Today I did my very first Park Run in Sheffield, 38 weeks after the first one started many 38 weeks ago. A gorgeous sunny Saturday morning, my friend arrived at the crack of Dawn apart from she is called Becky not Dawn and we ventured down to Endcliffe park – one of two park runs in Sheffield the other being the not so well known Concord Park Run which is still in its infancy.
We weren’t sure what to do at the beginning but Mr Volunteer helped by asking all newbies to listen to his instructions, which were basically to run, keep your bar code for the end and run and have fun, and run. And Run. I get it we have to run? Ok.
so 9.02am I ran, I set off feeling OK, amidst the middle of the 170 or so runners, frightfully I have done road races smaller than this, what a fantastic crowd here today on this lovely summer morning. so round the first bend and back to the start, past the cafe and up through the park around the lake onto the park path, mind the buggy and the dog, up to the roundabout, and down on the non-park bit. One of the great quotes running around from someone behind me whilst running by the side of the park “this isn’t much of a park” – urhh hurump maybe not but it’s still a fantastic free 5km run with registered time, so please don’t complain. Shut up and run and then do it all over again. So off you go around again. Run, Eat, Sleep, Repeat.
It starts about the time I walk out my front door. I reach the woods, smell the river and I just feel myself come to life again – Author Unknown
It was a hot day, a bit too hot even though it was only 9.15am by this time. I was gasping for breath and aware of the runners beside me. By 4km I was quite tired and feeling it a bit too much so slowed down. By the time I re-entered the park I saw the finish and sped up but did a classic Edinburgh Half and misjudged, of course, there was another 400m or so to go back round the bend, what a stupid mistake to made, by this time my brain had gone into finish mode and I plodded as a stream of 5 or 6 runners sprinted past me in their cheeky “we’ve done this before so nerr nerr nee nerr nerr” type run. Ok I am stupid and didn’t realise but I wasn’t the only one as I eventually crossed the finish line in what I thought was a fat time, fat as in I feel fat and clunky and stupid today time.
However a few hours later I get my time to find out I have smashed my 5km PB and sub 22’ed to bring home a 21.42 that’s rather chuffingly pretty good even if I wasn’t looking so pretty today. Blimey, so next time I remember to save some energy for that extra 400m can I get a sub 21.40?
The philosophy of running is the philosophy of holism…to function as you are supposed to function, to achieve your personal best – George Sheehan
Congratulations to Becky too for running her 5km Park Run in 29.01 Now Becky wants a Derby Park Run – are there any in the pipeline?
