Tag: Park Run

Park Run Progress!

I have not written about my training progress for a while but it has been quietly proceeding in the background. My social life has gotten in the way for the last few weeks but this last Saturday I managed to squeeze in a Park Run at Temple Newsam. One of my targets for this quarter was to get a Park Run PB there so I really had my sights set on it.

On the morning I was feeling ok but the rain was coming down hard. I could feel the grip on the tarmac was going while I warmed up so conditions were not ideal. My previous PB was 21:10 so I knew what I had to beat. I was fortunate for the presence of a 21 min pacer who I could use to my advantage.

Started off in the middle of the pack, struggling to get around other runners. By the time we had descended the first steep hill I had let loose a bit and managed to make my way to the top 10 group, and I was actually ahead of the 21 min pacer.

Towards the end of the first lap, going up the big hill, I was really starting to feel it. I am usually strong on hills and try to take advantage of that, but today I really felt like I was plodding and was overtaken – crucially by the 21 minute pacer.

Disheartened but not yet ready to surrender, I gritted my teeth and fought to stay with him. Every time he seemed to get away from me I found the force to regain the lost ground. Coming to the end of the second lap I was frequently checking my watch and I could tell it was going to be close. The 21 min pacer was about 10 seconds in front of me, which put me exactly at my previous best time.

Passing through the rhododendrons the 21 min pacer, still ahead of me, shouted back that he was ahead of time and if we pushed we could beat 21. This was exactly what I needed to hear and I put in all the power I could for the last hundred meters. Collapsing over the finish line in the rain, I stopped my watch but was nervous to check it. When I finally looked down I saw 20:55, beating my PB by 15 seconds!

Training Update week beginning 10th July with Park Run report

cologne_cathedral_rhine_river_bridge_germany_koln_domI was away in Cologne this week but managed not to miss a session. Got a long-ish run (6.5 miles) in before my flight on Monday, then had a cool run along the Rhine on Tuesday morning. Got lost in Cologne and I’m not sure about distance but it was something like 45 minutes of running. Used up my rest day on Weds due to hangover and tiredness (we had done a lot of walking around the city the day before). Flew back on Thurs but sneaked in a short run in the evening. Friday I ran 5 miles with Mum at a slow-to-medium speed.

Saturday morning saw the Park Run in Temple Newsam back to its usual route. It wasn’t raining at the time of the run but the ground was wet, which is not favourable to me because my ankle is still weak from the break. I wasn’t feeling especially strong before the run either.

Started off ok but has a lot of the pack in front of me, including the 22 min pacemaker. Overtook him about 2/3 of the way around the first lap of the two. On the big hill at the end of the first lap I didn’t overtake as strongly as I usually do.

Down the hill at the beginning of the second lap I was overtaken again by the 22 min pacemaker who was blasting it and appeared to be putting in an inconsistent run. Used this as motivation and overtook him and started laying down as much power as I could in the latter half of the lap. Overtook strongly on the final straight past the rhododendrons, passing one guy that I had targeted when he passed me on the first lap.

Came in 15th overall, 9 seconds off my PB. A PB was clearly achievable as running buddies Lisa, Lucy and Pete all got PB’s (and it was Pete’s first run on this course!)