So as many of you know I have recently been dishing out more PB's than I could have imagined! I guess my tactic of start the season slow and get faster has worked?!
I have always been wrapped up in my 10K times I haven't really gave any other distance a look in! Now its went the complete opposite, I haven't raced in a 10K in months!
Its not very often I get to run at Strathclyde parkrun as I am often volunteering. Its organised by a great bunch of runners and I couldn't think of a better way of spending a couple of hours on a Saturday morning. I've made some great friends at the event and would encourage anyone who hasn't taken part to come along!
Conditions were ideal and this being only my 9th registered parkrun (I really do volunteer a lot) I was looking forward to it! A smaller than normal field of only 94 runners with a lot of the regular faces up north for the Loch Ness Marathon. Little if not any of the usual front runners so my chances of getting a good position had also heightened. I have been doing a lot less running recently and a lot more cross training. I've started swimming, going to the gym and using the dreadmill, attending yoga classes and weight sessions. I have still been doing my regular 2 hours of running on a Tuesday night with my jogscotland group and squeeze another run in near the end of the week...but seriously, that's been it! Exercising most nights you would think I would feel tired but nope, the cross training has gave me a new burst of energy and less pains and minimised my battles with injury.
I knew that I was stronger than my last run at parkrun in which I got a PB of 22.03. So I though, I am just going to go for it! I squeezed myself to the front of the field and to the right of the starting funnel to ensure I could get out and over to the path as soon as possible to avoid slipping on the wet grass. Conditions were ideal, and for once, no wind! The starting signal was given by Jill Logan and off we went! Normally I start slow but I took a new tactic of sticking to the set times for each kilometre over the 5km distance. I am also used to my garmin in miles however I have now changed it to work in km. So I had to run about 4.24 per km. I knew I was doing well when the first km clocked in 10 seconds under my target and no one had yet overtaken me with only 10 other runners in front! The second km passed quickly and I was still on target. Alistair Kerr passed me between the 2nd and 3rd km, this always being my slowest section of Strathclyde parkrun after the bend. I did however keep him in my sights and managed to maintain my pace. Once we headed back out through the trees Andrew Scott snapped me up with his camera just after overtaking Garry Henderson, I felt great and even made the effort to give a dodgy wave!
photo by Andrew Scott
I managed to catch up with Alistair Kerr in the long straight back to the tent and was well ahead of my target time of 22 minutes. I maintained the 10 seconds under my target and for the last km I picked up my pace and the last km was my fastest, crossing the finish line with smiles on my face, breaking my last PB by 32 seconds and achieving a sub 22 minute parkrun!
New PB time of 21.31 and a top 10 result! Full results can be found here
Next target is a sub 21! :)
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