Took part in my first ever 5 km run

This was a red-letter day in my life. As you are aware, I have been gymming - a bit irregularly, though, since the past 8 days. Today, I went to my first-in-lifetime long distance run. This was the 5 km "Fun Run" organised by the Blackpool Trust Hospital. Proceeds from the entry charges (GBP 5 per person) would go to a charity called "Blue Skies" that operates from our hospital. The run was organised at the Stanley Park, where I reached after a near-2 km walk from the hospital. I had registered earlier, but I had to receive my shirt number (I was given # 23) and pay my fees. The organisers were pretty encouraging when I told them of my complete inexperience in running such long distances. 

In any case, we assembled in the open area outside the registration office for a warm-up and pre-run instructions. Today was an extremely wet and windy morning, and we were all commended for even turning up (nearly 40% of those who had registered did not turn up). Before the run started, I got someone to click a few pictures of mine. 

I began my run at a slow pace, and stayed behind most runners, as the professionals ran quickly while I lagged behind. On the way, I had to slow down to a walk quite frequently, but, to their credit, the race marshals who manned the entire route were extremely encouraging and even clapped as I hobbled past them. My companions were a couple whose wife seemed a bit fit, but whose husband, like me, or a little worse than me, could not cope with the run just like me. In the end, we all were the last 3 people to finish the race, but finish we did. At one point, we almost stopped to admire the water body and look at the row of cormorants that sat on a wooden stile. Here, the hubby from the couple obliged me by taking a "running photo" of me. 

I clocked 45 minutes, and was welcomed by the entire organising team with a salvo of claps and cheering as I reached the finish line. It felt very good. One of the organisers came forward to shake hands with me, and pretty soon, almost all the people there were shaking hands and congratulating me. I was met by an organiser who put a medal around me neck. I requested the guy who had taken my earlier pictures to shoot a few more, and these were the photos he shot: 

Here is a snapshot of the certificate I received and the medal that was put around me. 

My certificate and the medal

It was, all in all, a very satisfying morning, although the inclement weather tried its best to derail my plans. I walked back another nearly 2 km to my home in the hospital. Thus, I actually walked nearly 9 km in the course of the long morning. 

Just before I left the park, I visited the Park Cafe, a somewhat expensive cafe located in the park itself. Here, I had a "sea-food bucket" and a cappuccino. Both items were delicious!

A view of the Park Cafe

Both the tartar and the sweet sauce were delectable!

Prawns and fish

After reaching home, I simply rested for the rest of the day as the wind continued to howl outside my glass windows ...