An Early 5K Run 🏃‍♀️😊

[Jools2020]

So, after battling so many different gremlins on Tuesday, I was up with the 6 a.m. lark this morning, running clothes straight on, downstairs for quick cuppa, warm up leg swings and out of the door before my brother even surfaced!

I briefly debated a longer run, but decided to do a steady 5K straight run after Jeffing on Tuesday. Warm up walk up the lane towards the village and then I was off. Nice and steady. I did glance at my heart rate and was surprised to see it was climbing up Zone 3 already. Still in the first km, it suddenly fell to Zone 2. I don’t know what that was all about, so I ignored it for the rest of the run!

The end of the first km sees a slight incline, but I’m running slowly enough to be able to cope with it quite easily. There are a lot of runners and walkers out this morning. A few of the people I saw walking had headphones and seemed to be ‘walking with purpose’ so I wondered if they were Jeffing or doing Couch to 5K 😊

The second km starts with a lovely downhill stretch through a walkway, which connects the two parallel roads that I run on. I always like this part! Turn left at the bottom and the path undulates a fair bit until I turn left past the post office and towards the parallel road again. There is a short but quite steep climb, but I shorten my stride and keep going, and noticing that my second km is a few seconds faster than my first. So I go into the third km having decided I would try for negative splits with a burst of speed for the last km. Its going to be one of those runs!

Running towards the t-junction, now. The gremlin did put in a brief appearance, telling me I could turn left and 4K would be absolutely fine 😈. I briefly flirted with the idea before turning right for the 5K. I start the fourth km, having completely forgotten my pace for the third (this happens often!) so just keep going with what feels like a slightly faster pace. I am getting a little tired now and appreciate the few seconds stop for traffic. Running alongside the common and back into the village, I start the fifth km, but I have a slope to go up before I fly downhill, so I shorten my stride and deal with the incline. Oh, it feels steep this morning! Then I turn up a side road to add a few hundred metres as I don’t like to run out of road at the end. Now I can run down the hill to finish strong. My brother is just getting in his van to leave for work, he’s probably expecting me to end my run at the house, but I’m in the middle of flying down the hill, so I just I wave happily and carry on 😊

Not a sub 40 minute 5K this morning, but definitely an enjoyable and controlled one 😊

Splits:

8:55, 8:46, 8:41, 8:33, 7:00

[Frenc Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Ah well done Jools, another good run there. I had gremlins en route this morning, little blighters followed me out of the house! But we told them. Well done for getting out so early, it’s still pretty warm at the moment. 😊😊😊🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Frenc]

We told them indeed! I was running too slowly to be much affected by the heat. 😊🏃‍♀️

[Runninggirl59 60minGraduate in reply to Frenc]

Sounds like a good run Jools. I don't know how you do the negative splits, mine are the opposite way round. Did a 4.5 km this morning, started on 7.2 km/per hr and ended on 8.2! Enjoy the rest of the day 😀

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Runninggirl59]

Thanks! I found out about a year ago that if I can start slow and increase gradually it makes for a better, more comfortable run. I only try for negative splits on runs up to up to 5k, though. It all hinges on the first km.

[Runninggirl59 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

Mmmm, I will have to keep trying. I struggle to start slow, quick out of the blocks then start to run out of steam after about 3 km. I think that if I start slow I'll stay slow! I wouldn't care but I'm only competing with Myself!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Runninggirl59]

We’ve all got our own running style, but I find I’m slow to warm up anyway, so I just hold back a bit to start with. Keeping something in reserve gets me through the run, speeding up gradually and then taking off any remaining brakes for the last km. But many runners make a case for positive splits, it’s just a personal preference 😊

[Runninggirl59 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

I think it's an age thing for me 😀

[Asnad-Run Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

I have discovered that too and start slow for first km or two and it gradually get better- great tip 👍

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Asnad-Run]

Exactly, if I start off too fast then I find I’m running beyond my ability and have to take breaks. I prefer to run more slowly and keep going 😊 (unless, of course, if I’m Jeffing, which I do once a week).

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Excellent run for you Jools2020, those negative splits look so good, I can never get the hang of negative splits, if I do start at say 07.50 min/km I would probably stay at that pace or run slower, one for me to work on.My latest (not) parktime was 31.52 but the splits were all over the place

6.07, 6.21, 6.17, 6.37 and 6.27.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Thank you AlMorr. That’s a nifty time for 5K, I would be happy with that whatever the splits were!

I just find it takes me a while to warm up, so it makes sense to take it steady to start with!

