Hazards of the jog

10:59am Friday 18th July 2008

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I sure was braving the elements when I went for my final training run before the mighty 5km this Saturday.

It was one of those moments when my "fight or flight" instinct was put to use - do I power through the slight breeze and impending drizzle or do I retreat through the security of my front door and settle back on the couch?

A small break in the rain clinched the deal and I ventured out under an ominous sky.

The park is an obvious choice for joggers to avoid scary things like London traffic, but it holds a few hazards of its own.

Within a 100m stretch, I found myself weaving around a small child on a runaway bicycle, a posse of teenagers too staunch to move out of my way, and two weird-looking sausage-type dogs, probably too tiny to do much harm, but you can never be too careful. Not to mention the dog poop/faeces/excrement/mess, or whatever local authorities call it these days.

Let's remember, these are not ordinary shoes strapped to my feet, they deserve only the best terrain. It's lucky this park is not a workplace, it would be an 'elf and safety inspector's nightmare. To be fair, there are always crews of workers dealing to trees and picking up rubbish, which must escalate over the summer months.

Hopefully there won't be too many hazards in the Race for Life in Regents Park this weekend - apart from the 4,999 other runners, that is.

Wish me luck.