Mixing it up and making things interesting!

[Equi-geek]

Hi everyone! So, I've settled into a three-run-week routine now.

Good Gym on Tuesdays - tend to be shorter than 5km and split in two but generally a faster pace than I would run alone.

Thursday is my solo run. This week was 7.5km with the dog in and outside Lydiard Park, but it was LOTS harder than it should have been and it turned into a really slow and frustrating run. Quite disappointing! I swim on Fridays, but the pool timetable changed and I was dealing with some really unpleasant work situations yesterday too. I only managed 1km in the brief time I had between meetings - again, frustration!

Saturday is Parkrun, of course, and I set a new PB last week (32:54) so this week I had planned to enjoy a slower pace. But having had a frustrating time on Thursday and Friday, and feeling quite 'down', my confidence needed a boost and I needed to have an enjoyable experience - but not just a 'normal' slow run. So, as parking is such a trial during winter and I only live about 3km away, I thought I would warm up with a walk/jog mostly downhill to the start, attempt the 5km Parkrun at a moderate pace in about 35 min, and then walk/jog the uphill home.

The last time I did that out-and-back run from home was on the Magic 10 programme. I did the 7km run on the spur of the moment one evening and it was hell! It's stopped me attempting that route since. But now that I find inclines easier on my regular routes I felt ready to give it another go.

Well, the plan worked! I only did a 5min walk warm-up en-route before jog/walk to the start. Kept my HR down to about 140bpm and arrived 10 minutes before the briefing. Good job I left the car at home - it was another record turnout - nearly 650 runners! I set off for the 5k and came in a fraction after 35 minutes but kept a steady conversational pace all the way around. Lots of smiles and still feeling great at the end. Took a slight pause afterwards to chat with GoodGym park-runners and some of the volunteers I've got to know, before setting off towards home uphill at a very slow jog (8 min/km) to warm myself up. I intended to walk for at least some of it but kept going all the way - much to my own surprise. And I was faster going home than I was running there!

The upshot is that I've run 10.5km in total today! It was all slow stuff - there were some walky bits to the park - but I felt comfortable in my ability, happy in my own skin (which is very rare!) and I enjoyed that I was running/jogging without it feeling like a massive effort.

I'm sat at home now feeling relaxed, tired and mostly grateful! These roads, tracks and paths give us SO MUCH - don't they?! They only ask that we invest some time, and trust with them to start with, in the shape of those difficult first miles during C25k and B210k. After then, it's repaid, with interest!

Happy running everyone!

[Flaraflarkin Graduate10]

Love it when a plan comes together! Well done Equi 🤗 The latter part of your week doesn't sound great, but you turned it around. Go you!👊👊 Also very happy to hear it's given you that boost ~ "feeling comfortable in your skin", that is just so lovely to hear!! Well done Equi 🤗🦋❤️🏃‍♀️

[Equi-geek Graduate10 in reply to Flaraflarkin]

Thanks Flara! I knew you'd understand, that is such an important thing, isn't it? I can't talk myself into it - it just has to be there, or not. It's a novelty for me to feel fit again, but also feel good about the imperfect person I see in the mirror these days - which is doing extraordinary things at the age of 50! I think I feel better in myself now than when I was cheerleading 30+ years ago and 3 - 4st lighter. Back then, I didn't think twice about jumping about for 4 hours solid and I trained twice a week with the squad. While I was healthy and fit, I was still deeply unhappy about being 'me' - not just how I looked.

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

Well done Equi, it sounds like you had a brilliant day's running before others had even got out of bed.

650 runners - oh my goodness - we had a record 546 today and that was bad enough. You really do need an additional venue don't you? Any progress on that yet? Jogging to the venue sounds like the way for you now - at least it means you have the toxic 10 before parkrun starts. And don't have that stress of trying to park.

[Equi-geek Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

Thanks Dexy5! How did you and UTS get on this morning?

It was hard for the frontrunners to lap the tail-end of the field, or so I was told at the finish by the GG-er that almost lapped me! I found a nice 5k in East Swindon that met all the rules, but not really had the opportunity to run it past the Race Co-ordinator yet. That would be a part-urban Parkrun. But today I spoke with the 45 min pacer and he lives in the area now so his mind started ticking too! It's quite a task, as the paths have to be wide enough, there has to be a place to park, a 'gathering' area, you can't cross roads or run next to un-barriered traffic and ideally a route that doesn't need oodles of marshalls. Our RC is also keen that we don't create a muddy route - as people would still come to Lydiard Park instead. The North Swindon route I found is a really good one I think. But maybe our pacer can find something as well!

