Rob's Running Blog

Woodbank Park Run Saturday April 17th – 24:43

Felt strange not needing to walk the dog when I got up. Was a nice sunny day, albeit a bit cold so set off early, and this time managed to get to the park in plenty of time 🙂

Did some warm up laps of the track, few strides but nothing major, then lined up. Saw Mark the triathlete again, and we chatted, then we were off and I said I’d see him at the finish line. I was near the front and went off fast – I am used to seeing the leaders snake off around the track before heading into the park – but this time, I was with them, in the first 7 or 8 runners ➡ As we headed out into the park a few more overtook me as the faster runners zoomed off (either they quickened up or I went back to my normal pace!) – then it was the usual duel with the hills, trying to survive up them without them sapping the hell out of my legs too much, then the recovery, then the bloody hill again before the last k home.

A la the Salford 10k, I didn’t look at the Garmin, just ran how I felt, and I was starting to feel the pinch by the end. On the second lap Mark caught up with me and we took the hill together – he took a breather and I tried to launch myself off the top. The hills and the fast start were making me hurt. A gorgeous looking lady went past me and I must admit I tried to keep up with her as there is nothing like chasing after a lady to get one motivated, but she zoomed off and I didn’t have too much left. I got to the path leading into the stadium and Mark came past me yelling encouragement at me, I tried to put on a burst of speed for a duel all the way to the finish line but I was running on dead legs and my gasp rate was going off the scale – so he got revenge on my previous “victories” 🙂 I think we both really helped each other along though so it was good teamwork in a way – and we both PB’d 😀 I got a sub 25 in 24:43 which is good going and who knows on the flat…

My splits were:

4:11
5:06
4:47
5:17
5:20

Easy to see where the hills took their toll – and no wonder I was up with the leaders with that first split! – if I’d kept up that pace I’d have been in the top 10 I think ➡ Still, it gives me confidence that I have that pace, I know I can run that fast – I just have to work on maintaining it, and also coming to terms with those hills – and they are getting “easier” 🙂

In all a good run and nice to have a chat with Mark afterwards. Well done Mark – good luck with your Triathlon training, and I look forward to a rematch in a few weeks 😀

No pics as the Park Run site has been down since Saturday – evidently calculating my and Mark’s speed has broken it 😉

Woodbank Park Run – 25:14 – Park Run PB From the Twilight Zone!

This was a weird, weird run…

I set off earlier than last week, but got there later, I didn’t get to bed too early and didn’t sleep and was feeling frankly rough when I got up, and felt a bit sick on the bus. Seemed to take longer than last time, and in fact when the bus dropped me off at the bottom of the hill near Vernon Park, I checked the time and it was 8:45 😯 – and the start line was a 15 mins walk away, so I figured I could have a nice warmup to get there, although I still had to get out of my joggers and use the loo. And I felt bloody awful and breathless jogging up the hill and had to stop – then jogged through a veritable swamp as I took the shortcut over the field to get to the track. So had soaking wet feet. I managed to get out of my sweats and put my trainers on, and really needed to use the loo, but all the cubicles were occupied, then a kid went in one cubicle and came out screaming his head off. I went in, and saw why – let’s just say, how does a person manage to miss like that? It was just there, perched, staring at me… ➡ Still, needs must… and I improvised. By this point had about 2 mins left, and Garmin couldn’t find the satellite as I stood there kicking my own arse with my heels and trying to convince myself I was ready to run a tough 5k 🙄 I did meet Mark, the triathlete, who ran into my blog the other week, and we had a brief chat.

On your marks, get set go, they said, and I thought I started the Garmin, but half way round the track I glanced at it – 0:00:00. Ooops. 😳 So I started it and after about 2 more minutes I was feeling half dead, but I kept going. Whatever official distance I’d done, the Garmin ticked over one k in 5:30 and the next one in 6 mins, I started swearing, I have not run that slowly apart from a warmup or cool down jog recently. So I just kept going, feeling half dead and wondering what the hell was wrong with me today. There was a blonde lady in front of me and she was very supportive and told me to take it easy as there would be plenty more runs – true of course, but I couldn’t understand why I was going so slow…. 6 mins for one k? On the second lap went past Mark who had started walking and tried to encourage him, then just kept going through the pain.

Sort of came alive after the last hill (attacked the hill twice this time) and had a bit of a burst of speed in the last K, and sprinted for the finish, leaving the supportive lady behind, and almost reeling in another lady, who put on a burst of speed to avoid my overtaking her, well done that lady :).

Garmin time was going to be useless so awaited results – and somehow ended up with an improvement on last week so a course PB by 13 seconds in 25:14. God knows how I did that, and God knows what was going on with the Garmin telling me I was running 6 minutes per k for a large chunk of the run, I certainly didn’t run a sub 4 one to make up the deficit… 😕

Well, am sure when feeling better and without Twilight Zone things happening, should be able to get that time down on future runs and need to work on those hills! 8)

Woodbank Park Run March 20th – 25:27 – Park Run PB!

