Why?

[IcanandIwill]

Why when I can now run 6.2 did I have to stop and walk half way through a 3.1 park run route yesterday?

[Spongecake7 Graduate10]

Lots of running is about mental attitude. Your head is telling you it's time to walk. The gremlins always know when to resurface!

[GoogleMe Graduate10]

Random quirks of the universe probably. Some sub-clinical bug or head-mess or being subtly too hot/cold/underhydrated etc going on possibly. Setting out too fast possibly.

Embrace the lesson in not taking your achievements for granted! (Easier said than done... and having a moan helps anyway)

[JaySeeSkinny Graduate10]

Very strange isn't it? There is no rhyme or reason to these things. But don't beat yourself up, run/walk is a perfectly valid way of getting round and if it's planned it doesn't even slow you down.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate10]

Did you start off too fast? It's easy to get carried along with the other runners...

[IcanandIwill]

Just home. 33.34 no stopping. Proud but I was sucking air from China!

[misswobble Graduate10]

5k is a tough thing to do at speed as you have to hit the ground running which is why we have trouble. No time to fit it all in before the darned thing's over. Usain only has to run for 9 seconds!

I am so slow to warm up and am much happier at longer distances where you have more time to warm up, find your run rhythm, hit your stride, have salad, read a book 😀

Next time you will probably be fine 🙂

[GoogleMe Graduate10 in reply to misswobble]

I am thinking I would like to see proof of salad and book... bet you can produce it an' all, given time.

[Sandraj39 Graduate10 in reply to misswobble]

I have never run with salad and a book - is this a new craze I should be trying??😉

[IcanandIwill in reply to Sandraj39]

Not too sure about that one. Maybe eat healthy and relax.

I just had a chippy. Opps.

[ancientrunner Graduate10]

It happens - don't even give it another thought!

[Bazza1234 Graduate10]

A PB over any distance is just that - a "personal best". And a true personal best can only come from an all-out, gut wrenching "race" - one where you almost throw up at the end and where you really do stand the chance of hurting yourself somewhere somehow. Now you can have a PB that does not involve this - but it will not be your true PB - only your best so far. One of the weaknesses (in my opinion ) of parkrun is that i seems to have an ethos (for some people) of constantly striving for PB's each week. And I am certain that is why I see so many injuries. There is a 5K training programme here the5krunner.com/2014/07/14/... where one of the training days is in fact a 5K run at parkrun - to be run SLOWER than your most recent PB. And you only "go for it" at parkrun every month or two.

I am wondering if you have been pushing yourself too much - I have also occasionally abandoned ship during a parkrun and it has always been because I was just too tired or running under particularly adverse conditions that I don't enjoy (like 35+C in summer)