Who Says You Can't Come Home{And Run}Again?

As long as I've know about travelling to Lyon and Worlds todays easy 5 miler aka "a trip down memory lane" has always been in my mind.
Given my mothers close procimity to my former high school and Charlton Park{shame we didn't live so close when I attended St Austin's RC Boys school circa 76-80 eh ma????} this easy 5 miler was kind of a no brainer and so just b4 11am I was out the door and heading down "Memory Lane"

Now granted St Austin's is no longer where it was,I've known that for several years and the old school was turned into flats/appartments but the old playing field where I not only played Soccer,Rugby and ran track is still there......beneath several feet of tall grass,I did numerous laps on that old grass track between 76 and 80 so I felt compelled to swing by "one last time" if even just for "old times sake"

Heading further up the street I made my way to Charlton Park,in some respects where it all began in the summer of 76 and the old "Sports Day" we used to have in high school.
To my considerable chagrin the old cinder track is now long gone,covered over by a grass field,I had hoped maybe it had been replaced by an all weather track but no,more's the pity......another piece of my past gone.

I opted for loops around the old soccer/football pitches,funnily enough this was considered Cross Country running for us in high school,in my mind I could still picture me and my class mates doing loops around while guys bitched about"sir being a dick" for making us do this while a few blokes disapeared behind trees and hedges to puff on an illicit Benson & Hedges ciggie in the hope they wouldn't get caught.......like I said a trip down memory lane.

Next year God willing will be my 40th anniversary for running,said visit down Memory Lane might have had more clout then but I doubt I'll be heading to Perth via Europe for next years Worlds,if I go it will be via South America so better to get this nostalgia trip in now while I can at 39 years rather than not.

Home again after 50 mins to call it 5 miles,next run will be Tuesday in Lyon as I get a "lie of the land" funny how things turn out,39 years ago when I won my Freshmen 400m and 800m golds{and silver in the High Jump} if you'd have told me 39 years later I'd still be running.....muchless compeating at Worlds I may have laughed......I'm not laughing now!