Training: Leazes and Exhibition Parks 5K

Summary: such a slow start! But almost a negative-splits 5K in the end.

Back to the office and work today. Booo! I'd much rather have been going to see Wish with the wife and kids. Still, at least getting back to work so soon after New Year meant that nobody had stuck a lunchtime meeting in my calendar and so I could get out for a run. I left it a bit late mind, so kept it to just 5km, which probably wasn't a bad thing anyway, as I'd not had a rest day since yesterday's parkrun.

The route was mainly based around wanting to get to Exhibition Park, but this time I actually made it there (unlike on my Jesmond run before Christmas). I started up Grey Street, before diverting through the Central Arcade (mainly because traffic prevented me crossing Market Street where I wanted to), past Grainger Market and cutting through Eldon Square onto Blackett Street and then up past El Coto towards Leazes Park.

I didn't think I'd started slowly, but Google soon told me otherwise. Over 6 minutes for the first kilometre! 😮 As I continued, I tried to figure out why I was so slow. I'd just lost it? Maybe. I'd been slowed by pedestrians? Not really. I'd not warmed up properly? Well, yeah, but it couldn't be just that. It was probably a combination of things, but I'd forgotten that I was mostly going uphill, especially on Grey Street and up past El Coto.

Anyway, I tried to do better for the next kilometre. And I did... but just. So I tried to keep pushing. And I got faster again. And tried again for the 4th kilometre. And I managed it, actually getting very close to a 5-minute kilometre (which feels like the first time in a long time). Could I actually manage to speed up again for the final kilometre? Well, a good chunk was flat or downhill, so it felt on... but alas I still slowed.

Overall though, the 5K time was 27:17, which is at least better than I managed for yesterday's parkrun. There's hope yet. 😉

Also, in all the giddy excitement of chasing negative splits, I forgot to stop for a photo or two, so have this one of the food stalls and Ferris wheel at the Northern Lights... 'thing' that was held in Leazes Park this Christmas and was being dismantled today:


I actually went on the Ferris wheel with Daughter the 2nd. Was probably the best thing there.

It's saying something when the best photo of a sound-and-light spectacular that I could find was of someone selling overpriced junk food and powder-based hot chocolate, isn't it? But yeah, it really was a bit pants compared to when they did Gibside. 😐

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