I decided to rise at the crack of dawn and do the Woodbank Park Run again today – after a mile PB and a season’s best 5 mile time in the week, I’ve been feeling I’ve really got my running legs back of late 🙂

The logistics worked much better this time – buses went like clockwork and I got to the venue with 25 mins to spare, so I had time to use the loo and do a few laps of the track in the pouring rain, and get suitably warmed up without exhausting myself with a mad dash all the way from Denton to Stockport :lol:.

I set off at what felt and was a suicidal pace in the initial rush (sub 6 minute mile pace according to Garmin). I’m not used to starting so near the front of a field and chased the leaders before settling into my own rhythm, and didn’t try to go too fast, just went at my own pace. On the big downhill in Vernon Park, I conserved energy for the uphill, rather than trying to sprint down it and make up for the time I knew I’d lose going back up – then took the uphill slowly and steadily, and it sapped me a bit, and took a while to get back into my stride. Then another lap around Woodbank Park before the downhill and uphill for a second time.

I was kind of neck and neck with the older bloke who’d blown me away last week in the final k, this time, on the second uphill, I left him behind and although I slowed on the hill, I didn’t stop. I went past two blokes who were walking up the hill, they said well done to me – then in the last k I could hear them behind me, and one overtook me, and I thought, as I sometimes do, “Should I have walked up the bloody hill?” – then I overtook him, and in the last 200 we drew level and he encouraged me, so I then felt a bit bad for going into overdrive and finding a sprint finish and leaving him behind as I dashed over the line really gasping and gulping for air.

Official time was 25:27 which is a 52 second improvement on my Park Run of last week. I felt I held it together much better in the latter stages, so all the other running I have done has helped, and I’m just going to see how quick I can get on this course, and maybe try a 5k on the flat too at some point.

Woodbank Park Run – The Hills are Alive – 26:19

It’s been quite some time since I’ve run a race, and been able to soak up the atmosphere, and just enjoy running with other people (and OK enjoy the odd duel at the finish line!). Ever since they started a Park Run at Woodbank Park, I’ve been toying with the idea of popping along, and sacrificing my Saturday morning lie in 🙂 I was a bit wary of that park though, having done the Offerton 10k there last summer, and basically died on the hills 🙁 Finally, yesterday, I decided, yes, I am going to go and do it! Only 5k, afterall!

I had decided to jog the 4 miles to Woodbank Park from my house as I thought this would neatly kill two birds with one stone – a) getting there and b) warming up! I got up a bit late though, the dog wanted to sniff everywhere when I took it out for a walk, I still thought I’d be fine, and set off. Checked the time on the Garmin. Oops, I was cutting it a bit fine I thought. And so instead of a leisurely warmup, I ended up in a race against the clock to even get to the starting line!! When I got to the bottom of the massive hill in Vernon park it was 8:50 and I was calculating whether to make a graceful sweep around the park and back home, or whether I could still make it! No heroics up the big hill, but I did feel a frisson of fear when I saw running things marked out – I was going to have to run up THIS. Again… Twice… I Took a wrong turning, started cursing as it was 8:58 and I couldn’t even see the track/start, and then saw a lady in running gear and asked her the time, turned out she was doing the run too. We both made it 9am, but they hadn’t started yet. A sprint to the start line ensued, then after about 1 minute to get my breath back and set one of the runners’ dogs barking at me, off we went!

I was feeling fine, and raced ahead of a lot of people on the track lap, and did the first k in 4:33 and was flying after my extended warmup! Great! Then we got the the hill going down into Vernon park. Oh crumbs, thought I (well not crumbs, but another word!) – All the memories of the three laps of 10k Hell from last summer swam into my mind, but at least it seemed they weren’t going to make us run the entire hill, ie all the way from the bottom of the park…

Anyway, I managed to get up the hill the first time, and by the time we got round to the second lap I was getting a second wind and really going, and started overtaking a few people and felt great. Then the hill got me again. Kept going, but really started to hurt and felt I was losing pace, I overtook an older guy, but then he took me and sped off. Garmin seemed to click over 5k mark a long time before I got near the track and the finish line, I stumbled over and felt knackered and forgot to even stop the Garmin, although my official time was 26:19, which given the crazy warmup and the hills, was not too bad, and is a target to aim for. Saw the woman from the beginning and we exchanged well dones as I queued up to hand my token to the man with the laptop.

It seems a tough course for everyone, the first place time was about 19 minutes, and not 16 or 17 like it seems to be at most of them. Although not ideal for a time trial, it will be a good progress indicator, and of course doing the hills will be good for my 10k’s, especially if I do the Offerton one again!

I would really recommend the Park Runs to anyone thinking of doing a run, the good thing is they’re every week, they’re free, and fantastic fun for all ages and abilities. Visit the Park Run Website for more info!

Thanks to all the volunteers!