Having run a number of events in the north of the East of England recently, I wanted to attend an event in the south of the region this week. While Thurrock is slightly further south, it is also slightly easier to access from the M25, and so Basildon seemed like a great option for this week's activities!
The area
The town of Basildon was created from the combination of the four smaller villages which were joined together to form a new town after the conclusion of World War 2, with the name being inherited from the most central of the villages. The town is a popular location for London commuters to live owing to it's simple access to the financial district of London, while at the same time, the town has a strong heavy industry presence owing to government grants provided to businesses to move to the area.
Northlands Park was created by the local council in the 1970s on the site of former farmland, creating the two lakes and hills as part of the flood relief programme during the development of the two neighbouring residential areas.
The course
The route traces three laps over a mixture of surfaces including tarmac, gravel, trail and grass, mostly around the perimeter of the park, and taking in views of both lakes.
Toilets, free parking and a cafe are all located within the park.
The run
It was a cool and blustery start to the day today, but fortunately, it was dry! Upon arrival, I was immediately reminded of Stevenage parkrun, with the lakes providing a focal from the car park, and for the remainder of the event!
Having taken a few weeks of recovery/rest time where I had reduced my volume significantly, it was really evident how much fitness I had lost, as there were no excuses on such a fast route. I plan on starting my next training block in the next few weeks, and runs like this will help to provide a measure of my fitness over the next few weeks!
Thank you to all of the volunteer team for a great event!
