"C" is for... Crane Park

05.10.19 - #10 Crane Park - Cranes, Planes & Automobiles (with dodgy satnavs!)

For my letter "C" I chose to travel south to Crane Park, in the western Twickenham/Feltham area (or "Fuzzy Feltham" as it's known in my house!). Located in south-west London, this suburban park lies near the Middlesex/Surrey border and is looked after by the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames.

I don't know anyone who has run this course so it was a bit of a mystery to me but that has never stopped me before, in my quest to run new and different parkruns, so I was excited to see what Crane had to offer. What I did find out beforehand was that Crane is another flat and fast course which is great news while my ankle is recovering.

I set an early alarm and allowed plenty of time to get there but, despite my best-laid plans, Crane parkrun very nearly didn't happen for me... 

Being unfamiliar with the area, I relied on my satnav to get me there but the postcode I used brought me to a housing estate, which didn't seem at all right...little did I know that, on the other side of the fence, just behind the houses, was the parkrun's starting point.

With no parkrun signs or paraphernalia in sight and no immediately obvious route in to the park, I decided that I must be in the wrong place. (It definitely wouldn't be the first time my Satnav thought it knew best and sent me in completely the wrong direction!)

Not realising how close I actually was, I drove around a bit more, desperately looking for telltale signs that I'd found the place...you know...people in lycra, a few in apricot or milestone t-shirts with barcodes on wrists, maybe a few hi-vis bibs here and there and, if you're lucky, also a few generous people carrying celebratory cakes...that kind of thing! I reprogrammed my Satnav to take me to the opposite side of the park as time was ticking on and it seemed a better bet.

From the other side of the park, in a different residential estate, I could see a couple of alleyways signposted as cuts through to Crane Park. I was convinced that I was now in the right place and I really needed to be - parkrun started in 25 minutes and I had to find the right location quickly or I'd risk putting my schedule right out.

With friends & family due to join me at future parkruns and my itinerary practically set in stone I was really under pressure to run this course and it had to be TODAY!

Entering the park it immediately became apparent that the starting point wasn't visible from that section of the park. This definitely wasn't one of those large, open field, kind of parks where you can pretty much see all the way across, from boundary to boundary. My phone app sent me into quite an enclosed space with a vast amount of trees all around and it really wasn't obvious which of the various paths I needed to take.

Now don't get me wrong, I love trees - all types of trees - but at this precise moment I could've quite happily deleted every last tree from the landscape in front of me as I simply couldn't see the parkrun for the trees!

Having unfortunately left my 'parkrun-locating drone/periscope/complex series of mirrors' at home, I couldn't see a single person dressed in anything remotely resembling running gear so I soon realised I was still completely lost!

Thankfully some local dog walkers came to my rescue. I asked if they knew where parkrun started and I was so relieved to hear that they were familiar with this weekly event (or "The Joggers" as they called it!)

I can only assume that the Crane parkrunners are very considerate to other park users because these walkers were so helpful and sent me off in the right direction. Phew!

They warned me to get a wriggle on though, as it was still quite a distance away and they could see I was up against it...which, to be fair, sent my panic levels soaring again and realising it was touch and go, whether or not I'd make it by 9am, I promptly forgot their directions and still managed to go the wrong way...again!

Suddenly I was winding my way through narrow paths in dense woodland which turned out to be the London Wildlife Trust's Nature Reserve, which sits on a little island within the Park. 

There were loads of squirrels scampering about and noisy, green parakeets chirping away, flitting about from tree to tree (well-known inhabitants of this area), but there wasn't a single runner in sight and the clock was ticking. By now there was only about 15 minutes to go but I still wasn't exactly sure how far away I was from the action. Eeeeeeeek!

Tick..tock....tick..tock...I was acutely aware of the minutes and seconds counting down and felt like Kiefer Sutherland's character, Jack Bauer, in the TV show "24", frantically searching the woodland and trying to avert a major disaster!

Although this wasn't a matter of life and death (unlike the fictional drama), I did still really want to get Crane parkrun completed today, with an official parkrun time, so I set off in the only direction I hadn't yet tried. Stressed and desperate, I had just about enough presence of mind to realise that, by a process of elimination, this simply had to be the right way!

 En route I happened to see a lady sitting down at what turned out to be the parkrun finish area and she turned out to be a lovely parkrun volunteer. (MAJOR PHEW!!!) She pointed me in the right direction and at last I was on the right track...literally!

By now I'd started seeing other runners and felt a lot happier but 9am was still rapidly approaching. A big part of this challenge is raising awareness. Of course I could just run without any special mention but ideally I wanted to talk to the Run Director, Katrina, before the start to try and get a shout-out -  to make the most of my run by shining a light on Multiple Sclerosis and the MS Society charity I'm raising funds for.

I was feeling very hot, bothered and out of breath from my most unusual warm-up i.e. darting about like the proverbial fly (the one with a blue bum!!!), around every possible inch of the park, exploring every network of paths in a not-so-mild state of panic and cranking up my heart-rate a fair few notches in the process!

Eventually I spotted the starting point (woop woop!!!) by the children's playground on the other side of the park, over the River Crane....basically in the opposite corner of the park to where I'd entered it.

I found the RD along with a queue of runners, all ready to go, and an army of Volunteers and bibbed pacemakers. They have pacers running on the first parkrun of every month, I believe.

I was so relieved to see the RD I could quite easily have run over and given her a massive hug but thankfully I still had some composure left...I'm not sure she would've appreciated that kind of introduction from a complete stranger!

