Yesterday, being a Saturday morning, as usual, I did not want to get out of bed. But, Saturday is parkrun day and as I can only attend once a fortnight, at 8.10 a.m. I dragged a brush through my hair, cleaned my teeth and laced up my trainers.
I had no intention of aiming for a PB as after my exhausting session at track the previous Monday evening my ear had been playing up and quite frankly I was all out of energy. I had snuck out of work on Friday to indulge in a very bad lunch, and also went out for dinner and enjoyed steak and chips along with a drop of Pinot Grigio. Not good pre run planning at all.
Coach was present and I'm sure she would have run with me had I asked but as I was feeling out of sorts I thought she was better concentrating on her own time as I seriously thought I was going to just amble around. Two weeks before Nadine had encouraged me to get a very decent PB, today I had to do it by myself and I really did not believe it would be possible.
The hooter took me by surprise, there was an almighty crush to get through the first pinch point and as usual I had set off with the usual speed of those around me. Whilst thinking I must slow down and get to my own pace I was also thinking, actually I'm OK. Unusually I was not being overtaken by the masses only a few. Fortunately a lady just ahead of me appeared to be running my pace so I fell in behind her and kept my eye on Nadine, inching ahead but still in my sights.
I relaxed to enjoy the run, still not giving a second thought to my speed. I was aware that my breathing was good, my legs a little achey but coping well. I managed to avoid the puddles by going onto the grass, slipped a little through the stinky mud that has made a very unwelcome return and managed to keep up a good pace.
End of lap one and if the photographer was going to capture me then it was going to be with a shot of me looking like I was running, knees up, arms pumping, round two. I knew the first lap had gone well, and now I was tired. Oh well, good try I thought, never mind, slow a little take a breather and carry on enjoying and stop worrying. Looking ahead I selected a runner, slowly, very slowly I aimed to catch them. Some I did, some I stayed with, some we took turns on leading and some I never quite got to, you know who you are!
Then I reached the one mile to go point and I thought back to my run with Nadine, this is the point I needed to start speeding up, I was feeling good so I had to give it a go. This race was feeling very different from all previous park runs, I was in control, I dug in and could hear people behind getting closer, I was not going to let them get me, they certainly were not going to get through the gate before me. Although this was hard it was not feeling as hard as it had last time. I was on the home run, I was gasping a little, no, make that gasping a lot, I hurt, sprint time! Barely a sprint followed but I sure as heck did not stop until I had passed the line.
Standing in the scan line I chatted to fellow runners before realising I had not switched off my timing chip. OMG, as I stopped it I read 31 minutes and some seconds. I could not for the life of me recall my PB time from last time, but I knew I was close. Catching up with friends under the barn, I was joined by coach, she had an almighty big smile on her face as she told me "I know your time," she had great delight in telling me it was 30 minutes something. I let out an almighty shriek of delight and surprise. My official result came through a little while later to confirm my new PB of 30.20.
That sub 30 is calling...
No comments:
Post a Comment