I haven't been able to do another park run since my first back in May, so I was determined I was going to make it today. However last night I was feeling quite knackered from PMS and I also had a glass of wine which I don't usually do if I'm going to run. I was still tired when my son woke me around 6.30 this morning and had a bit more fitful sleep but didn't exactly feel full of beans. However I was determined I was actually going to get there and it was a lovely day so I had a banana and off I went. I positioned myself closer to the front this time than before so that there wasn't too much a of a lag with the time and set off steadily. Obviously, lots and lots of people overtook me. By about a km in, I was questioning the wisdom of having come. Sometimes it's not in your head, it really is physical. I just had nothing in the tank and was very tempted to stop which I've never done on a run. But I suppose the experience of knowing I am capable of running 5k kept me going. I guessed that the field was smaller than the last time I did it, with less older people. There didn't seem to be many people nearby by about 2.5-3km in and although I could hear somebody behind me, I was fairly convinced it was the tailrunner and I was the last person in the field. I was that drained I didn't even have the energy to look round to see. I did overtake a couple of people after that so I knew I wasn't totally last but I was estimating that my time was going to be very slow. I'd done the race for life again last Sunday and had beaten my PB from the last one to do 31m 11s. I was thinking this was going to be more like 40m!
As I came round a long curve which runs along an expanse of park, there was a youngish lad in front of me who turned round to seemingly look for somebody, and I could tell from the direction he was looking that actually there must have been somebody a good 300-400m behind me. I was approaching the last 1.5-1k and could remember from the last time that at that point I managed to start running faster. Hah! Not today. The 400m marker came up: still plodding. 200 marker and I could hear feet behind me. I thought, come on, I'm not going to be overtaken here, just in case there's no-one else behind them! So I did manage to increase my pace enough to stay ahead of this person and crossed the line. I went into the queue - and people joined it - and joined it - and joined it..... There were loads behind me! And to really reinforce how much the mind can deceive, when I got my time through it was [drum roll...] 31m 26s, a trifling 15s slower than my R4L time on Sunday and three minutes faster than my last park run. It made me realise I must be fitter than I thought, to run to almost my best time when I felt like death. I was 50 places higher than I was last time and the field was actually not that much smaller, only about 40 or so I think.
I'm hoping to feel better next time I do it, and get closer to that elusive 30m!
Just a run in the park
W7R3 - worst run EVER!
First Park Run - Nervous Like A School Sports day! 😀
Worst run EVER!!!! 
W8r2- worst run ever!
