In and out of parkrun love

I haven't been to parkrun since Boxing Day. I kept finding excuses. Which is odd for me because I'm a parkrun evangelist. Obsessed with parkrun would be my tagline.

Its very rare I get to really run, as husband works Saturday's so a solo run would rely on a Grandparent dropping by to babysit while I run. Last happened esrly December. Also as my 5k times slowed  and slowed in the last half of last year, I started to enjoy parkrun less and less. As I was half marathon training from August to November my body started to become comfortable with very slow long runs and so trying to run faster at parkrun would give me that horrible out of breath feeling and I found it almost painful to keep running at "speed", even though I was going minute per mile slower than than my summer pb. Being so far away from my 5k PB time made me miserable. 

For two years I have run with my son in a running buggy. I adore it, we have great fun together and although it is so much harder and slower than running solo, I don't mind as its my chance to set a good example to him. But now he's 4 and a half and weighs over 3 Stone it's tougher and tougher and toward the end of last year I decided my buggy running days were over. I stopped enjoying it as I struggled. I just felt like I was pushing a rock around, especially through the muddy and grassy sections of the parkrun course, and I spent more time walking than running so just felt like I was failing. And my times (even buggy adjusted times) were getting slower as he got bigger, and that depressed me.

But then...

This morning my co-buggy runner-partner-in-crime Joanna sent me a message and said something like, 'let's just power walk parkrun with the boys (in their buggies), let them stretch their legs too, and catch up.'

I am so glad she did. I had the best time I've had at parkrun in months!!! 

It took us 40 minutes but we did not care. We chatted, we let the boys have their little runs, we stopped to scrape mud off our tyres, we jogged a lot more than I expected and walked some bits too- especially up hill and through the big  bog. 

But it reminded me what parkrun is about. Parkrun is about participation. Not just PBs. Obviously PBs are wonderful when they happen, but also wonderful is the time to see a friend, spend time with your children, enjoy the fresh air and the high fives. And the coffee and the playground after, of course.

When we finished I immediately signed up to Marshall next week. My son had been asking why we couldn't volunteer this week - he loves volunteering at parkrun, as they give him a giant foam finger and he cheers everyone on. I've also used excuses (of the weather, it's unfair to make a 4 year old stand out in the rain) not to volunteer, but I just had to take the plunge back into the wonderful parkrun world that means so much to me.  

parkrun, I'm back!

Run report 13th October 2015

I went out to run with the Chelmer Roadrunners this morning. It's the first time I've managed to go with them on a Tuesday. Was interested to see what would happen with my hip running two days in a row. And it was nice go run somewhere different.

We went for a little 5km, not too fast, plenty of chatting and it was a joy to be running again on another beautiful sunny but chilly Autumn morning. I think this is my favourite time to run! All going fine. Hip started to twinge slightly from 3.5kms and again it was when we were running up a long gradual hill that it felt worst. But I found that it was manageable, it wasn't painful just twingey, tight and pulling. I have to learn to run though that I think, until my strength builds up. 

By the time we got past 4kms my head was focused on finishing so it takes my mind off the hip niggles and I just speed up to get home faster lol!

I almost had a serious fall though! I had to get up one big curb at one point, misjudged and didn't lift my knees high enough and went toppling forward! One of the other girls had lightening reactions and managed to catch me! What a star. If she hadn't been there I would have had some serious grazing, probably would have fallen on my face! Pretty. I find it amazing, touch wood, that I haven't fallen over in 2.5 years of running as I'm usually the worlds clumsiest person.  Lucky escape. 

So... Did 5kms in just under 35minutes. Home for a hot bath now and some more strength exercises. And Michelle just called me, bless her, while I was in the bath, to see if I was ok. She's worried about my hip too and doesn't want me to overdo it and then struggle with the half marathon. I'm lucky to have such a caring friend. 

Negativity (and run report 12 Oct '15)

My morning started with my second trip to the physio. I'm in a proper grumpy mood at the moment. Have been for the last week.  I was stressing about having too much work on and had a few nights of bad sleep last night and now the stress and exhaustion has just turned into a black mood.  I can't shake it. Even though the sun is shining and I had a great, if busy weekend. I just feel grumpy.

So I went to see my physio man for the second time today, feeling grumpy.  Since I saw him last week I have only managed to run twice (planned three) and they were both shitty runs.  I've done all the exercises he set me but when I run I still felt the hip pain and it started to come on earlier (at 2 miles instead of after 3!). I felt like I was going backwards and felt crazy and that there is no way I'm going to be able to run a half marathon in 6 weeks.  Shit.

He was pleased. My range of motion has improved he thinks, and it will just take time for the strength to build up so I just have to keep running.  And he gave me more exercises to do too.  I told him that I really wanted to do a longer 7-8 mile run this week as part of my build up to the half marathon and he said that's fine, just see how it goes.  He didn't say whether I should stop if it hurts though. I forgot to ask him.  I think I just have to run through the niggles and pain a bit and man up and wait for the strength exercises to start having an impact.  Hey ho.  

And then since the sun was shining and it was a beautiful Autumn day I decided to stop off and run in the park through the city centre.  I was going to come home, do some work and then run before school run but I realised that that would never happen - work always squishes my time and once I'm in the house it's harder to go out again.  So I did it.