Red-cheeked and more than a little flustered, I explained my challenge super-quickly with barely a minute to spare. I wasn't sure how much sense I'd made but thankfully the lovely RD seemed to get the gist and she gave me a mention in the main briefing. I was hugely grateful!

179 of us lined up - some running, some walking - but not many tourists today so predominantly locals (i.e. fortunate people who knew exactly where to go!) and off we went. 

As we set off I glanced over to my left and to my horror I saw the very fence that I was just the other side of about 30 minutes ago! Relieved to be on my way, this realisation made me smile as I got into my running rhythm after a slow, walking start. Now I could actually enjoy the park.

Crane Park is a nice, flat course but it's not just nice because it's flat, it's nice because it's a beautiful park and a lovely green and leafy oasis within the suburbia of Greater London. 

Despite this beauty spot being located in a fairly built-up area, once inside the park you can easily forget where you are, especially in the older parts, as the trees are so tall, dense and well established that, for the most part, you can barely see the buildings beyond them...

...mind you, you will probably be reminded that you're not far from Heathrow Airport when your moments of mindfulness and tranquil reflection are interrupted by a low-flying Dreamliner or Airbus overhead!

I'm sure you get used to them but the Crane parkrun team no doubt have their work cut out, trying to brief the runners and get their voices heard over the roar of large aircraft engines which are so close I wondered if they would actually clear the trees! (I'm happy to report that they all did, so please don't let that put you off!!!)

The pathways are a mixture of gravel trails and tarmac paths. If you have any early overtaking to do you'll find the grassy edges slightly uneven underfoot but it's not a problem as the course opens up as the runners thin out a bit.

As the start of the course is so far away from the finish, once the runners and tailwalkers are safely away, the RD and any volunteers at the starting point have to quickly grab everything (parkrun kit and runner's belongings etc) and cart it all over to the finish...pronto!

All part of the service, apparently - absolute superstars! 😊

It's a one and a half lap course, taking you around this park of historical interest - it used to be home to the Hounslow Gunpowder Works which opened in the late 1760s, relics of which are still present today.

A feature of the course is the striking structure known as The Shot Tower (built 1828), situated on the river bank, with old millstones laid out in front.

Although the course doesn't take you into the nature reserve on the small island by the Tower, it's worth mentioning that it attracts all sorts of wildlife - Marsh Frogs, Water Voles, Kingfishers, Woodpeckers and various Damselflies & Dragonflies. It looks like a nice little spot to explore, especially in Summer.

There were quite a few dog walkers around the course but I didn't see any runners with dogs today (not sure if this particular parkrun allows them?) It is an ideal course for dedicated, hardcore, buggy pushers though and I did see a few of those today. I have no idea how people manage to run 5k pushing buggies, even on flat terrain, but I do have a lot of respect for them.

At two points, just in case you had forgotten where you were, you briefly leave the park, out on to the main road. As you'd hope, a few strategically placed volunteers are on hand around the course to point you in the right direction and cheer you on. 

My running felt better today and much easier than last week - the mid-week Cross-Training sessions at the gym seem to be paying off....yay!

My Garmin is really coming in handy too and, according to Strava, I seemed to have a lower average heart rate and a faster speed at Crane Park, which shows my improving fitness (pretty surprising really, considering my stressful start to the morning!)

I'm still some way off my pre-accident parkrun PB but I'm so glad to be regaining some form and making strides (quite literally!) to hopefully get back to my former fitness and strength soon, fingers-crossed.

I'm quite new to the Strava app but finding it very informative and interesting to check out the stats, which is a bit of a surprise to be honest...I never thought I'd become one of those runners!

Crane's finish line is hidden, just off the main track, so being new to the course I didn't realise I was there until I ran around (what was to be) the final bend and it was suddenly right upon us! Due to the concrete path the funnel is a series of coloured markers laid out on the ground - no tape or posts to watch out for, so eyes down!

With my barcode scanned I stayed by the finish, clapping the other runners over the finish line as faster-finishers had done for me. A fellow runner asked me about my challenge after noticing my very bright t-shirt. (He wasn't wearing sunglasses so I hope his eyes have recovered now!)

I felt I should thank the RD, Katrina, for her effort in trying to explain what I was doing there, with the very limited information I managed to blurt out, pre-run. She was lovely and friendly and when I explained the whole 'Spell-it-Out' concept afterwards it apparently made a lot more sense!....

...I explained how Crane had provided the letter "C" in Multiple Sclerosis. She kindly took some photos and promised to mention my challenge on their facebook page.

Katrina stayed true to her word and my details have since been posted...sharing is caring, as they say, so a big thank you to all!

After showing my appreciation for the warm and friendly welcome they'd given me on the day, I stayed in the park a bit longer to take a few more pictures of the lovely park setting. I could appreciate my surroundings a lot more now - now that I was relaxed, listening to the birds singing and feeling like I had all the time in the world as the post-parkrun, natural endorphins kicked in.

Thank you, Crane parkrun. At one point I wasn't sure that I'd get to take part at your event but it all turned out nicely in the end - lovely course, lovely people and well worth a look...just make sure that, before you set off, you suss out exactly where the course starts & finishes, where the entrances are and (if you're driving) where you should park!


Have you ever run Crane parkrun? What did you think of it?
Can you recommend any other parkruns which take place in an interesting setting?...With a quirky or historical background?

I'd love to know what you think.... Please leave a comment below, even if just to say Hi!

Next up: LLOYD PARK!

Please click here for my Just Giving page - raising funds for the MS Society charity

https://www.parkrun.org.uk/crane/