Chalked up a new PB on Saturday - the clock said 23:19, but my watch had me at 22:42, beating my previous record by 39 seconds. I'm going with the watch!
I was pretty pleased as it was pretty hot and there was a strong wind down the long back straight - the marathon speed work is paying off!
Sunday, 14 August 2016
Thursday, 11 August 2016
Running with loads of other people? NO WAY!
So what was next?
I had conquered my Everest, I'd run a 5k. Did I have the bug? I'm not sure but we persevered.
I had vaguely known about Parkrun. Miranda had done a few. But running with 500 other people? I liked running first thing in the morning - far fewer people will see you then right? And I'm not sure what I was doing even counted as running...
Our nearest Parkrun was Norman Park in Bromley, a large open park with an athletics track inside.
On the 9th May 2015, I took the plunge, and got round in a lumbering 36:21. Sadly this has not been recorded for the ages as I didn't have a barcode.
So - my official assault on the local record of 14:36 began. The next week I had by barcode and ran. Well - kind of....34:33. An improvement.
I carried on plodding along on an almost weekly basis - and despite getting a bit quicker (31:41) by September - it wasn't spectacular. But I was ready for more...and entered my first 10k in November - more to follow!
However, I love Parkrun. There were friends there, my wife ran every week, my kids did it sometimes. The atmosphere and support are great - it has a real community feel...
I build Parkruns into my training programme, I volunteer, I love visiting other venues, and am involved in setting up a new one. It's been a huge part of my motivation and has done a great deal to keep my enthusiasm going.
Anyhow - here's me on the day of my first official Parkrun, finishing a school fun run in the afternoon - things have changed!
I had conquered my Everest, I'd run a 5k. Did I have the bug? I'm not sure but we persevered.
I had vaguely known about Parkrun. Miranda had done a few. But running with 500 other people? I liked running first thing in the morning - far fewer people will see you then right? And I'm not sure what I was doing even counted as running...
Our nearest Parkrun was Norman Park in Bromley, a large open park with an athletics track inside.
On the 9th May 2015, I took the plunge, and got round in a lumbering 36:21. Sadly this has not been recorded for the ages as I didn't have a barcode.
So - my official assault on the local record of 14:36 began. The next week I had by barcode and ran. Well - kind of....34:33. An improvement.
I carried on plodding along on an almost weekly basis - and despite getting a bit quicker (31:41) by September - it wasn't spectacular. But I was ready for more...and entered my first 10k in November - more to follow!
However, I love Parkrun. There were friends there, my wife ran every week, my kids did it sometimes. The atmosphere and support are great - it has a real community feel...
I build Parkruns into my training programme, I volunteer, I love visiting other venues, and am involved in setting up a new one. It's been a huge part of my motivation and has done a great deal to keep my enthusiasm going.
Anyhow - here's me on the day of my first official Parkrun, finishing a school fun run in the afternoon - things have changed!
What's the point?
So - I'm writing a blog. It's mainly for me rather than anything else, to reflect, keep track, as a record, who knows? So if it's read, great, but if not I'll survive!
As a kid I played lots of sport, rugby was my main thing, but I'd give most things a go. Except running. It was a necessary evil of course, but I didn't like it.
I'd hide during cross country, and can't really remember every popping on my trainers and heading out on my own.
I stopped playing rugby for a while at Uni, picked it up a social level in my later 20s for a bit, I enjoyed it, but it was more for the beers than anything else. I always played cricket, but the way it do it isn't very energetic...
After the usual period of kids and work and all other things that I can use as an excuse, I was a mess, weighing in at 22 stone (plus maybe, I never wanted to check!).
Something had to be done. I started the Couch to 5k in April 2015 with my wife. God that was hard!
I can distinctly remember how much I wanted those 2 minute run splits to end!
But I kept going and ran my first 5k on the 23rd April 2015. Hurray!
As a kid I played lots of sport, rugby was my main thing, but I'd give most things a go. Except running. It was a necessary evil of course, but I didn't like it.
I'd hide during cross country, and can't really remember every popping on my trainers and heading out on my own.
I stopped playing rugby for a while at Uni, picked it up a social level in my later 20s for a bit, I enjoyed it, but it was more for the beers than anything else. I always played cricket, but the way it do it isn't very energetic...
After the usual period of kids and work and all other things that I can use as an excuse, I was a mess, weighing in at 22 stone (plus maybe, I never wanted to check!).
Something had to be done. I started the Couch to 5k in April 2015 with my wife. God that was hard!
I can distinctly remember how much I wanted those 2 minute run splits to end!
But I kept going and ran my first 5k on the 23rd April 2015. Hurray!
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