And I was in my mood so despite the gorgeous surroundings and the perfect crisp and sunny conditions I hated it.  I realised that it's an incline that sets my hip strain off.  (which makes sense since it started to really bother me after we did our super hilly 10km race in Finsbury Park).   I ran up a little hill and partly because I was out of breath from the hill and partly because I felt my hip start to niggle, I decided to reward myself with a little walk until I got my breath back.  I managed to get going again and was trying to force myself to enjoy it and just keep going but my head was not in the game... until, I was heading back to the start and decided to look at the app on my phone.  Until that point I had been trying to ignore it and just enjoy the run.  I realised that I was at 4.25kms and in good time and that if I pushed myself a bit I might get close to my 5km personal best.  Unbelievable.  That just really pissed me off - imagine if I hadn't walked!!! Why didn't I push myself a bit more?!?! Stupid negative woman :(

So I went for it. I put my heart and sole into that last 750metres and although I didn't beat my personal best I got very very close and felt great for pushing myself! And for about 30 seconds I felt proud of a good run...

I then walked a bit to get over my "sprint finish" hehehehe, and carried on jogging again slowly back to the car.  I hadn't worried about my achey hip while I was pushing myself for a good 5k time. Silly mare. I probably need to run with headphones in to distract me and stop me being so negative.

So in the end, the run report should say that I had a great work out in glorious surroundings and perfect conditions, AND that in the end I ran a total of 6kms including a fast (for me) 5k of 32mins 14 seconds! And my hip is ok. I'll live ha ha ha.

I so need to kill this negative attitude.

What was I thinking?

Serious doubts kicked in today.  What was I thinking signing up for a half marathon?  I can't run!

I had a really really shitty run today. Woke up in a bad mood, feeling exhausted like I hadn't had much sleep. Went to run with Chelmer Roadrunners and was pleased than an interval session was planned, rather than distance.

But I just couldn't do it.  We ran about a mile as warm up, but because the 6 or so of us were all trying to stick together we went off way too fast, all trying to keep up with the fastest lady and she was seemingly oblivious to the rest of us struggling. Then we started our intervals - was planned to be 30 seconds faster (not sprinting, just increasing cadence) and then 2 minute recovery jog, repeated 8 times, and then finish off with another mile plus as a slower cool down run.   I don't think we managed that many intervals.  4 out of 6 of us were all so tired from going out too fast that the 30 second faster bits seemed to last forever and ever and ever and got slower and slower and harder and harder.  I think I did 5 well-ish, although starting to flag, and then on the 6th I started to feel queasy and had to walk my recovery rather than jog it.

And by that point my bum and hip were starting to hurt too :(  Oh woe is me... crappy crappy run.

Once I'd walked for a minute I did try to get back into it I really did but just couldn't! I wanted to keep going for a mile at a slow pace to cool down but actually managed less than 1/3 of a mile before the nausea kept bubbling up in my throat and I started to get really worried about hurting my hip.  So I decided to walk back to the start, and thankfully there was another lady, Emma who was also struggling and very happy to walk with me.  We put a little slow jog on for the last 1/4 mile and had a lovely chat about finding work that fits around children and school runs!  I've never felt queasy on a run before so that was a new, not very welcome experience for me.

In the end we ran less than 5kms and I hated every minute of it and I now hate running. Full Stop.  I really hate running and I hate that I seem to have hurt myself.   What an idiot to think I could run a half marathon... ( in 6 and a half weeks!!!!).... when those long training runs have broken me and I now I can't even manage 3 miles :( I want to cry.

I am keeping on with the glute strengthening exercises that the physio has given me but also finding them very hard and it's too early to see any difference yet... I wish someone could magically fix my running.

I'm off to eat some chocolate now and wallow in the self-pity of a shitty run.

Passionate about parkrun

Anyone who knows me knows that I love parkrun.  I am a parkrun evangelist!  

The first time I went to Chelmsford Central parkrun in summer 2014 I was terrified and I'm not even sure whether I managed to run all the way. There were over 300 people in the park, ranging from babies to pensioners some fit some not so fit, but all wanting to challenge themselves on a Saturday morning.

It is daunting going to anything the first time, and lining up with all those people at 9am and waiting for the 3, 2, 1, RUN! and not knowing which way to run (there are marshals and signs, I didn't get lost!) and finishing that 5kms and feeling exhausted!   

But I have come to love parkrun and everything about it.  I sometimes run with my son in the buggy (well, jog walk now he's getting so big and heavy and tough to push).  I sometimes run on my own and attempt to get faster (pb is 31m44s).  I regularly volunteer when I can't run, as volunteering is just as much fun as running. My son likes to high five all the runners and tell them to keeeeeeeeep running!  

I have made friends through park run, and I have introduced friends to parkrun.  A saturday morning without parkrun is a sad saturday for me.  I even do parkrun in other locations - when I visit my parents, or when on holiday.  Every course is different but they are all the same - 

a free, 5km run, every Saturday morning at 9am in a park near you, brilliantly organised by super friendly volunteers... and usually featuring a coffee and a cake afterwards!  

Again, as with my running clubs, parkrun is very inclusive.  There are people who will really push themselves and race around in 15-20 minutes and there are people who really push themselves and race around in 30 minutes or 37 minutes, AND there are people who want to walk, are still training so run/walk.  It really is for everyone.  

My favourite volunteer role is as Tail Runner.  The Tailrunner jogs or walks at the back of the pack to make sure everyone gets around safely, and is always the last over the line! 

You can run or volunteer any week any where, just don't forget your barcode!  You register on the parkrun website and get a printable barcode.  They scan that for you at the end of the run so you can receive a text message or e mail with your time on.  

It's not a race in the traditional sense, but most people are racing in their heads, against themselves, trying to get quicker than last time.

We've just started taking our son (age 4) to junior parkrun some Sundays too.  That's for children under 14 and is a shorter 2km course, and mums and dads run with the little ones.  A great way to get your children active and have wonderful family time.  

Give it a go.  parkrun makes me happy :)  Where do you parkrun?  Click here to find your nearest parkrun event.