Parkrun time 28:25 - I'm OK with that but need to get my technology sorted next time

[wilmacgh]

According to its Facebook page Edinburgh parkrun, in terms of registrations, has overtaken Bramhall Park pr to become 7th in the world. I came 314th out of 416 today!

It was a good day for a run - still warm enough for shorts and a short sleeved T-shirt and for once not much of a breeze. I'd had a fairly tough run on Thursday getting a wee bit lost in the footpaths around the houses between Drumbrae and Maybury (which is also on quite a steep hill!) and had done an 8k walk on Moncreiffe Hill near Perth yesterday. So I wasn't sure how I'd go but decided to give it my best shot anyway.

I run with my phone in a y-fumble pocket on my arm with Endomondo set to give me a voice read-out with my pace every km. I aim to have a time somewhere around the 5:30 to 5:40 mark per km to get a decent time on this very flat course. Got to 1km fine but then the phone started making a noise like static. It stopped for a bit then the crackling started again and then The Corries singing Marie's Wedding I'd somehow activated the music option. Full of embarrassment I had to stop and desperately mute the phone. Not the coolest of tracks to be running to but vaguely appropriate I suppose. My excuse it that I had driven on my own from Reading to Edinburgh a few weeks ago and had put it on to sing to so I didn't fall asleep.

Anyway having muted the phone I just had to keep plodding on without any pace updates. By the final km I was struggling a bit and my knees were feeling the effects of the last few days hill climbing. If I hadn't had to slow to a walk to sort my phone out I might just have come in with a new PB but no matter.

I picked up something on a blog a few days ago discussing some Tweet about whether the first person over the line, which is the usual terminology in the event report, "wins" a Parkrun. Maybe some of the folk in that group of front runners think of it that way but it isn't quite the ethos of the Parkrun. For the vast majority of us plodders it's really about how you feel on the day and doing the best you can. Sure I pick out people, especially on the return half, who are ahead of me but going slower and aim to get past them and I don't like being overtaken at the finish (but I was full of admiration for the little JM14 lad who flew past me at the end).

So maybe not the best time I could have dome but it felt good anyway. There's always the next time - "step we gaily"!

[Aftabs Graduate]

That is a massive turnout, we get about 40 for Barking Parkrun.

That's a good time considering you stopped.

Just out of curiosity if you are at the back at the start how long will it take to pass the start line?

[wilmacgh Graduate]

Probably not that long to cross the line but it makes most of the first k to sort the pack out. The start is fairly broad, then it narrows and then widens our again but it's never narrower than maybe 10m.

I've put some shots on Facebook but this should give you a feel for it:

fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd....

[OldNed Graduate]

"Step we gaily" indeed; that's a good time Wilma. Great stuff.

[Malcy Graduate]

Ah, The Corries. So naff they're quite brilliant! I presume you know they invented their own instrument? Can't remember what they called it but it's between a mandolin & a sitar (hope that's the correct spelling)

[wilmacgh Graduate]

Oh yes. Think it was called a combolin. When I was growing up in Elgin I'd go to their gigs in the Town Hall.

[DeliaItaly Graduate]

Don't you just love it when your dumb phone is totally out of your control? Glad I'm not the only one with an independent mobile. Super run Wilma

[wilmacgh Graduate in reply to DeliaItaly]

To be honest I'm not even sure how I managed to get the voice read out. When I switched to a new phone a few weeks ago, Endomondo just started doing it and I've found it quite handy.

[Mini13 Graduate]

Wow wilmacgh, you are great! Congrats for finishing your Park Run in such time...I am yet to beat 30mnts!! Good luck to you for your future runs!!!