...it's been eight days since my last 'confession'.
If you read that last blog, you'll have seen that my first Parkrun was a bit of a disaster, I didn't handle it at all well and was absolutely gutted to have to walk a section, the first time I'd not ran all the way in weeks of doing 5k's on my usual (flat) route.
In retrospect (and thanks to you guys and Mrs Fingalo drumming it into me) I realised I'd been beating myself up a bit too much about it and by the Monday had decided to give it another go in the following week, which I did on Saturday last. The plan had been to do a couple of runs last week but in the end, the second Parkrun was the only one I did, a week where I'd gone from deciding to do it again and actually stopping this running lark completely, this had nothing to do with the way the run in the park had gone, I've just always struggled with the idea of continuing to run as I can find no enjoyment in it. How I envy those of you who do.
I'd had a really indulgent week too, as a rule I do not drink Monday to Friday and follow a healthy eating/fasting regime on those days, however last week I went mad, not so much with the drink (well, a bit) but certainly with the grub. Steak and chips, takeaway curry, Thai meal in and a takeaway Thai the next night. In fact Friday was the only day I behaved myself so perhaps that goes some way to explaining the reluctance to run. Possibly.
Anyway it was only when I was in bed on Friday I finally knew I'd run the next morning, at which point my usual excitement/anticipation kicked in and I woke several times during the night, checking the clock.
This time there was no fretting, I treated it almost like my normal run, I just got up, donned my gear and headed off, no bag, in fact nothing I'd have to leave down while I ran save for a bottle of water for when I finished. I'd bought a bumbag in the week so were it warm enough, a t-shirt would suffice as keys and 'phone for music would go in that instead of my jacket pocket. IF it was warm enough? Who am I kidding?
I had intended buying some Lucozade on my way there as well as taking water with me because the dizzy spell I'd experienced after my first Parkrun had somewhat alarmed me, however that didn't happen. The park is about a 20 minute walk away and I was a bit concerned that after a couple of minutes I started to get a nagging feeling in my left calf, which became worse over the next ten minutes. It was odd as I'd barely had any trouble with my calves whilst running, let alone walking. As it got worse I'd decided I'd still run but had resigned myself to maybe not being able to do the whole thing, to say I was gutted is an understatement. But strangely, as the park came into sight, I realised it had started to ease off and by the time the run began, I'd forgotten all about it. What that was all about I haven't a clue but it was certainly enough to make me forget to buy the Lucozade.
This time I was more on the ball, I knew I'd made a schoolboy error the week before and allowed myself to get pulled along at too fast a pace, so this time I stood right at the back, I hadn't realised that while I'd positioned myself there the last time out, folk were joining the run until the very last minute and so I ended up in the middle of the throng.
I also made sure I had my music playing (I used that 'stadium rock cheese' playlist we built up on here the other week) and really just tried to blot out any notion that I was even in an event with anyone else. Unlike last week, I took no photo's and chatted with no-one, although I was much more relaxed, the fear was in that I'd not run all the way again so in an effort to get that monkey off my back, it was all about me this time. Interaction could come later.
I set off and let them all run away from me, all the better to isolate myself, although of course, you do find yourself at a similar pace to others. One of these drove me mad, she was running and walking it and unfortunately happened to be at just my level all the way. The annoying thing was that when she stopped to walk, I'd overtake her then when she ran she flew along and got by me again, this went on for almost the entire race, it was doing my head in as I couldn't understand why she didn't just slow down a bit with the running and run the whole thing.
Okay then, what really annoyed me was that despite walking so much of it, she was able to run so fast that she actually timed it perfectly and managed to be in front of me come the finish.
The cow!
As for the course itself, I mentioned that there is a long and (I think) torturous incline when it's run in the usual direction that isn't represented in the topography when ran in reverse, which it being the Paddy's Day run, we were doing. Ha bloody ha! As it transpired, I think there is as much of an incline, however it's not a continuous one and as it's on bends as opposed to the other side where you're looking at the whole thing as you're running up it. This running thing, all in the mind.
Talking of it being in the mind, I was almost all the way around the first lap when I realised the two and a half loops hadn't started with the a long lap and we'd actually ran the short lap first, I was puzzled as I kept waiting for the MMR guy to come on and tell me I'd done the first kilometre and had actually convinced myself I'd fecked up the settings on the app ("hold on, if the long loops are 1.8k and I've almost completed it, where the feck is he?") when I realised my mistake. It reminded me of the early days of waiting (in vain) for Laura to finally come on and tell me to walk.
Silly boy that I am.
I'd hated almost every minute of the first run but this was was better, I even managed to lose myself in it a couple of times, something I find easy on my usual runs but couldn't last week. I think a lot is to be said for first run nerves. One thing about that long incline, the crest of it in this direction is just at the 4k mark, now last time it was at this stage I'd had to walk, this time it was downhill almost all the way so I knew then I was home and dry. Well, not dry exactly as the wind and rain had been coming down since I'd set out for the run, however it was intermittent so you'd get a bit soggy, it'd stop and the wind would dry you out.
As I came around to the finish I noticed that many of the finishers were walking across my path, fair enough as almost all of them were ensuring not to obstruct us slow 'uns, most, that is, except the poor unfortunate girl who was completely unaware of where she was and ended up being lifted almost bodily out of my way and placed to one side, all without my stopping. I'm slightly ashamed to say I made no effort to seek her out afterwards and apologise as at the time I was a tad annoyed with her.
Into the finishing funnel and chip in hand, I spotted one of the stewards who last week had seen what I state I was in, "fair play for coming back" she said. I was quite pleased with that. My time was odd as MMR guy said I'd done 5k about a minute before I reached the funnel and I was delighted with it, it would've been a PB, however I'm sure the course is marked out properly so I'll go by that and hope it was just a blip on the part of the app. And I was still over a minute faster than last week which I think makes it my second fastest 5k.
The run had been better but afterwards there was absolutely no comparison to how I feelt last week, it just felt like my usual 5k runs and recovery was almost immediate, with no dizzyness whatsoever and barely a murmer from my legs.
I went and collected my water, sat down and wrote a single word text to Mrs Fingalo:
YAAASSSSS!!!!!!
Postscript: Having checked the results, there were fewer runners than last week (362) and I finished in front of one more runner (discounting the backmark stewards).
Now all I have to do is finish in front of another bloke, being the last man is slightly embarrassing!
I didn't even manage to drag myself out of bed to get to my parkrun. But not beating myself up about it, as I was very tired. 
Forgive me forum, for I have sinned - it has been 1 week since my last run 🤣
Forgive me joggers, for I have sinned...
Forgive me VRB for I have sinned
Forgive me fellow runners for I have sinned
W9R3 - I have done it!
