Parkrun #27: Riverside (cheat mode enabled)

So, I did neither Newbiggin nor Rising Sun in the end, instead opting for a 4th new venue of the year. The Riverside parkrun is set in the park that's alongside the cricket ground in Chester-le-Street and, as you might guess from the name, it's pretty flat. Hence the title of this post; going somewhere this flat just feels like cheating. At least when it comes to chasing a PB, that is.

Was really nice to see that the council supported Parkrun enough to erect a big course sign

And my time? 25:04! O...M...G. 😮

At the time of writing the first paragraph in this post, I still didn't have my time, btw. I'd overheard a lady who'd finished a step or two behind me telling her partner that she'd run 8-minute miles, so I knew I was looking at a PB. Not only that, but a PB that was tantalisingly close to the sub-25-minute target I've set myself for the year. It all depended upon how she'd rounded (up or down) to get that figure.

Anyway, the PB is pretty incredible, even if it's just outside that yearly goal. In the last 2 weekends, I've taken my PB down by over a minute. Considering I'd struggled to get anywhere near it for over 6 months prior to that, I'm kinda stunned. It seems the consistency of my practice runs, perhaps coupled with more hill work and simply pushing myself more, is paying dividends.

The start felt pretty busy, though it turns out there were fewer runners than at Whitley Bay

As for how the run felt today, it didn't get off to the best start. I was late leaving the house, took an age to find a parking space, missed the first timers' briefing, forgot to warm up at all, then fumbled around with my phone once running, trying to get Google Fit going. What a clot!

Photo taken just after the run started, and just before I got Google Fit going 🙄

Honestly, it's amazing I did as well as I did. And rather than give a full, blow-by-blow account of the course's twists and turns, instead here's an insight into what I remember thinking as I went round:

• GAH! I didn't start my timing!
• Damn, my legs feel so heavy!
• No, my whole body feels heavy 😞
• This is gonna feel like a long 5K
• Yesterday felt so much better 😞
• Why do I do this to myself?!
• This isn't fun
• People are still overtaking me! (after nearly 4K)
• I'd better not kick too soon, as I don't know where the finish is
• GAH! That's the finish! (about 20 yards away)

So, yeah, I was pushing hard enough to not enjoy it, but it was worth it. Had I not missed the briefing, I might've had a better idea of when to kick (I could've done so earlier, and for longer) and might've even got under 25 minutes. I probably lost a few seconds at the start too, slowing while I got Google Fit going. But... on the up side, not achieving the 25-minute time should help avoid complacency creeping in. And to that end, I should probably return to a hillier course next time. Even just going back to Newbiggin (which I've been dreading since my disappointing efforts around New Year) and having another go at my venue PB there could be a good test. Or I could go back to Jesmond Dene with the aim of smashing the 28-minute barrier there?

Massive queue (10 minutes) waiting for barcode scanning, as the tokens hadn't turned up

Whatever, I can already reflect on the last couple of parkruns with some real satisfaction. I feel like I've got the rewards for putting in the effort. Since the disappointments of Newbiggin 2 & 3, I've really dug deep and got myself back to where I want to be. And that feels good. As a good (parkrunning) friend said to me earlier today:

"Part of the challenge is getting comfortable with how much pain you can take (whilst not getting injured)."

Indeed.