Midweek: taking the bus to Walker Riverside Park
So, I caught the bus out into the countryside for the start of today's run:
Nah, just kidding. That's just a shot from Walker looking down the hill towards Walker Riverside Park (and an equivalent on the far side of the Tyne).
Anyway, last time I was in this area, I didn't quite make it out this far, but still put in 8km. This time, I took the #12 bus to ALDI in Walker, so that I only needed to run back to the office. Consequently, I did a mere 5.25km today.
The weather was good today — by which I mean hotter than I'd like and full sun — but the nice view that greeted me at the start was a genuine surprise. It was nice to pretend I was outside the city, but sadly, Walker Riverside Park is really little more than a thin, undeveloped and slightly unkempt strip of trees along the bank of the Tyne. I'm starting to spot a theme with the words "Riverside Park" as the thin strip of trees that is Gateshead Riverside Park is similarly scruffy. Seems the local councils like to uptitle their wasteland with this moniker.
As I approached the Tyne, I recognised the old wagonway I'd run along previously on my 8km jaunt and, though it provided shade, decided against returning that way on grounds of wanting a view. So, with a few lucky guesses, I made my way down to the true riverside path:
From there, it was pancake-flat all the way to St Peter's Basin. My phone copied in to tell me that despite stopping for an early photo, I'd run the first kilometre in 5:15. And by that time, I'd just made it to my furthest point from the office on my previous run here.
If the first kilometre was a bit quicker than I'd expected, the second was faster still, at 5:08. It was all downhill, speedwise, from there. I can't tell whether it was the relentless sun or just my lack of practice that was getting to me, but the third kilometre was a 5:17. I didn't hear the remainder of the updates, except to know that I'd finally hit 5km as I climbed the steps on the 55° North roundabout at the bottom of Pilgrim Street. In fact, I realise now that I've not even checked what my overall (or 5K) time was. One mo...
Overall for 5.37km, it took me 28:04. And the 5K time was 26:23. Fairly happy with that, actually. I wasn't going nuts and it's been a while since I was running consistently, so I'll definitely take that. No running tomorrow, but hopefully it's back to Parkrun on Saturday — after 5 weeks away. 🤞
Comments
Post a Comment