parkrun – Page 2 – Black and Tabby Runs

Getting better all the time*

Another few weeks of trying to get out for some exercise, repeatedly telling myself that just like when I first started running, it WILL feel better eventually. Suddenly, just maybe, I might be there…

To recap, I’ve been going to my swimming lesson every Monday and still haven’t drowned (although this week it was pretty close – I thought I could do breast stroke!) I’ve been mostly managing my two runs a week but haven’t been on my bike so much**. Fantastically soggy parkrun on Saturday 1st October, which reminded me how much fun running in the rain is. Makes you feel so much more hardcore than a hot and sweaty run, that’s for sure.

parkrun011020162 — Soggy parkrun. Mud and everything – including a smile

Buoyed up by that run, I entered the Marshfield Mudlark, an 11k race that consists of hills, beautiful countryside, sometimes bulls, oh yes and mud. And hills. I have run this race several (3?) times before, so I do know the course and I may have been a little too keen as the race is this Sunday.

How much hill work have I done this year? Erm – does the tiny slope at parkrun count?***
Is my longest run anywhere near 11K? Even allowing for the metric / imperial conversion I don’t think 5 miles is that close to 11K.
Oh well. It’ll be a lovely day out in the countryside anyway. A full day maybe, but lovely.

Just as I was feeling like I’d definitely bitten off more that I could chew, I popped out for a 3 mile trot around the village this morning. After the chilly mornings of the last few days, today looked sunny and beautiful. It was. This was the view looking down over the field I was running around.

Beautiful view over field — Wiltshire looking stunning in the autumn sunshine

I returned home feeling happy and satisfied. And a little smug if I’m honest. Bring it on Sunday – I’m ready for you!

* another earworm, anyone?

** repeat after me “buying winter cycling gear from Aldi does NOT count as a cycle ride”

*** no it doesn’t

Three runs, one swim and a triathlon. What a week!

I’d like to just leave it at that, but in the interests of full disclosure I’d better elaborate.

Monday was my swimming lesson, and I enjoyed it as much as ever. Only negative was getting home, putting my costume into the washing machine, and realising the costume fabric was now so thin it resembled a string vest. I immediately shamefacedly added “swimming costume” to my shopping list.

The three runs were a short race (the Lacock relay), a long run (4 whole miles!) and a parkrun (with cake – bonus). It’s been a fair few months still I’ve managed that many runs in a week, and my foot felt fine, if a little stiff afterwards.

And the triathlon? Well it’s true I was at the Bowood Triathlon on Sunday. However I wasn’t competing, I was helping out. If you were there I probably gave you your registration pack, along with some supposedly helpful advice and a smile. I also took the chance to go down to the Lake and have a look at the swim stage. Oh my word. How scary did it look?! I watched the start of a Super Sprint swim (400m) and how far did it look?!! Think I need to keep going to my swimming lessons….in my new costume of course.

Shoot me now – but first, Merry Christmas!

I feel like a broken woman. My left foot hurts, my right knee hurts and it’s really hard to limp on both legs. My left eye is horrendously bloodshot and my left elbow is sore. I’m tired from working in retail right up to Christmas Eve, and sad because I’ve not been able to run for weeks. Truth be told, it’s been painful to even walk. If I was a race horse, they’d shoot me.

My last run was a few weeks ago, on a rare trip to my local parkrun. The weather forecast was disgusting, and to be honest if I hadn’t been meeting someone there I’d have stayed in bed on a precious Saturday off. So thank you very much Louise (abradypus) for making me get out there and for a very enjoyable (if muddy) run. We had a lovely chat and my right knee felt great after my recent physio session.

Since then, standing for 8 and a half hours a day has taken its toll on my legs / eye / elbow, and if I hadn’t finally made it to Christmas I’d be very sad at this point. But Christmas it is, and I’ve spent a very lovely day with my family relaxing and eating good food. So I’m sat now with my feet up on the sofa, an ice pack alternating between my foot and knee, and a glass of wine in my hand. There’s always next year to run again. So with that optimistic thought, may I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and a run filled New Year.

Ready for a Taper

After my massive 22 mile run on Wednesday, I was slightly nervous about how my legs would feel standing or sitting all day at work. (This was a day’s work being an “Extra” – hardly hard work, but it does involve sitting or standing around for many hours, just waiting for someone to tell you to go somewhere). There were no period costumes involved, so thankfully so fear of another corset or wig, but even so I chose my comfiest ‘smart’ shoes to take and hoped they would be acceptable.

It was an early start, but luckily only 3 minutes drive to set. I felt very guilty later on when people were saying “No, I didn’t come far, only about an hour and a half’s drive. How long did it take you to get here?” Amazingly, my legs felt fine. After sitting for a couple of hours I did creak just a little when I got up, but honestly nothing like I thought I would be. I could feel my piriformis muscles needed stretching, but go and google what those exercises look like and then appreciate how, dressed as a “posh business woman” I couldn’t really do them in public.

