Running and photographing with the
FA at
St Georges Park was today's task and waking with what felt like hayfever coming on that was not going to be an easy task. I don't get hayfever, why am i getting it this year? Stupid pollen!
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| cameras and Kalenji's |
I'd kitted up the night before so i would be rushing about this morning but inevitably i still ran out of time and i was rushing. This was the first time I'd needed camera gear and running kit for the same venue on the same day and there seemed to be way too many bags. A quick check... Fuji kit bag? check... Canon body - lens - extender?... check. Monopod?... check. trainers?... check. shower gel, towel?... check. T-shirt for signing? ... yes yes check. That's everything, oh hang on running gear... where has that gone... ah, I'm wearing it! in that case i need a change of clothes..... right that's everything i think. I arrived at the park in Burton on Trent at about 11.30am and considering all the signage on the way and the satnav the entrance came as a surprise to me and i nearly missed the turn. Standard.
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| driving the long drive up to the car park at SGP |
Parking in the 'additional parking area' was about as far away from the entrance to the Football Centre as i could get it turned out, so getting over to reception wearing all the bags was an interesting walk. i signed in and watched people arrive outside wearing running gear while i drained the water cooler, more and more arrived until there was at least 10 runners warming up outside the entrance to the centre. Wow! that's a great turn out. Unbeknown to me the FA staff are an enthusiastic bunch and Jenny Morley (Senior FA Tutor Workforce Coordinator) was one of the best organisers, she is the girl you contact first if you want something sorting, so it looks as if we had struck gold.
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| Kalenji and me waiting in reception |
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| Waiting for runners to arrive |
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| Jenny briefing us on the route |
My involvement with the FA started a few years ago when Craig Lee (Football Development Officer at the Nottinghamshire FA) came along to one of my beginners photography workshops. We had a chat about what he was hoping to achieve with his new knowledge after the session had finished, but just before he left he suggested that there may well be opportunities for me to help out with projects from time to time. As he left i felt quite positive about the chance meeting until i realised i called him 'Lee' not Craig as he left! Great now i look like a prat, that's the last time i hear from him. Well as it turned out that wasn't the case and since then i have spent quite a bit of time working with them on various projects, one of my favourites being the Notts FA annual Awards.
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| the last FA awards |
When planning who to get on side for help with the 5k a day challenge the Notts FA we always top of my list but to my surprise they contacted me first, I arranged a meeting with them at the hospice one Friday afternoon at the end of January, just a few days after the challenge began. A potential run at St Georges park was one of the things to come out of the meeting, Craig was confident he could reach the right person to help us organise something and that person was Jenny Morley. Jenny had left no stone unturned and had been able to persuade about 18 people to give up a lunch break and run a 5k. As well as that she had organised a small road block, marshals at critical points on the route, a golf buggy or two and she had even run the route that morning to make sure she measured it out correctly.
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| Road block |
We were about to set off when i realised my watch hadn't found its satellite signal so i asked for a slight pause while it 'had a think'.
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| still talking routes.... I'm lost! |
After way to long it was suggested that the building was perhaps sheltering the device and once we were clear of the structure it would find me and sure enough it did. i settled in to quite a fast pace so after a while we were in 3 groups with quite a gap between us all, feeling a twang of guilt, i hung back with the trailing few and helped them along and then sprinted up to the middle group. It was my fault these people were running today, the least i could do was chat to them. after a while i tried a go at getting back up to the leaders, no chance, I'll stick to the middle now, I'd gone the wrong way once already. We were cheered and applauded to the finish by the leaders but unfortunately my watch read 4.2k so i had to continue on, i didn't want to have to run later like i did after the Erewash 5k just to make 5km. The guy running with me offered to keep me company for the 'extra' bit and we ended up running 5.5km. See the route.
i have to say i was extremely pleased and impressed with everything i saw and was involved with today and i really couldn't believe the effort that had gone in to it. I showered and changed and i was ready to be photography Andy instead.
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| outside the football centre |
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| top advice |
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| The FA toilets... heads will roll! |
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| Loved this, was outside the centre on the wall |
I will be photographing this years Notts FA awards evening as usual. but i will be donating all of my fee to the challenge. We are also hoping to get a bit of publicity on the night as well as organising another run later in the year, but his time somewhere more local.
Thank you to Craig and Jenny and everyone involved in the run at SGP and whatever is to come.
Have a look at why I'm doing this challenge on the hospice website
Thank you
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