Worthing parkrun: Find out how our Sussex columnist got on in the 5k seafront run and her time at One Garden Brighton and Sheffield Park

But life and possibly a lack of enthusiasm to be up and out the door early on a Saturday when we don’t have other plans have always got in the way. Until now, that is…

A week ago Saturday, I decided it was finally time to join the hundreds of people who pound the pavements together.

The weather forecast was good, I had no plans Friday night or Saturday morning, so I registered myself and got ready to head on down. And as I opened the front door, the heavens opened. Doh! I had to stand there for five minutes, waiting for a torrential downpour to stop – that wasn’t part of the plan! It meant I had to hurry down to the start line, just near to Crab Shack and Splash Point, but thankfully I still made it in time.

Despite the fact running a 5k isn’t really a challenge for me (that’s not meant to sound quite so boastful, I run 5k three times a week), I felt a bit nervous. I think the thought of running in front of so many people, many of whom looked like serious competitors, was a little daunting. I stood next to a lovely couple of ladies who run the Horsham event regularly and were taking part in their second Worthing run (hi, if you’re reading this!). They explained the process to me, and it really put me at ease.

There was a welcome and briefing, and it turned out I’d chosen to make my inaugural run at the 250th Worthing parkrun. Some people there were celebrating having competed in more than 200 of them, but like me, there were a couple of newbies, too.

A bit of safety info (mention of defibrillators is slightly unnerving, but really good to know they’re available should the worst happen to someone) and we were off. Hmmmm, who turned on the wind? My image of running along the seafront was that it would be a gentle, picturesque jaunt up the prom and back, resulting in me smashing my previous personal best of 24mins 50secs thanks to a lack of roads to cross and flat terrain.

What actually happened was there was a headwind that made it feel like I was running into a storm. In reality, it was probably just a bit of a breeze, but it made the first 2.5k more tiring than I’d imagined. However, the enthusiastic support of the volunteer marshals and the fact I was part of a collective effort with a shared goal really kept me going at a decent pace.

I almost teared up when people cheered us on along the route (see previous columns for further evidence I’m a complete sap, and that everything makes me cry) – it was just such a nice experience. In the end, I crossed the line in 26mins 15secs. I’d hoped for faster, but with the wind I think it was okay. I came 169th out of 451 competitors, but it possibly sounds more impressive if I say I was the 19th woman home, or that I came third in my age group. I’ll take that!

I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner. I’ll definitely be back to take part again. Proof, if I ever need reminding, that it’s so worth trying something new, or facing a new challenge.

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The lack of column last week was down to the fact I had a week off work. We managed a quick trip to Wales to visit my husband’s family, including a lovely, if not a bit windy, walk on the beautiful beach at Caswell Bay.

Closer to home, I took the children, along with a friend and her son, to do the Hallowe’en trail at One Gardens Brighton. None of us had been there before, but it was a lovely afternoon. The kids loved exploring the walled gardens and we loved having a nice coffee from the café! We also went to Sheffield Park to enjoy the stunning autumn colours on display – along with half of Sussex, it felt like. But despite the crowds, it was still a lovely day out, even if it did feel slightly surreal wandering around in 21 degree ‘heat’ at the end of October.

A free meal at Pitch, to review Kenny Tutt’s charity doughnuts, a Hallowe’en party and a Sunday spent doing mounds of homework and washing rounded off the weekend. Nothing like household chores to quickly get you back to reality after a week off!