for the slowest 5k ever.
I'm due to do my first ever 10k next week, but I'm finding I'm getting bored with my usual route down the bridleway and back, and it's only 8k, so has needed a loop adding round the park for the last couple of weeks. (Bear in mind that I did the great majority of C25K going round that park, and ended up sick of the sight of its 1.2k circuit. The picture above makes it look lovely, but familiarity certainly breeds contempt!)
"I know ", thought I, "next week I'll take a detour left up Silver Street Lane, go across the fields and hopefully come out near the end of the bridleway, then turn for home." But I've only walked those paths once before and remember getting slightly lost, so thought for my 5k jog today I would do a recce.
So finished work, did some new warm up exercises (found a book in the library, Running Well by Sam Murphy, which has loads of exercises in it), and off I set.
Down the steep dip, up to the very end of Silver Street Lane, into the field and turn left. Over the stile, through a gate and into a huge field, where I remembered to aim for the gap by the oak. Then turn left to the next stile, over and into the next field, where a tractor is trundling up and down spraying out what looks and smells like slurry. Nice. I pick my way round the headland, trying to avoid getting any on my Brooks (I know they're already getting old and tatty, but slurry is a step too far!)
And I realise 2 things. Firstly, this is where I got lost last time, and secondly, I obviously learnt nothing from that, because I am lost again. Left or straight on? And all the while I can feel the tractor driver looking at me and no doubt wondering what I'm up to (or he's hoping I slip in a slurry slick of his making - I would be if I were him!)
Come on then, straight on, over the fence, a stile to the right, another gate and a lovely wide track taking me up the field, over the crest and .... hang on...... what the $#@¥ ..... I'm back in the field at the end of Silver Street Lane. How, in the name of all that's holy did that happen?
I've done a loop, completely lost the bridleway, and lost all sense of direction in the process.
But do you know what? I had an absolute blast! I wasn't aware of my breathing, or aching in my thighs , or the sweat dripping down my back, I just really enjoyed the feeling of being able to run, startling (and being startled by) a host of pheasants, spying a muntjac peering at me through a fence, the breeze on my face, the slurry on my shoes (yep, couldn't avoid it all) ... I could go on.
And yes, I WILL be going that way for my 10k (or some variation of it no doubt). I was slightly dreading that 10k but now I can't wait!
And for those who are interested in my world record time? It'll be recorded in the 2019 edition of the Guiness Book of Records!
week3run1 ✅. 3 x 17 mins with 1 min walks. 
How did your parkrun or (not)parkrun go?
