Park run felt like worst run ever. Just goes to show...

[Tati]

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!

[tor41 Graduate]

yay well done you, I think that's the key, to just keep going, knowing that you really can do it

[bikergirl Graduate]

Well done. You have great willpower in you not to stop when your feeling like that. Even though it doesn't feel it at the time. Your so right. Sometimes a terrible run can really surprise you. Its definitely not always a bed of roses when we run. your so close to that 30 minute nark well done. Im still 4-5 minutes off it. Hope to get a 30 min for the one big weekend jog Scotland event in August !! optimistic much ? Lol well done though.

[Hidden]

Fantastic blog. A near PB on a bad run, you need to go again when you feel 100% and have ago

[janda Graduate]

Well done with that run, Tati. I know you said it's sometimes physical and not in the head but you just showed pure grit in getting to the end ahead of the chasers. And great time that will just keep getting better. Pesky kids, though!! Good luck.

[Soozz Graduate]

Well done, it takes a lot to keep going when you don't feel it's going at all well. But you did - and you were rewarded by a fab time! I often find that the times I drag myself out to run are when I have the best runs, whereas when I set off full of beans and enthusiasm (probably too fast) I run out of energy sooner. Weird.

Keep on running, you'll soon hit that 30 mins the way you're going!