Well, I made it, ran (almost) all the way, through ankle deep mud, I was the backmarker almost from the start except for one girl, made my son leave me after about 2 minutes when he kept stopping for me to catch up...
Fell over in the mud as I turned towards the woody bit so the the other girl passed me as I picked myself up, didn't cry, just carried on plodding, then a few minutes later one of the lovely volunteers joined me and jogged alongside encouraging me all the way...
As usual the second half of the run was better than the first, my son waited for me about 1k from the end and then ran with me for additional encouragment. I managed a sprint about 100 metres from the end but should have left it a few metres later as ran out of steam before the funnel, arrived to the applause of the kind volunteers.
As I struggled to find my barcode from my back zipped pocket on my cycling top, then realised one of the volunteers was my daughters friends Mum so we had a conversation about my daughters upcoming wedding and hats; while I was trying to calmly breathe and feeling wobbly! This meant I didn't turn my Imap off so am waiting now for the official time to see how slow I was (very according to Imap!) but considering the mud and how slippy it was I am pleased to have finished, and will have a time to beat next time!
Hope veryone else had a good run!
Written by
Poppy2010
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Hurrah! Well done you! I did it too! According to my watch I was just under 46 minutes - which is slow, but it's faster than my two previous 'freedom' runs of the route, so I was really pleased. I wore my shirt too.
It was drizzling and really muddy here too - like skiing on mud in places, and very tricky in shoes with almost no grip at all (not clever - should have worn the grippier ones). I very nearly slipped over as well, but managed to do a quick dance and kept my footing, just. I ran the whole route, except for a very muddy bit at the beginning where just about everyone was walking to avoid falling over.
In the second half, I had the company of the person collecting up notices at the back - he walked just behind me for about 20 minutes - I can't quite decide whether it was off-putting or motivating! He did say I had a good steady pace (he was polite enough not to mention the slow aspect!) and it was good to have someone else around as I came up to the end. A friendly little cheer as I went past the teas and cakes felt great - just warm and encouraging.
I checked my heart rate, out of curiosity, just before the end - it was apparently 99% of max - !!! I somehow think that the 220-age calculation doesn't really give me an accurate max figure, as I felt ok - I was still able to talk, though I was aware my heart was going pretty fast. Anyway, I survived it!
All in all, I really enjoyed it - it was hard work, nerve-wracking at times, but really satisfying to have completed it. I'm really grateful to all the volunteers that make it possible, and for their encouraging words and will definitely do a volunteering role soon.
And I've come to the conclusion that my big target isn't a 10k - it's just to be able to run faster than the men can walk!
Well done Greenlegs. I was thinking about you this morning. Urging you on. Joe is a great fellow. Glad he was about to encourage you. Looks like your time was a good one though, now you have a target to build on. Tricia x
Ah I did think about it. But I did a 5k on Friday morning and ate far too much dinner friday evening! ;). I'm really thinking about it for next week though. I'm running tomorrow, going to give the parkrun course another go. This is so I can run Tuesday and Thursday and if I don't overindulge on Friday I'll be there Saturday morning. I've been upping my runs by 1k every time. Which seems a lot. But I've felt okay. So fingers crossed. Don't fancy the mud though.
That does sound a lot! - but if you're ok, that's great (maybe take it easy for the Tues and Thursday runs - I hadn't run since Wednesday, and I'm sure that being that bit fresher really helped).
The mud is only really bad on the football pitch bit - so the first few minutes and the last minute or two. The rest isn't too bad really, but worth having shoes with decent tread for those bits!
Did you gather that the route is reversed next week, for run 100? So a long, long slow uphill - and then down that steep bit, and I suppose finishing off with the mudbath (or maybe we can sneak down the track instead for the last bit). Interesting!
Oh no. Didn't know about that. Was almost dreaming of the downhill reward after the wicked hill. I run past the pitch alot too and the mud is very off putting. Ah not sure I can get my head around going the wrong way. Hmmmm. See how I think about that later in the week. Thanks for the heads up though. Tx
Well done! I did it too - and it was fantastic. After last week's failed attempt, everything seemed different today. It was great knowing so many others in this forum were doing it at the same time and that we were all supporting each other.
I told the volunteers I'd be last by a long way & they were so nice & supportive and very reassuring. I got cheers from them at various points in the run. My pace is still all over the place and despite trying to run slower in the first couple of km, I found it difficult to keep to over 7min/km which was my plan for the early stages, so had to slow to a walk a few times after that.
