Week 3 - 5k Parkrun

It is the start of week 3 and I decided to get back on to the Glasgow Parkrun. This is a truly great initiative that lets you register and run for free on an organised timed run.  The really good thing about it is that there are literally hundreds of participants so it is an excellent pre-cursor to the Great Scottish Run and what is more - you can do it almost every week.  There are many Parkruns throughout the country - well worth checking out.

Firstly though, I wanted to share a little bit of research that I did on running techniques.  The biggest issue I seem to face is that I get out of breath very quickly and tend to get crippling side stitches.

 

This is a video that I found on You Tube which was posted posted by Jeffery Brooks of the FatBurnCafe website. 

 

What I like about this particular video is that he doesn't just stand there talking about it, he is actually demonstrating the technique and showing you first hand where the benefits lie.

 

 

This next video is from an article on the Runners World website by Budd Coates and Claire Kowalchick called Running on Air. I like this because it takes a more scientific approach to the concept to actually help you understand the importance of breathing properly..

 

 

 

With my new found research, I was looking forward to my Parkrun. Normally I would struggle round it and have to stop numerous times to catch my breath.  The run that I participate in at Pollock Park is widely considered a tough one as it is quite hilly. When I used to do it every week, my best time was around about a 32, but I would be happy to complete the course in a 35 today.

 

 Usual drill, warm up, Map My Run, Tunes on and off. Except the off starts as a walk as I know that I am in the slowest category, so always start from the very back. This causes a holdup while everyone gets started and the runners leave the car park, down the road and onto the footpath to get into the woods.

Up a short steep hill which levels to a slight gradient to the top, I am breathing with my belly and taking my time in terms of pace and I have say, that I'm feeling good. Normally at this point, I am struggling to get to the top, but not today so I keep going and once at the top make my way down the hill. Normally on the downhills, I maintain my pace and use this as an opportunity to recover.

 

Some people prefer to push but this will come at a later date for me - what I want is to achieve longevity. 

Bottom of the hill and its a sharp turn left and up the area of course that is affectionately known as "The Glade" a long gradient that level off and onto an S bend hill that is really steep.  This is always a killer for me so I set myself the challenge of getting to the foot of it as slowing to a walk to get to the top of it.

 

Up the glade then, head down and focusing on my breathing. I start passing people who have slowed to a walk and getting some satisfaction. Most probably these are the folks who should really be starting at the back but placed themselves in the middle to get a slightly better time OR have pushed to hard and fast and are now paying the price (I learnt that lesson last week!!).

 

 

Getting passed by the front runners now, I get to the foot of the hill, first scheduled slowdown but feel that I have enough energy to tackle it so decide to go for it and slow whenever I falter. But I don't falter and to my surprise make it up over the beast to the top, knowing that it levels to a down hill, I can keep the pace going and catch my breath.

 

 

On down the hill and I am now witnessing the front runners take the final straight but for me, its the connecting path to start the second lap. I get to the foot of the hill and its a medium gradient to get to the next lap. Head down again, breathing with my belly and pushing on I make it to the top of the hill and down the other side.  I am nearly overcome with emotion when I realise that I have actually run the furthest distance non stop of my entire life. The training is definitely paying off!!  The leveller though, is a runner passing me while she is pushing a pram! - only at the parkrun!!

 

 

Bottom of the hill then and it a sharp left to get up the glade. By this point, I have done over 4km non stop over a hilly course and I really want to push on but I am tired and getting irritated by a girl pacing herself against me but blasting past me then needing to slow to a walk.  If I can keep going up the glade, I'll have her and if not, then maybe my sprint at the end will get her.

 

Up the glade then, but I am really tired and have simply run out of stream, so I slow to a brisk walk for what must have been about 10 meters then get running again.  The runner using me as a pacemaker blasted past me as predicted but I didn't want to let her get too far in front. 

 

Sure enough she slowed to a walk before the top but I had recovered enough to keep going. I wanted to slow to a walk at the bottom of the S bend hill but battered right into it. Half way up I had to slow again but then once at the top, caught my breath and headed on the downward straight.

Taking the right fork for the finish line, I started my sprint and passed a good few of the runners ahead of me but I had started it too early and nearly 15 metres from the end, ran out of steam but I could hear someone chasing me down so got a final wind and pushed passed the line. Placed 400 (of 436) and an official time of 34:03.  

This is not my fastest time, or my best placement but is a huge achievement for me in terms on longevity. But as always after the parkrun, the final sprint as completely done me in but I wouldn't change it for anything!!