Training: the Byker Wall 7.5K

Feels good to have got another slightly longer run in, especially after doing only 4km earlier in the week. 🙂


Random web spinner thing said just slightly North of due East today. That meant the Byker Wall.

I actually extended the end of the run a little, as I jogged around various lunch options. I finally settled for an expensive but large and lovely cheese savoury from Baps as I couldn't face the self-loathing and disappointment of another visit to Greggs.

Enough of the lunch though, this was a surprisingly positive run today. Even the first kilometre was under 5:30/km pace, though only after Google Fit had had a rethink, post-run. At the time, it reported a 5:34, IIRC. The next kilometre was announced as just slightly faster, but the third — uphill alongside the Byker Wall — was decidedly slower. All of which is a little puzzling, as Fit now reckons they were 5:28, 5:27, and then another 5:28. I'm actually more inclined to believe the live reporting.

Part of the Byker Wall, from a somewhat more elevated viewpoint than I got today

Regardless, what I'd heard on the run made me sure the whole negative splits thing was off, so I didn't focus on it at all. Despite that, the fourth kilometre was reported as a 4:47 (by my maths), aided by being almost entirely downhill. That was later revised heavily to a 5:07. Kilometres 5, 6, and 7 were 5:00, 5:40 and 5:41 respectively. I intentionally slowed down after hitting 5K, as I remembered it would be mad to think I can just maintain my standard 5K pace over a longer run. If that were possible, I would've got a Great North 10K time of closer to 52 minutes rather than the 55 minutes I actually managed. Besides, I wasn't looking to punish myself today.

So yeah, I was still quite pleased to have suddenly, and without obvious cause, regained a bit of 5km pace. It's now being reported in Fit as a 26:33, which I'm very happy with, in terms of progress. Suspect I'll skip the parkrun tomorrow seeing as I'm out orienteering up at Simonside on Sunday. It's finally time to try out the trail shoes for the first time! Here's hoping my decision to go with a half-size smaller than usual doesn't backfire... 😁

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