Saturday 17 August 2013

Park Run - Chasing A PB

Hello blog lovers.

I am desperately trying to get a PB on my Parkrun time.  I must have been on some sort of mission when I accomplished my last PB, 33 minutes and something! I will need to check what is was when I receive my email later confirming my time.

Today was going to be the day! I really want to get somewhere close to it at least (see already being a defeatist).  I just have to be really tough on myself, push myself hard. But....(oh blimey, book of excuses coming out) it is warm, and that wind is a bit yuck, and they did say it may rain.....although that would be good!  I think I need to start off thinking positive thoughts from the very beginning!  Running with my mind as well as this old body of mine!

Of course I didn't do that today, I was already beating myself up that I wasn't going to do it.  And then on the way to the park I trawled through the book again and came up with two more excuses of why it may not happen today, I cycled yesterday for 10 miles on the B-iatch, and I am cycling to the park now, and that's only so that I can meet the Old Boy for brekkie at the Old Village café, a nice cuppa and bacon sarnie!

I arrived there and saw some running mates.  I saw Helen as well, she is one of the people that inspires me to keep on running, a great athlete, and I hope to be able to continue to run as she does when I have said good by to my 60's. Its always good to see some running mates, mind you Norman Park is usually packed with PWR's. but also Brian, from So Let's Go Running Mag decided to give Normans Parkrun a run ('scuse pun, very much intended).  It is two laps of the park, doing this 'B' shape of the park, and if his knee gave him any gip then he can easily just walk over to where the finishing tunnel is and enjoy a cuppa instead.

We had the announcements and then SingStarJo (how I have missed writing her name - heal quickly Jo X) started the run.  I decided to start from the front today, I know I am going to be passed by most of the field, but I just want to get that initial first bit done.  It was a quick start, maybe I shouldn't have looked at my Garmin, I think next time I will keep it showing my heart rate instead, that way I won't be obsessed with the pace and just look at how hard I am working out! Maybe that is another strategy I need to do.

Brian was next to me at the start, but I kind of flew off, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep that pace going,  I was hoping to 'trick' my body, get as far as a I can before it realised just how far I had gone before it decides to collapse on me!  Maybe the Thursday core and strength sessions will have done some good for me.  These were the thoughts going through my head as I completed the first half of the lap. Just then Brian caught up with me.  He had found his stride, sorted out his breathing and could chat away to me.  The thought we were going at a good pace, but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it going. The next minute he was pulling away!  He was on a mission!

I kept up a reasonable pace but I started to struggle a bit, I knew I took off too quick. I should stick to my usual thing of easing into a run. It's only two laps, I should just stick to what I normally do!  I remembered when I first done this park run, I really did struggle and it seemed a long way.  But now I was thinking, "Good, I'm on the first long straight"  My first park run I was thinking "Blimey, I've not even reached the start yet"  So I think there is some improvement.  I kept looking back as well, I wanted to see how many people were behind me, and there were, which kept my morale up.

The first lap done, and for the life of me I can't remember if I was overtaken by the fast runners.  Surely I must have been. Usually they are steaming past me, you can hear them as their feet hit the gravel or thump on the grass, their breathing heavy yet very controlled.  Was it that I was just concentrating to much on my own run?

The second lap started and I was feeling good, if a little tired.  The excuses crept into my mind, the bike ride yesterday, the bike ride to get here, the two pints of beer I had last night at the pub, not to mention dinner at 'Big Als' ....(also with a couple of Bud's) mmmm, yes, maybe next time I chase a PB I need to be a bit more disciplined the day before!

I couldn't see anyone I know in front of me or behind me,  I had my eye on 'my race' she had overtook me at the river, I kept her in front of me as I just paced myself, not letting her get to far ahead, staying at her pace.  She was going a tad slow, I was catching her up fairly quickly, so I decided to pass her and then choose another race. 

I couldn't believe how quickly this run was going, already on the long straight again.  I can push it a little bit more, I tried but I stopped running (again) I took a bit of a breather, I checked my Garmin, I could do this if I push it just a bit harder "Come on old Girl, move your arse, you can do this if you move"  the penultimate left turn, I was looking ahead for my race, but then I decided that I was just going to run, not chase anyone, not look for my race,  just go for it,  me and that damn clock!

 I decided to switch the Garmin to read Heart Rate,  I didn't want to see the seconds ticking away, I didn't want to become disillusioned. I didn't want to see I wasn't going to get a PB  "Come on Old girl" a voice called out from the people walking back to their cars, it was Spider, he had finished his race.  I could see the tunnel ahead of me, "just push a little harder, come on, come on" I thought and I started sprinting a bit more, "That's it, a sprint finish" cried out SingstarJo, she was doing the timer today, I picked it up just a little bit more through the tunnel, switched off my Garmin collected my token.....and breathed!  Just then I got a waft of something not very nice, obviously someone had tried even harder than me to get around quick and had thrown up somewhere.  It almost had me running for the bushes! 

I checked my Garmin..............DAMN AND BLAST! it read..... well take a look and see what it read!



Missed out on my PB!  Still, at least I still have the challenge for next time! Oh and by the way, Brian thinks he is onto a PB, being as it's only his second Park run, there's a good chance of that, and Helen did her's in 42 minutes and something.  Fantastic efforts, well done! 

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