On the next day, Friday, it seemed like a good idea to go and find a big hill to run up whilst my legs were tired. (It’s not as mad as it sounds – the marathon course has two big hills, one at 14 miles and one at 20, so this is exactly what I need to be doing). One hilly 7 mile run later my legs were still feeling pretty good (but yes, tired) and I was feeling quite smug.

I was ready for a nice restful weekend starting with a lie in on Saturday morning, but my legs had other ideas and had me wide awake with twitching legs. “Oh all right” I told my legs “we’ll just have an easy trot round parkrun, to stretch you out”. * There was obviously a breakdown in communication, because I actually ran my 3rd ever fastest time at Chippenham parkrun.

See how happy I am? Photo thanks to Valerie Light

Not smiling - but flying! — Not smiling – but flying! Photo thanks to Valerie Light

NOW can I taper please???

Doesn’t everyone talk to their legs? It can’t just be me and Jens Voigt?

Lanhydrock parkrun

I am feeling very smug, as I’m on holiday and I still got up for parkrun. Truth be told if I’d known it was quite such a hilly course I might not have bothered.

Lanhydrock parkrun is set in the grounds of a very fine National Trust house in mid Cornwall. It was a warm sunny morning as I arrived and used my time honoured technique of ‘following the crowd’ in order to find the excellent National Trust toilets, and then the start. Chatting with some locals I learnt that the second half of the course is all uphill, including the final climb they referred to as “heart attack hill”. Fortunately I also learnt it was a one lap course.

A blast of vuvuzelas sent us thundering down the grassy slope towards Lanhydrock house. With a brief sideways glance at the house we entered the woods and started climbing.

The course is beautiful. Partly on tarmac, and mostly on trails with some grass, it winds through the woods down to the river. This was my favourite part, but sadly it didn’t last long before we were heading uphill again. I was determined not to walk, and succeeding, until the final hill when a man in front of me started walking. It was impossible not to stop at that point. The spur to run again came when I realised that the cows I thought I could see in the field next to the path were actually on the side of the path – no fence!

There was a great downhill sprint to the finish, but most people seemed too shattered for much speed at this point. I staggered over the line in 29:34 which isn’t a parkrun PW but is pretty close.

I then decided that seeing as the National Trust tearooms open especially early on a Saturday I really ought to go and sample their wares. Mmmmm. Happy holidays all!

Juneathon Day 27. Never too late to parkrun

After last night’s fantastic gig in Bristol, followed by sitting on a comfy sofa watching Glastonbury for far too long, of course the sensible thing to do is to get up for parkrun. Naturally I’m a very sensible person so that’s what I did.

I did have trouble getting up, so I was a little late setting off, and a little late arriving. As I headed down the slope from the car park I could see runners already coming to the end of the first lap of the first loop. (Chippenham parkrun is two laps of two loops in Monkton Park down by the river). I dropped my water, headed over to the start area and started running whilst declaring to the marshalls ‘I’m late. I’ll still run all the laps!”
I confused at least one marshall (sorry!) and spent my entire parkrun catching and overtaking runners. A Harriers friend said on Strava it would be good practice for the next Lacock relay!

I look like I'm speed walking, but I have both feet off the ground

P.S. There has been a delay in processing the official parkrun times, so I don’t know yet how late I was starting.

P.P.S. Times now in, official parkrun time is 30:32, my Strava time is 26:25 so I was officially over 4 minutes late. Whoops. Annoyingly that would have been my second fastest parkrun time ever. Impressively I finished in position 126, the last finisher was position 177, meaning I overtook 51 runners. Definitely good practice for Lacock!

Juneathon Day 20. Delayed Parkrun

So I was intending to go to parkrun. I really was. But a brilliant meal out with my best friends that ended quite late put paid to that. I want to bed thinking “I’ll see what time I wake up…” and promptly woke up at ten to nine.

To give me some credit, I did feel guilty about it, so a little later I decided to do a delayed parkrun. This was over my own route, it had no marshals, I could happily forget my bar code, it wasn’t in a park but it WAS 5K. It’s down and back a small lane that can be busy during the week but I reckoned would be safe on a Saturday. As I set off, true to parkrun form I briefly thought I should have had a warm up, then I carried on anyway. I also suddenly remembered that last Juneathon I ran this route at the start and end to see if I could improve my time.

It was really hot and muggy and I remembered using that excuse last Juneathon on this route as well. The route has an enormous dip that you run down and up twice, once in each direction (I always use this as an excuse on this route – even when I’m on my bike). Anyway I stopped my Garmin at 3.11 miles and dripped the remaining short distance home. I was so sticky I am sure I left a slug trail behind me. Attractive.

On checking the data, I was delighted to see the following times and dates:-

29:40 June 1st 2014
27:10 June 30th 2014

26:37 20th June 2015

Go me! Looks like the “Killer Tuesday” sessions (as we affectionately call the club “Efforts” evening) are working.

