Shocking parkrun on Saturday

[Peter_B]

Oh dear me it just didn't go well at all.

I'd missed the previous week parkrun and because I'd spent the 2 weeks between parkruns on my 10K training I was intrigued to see what effect, if any, that would have on my parkrun.

Unfortunately my local parkrun has a summer and winter course, with more "off-road" segments in the summer one. Guess which week they chose to switch to the summer route?

For the summer route, the start is in a different place and is quite a confined area. I was a little later than usual getting there so pretty much everyone else was in position ready for the off. Usually I like to start at the back of the bunch, but because of the confined space I couldn't squeeze my way through everybody.

So I found myself caught up in the middle of the pack, on an unfamiliar course when the start came.

Despite my best efforts to go at my own pace, I did get swept along with the pack to begin with. It didn't feel too bad though, at the end of the first lap (of 2 on the summer course instead of 3 on the winter) I thought blimey I could be on for a decent PB here.

It all went wrong at about 3km though, that fast early pace had really taken it out of me. In the last 2km I had to stop for a walk 3 times, getting angrier with myself each time.

I did manage my sprint finish though (I do love turning the corner, seeing the finish and kicking on) and finished in 36:04, just over a minute off my PB.

Hopefully next week I'll do a better job of managing my pace, not have to walk, and be able to finish close to my PB.

[Dunder2004 Graduate]

It's funny how little things affect us, isn't it.

I think most of us like to have things "just so" and even a minor disturbance can throw us a little out of whack.

I am sure you will smash it next time.

[Peter_B Graduate in reply to Dunder2004]

It probably didn't help that due to the election (my other half works in the elections dept at the council) I'd been left in sole charge of the twins since Thursday.

And one of them decided he didn't want to sleep in his cot - at all - and I had to sit up on the sofa with him all night.

So when I ventured to the parkrun it was after 2 days with about 3 hours sleep in total.