Since (not) parkrun started, I've joined my Southsea parkrun running buddies several times for their weekly run along the prom through wind, rain and (hot) sun. Today it was time for me to return the favour at my home parkrun course.
Portsmouth Lakeside is in the north of the city, with a mixed course of tarmac and gravel paths around the lake (all on land reclaimed from Portsmouth Harbour). However for the last few months prior to lockdown, because of building work adjacent to the course, we had a temporary two-lap route just on the gravel paths. With over 300 regular runners and winter rain, this resulted in a large number of muddy puddles (Peppa would have revelled in it!). Thank goodness the building work has now (more or less) finished and I did a recce a couple of weeks ago to make sure all was well and ready for (not) parkrun tourists!
So at 8.30 this morning Dexy5 , UpTheStanley , Oldgirlruns , Mr & Mrs Coddfish and I gathered near the start line. The usual staggered starting times were applied with the aim of all finishing around 9.30, and following our respective warm-up routines, off we went. Today the puddles were completely gone, although we did have a slight diversion around a digger that had decided to excavate the path! There were a few other runners around - some I recognised from parkrun also trying out the reinstated course.
Others will report on their runs, but I was pleased with my 29.05 (all kms under 6.00 and the last the speediest at 5.40) - not pushing the pace too much, as my piriformis is not completely better yet. We retired to the local Starbucks for sustenance - tea and chocolate twist for me. And a great time was had by all, as you can see by the photo (courtesy of Dexy)! 😀
Written by
JonathanP
Graduate10
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Well done on the run and very well done on meeting up. Hopefully I’ll get to meet you all some day when all this is over. I need a South for my parkrun compass challenge.
Thank you for inviting us back JonathanP, the last time I ran this parkrun course was at your 50th parkrun with UpTheStanley and cheekychipmunks last October. I was 2.21 faster then but that was post great south run and pre 2020 injuries so I’m very happy with that.
Apart from forgetting to launch GPS prior to running and then not finding the underpass on the first lap, I really enjoyed running on paths without having to weave between pedestrians. It was so peaceful with only the fishermen socially distanced around the lake .
I really enjoyed the sprint finish with me chasing you and Mr Coddfish to the 5k. I knew I had a target on my back when I met Both of you and UpTheStanley after the final underpass.
Well done to Coddfish For chasing demons and getting an excellent time This morning. And to Oldgirlruns who ran the route for the first time today.
Times? Well there’s nothing like negative splits and mine were nothing like negative splits . 6:51, 7.08, 7.15, 7.20, 6.42. And mr Strava said it was harder than my usual effort.
It did Jonathan. Who knows how fast I would have been if I had remembered to switch my music on. What am I like? The excitement must have got to me. 🏃♀️🎶🎵🎶🎵
Thanks for ‘hosting’ us JP. It’s only the second time I have run the course, having been a tourist at Lakeside parkrun once. In my first stint of working in the building that used to be called North Harbour (roughly 1981 to 1994), I often used to walk round the lake at lunch time, how I used to do that in the sort of heels I wore in the office in those days, I don’t know. It’s still a lovely place and I am convinced the same fishermen sit by the water as were there all those years ago. Sadly my memories of my second stint working there (2007-2009) mean it’s never somewhere I am in a rush to go. I have only been on the site 5 times in the 10 years since I escaped. Twice to visit our solicitors who are now based there, once for the parkrun, once for a St George’s day run, which also used the lake route, and today. Perhaps today, with a little side trip down the side of the building where my office used to be, will have got me past my demons.
Thanks JP, going back to Lakeside made a pleasant change of (not) parkrun venue and the cinnamon bun very quickly put back anything that the run took out of me Good fun getting the handicapping close enough to produce a sprint finish between yourself and Mr Coddfish , with Dexy5 only a few yards behind. And Oldgirlruns and I shared the finishing straight too ......
I think I proved today I can't produce my best 5k form within 48 hours of a half-decent 10k - the legs were just not interested when invited to deliver a bit extra
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Oh dear JP, OGR is at the back as usual! I saw your post yesterday evening, then a response went completely out of my mind! It was a lovely spot for a bit of tourism and having worried about going ‘off course’ if I’d been running on my own, I found it all very straightforward having actually looked at the map! And, as another first, Coddfish and I started together which was lovely for me as I normally run on my own. But in all the excitement I went off a bit too fast (that’s OGR fast, not your normal people fast!) which caused Coddfish to puff a bit, then she steamed off ahead and left me standing - but I’d expected that bit! It didn’t help that I did 8k on Monday and would normally have 2 days clear after that rather than 1. But I’m hoping Coddfish will run with me again one day and I’ll be better behaved I promise! Sharing the finish line with UTS was novel, although in his post he kindly omits he’d already done a stint as turn marshal before even starting his run and still finished before me! Thoroughly enjoyed my coffee and croissant afterwards - thank you again for hosting! Another excellent morning with a lovely group of running buddies!
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Good fun getting the handicapping close enough to produce a sprint finish between yourself and Mr Coddfish , with Dexy5 only a few yards behind. And Oldgirlruns and I shared the finishing straight too ......
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