Getting tough here!

[Bazza1234]

WE had a long hot spell in the last two weeks of January and it looks like continuing well into February. Not only is it hot/humid but we haven't been getting any short breaks from it!!! I am currently training for a HM in April - still a few months away but my training plan involves longruns every two weeks with a goal race pace run of half the previous weeks longrun during the intervening weeks. Last week I did a 14 K run - so yesterday was a 7K run at goal race pace. Up until two years ago I had run a 14K race and a HM at 7:30 mins per k. The 14K race was very early in the piece and I had barely finished C25K and the HM was during the following year, so I thought that running 21.1K at my previous 14K pace was a sign of improvement. Moving on to last year, I trained for another HM to be run at 7:30 pace - but surprised myself by running it at 7:00 mins per k. Now most of this is quite irrelevant in that I don't really care much now about race times - I have done under 30 mins for 5K parkrun once and under 2hours 30 mins for the HM once - so I have no desire to lower those times. However I guess it is fair to say that I would like to be able to do those times again some time in the future. So I have been now training to run 7:00 in my upcoming HM. Yesterday , at sunrise 5AM , it was 28C and silly 85% humidity. I managed to do my 7K @ 7:00 mins pace as per the plan - but I was fairly well finished at the end. I think I am going to have to dial back my goal for this HM in April!!!!

[Sandraj39 Graduate10]

Bazza, you are a champion for being able to run at all in those temperatures! I know we wilt as soon as we get a couple of decent days here in england, but seriously - it is so tough on the body in the temperatures you run in. So to be training for a HM - hat's off to you and masses of respect!☺

[Madge50 Graduate10]

Bazza.....is that you leaving a message on Cambridge parkrun's page? If so, me and my other half will certainly be up for meeting you there......oh and by the way, no issues with parking, but the park, which is a charity charges £2.50 per car......

Mx

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to Madge50]

yes - that is me. I have 5 parkruns to go to while in the UK in May/June - the first 4 including nearby hotels are settled - just waiting to hear form some friends around Portsmouth who we are staying with for a few days before I continue booking the rest of the hotels - planning at this stage to stay in Cambridge and go to the Cambridge parkrun, but not settled yet. . I am aware of the difficulties re parking in the UK - but now with Google Maps it can all be planned out beforehand and not have to drive around not knowing where the carparks are I was looking at he size of the carpark on Maps and thinking -- 500 runners???

[Madge50 Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

They'll always get everyone in, and as there is a big supermarket nearby (within 5 mins walking -many park there for free - Milton Tesco's) but our parking income is important for the charity for maintenance of the park.

Anyway, we may well be about, so it would be lovely to meet you, yes the biggest number to date was 558, might be more today as one of the other local runs has cancelled....it's ok, some of the paths are a bit narrow, you and I are about the same pace, we will be lapped on one part, but other than that it's fine - and flat! 😄

Mx

[Curlygurly2 Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

Ooh, I may well be home in June....