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Equi-geek]

UTS is playing hockey this afternoon so he was marshalling today and I was on my own - he was him cheering me on as usual. I was 2nd in my age group with 32:46 and ahead of my friendly rivals - the westerly wind slowed us down on the return leg today. Very happy though and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It must be a big responsibility to start a new parkrun venue too, but I guess the expertise is split between the two to begin with. It sounds like you've found a good possibility. If that doesn't work, has anyone considered a business park? Our Portsmouth venue is in the grounds of a business park which is very quiet on Saturdays and has loads of parking. The offices let us use their reception loos too as a gesture of support. With all your IT and Telephone HQs in Swindon that might be an answer if they have enough land.

[Equi-geek Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

That’s a great idea Dexy5 I’ll take a look. Today you were 8s faster than my PB! Well done on coming 2nd in the age group too - I’ve made the top 10 but on a quiet week with half the runners there have been recently. Hope UTS wins his hockey match🤞🏻

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Equi-geek]

Ha ha but I’m far more impressed that you have run 16 km around Portsmouth and Southsea. Will you sign up for the GSR again?

[Equi-geek Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

I may do. I’ll know more by June/July because if my weight loss goes according to plan it would be a lot easier for me this year! I’m doing triathlons over the summer but it should all help. Hope you are both doing it this year? 😉👍

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Equi-geek]

UTS has signed up for it...............

People at parkrun are trying to persuade me .................

1st challenge is a 10k race. We like the sound of the Brighton HM10k in April. I used to live there , and it’s flat. 😂😂

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Equi-geek]

UTS team won 3-1 and he scored. He’ll never retire from hockey at this rate 🏑🏃‍♂️

[Tartancat Graduate10]

Oh Equi, it sounds like you had an amazing morning.

To me, you've just summed up the essence of why we do this. You could have driven to Lydiard Park, or walked, but you can run, so that's what you did! It opens up another world of options being able to run - isn't it fab!!

[Equi-geek Graduate10 in reply to Tartancat]

Sure is Tartancat! Happy panthering 🐆

[Deals1 Graduate10]

Fab! Well done u! Your park run sounds a bit similar to mine distance wise to mine.

Well done for getting out there and doing it even after a bad week at work.

Pleased it made u feel better. I had a bad day at work Thursday went out and listened to headspace end of the day run, and that helped a lot.

Chilllax now knowing you have done grand 😀😀

[Equi-geek Graduate10 in reply to Deals1]

Thanks Deals1! Pleased you managed to clear your head too. Parkruns are all 5k I think - but some of our runners stick in an extra lap or two on the day 😅 so I tend to put the 5k in when I speak about it 🤣 I have a nice quiet evening planned with the dog 😁👍

[Deals1 Graduate10 in reply to Equi-geek]

Yeah I meant doing the extra bit before and after .

Enjoy your evening 👍

[Equi-geek Graduate10 in reply to Deals1]

oh sorry! 😆🤭

[Deals1 Graduate10 in reply to Equi-geek]

No worries! I dont always make sense! 😀😂

[Hidden]

Well done for finding a routine that works. I love the description of your running today. I think those steady runs with bits in between can be the most rewarding x

[Equi-geek Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Flick- I’ve enjoyed splitting the run with Good Gym tasks too, and I haven’t found it hard to get going again fortunately!

[JonathanP Graduate10]

Sounds like a really good day Equi - yes we certainly do get 'payback' from the effort we put in to get started 😀

[Crawlhome Graduate10]

Great to hear your weekly routine is working so well Equi-geek and it sounds like a great parkrun and more today!

I always schedule parkrun when I'm not working a Saturday but I was out last night so couldn't make it, however I still needed to run so went out this afternoon without hesitation, the plan really is life changing isn't it? 😁

[Equi-geek Graduate10 in reply to Crawlhome]

Thanks! Sounds like you had a great night out!!!!

Yes, it really does help to have a mindset that today is a running day, and it'll be fitted in somewhere. It takes a lot less effort. And now I'm a bit more confident that I won't keel over if everything before, during and after isn't perfect. So that takes all the stress out for me too. Happy running!

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10]

Absolutely brilliant Equi! You really deserved that good run today! Well done you! 👏👏👏

[Equi-geek Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Thanks cheeky! 🤗