayton MTB. This time I was wearing my Vegan Runners vest. It was 5k run – 20k MTB – 5k run on very soggy ground.

 

The running through the woods was brilliant but I knew from the practice ride through that the MTB course was quite technical for me. It was fairly flat but at every opportunity the course planners took you off the main trails and into twisty single track with lumps and bumps, roots and ruts, dips and holes and streams and MUD! The four laps were testing mentally too and by lap 2 the male riders in the open category were passing me. I hung in there though (as did Stephen and Michael) and was pleased to get off the bike and back on two feet for the second 5k. I was cheered on by some “Go Vegan” shouts and finished in 2:19. Michael managed 2.12 and Stephen was the family champion in 2:09. The male open winner finished in 1.30.

 

I was really rather chuffed to pass a runner in the last 200m and this gave me 2nd place in FV40 category. My £25.00 prize money neatly covered my entry fee so a free day out and vegan Gu gels in the goodie bag – what could be better?

  

Verna Burgess