Breaststroke or Freestyle?

[UnfitNoMore]

That was the question that crossed my mind as we waited for parkrun this morning, already cold and soaked so much that I think the local pool would have left us less wet. The final announcements included “you may as well run through all the puddles as there’s one towards the end of the lap that can’t be avoided”. Off we went, thankful that we’d at least be warmer once running. Little Miss UNM hasn’t run a none stop parkrun this year, but did 5.5k with me recently on the treadmill... so this wasn’t going to be a quick one for me as I said I’d run with her for moral support.. turned out to be exactly what I needed as I was in HR zone 3 for 81% of the time, and never hit 5. That puddle arrived and the best way to take it was fast, so off went little miss and I hung back a little... I opened the stride and sprinted in... 5 long paces later I was through the ankle deep freezing water, they were right, no way of leaping it and no way round it. Lap two was good... told Little Miss that one way I do inclines is to power up them and then get my breath back by slowing right down, she now loves this method, and we got a bit quicker after that. She out ran me at the end to finish a second before me, and I’m not 100% that I could have passed her if I’d really tried. Great for my legs after 11.25 miles yesterday, and I end the running week with nice fresh legs... hardly any running between me and that HM now. Little Miss will start a new 6/7 week 5k race plan... now she has her confidence back I don’t think I’m going to get too many really easy parkruns now... and I’m looking forward to the day that I can’t keep up!

[Fabulous450 Graduate10]

Fantastic run in that weather and what a determined young lady little miss UNM is too! Definitely a chip off the block and I’m sure will one day be holding back a bit for you 😉! I’m pleased I had no puddles or pools today. Absolutely well done to you both! 😃❤️

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to Fabulous450]

Almost dry now... and the house was so warm when I got in that I think I’ll turn the heating off for another week... Mrs UNM thinks differently though 🤣🤣

[Fabulous450 Graduate10 in reply to UnfitNoMore]

😂! Lucky you 😄, my house wasn’t warm enough after a long spell locked outside! The heating was off and I’m still trying to warm up! It usually feels like a furness after a run. Not today! 😂❤️

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Congratulations to both of you on ".running" or should that be swimming your 5K parkrun in that awful weather, perhaps they should have held it at the local swimming 🏊 pool 😊, better still cancelled it like a lot of other parkruns were off today because of the weather, congratulations especially to little miss UNM for her run, let's hope the weather is much better for your HM a week tomorrow. 😊 🏃🏾

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

If it’s a dry start next week, I’d welcome the rain during the event!

Couple of local ones cancelled, one of which is only ever cancelled if it’s icy near the duck ponds... but the volunteers here this morning were the hardy type, cold and miserable to be standing in that weather but they were just as amazingly supportive as they are on lovely summers days 10/10

[iain-strachan Graduate10]

I'm afraid I wimped out of our local Parkrun (Abingdon) as it gets very muddy - I've even heard of people losing shoes in the mud.

So instead I did a 5 Km run round the local roads - much safer! Also got my best time so far!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to iain-strachan]

Congratulations on the PB. I chose this parkrun for today because it was all path... the other option for a flat one would have been a mud bath and a half!

[BaddieThePirate Graduate10]

Congratulations to both of you on your 'swim'. Especially good to hear Little Miss did a non-stop 5km.😃👏👏 Well done 👍

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to BaddieThePirate]

Thanks... she’s buzzing still, though that may have something to do with the halo top... how she can eat ice cream straight after being that cold is beyond me!

[BaddieThePirate Graduate10 in reply to UnfitNoMore]

It's a youth thing. I used to do it. Love ice-cream!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to BaddieThePirate]

I don’t mind it myself... don’t think I’ve ever wanted it before lunch, though this maybe selective memory

[Katnap Graduate10]

Ha! Yes. Our local parkrun was similar. Trying to avoid the big puddles was worse than just running through them.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to Katnap]

A definite case of “when you’re wet, you’re wet!” today out there, feet included.

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

Well done for your run with little miss UNM at Parkrun this morning. Rain was forecast after parkrun but puddles were everywhere at Portsmouth Lakeside this morning. I still can’t bring myself to run in them so I jump or divert to stay dry. I’m glad I didn’t have the no choice scenario.

Well done on that 11+ miles yesterday too. I know I wouldn’t have been able to do parkrun the day after unless I walked.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

Thanks, I certainly couldn’t have raced parkrun today... but what I did do has helped the legs no end... and I was able to stay with little Miss and help her to keep going... really impressed with her as at one point on lap one we could see the car, and she had the key... I know what I’d have done at her age 🤣

Newspaper in shoes now... good job I have more than one pair! They’ll be ready for the HM next week.

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to UnfitNoMore]

I will keep everything crossed for dry weather for you next weekend. You will do brilliantly.

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10]

Well done both!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to Maddee_6333]

Thanks... dry now!

[Couchpotato2]

How lovely and I'm glad you perfected your swimming enough to get through that large puddle / pond. Hope you are and the shoes are all drying happily now

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to Couchpotato2]

Shoes may take a few days... had to buy a newspaper 🤣. I’ll use a backup pair on Monday, or just go run in the mud. Many thanks

[Sharuns Graduate10]

Well done to little Miss UNM. I was envious of your choice of Parkrun until I saw your post. Our course was changed a little because of the mud. There were ponds and streams which shouldn't be there.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to Sharuns]

Thanks. I was thinking about you out there volunteering, hope you managed to stay warm. Apparently the river was very high yesterday and it wouldn’t have happed today if it had risen more, so we would have had to choose between a few mud pits.

[Sharuns Graduate10]

My new fancy cold weather gloves didn't help much. The worst was wading through the fields to get home and hoping that the small bridge over the stream was still over the water. Only just.

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

Hope you're both nice and cosy and dry now. Shame about the weather, my park run was really cold but really sunny and you both had a small lake to run through. 😊😊

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to Buddy34]

The sun came out mid afternoon here... still it could be worse, could have been a hailstorm!