21 today! Keswick Parkrun #21 and a PB

[theoldfellow]

Pos..Time...Age........Age%.....Boys.....Club..................Yeehaa!...#

105 30:49 VM65-69 55.98% M 70 NHS Couch to 5k New PB! 21

Really pleased with my week, although I have done very little else but run and recover from running. 5K on Tuesday, 5K on Thursday, and 5K Parkrun today.

That target of 60% age weighted looks achievable now, and I only need to shave off another minute to get under the magic 30 minutes for 5K. If I hadn't jeffed a bit, I might have made it today (or had the air ambulance out...), but my heart said stop, and they do say 'listen to your body'.

Hope your days are going even better...

❤

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Almost there, only 51seconds to get that magic sub 30 minute 5k, congratulations for another PB 5K, you were correct on listening to your heart and not going faster. 😊

[Hidden]

Yay! Well done!!!

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

Yay well done theoldfellow. That 30 mins is almost there - you have come so far. You’d definitely break it on our course. My age grading was 59.36% today so I’m nearly at that target.

Do you have a coffee shop at your parkrun? I can imagine people are pretty sociable up there.

[theoldfellow in reply to Dexy5]

Yes, there is a cafe, does a Parkrun Special of bacon buttie (and other things) and coffee, and yes, it's very nice to chat after. I don't go unless I can go with someone though, and the hot shower is always calling....

You are doing really well Dexy, 59.36% is fantastic. UTS must be pleased too.

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to theoldfellow]

I’m not sure he’s pleased that I’m running 3 times a week, he’s getting exhausted.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

I was reading about age grading, a bit surprised that to "pass" 60% at any age, so you or anyone running a 5K would have to be sub 30 minutes, even if a 70 year old person ran a 5K in 31 minutes that would not be a "pass".

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

There must be lots of over 70s who are achieving that Al. I’ve never taken much notice of the age grading but placing people in age graded order UTS would have been 34th and me 82nd - I’ll take that! 😂😂

[theoldfellow in reply to Dexy5]

What would be fun would be a weighting that took account of how many years you spent Not running. On such a scale, my 50 years (from last PE in school at age 16 through to just after 68th birthday) would count for something.

😬

[ArthurJG Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

The word pass doesn’t come into it because it’s not an exam! It just gives you a way to allow for age gender and distance. They say that roughly speaking 60% is ‘local class’ which I think means the level of a good club runner. 70% is said to be national class, 80% is international class, 90% is world class. If you get 100% that’s probably a world record for your age group.

I know someone who generally scores around 90% and he is indeed a world class runner for his age with a couple of age group world titles to his name so that suggests to me the guide is reasonably accurate but it is only a guide. It’s worked out statistically though, it hasn’t just been made up, and the system is widely used in serious competitive athletics for older runners: it’s not just a parkrun thing.

50% means half the speed of the world record (for your age and gender) - in other words it would take a world record to lap you in a two lap race So far I’ve only beaten 50% once.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to ArthurJG]

Thank you for that very detailed information Arthur, very well explained.

[Fabulous450 Graduate10]

🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽! OF....what a way to celebrate your 21st!! So happy for you!! Well done!! 🤩🤩🤩❤️

[JonathanP Graduate10]

Well done TOF. I'm aiming for 60% too - currently at 57!

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10]

Well done to you! Congratulations!😊🍾🥂🎉🏅👏🏻👍☀️ 💥⚡️ 🏃🏻🤸‍♂️🏃🏻🤸‍♂️🏃🏻🤸‍♂️ PBs are such fun! I'm wondering if your watch made you think your heart rate needs to come down or how did you know? Mine tells me that I have run, for example, at 116% of my maximum! Nonsense! I have manually entered a, I think, more accurate heart rate than 220-age, but the watch continues to use the 220-age. Still enjoy learning about all these things, even though I am still rather perplexed.

[theoldfellow in reply to over61andstilltrying]

No, it was the hammering in my chest, the wheezing in my lungs, and general 'I just can't do this any more'-itis. I find 10 steps usually fixes it.

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10 in reply to theoldfellow]

Oh dear! Good that you know a simple a simple solution. 😊

[Irish-John Graduate10]

Very well done! And good for you also that you let common sense rule over iffy goal

Wishing you many happy miles in your future ☺

[theoldfellow in reply to Irish-John]

The goals we set ourselves are entirely arbitrary anyway. I doubt that I will live 10 minutes longer if I get to 60% rather than the 56% I am now. And the guys from Alpha-Centauri said that 5 glinks in 45 nogwaps is the target anyway.

But it's fun. It's the fun-ness that keeps me at it.

😬

[Irish-John Graduate10 in reply to theoldfellow]

I believe it's 6 glinks actually? 😂

Keeping the fun in the run - vital, I'm hoping

Run strong and prosper fellow old-fellow

[BaddieThePirate Graduate10]

Good going. Just 50 seconds to shave off. Great time for a 5km👍

[Sandie1961 Graduate10]

Happy 21st and congratulations on another great PB theoldfellow I have no doubt you will get a sub 30 someday soon. Still my goal too. I know it’s not the be all and end all, but it is good to set a target to strive for 🏃‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️

[theoldfellow in reply to Sandie1961]

This is why I like this competition so much. I am racing, not you, or him, but me. I am overcoming my desire to sit and eat choccies in front of the TV.

But best of all, I am out there meeting others who are doing the exact same thing. And we do it together.

I don't know about living forever, but out there, 'we' are alive!