Abingdon Parkrun No 5 and hopefully a PB at la... - Couch to 5K

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Abingdon Parkrun No 5 and hopefully a PB at last!!

iain-strachan profile image
iain-strachanGraduate
13 Replies

... and looking a bit beetrooty and sweating holding up my place bar code - 447 so not that quick!

I am on tenterhooks for the official result - not because it might not be a PB, but in case they've messed up. Abingdon Parkrun just posted on Facebook that the "Results are putting up a fight this week. We'll publish them as soon as possible".

So here's the story.

My first Parkrun was 2 years ago, but I promptly ended up on the IC. I'd attempted a yoga class the day before my PR debut, having done a couple of practices at the 5 k distance the week before. I think I overdid it at the yoga, so woke Saturday morning with a slightly stiff back. I did the run anyway and was so elated at getting round that I nearly ran into a post at the finish corridor and had to pull up sharply. That and the yoga did for my back, and I had several months of physio. After that various personal matters intervened and the running, and my fitness went downhill.

This year in March I was up to 17 st 9 lbs, and doc said my blood sugar was marginally into the diabetic range. He suggested I try and reverse it by diet and exercise.

So this year, I redid C25K, and have now done a streak of 4 parkruns in a row.

I had noticed that the distanced I'd covered in C25K were shorter than the first time, and so when it came to the first PR I decided I'd be cautious and aim for about 40-45 minutes. Was delighted to come in at just under 40. But the PB was from that one PR two years ago - 37:36. The second week I shaved 20 seconds off the first week's time, and the third week a minute and a half off that. Just 15 seconds slower than that 2 year old PB.

So - I don't know if this sounds stupid, but I was really nervous this week, knowing I OUGHT to be able to smash that PB, but then wondering how I'd feel if I didn't quite do it.

Well my watch said 36:10!! So if confirmed it will have smashed the PB by a minute and a half. So hoping there's no mess up. My son got a good time last week at his Park Run in London and there was a horrendous mix up with bar codes and about half the runners, including the first and second just came up "unknown" with no times!

So ... fingers crossed that I will have a new official PB, and I'll have erased the past. If so, next week I'll feel much more relaxed about it - no need to worry about beating my 2 year old time. And if I'm more relaxed, it is quite possible I'll get faster, who knows?

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iain-strachan profile image
iain-strachan
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13 Replies
Annieapple profile image
AnnieappleAdministratorGraduate

👍🎈👏

Buddy34 profile image
Buddy34Graduate

Congratulations on your 5th parkrun and yes you're right I think the more relaxed you are the better you run will be. 😊😊

AlMorr profile image
AlMorrAmbassadorGraduate

You don't look all that red Iain, just a little, sorry about the mix up with times and barcodes, one day a result from some parkrun might come up with around 300 runners all "unknown ." just their position, I hope your official TIME comes soon and it's a PB.

iain-strachan profile image
iain-strachanGraduate in reply to AlMorr

It's the sweat streaming down my face that is the giveaway! ;-)

iain-strachan profile image
iain-strachanGraduate

dropbox.com/s/aclgr5y3iokzz...

Yes!! 36:13 - a new PB by 1 minute 24 seconds!

backintime profile image
backintimeGraduate in reply to iain-strachan

👏👏👏👏👏🎉🎉🎉🎉

AlMorr profile image
AlMorrAmbassadorGraduate in reply to iain-strachan

Congratulations, great time as well, glad the results came through.

AlMorr profile image
AlMorrAmbassadorGraduate in reply to AlMorr

PS, congratulations on a PB, you could ask the Vitality Parkrun people to put NHS Couch to 5K as your running club, many people, including myself have promoted it by having that as their running club.

iain-strachan profile image
iain-strachanGraduate in reply to AlMorr

Thanks for the tip. I have now done so. In fact I didn't need to ask them - if you log in to your profile page you can select the club from a dropdown if you ask to update your details. It's a long scroll down to NHS Couch to 5K but it is there!

AlMorr profile image
AlMorrAmbassadorGraduate in reply to iain-strachan

Well done on updating your details and from now on when you see your results from a parkrun you run, your running club will be NHS Couch to 5K, even in an event run that you have to pay for such as a 10K you can register your club as C25K as well.

Granspeed profile image
GranspeedGraduate in reply to iain-strachan

👏🏼🎉👏🏼 Lovely story, and congratulations on the happy ending of a new PB. 👍

K8nno profile image
K8nnoGraduate

New PB! Well done!

abitwobbly profile image
abitwobblyGraduate

Brilliant, well done 👌

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