The Biggest Positive parkrun Split Ever

Saturday 10th January

Run #10

5k. Richmond parkrun

When I woke up this morning I actually sort of felt like running. M, who had been out Friday night, was planning a longer run later and elected for a lie-in but funnily enough I wasn't tempted. It sort if felt like one of those runs that might be quite productive once I got going and, knowing I'd have to run at some point, parkrun seemed as good as any - and one more count toward my 50 shirt.

Only, once I got going I realised it might not so much be one of those days! I think my body is still adjusting to this frequency of running and I'm getting used to lowering my expectation of how 'fresh' I think I should feel at the start. Does seem to take until I get started to remember though!

Now, can it please be noted for the record, m'Lud, that the weather on January 10th of 2015 was windy. W.I.N.D.Y: windy. Given that Richmond parkrun starts along one side of the Park it's pretty sheltered at the get go. And to be honest I didn't really notice a tail wind helping me down Sawyer's Hill and along to the corner at 2.5k. But I might have to respect that it probably was, as my times were looking good: by 3k I'd clocked a PB for each of the first 3 kilometres.

At this point I was beginning the standard internal argument that I inevitably have with myself on whether I was going to push to a course PB time ("you've on for a PB woman, just dig deep and grit through!" "I can't, I've gone out too fast! I've don't have enough left!" "Of course you have, there's less than 2k to go, the effort is all in your head, not your legs!" "But I'm tiiiiiired..." yadda yadda yadda etc). But keep pushing I did, across the muddy corner and up to where the route picks up the trail at almost exactly the 3k point. Where, rounding the corner, the wind hit me, full on in the face like a tennis racquet. Wowzers! It was like someone had snuck up behind me and hooked a bungee to the back of my leggings. A bungee attached to a caravan.

Like everyone else, I leaned forward, head down and proceeded to power forward as best I could while the wind tried to jam itself down my throat like a sock. As this was, let's be honest, a good deal slower than progress up to that point, the subconscious battle was swiftly abandoned. I did find mental space to wonder how the fair number of people that managed to pass me on the 4th k were doing it. But thoughts of a course PB were packed back up for another Saturday.

The wind dropped at the 4k point as the route turned back into the sheltered edge of the Park but by then I'd lost (felt I'd lost) too much energy into the wind to pick my pace up sufficiently. But didn't feel too bad about the time overall. And every cobweb had been well and truly blown away.