Parkrun #20: Newbiggin by the Sea

 Let's give it the old inverted pyramid:

  • Got a time of 26:47
  • That's my worst here (but only by a second)
  • It was genuinely freezing (-1°C)
  • Age grade of 54.2%
  • In the top 50% of men (for the first time in a while)
  • Legs felt weaker than lungs
  • Didn't walk
I shouldn't need to put that last one on the list, but after last week, it feels like a relief. 😊

Customary shot of the Newbiggin seafront, this time with added frost

Overall, I'm okay but definitely not ecstatic with the result. Newbiggin's where my current parkrun PB lies, so it's a bit much to expect to improve on that right now, but I was hoping for better — especially given how good yesterday's run felt. Never mind. 😐

Other things to note:
  • Age grade. My grade today was better than my one-second faster time, courtesy of turning 48; pleased it's back in the 54's too
  • Milestones. There were some interesting ones today. One person was doing their 600th(!) parkrun while someone else was at their 50th location.
  • Ice. While most parkruns in the area were called off for ice today, that doesn't seem to bother Newbiggin. Fair play too; there was frost on the ground, but it was easy to run on and the few genuinely slippery patches (where puddles had frozen) were easy to avoid.
I need to expand my repertoire of Newbiggin shots; here's the church and maritime centre again

Ugh. In all honesty, I'm a bit down about this run. I don't want to spend the rest of this blog finding excuses for not getting near my PB, or being "okay" with a lack of improvement. I suspect — or at least hope — I'll get a better result soon, but it feels like it's been a long time since I've really enjoyed a parkrun (Morpeth, back in November, I think) or been genuinely pleased with my time. For now though, I'll just keep plugging away.

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