A cheeky 5k, to start the day.

Scaredy cat here, have signed up for my first Park Run on Saturday at Finsbury Park, so thought I better get a practice run in. I'd like to say I shot out of bed and had it all done by 8am, but no, was a tad sleepy so it was a bit later.

Good news is Mummycav 's mo jo got a gentle wake-up nudge before she went out for her proper run this morning. And what did I see in our fair Capital City today, lots and lots of runners, but most of them were scurrying into offices and were wearing suits.

Rather gorgeous chap wearing a Vanarama top, was sprinting happily in the City, and I could have quite happily sprinted after him, although he may have wondered why he was being stalked by a red faced middle aged woman. Today was a little warmer and the three men runners I saw were all in just shorts and tees, only one other woman runner seen today and like me she was in running tights and jacket. Clearly the gender temperature gap in evidence.

So a cheeky 5k done in just over 31 minutes - it seems pretty impossible for me to break that time at the moment, but am thinking I am built more for distance and not speed, because my time today per Km was similar to my 11k per km pace on Sunday.

But Sunday I was accompanied (in spirit) by my favourite boy band ' MrIrishRolyRun' and their new spotify playlist, is up and running if you pardon the pun. My tribute to three of the nicest C25Kers in music, can be found here:-

jancanrun.com/2017/11/13/ch...

I may have to do a sneaky Park Run practice on Thursday...

[IgaT Graduate]

Sounds like you are all ready for your ParkRun. Regarding the speed, you know exactly that we are different and some of us, like you, prefer longer distances that for some of us, like me, sounds impossible

[Hidden in reply to IgaT]

Yes I didn't really know what distance I prefer but I seem to level out at 10k nicely.

You'll find your happy pace and distance, I think it just takes time...

Wednesday 5.30!!!!

[IgaT Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Your 10k sounds really great!

I think my happy time is 20 min

Yes tomorrow is the happy day. At this time I cannot wait it, to recharge my mental batteries, to let go of all the stress that accumulated unnoticeable

[Gillma Graduate in reply to IgaT]

20 mins is my current favourite and I hv decided I am v happy with that at the mo. It’s exactly 20mins longer than when I started C25k!!’

[IgaT Graduate in reply to Gillma]

Good to know I'm not the only one being happy below 30min

[Razouski]

It sounds like you’re perfectly primed for your Parkrun. The new playlist has some great tracks I may need to borrow.

It’s ages since I’ve done a Parkrun, so your post has got me thinking.

In fact it’s ages since I’ve been on this forum. Life just seems to have been so busy.

Good luck for Saturday. 🤓👍🏽

[Hidden in reply to Razouski]

Thanks when Flock of Seagulls, came on this morning I thought of you, but surely with your recent 17ks you will eat a Park Run for breakfast...? I am definitely thinking of doing a trial Park Run visit on Thursday, just so I am not caught out with the course. But I know exactly what you mean with life and time! P.s. how’s the ear? All okay now?

[Razouski]

I did a few Parkruns last winter, but with the warmer weather vane more runners and I find it hard in crowds. I can’t hear a thing and then get anxious at the start, and with my vertigo, when I get jostled by the keen beans I loose my balance and risk falling.

Also found a lot of the runners weren’t very kind if I didn’t hear them coming up behind me and wanting to overtake, I think I need a label on my back saying “deaf runner” so that people wouldn’t be so impatient.

Now it’s chillier I may well get out for a Parkrun again.

The good ear is good, the bad ear remains it’s usual useless self. In fact I have just officially been awarded early retirement on I’ll health grounds because of the problems I have with oversensitivity to sound, tinnitus and the inability to hear in the classroom (and tendency to fall over a lot when getting up and down from looking at children’s work).

So I’m officially a pensioner now. 👵🏽

[Hidden in reply to Razouski]

Oh i see I never thought about the impatience thing. Having heard that some of these Park runs have hundreds of runners, that would be very unnerving. And do you want congratulations for the early retirement ? because it seems a dual edged sword, on the one hand - fab, on the other crap because it’s about health. But retired retro runner, you run well in my book always!

[Razouski]

I haven’t been working for a year now, as I have my notice in when it all got too much. So I then applied in the summer when I realised things weren’t going to get any easier. So no one else really knows, no party or anything.

But on the plus side at least I will be getting some (limited) funds each month instead of living off my savings and Mr R’s generosity. 😂😂😂

[Hidden in reply to Razouski]

Well that’s a mini blessing then. We both ‘retired’ after Mr JCR broke his back, so we are exhausting the savings funds... one day a pension will arrive! But it’s so much better not working, I am happy to trade time for the money.

[Razouski in reply to Hidden]

Me too, and if I hadn’t stopped working I wouldn’t have had time to take up running. Having cancer so soon after loosing my ear gave me a big wake up call about priorities, life just seemed too short to spend most of it stressing about work and not having time to recover properly from either illness. So I can now concentrate on taking care of myself (and hubby as well of course). 😀

[Maddee_6333 Graduate]

I can’t run in a vest, but I do run in just a t-shirt and arm warmers now.

[J9_54 Graduate]

Wow I can only aspire to hit 5k in that time but congratulations for signing up for the parkrun, I hope you love your morning x