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

That's a good time for parkrun. If I did the first km that quickly I know I'd run out of steam by the end.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Ha! If I did the first kilometre that quickly, I would collapse with shock! I’ve never done ANY kilometre that quickly 😂

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

5.31 is the fastest ever kilometer that I have ever ran in all the about 90 kilometers altogether since I graduated from C25K over 3 years ago, that was the first K of a 5K run in December 2019, only one other time I have ran a sub 6 minutes kilometer, that was the last kilometer on another 5K run sometime in 2020, however, at 2 parkruns I ran in a time of 30.55 PB and 30.56, without my Smartphone, it is possible that during those 2/5Ks I may have run a sub 6 minutes 1K.

[GailXrunning]

Super run and report, J. Well done all round.

I’m just not waking early recently (patchy sleep)… I had no problem during the dark winter months 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to GailXrunning]

Thanks! Shame about the patchy sleep. Doesn’t help with motivation to run if you’re already tired. And I’ve noticed my heart rate is elevated when I run if I haven’t slept well,

[GailXrunning in reply to Jools2020]

Very interesting… so… I just checked and my HR is rather low. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to GailXrunning]

The whole heart rate thing continues to be a mystery!

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10]

Well done Jools! 🏃🏻‍♀️😊 Gremlins kicked out✅ 5km✅ Controlled✅ Win, win, win. 😊I see that my run started at 6:17 so a bit behind you 123bpm one of my lowest, not that I take note of it until the run is over. Nursing injuries means that I take all my runs gently.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to over61andstilltrying]

Ah, by the time I started running, it was 6.35, so you were ahead of me! My average heart rate was 138, which I am pleased with 😊, it was meant to be a steady run today.

[Instructor57 Graduate10]

Well done on beating those Gremlins and especially the ones wanting you to stop at 4k , they are devious aren't by they 😁But you beat them and had a great negative split 5k .

Well done 😁

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

Thanks, Ian! Yes, they are so devious! At least you can feed yours to Misty, I’ve got nowhere to put mine!

[nowster Graduate10]

Well done! You're really consistent with those negative splits. And then freewheeling down the hill at the end. 👍

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

The end is the best bit! I look forward to that for the entire run. 👍😊

[Beatlesforever Graduate10]

Perfect negative splits 👏👏👏 well done on beating the gremlins, they were probably still asleep by the time you left home 😴😴😴 🤣and you obviously outran the one that showed up at 4k 👊💪💥🏃‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Beatlesforever]

Thanks, Beatles 😊 definitely a good run today!

[LottieMW Ambassador]

Loving those negative splits! Well done for giving those gremlins a bashing too!👿🔨

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to LottieMW]

Thank you, Lottie 👍😊

[Joggingonthewildside]

Yay well done .. after reading that I feel like I’ve done it too 😂

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Joggingonthewildside]

Haha, thanks! Fortunately it was a slow run so you shouldn’t feel exhausted 😂

[Joggingonthewildside in reply to Jools2020]

Well that’s good 😂

[Joggingonthewildside in reply to Joggingonthewildside]

It was still too fast for me

[Joggingonthewildside in reply to Joggingonthewildside]

Having just relooked at your splits what happened on your last one .. did you swallow some rocket 🚀 fuel ?

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Joggingonthewildside]

It was downhill, my secret weapon! 😂

[Joggingonthewildside in reply to Jools2020]

Must remember that one ☝️

[Birdlady64 Graduate10]

Well done on kicking those gremlins firmly into touch and trademark negative splits to boot Not to mention the cobra🐍

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Thanks, Diane. I might have to try and refine that cobra a little! 😊

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Perfect negative splits! and what a finish😀

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you! I always feel like I’m cheating on that last downhill bit! 😊

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

How can downhill be cheating? it’s harder in your body to control a downhill run and by the sounds of it you don’t control it you just run and run and it’s exhilarating, not cheating by any means

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

I do control it a little as I’m concerned I might end up tripping over, but it still feels liberating as it’s such a small effort 😊

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

exactly, we’ve run downhill through the woods jumping tree roots and if not controlled a little we could go flying over something

[Week7 Graduate10]

Nice tidy splits again Jools-but you really shouldn't flirt with Gremlins!😈

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Week7]

Thanks Week7, but I have to flirt with something 😂

[Week7 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Ok but don't forget to treat 'em mean!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Week7]

😂😂🤣

[Fionamags Graduate10]

Great splits! Good on you for sending those gremlins packing too!!!