On a slightly more relaxed note, here are some sleeping kittens. Anyone remember a song from the 70s by Terry Scott called “my brother” (pronounced bruver”). It has a classic lyric that is so apt for these bruvers: “I know he’s good when he’s asleep … But you don’t know what he’s dreaming about, do you?!”

Juneathon Day 6. Parkrun

It’s Saturday so it must be parkrun day, yes? Erm, actually I had told a friend I probably wouldn’t make it to parkrun as I was thinking of having a lie in. However Juneathon laughs in the face of lying in, and I was wide awake at 8am. What’s a girl to do, but to get up and parkrunning.

So 5k done and back home in time for second breakfast. Juneathon lives (as does the smug feeling) which lasts most of the day).

Today’s Kitten News. Big cat has been trying to hide. Unsuccessfully.

You really don’t want to see what happened shortly after this second photo, but I can promise no kittens were harmed. Just a little bit biffed.

I’m Back! And I’m a WINNER!

Phew, well that’s been a busy time. Our building work is really nearly finished, which has meant much last minute ordering of stuff, lots of snap decisions and a fair bit of painting. Our daughter is sliding towards her GCSEs so needs plenty of poking, gently reminding to work (i.e. nagging), and general supporting. Husband is spending more and more time cycling, and my son requires regular winkling out of his room and away from his computer before he becomes a totally stereotypical teenaged boy. So, all in all, busy times in the B&T household.

Despite all this I have been getting out running, just not as far or as often as I would have liked. Nothing spectacular, and no interesting photos hence no blogging. I did spend a happy few hours writing out a list of upcoming races, and am still dithering over which to enter.

It was pointed out to me this week that it was my local parkrun’s first birthday on Saturday, so as husband was getting up at stupid o’clock to cycle a ridiculous distance* I thought I’d set my alarm as well and go along to parkrun for a short and hopefully speedy 5K.

Conscious that only first timers and tourists get to parkrun early, I managed to get there rather late, just as the run director was giving his pre run talk. Yes, I was the one still tying my shoe laces as everyone else was applauding the first timers and visitors. (Sorry!) I was also the one who had to run back to my jacket to grab my bar code just as the run director mentioned not forgetting your bar code. Sigh.

These hiccups aside, I enjoyed my third official parkrun. I pushed when I could, but did find myself just trotting along behind a couple of blokes for a while rather than over taking them straight away. (It’s not a race, you see). Anyway I was very pleased when I stopped my Garmin to see I had a new parkrun PB of 26:26. I was impressed when I got home and saw this was actually a new all time 5K PB, and I was delighted when I got my official email from parkrun confirming my time, and telling me I was position 1 in my age category**. If it’s not a race, I can still be a winner, can’t I?***

*300K is a ridiculous distance to cycle in one day. Fact.

** on telling him I was first in my age category, my son promptly asked if I was the only one in my age category.

*** the correct answer to this is YES. It’s the first time I’ve ever come first in anything that didn’t involve sitting exams, so I’m pinning an unofficial winner’s badge on myself.

Lapping up Parkrun

8 o’clock on a beautiful April Saturday morning, so of course I’d love to get up and go out running. Particularly when husband, who had been planning on going out cycling, decided he didn’t feel well enough and was going to stay in bed. Humpf. Black cat had been meowing at me, and walking all over me, for nearly an hour so the chances of going back to sleep were minimal. I got up.

Cats fed, me fed, running gear on, bar code found, car park money found, IT’S 8.45 AND I’M GOING TO BE LATE! Fortunately it’s a short sprint from the car park to the start, so I took that as my warm up and arrived just as the race director asked everyone to move to the start line.

There were a few more runners today at Chippenham’s second parkrun than at the pilot event two weeks ago (155 rather than 30) which made it a little more crowded at the start. However it was all good natured and friendly, and impressive to watch a group sprint away from the rest of the pack.

The route follows 2 short laps around the park which takes in a short slope up the side of the mini golf, along the top of the park and back down to the start. Then a short run along the river, another 2 loops around a wilder section of the park, and back along the river to the finish. As I set off on the first loop of the second section I heard the call “faster runners coming!”, and a group of speedy guys flew past. Some runners find it depressing to be lapped but I always love seeing just how fast and smoothly some people can run.

Grimly Determined - but thumbs up! — Grimly Determined – but thumbs up!

As I completed the first loop and started on the second I suddenly found the (running) boot on the other foot as I lapped the back markers. I was reminded of my daughter, as I passed a teenager, head down, sullenly trudging along. A few metres ahead I presumed was her Mum, patiently waiting whilst uttering encouraging “come on dear’s”. I smiled, knowing exactly how she felt.

Parkrun truly does seem to be for everyone, and I’m very grateful to the people who set up Chippenham’s parkrun, and to the ever smiling marshals and helpers. I apologise that again my barcode wouldn’t scan and promise that I’ve ordered a plastic version for next time.