I made sure I had enough energy to run the last bit when I was in sight of the finish & got a big cheer as I went over the line. I felt a million dollars. I did it in 36,35 which I'm really pleased with. I was about 4 minutes behind the previous runner. Then I discovered there was another runner a good 10 minutes behind me. She got a great cheer when she came in - she was like me, grinning from ear to ear as she crossed the line. I know there was also someone else not far behind me for a while who did what I did last week and opted out about half way round. I wish I could have spoken to her and encouraged her to keep going.
The volunteers & other runners were very friendly and happy to see a first timer. I'm going to do this regularly. It's definitely addictive.
Thanks all for your support and advice. This forum is amazing.
Woo hoo! So glad you got back on the horse straight away, and you did really well. That's a great time too. Our results aren't up yet - I'm trying to distract myself and not keep clicking on the link!
This forum and parkrun together are just a wonderful package - all free and open to absolutely anyone to join in. It's very cheering to be part of something so positive.
And the trees are starting to blossom and there were masses of snowdrops in the woods on the way home. Happy day!
Times have just gone on the website - 45min 55, which is 2 minutes and 5 seconds faster than my previous 'freedom' parkrun. That's great, as the mud slowed down the first section quite a bit.
I was 203rd out of 203! But with age-grading, 199th of 203, which sounds much better! (ie four of the runners who were faster than me were younger, so had lower age-grades).
I was the only NHS c25k runner there today. I need to drum up some more at work.
Wow, Jenniej that is a fantastic time... I will aspire to that sort of time many months from now!
And greenlegs well done, what a great morning you have had too! I love your new ambition to run faster than men walk! You did so well keeping on to the end, and you're right about the 10k... Not for me either!
I am so glad I persevered to the end, the girl who passed me when I'd fallen over was in sight but as we came to the last two marshals she hadn't passed them, she was at the finish though, as we discussed the run on the way home my son mentioned she ran past him on the bridge half way down the lake, I don't know of she made a mistake or felt she couldn't finish; I feel bad for her in case she needed a bit of support from the man helping me!
You beat me by 13 seconds! That's pretty close! It's lovely to know there's someone else out there at about the same stage and the same speed.
OK - The challenge is on!
Not sure I'll be doing it every week, but next week's is the 100th run here, so I might well go again, as they're going to run the course in the opposite direction, which would be interesting (ie pretty much of the first half is a long slow incline!)
Hi! I have just checked my diary; I can go next Saturday as I am Early shift on Friday onto 12 hour night duty on Saturday - I would normally have a long layin to recover fromt he horrible early shifts and to prepare for nights... but I may be tempted (if mud is like childbirth and the pain is forgetten a few days later!!!!) If I am at my daughters I could try the Chelmsford one - may be less mud...hmmm!!!
Time for bed said Zebedee... at 0217am! These boards take a while to get through if you miss a day!
Night all, hope your legs don;t ache as much as mine!!!
oh, and the pic is my previously white trainers, now semi restored after son put then and his in the washing machine! Hope the machine can take that much mud ok!
Those were muddy trainers - mine weren't quite that bad! Funny you mention childbirth and forgetting - I'd had exactly the same thought - once I was through the finish line, it was just like holding the baby!
I'm going to wait and see about doing next week - my hips are aching more than usual (sliding in the mud I think), not severe, just enough to whinge about! - but I do feel pretty tired.
Off soon with my daughter, to see lambing for mothers' day. Poor little lambs - it's snowing off and on here, only odd flakes, but none too warm.
It's definitely cold breezy and snowflakes coming down; just been holding the ladder in my dressing gown whilst my son fixed my gutter that fell down a few weeks ago!
Hope the lambs are warm enough; that's a lovely thing to do! We're off to my daughters soon and having a family dinner out later. Will have to try and walk like a lady rather than hobble like an old witch - my legs are definitely feeling the mudslide muscle workout!
We actually watched a lamb being born - it was amazing. I grew up on a farm so regularly saw piglets being born, but it still moves me to wet-eyedness to see baby animals coming into the world and having a first feed. My goodness though, it was freezing! At least they were under cover.
Enjoyed reading the parkrun blogs, it's great that we all broke our duck and while mine was a bit of a disappointment for me it seems you guys really did well.
We all did really well, all things considered - and it was rather special that we were all running our first parkrun at the same time. i think we did Laura proud!
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I grew up on a farm so regularly saw piglets being born, but it still moves me to wet-eyedness to see baby animals coming into the world and having a first feed. My goodness though, it was freezing! At least they were under cover.
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