Running On Empty

So, no running between Saturday's parkrun and today. I really am struggling to fit it in at the moment and it's telling in my pace. Or rather the lack of it. Went for an almost-5K run at lunchtime today, around Newcastle's quayside. The headline is that Google Fit reckoned my pace for 4.73km was 5:25/km on average. But when you factor in Fit's generosity re the distance you've run, it's more like 6 minutes per kilometre. For me, that represents a significant backwards slide. 😞 As for the route, it was largely flat, as you'd expect for a riverside run. The loop from the Guildhall along the Newcastle side of the river, over the Millennium Bridge, along the Gateshead side beneath the Sage music centre, and then back over the Swing Bridge makes a decent option if I'm not sure how much time I can spare; gives me a chance to cut it short if need be. And, like a loop near my home, it's also almost exactly 1.5km — at least, according to Google Fit. N

Double figures! That surely must be an officially recognised parkrun milestone , right? Nope, sadly not. No t-shirt for me. Anyway, today was meant to be my first time at Prudhoe Riverside parkrun , but a vehicle blocking my drive meant I couldn't make the journey in time. Instead, I had to settle for my local run at Rising Sun Country Park . It's the 3rd time I've done this one — the only parkrun I've done more than once, in fact — and I was really hoping to get a PB. Alas, it wasn't to be. Stats and course info: Today's time : 27m 23s Personal best : 26m 37s Age grade : 52.59% Terrain : gravel tracks, a bit of tarmac, a short bit of grass track, and a large puddle Conditions : wet but firm underfoot, about 10°C, overcast, but not raining Health : sore and limping on my left foot again afterwards, but generally not too bad So yeah, I went into this hoping to get a good time and really felt like I pushed myself. I didn't carry the phone today, so didn&#

Right, where do I start? Introductions, I guess. My name’s Mal and I don’t enjoy running. However, I’m 47 years old now, have a very sedentary lifestyle and know that I need to get more active to stay (become!) fit and healthy. So, as much as I hate exercise for the sake of it, earlier this year I began my third attempt at Couch to 5K , encouraged by family and a couple of workmates who were also doing it. And that’s where it began. On Friday 20th May 2022, I completed the Couch to 5K. But by then, I had other goals too. I wanted to do a parkrun (also 5K long). I’d signed up for the Race For Life (another 5K). And I’d signed up for an 8K urban orienteering event in my home town of Newcastle upon Tyne. At the time of writing this, those things are now a few months behind me, all ticked off. I set further goals of getting in the top 50% of men at a parkrun (tick!), running a sub-25 minute 5K (tick!) and running a 10K (errr…). But why the blog? A few reasons, really: I’m so amazed by the