Today I achieved my goal of running 1,000 kms – that’s 621 miles in old money – in a year. More than from Land’s End to John O’Groats or indeed the other way which, at least, is downhill!
I completed the last 5k this morning just as the snow began to fall. Mrs Jones acted as pacemaker and motivator, I needed her there to drag me over the line Brownlee brother style if I collapsed with a 100 metres to go.
In my head I waved to the cheering spectators Steve Ovett style as I rounded the final bend. There was bunting, banners, flags and a tickertape welcome as I crossed the line in a respectable but slightly disappointing 30 minutes and five seconds.
Mo Farah was on hand to slap me on the back and to ask me how I’d managed the feat at the grand old age of 60 particularly following this year’s cancellation of parkrun. I then made my way to the medal podium, high-fiving other Olympians such as Daley Thompson, Steve Cram and home town hero Dave Moorcroft.
There stood Seb Coe waiting to award me my medal, soon the national anthem started to play and I watched the Union Flag rising catching the wind to waft majestically while I tried to suppress a patriotic tear.
OK, none of that happened though I did buy myself a celebratory Greggs sausage batch, as we call them in these parts, and a Salted Caramel Latte. Most of my runs took me past this Greggs and the distinctive breakfast smell lifted my spirits as I powered through the final two kilometres.
Today’s milestone is right up there in the pantheon of Brian Jones’ sporting achievements. Highlights of 60 years of endeavour include:
- Scoring a maximum 180 in darts, sadly no one witnessed it as I was practising alone. I had so many goes that a monkey throwing darts randomly would have eventually achieved the same feat!
- A snooker break of 24 involving six consecutive pots
- Completing video games Sonic the Hedgehog, Asteroids and Space Invaders
- Reaching the final of a Table Football tournament while at University
- Being quite good at WordFeud
Somewhat more athletic achievements included:
- Ski-ing a red run without falling over after about a hundred attempts
- Ending up in the top group of a tennis doubles tournament
- Winning more games than I lost in the county summer tennis doubles league 7W
- Being crowned champion, yes champion, of a Center Parcs tennis tournament.
Running though is more my thing:
- Earlier this year I ran a 10k in a decent time
- Completing 49 parkruns. Been waiting nearly a year for the big 50.
- Running a half-marathon many years ago in about two hours, 20 minutes. In truth I was nearly last and for about two miles felt like I had lost the power of forward propulsion and was effectively running on the spot!
Topping all of that is today’s achievement. What next I ask myself.