Parkrun #10

[sTrongFuse]

No rugby this morning and ventured a wee bit further from home (albeit about 5 minute longer drive than usual) and headed out to Portobello,

Met a couple from Brisbane, who were trying to adjust from being plucked from mid summer into the depths of the Scottish winter; complete with grey skies, wind and a strengthening drizzle, and a couple from Wesham who accidentally missed breakfast because they hadn't figured on the fact that for some reason, parkruns in Scotland start at 9:30 and not 9am.

It's three laps, pretty flat and fast. The terrain, and the number of people threw me a bit, and I got my pacing completely wrong and started faster than I should have. Ended up walking for about 50m at the 3,5k mark, and still came in in a time of 29:02.

Even with that walking section, it was still my third fastest 5k, so I'm not complaining at all, and I definitely earned my post run slice of chocolate cake.

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

Portobello is lovely in the summertime. Obviously the weather's changed a bit just now . Excellent time and hope you enjoy your cake 😊😊

[sTrongFuse Graduate10 in reply to Buddy34]

I basically inhaled it...

[Buddy34 Graduate10 in reply to sTrongFuse]

😂😂😂😂

[Debston Graduate10 in reply to sTrongFuse]

😂

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Wow that’s fast and sounds good

[Debston Graduate10]

Well done, that's a brilliant time. Your comment about walking for a short stretch has made me realise that my Parkrun today (my 13th) was the first time I haven't felt remotely tempted to walk at all. I'm nowhere near as fast as you but must be making progress!

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

Great effort especially in that weather. Well done

[Couchpotato2]

Haha poor guys, the temperature drop must have been quite something! Well done on your good time and cake is already nice post run (or pre-run)

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Now you deserve that slice of chocolate cake, we all do after a 5K parkrun come Saturday morning, it was parkrun #13 for me this morning at Dunfermline, no rain there, however, when I got on the bus at Cumbernauld to get to Dunfermline it was lashing down with a bit of snow 🌨 mixed in with the ☔ rain, it soon went off and I enjoyed my run, wearing a reindeer Santa jumper and a red Santa hat, there were a few other people who wore Santa 🎅 🎄 caps

[damienair Administrator]

Congratulations on your 10th parkrun and great time. 3.5K is the wall zone. Hits me too. You want to walk. Your body and mind are begging you to walk. But if you can dig deep and push through to 4K you’ll push on. The day I got my PB I was following a 26 minute pacer. At 3.5K I was wrecked, and really struggling. But I held on and at 4K I managed to pass out the pacer and push home. I got 25:36. It’s all in your head, your body can do it.

Well done again.

Damien

[sTrongFuse Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

It's an odd one, but it only seems to happen when I'm running 5k. It's like I've forgotten how to pace myself at that distance, especially when I'm running in a group rather than on my own. 5 miles, 10k, 10 miles I'm fine, but 5k always seems to throw me at the moment.

[damienair Administrator in reply to sTrongFuse]

5K is different as it is considered to be a short and faster distance. Although I don’t consider it a short distance. But you run it at a faster pace than you would a 10K. Sometimes I pace myself off my watch, other times I just do it by feel.

[sTrongFuse Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

I tend to do it all by feel, but sometimes my legs just have their own idea and the walk is essentially a forced reset when I can't get them to do what I want them to.

[JaoJao Graduate10]

I am always really envious of people that take a little walking break during parkrun and get their breath back and they are still miles in front of me! I on the other hand have to be running at peak pace throughout the 5K haha. One day it will get easier, it has to.

Great time strong fuse, you smashed it up!

[sTrongFuse Graduate10 in reply to JaoJao]

It's really just poor pace management on my part. I never thought that I'd get to a point where 5k is the lower end of the running I do, and a distance I don't run that much anymore, so I've a tendency to over pace myself at the start.

[Raspberrypink Graduate10]

Great time. Well done