It's not often you can look back on a weekend that involved working until the early hours with positivity. Luckily, the weekend just passed had enough of the good to outweigh the bad.
Whenever I work an overnighter I always pack my running gear in the hope that I can take on a parkrun if I can get enough sleep. As a rule of thumb I find that if I can finish by 4am that I should have just enough sleep to make it through a run & then flop out on the sofa later in the day. This was the exact scenario I faced on Saturday. The most sleep I got must have been three & a half hours, but I found myself awake just past seven & felt decent enough to run.
Whenever I work an overnighter I always pack my running gear in the hope that I can take on a parkrun if I can get enough sleep. As a rule of thumb I find that if I can finish by 4am that I should have just enough sleep to make it through a run & then flop out on the sofa later in the day. This was the exact scenario I faced on Saturday. The most sleep I got must have been three & a half hours, but I found myself awake just past seven & felt decent enough to run.
The Run #1
A quick scan of the parkrun A-Z and I found Fulham Palace, a new even a mere half hour (ish) from my hotel. The event has only been in existence for four months and it was nice to find another relatively central venue (Battersea or Hyde park would be nice but unlikely).
After a short brief we were walked to the start line. The run consisted of three laps of the park, heading North to Craven Cottage and then back the length of the park alongside the Thames.
Unfortunately the start wasn't smooth, too quiet for most to hear so many of us was scrambling. Within 200m we were running down the Thames into a significant headwind. Progress for the first 5 minutes was slow, the path too narrow to support the number of runners, many were taking alternative routes. My watch was suggesting a 6:27/km pace, only adding to my frustration. It wasn't until we were off the Thames that the path widened and it was possible to make progress through the field.
After a short brief we were walked to the start line. The run consisted of three laps of the park, heading North to Craven Cottage and then back the length of the park alongside the Thames.
Unfortunately the start wasn't smooth, too quiet for most to hear so many of us was scrambling. Within 200m we were running down the Thames into a significant headwind. Progress for the first 5 minutes was slow, the path too narrow to support the number of runners, many were taking alternative routes. My watch was suggesting a 6:27/km pace, only adding to my frustration. It wasn't until we were off the Thames that the path widened and it was possible to make progress through the field.
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| Three laps of hugging the Thames |
My expectations are always low after working overnight but I was expecting better than a projected 30 minute 5km and started to find a better pace into the second and third laps. The wind that accompanied the Thames made the run a lot tougher and I was thankful to turn inland one last time and head to the finish line.
I completed the parkrun in 25:06, my gps suggesting the distance was a mere 4.69km, hence the slower pace it was reading.
The Eat #1
Sadly the flooding came to town on Friday morning and this thwarted my eating plans. A trip to Saffron Walden wasn't possible as we couldn't guarantee the roads were passable. Even hopes for a fry up on my return to Stansted were not to be as the only activity in Yeomans was with a mop & bucket. We settled on a local pub. I opted for their signature burger, after all you can't go wrong with a burger can you? Given the tepid patty, dwarfed by a bun made to make the burger appear inadequate & smothered in too much cheese (turns out too much cheese is possible), it appears that you can get a burger wrong. The chips were decent, but no one remembers the undercard if the main event stinks.
Only a bag of Giant Buttons shared with Mrs H was able to remedy the situation. Thankfully my own attempt at a Spanish omelette later in the day ensured one decent meal.
Only a bag of Giant Buttons shared with Mrs H was able to remedy the situation. Thankfully my own attempt at a Spanish omelette later in the day ensured one decent meal.
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| Buttons to compensate for a crap burger |
The Conclusion #1
It is rare that I dislike a parkrun event. Yet I walked away from Fulham Palace not overly enamoured with how the run had gone. The result was great, 25:06 my best return since November. It suggests my pace is returning after taking an Xmas holiday. I just feel I should have been faster. I'm normally conservative with my positioning at a start line, knowing that I'm experienced enough to weave through a field. Being a parkrun tourist did me no favours here though. Without course knowledge I was unaware how narrow the first kilometre would feel. Where as I'm conservative with where I line up, sadly many are overly optimistic or potentially deluded with where they start!
I feel I could have been at least 15 seconds faster had I realised the nature of the course. I'll have to return to Fulham at some point to correct this.
I feel I could have been at least 15 seconds faster had I realised the nature of the course. I'll have to return to Fulham at some point to correct this.
The Run #2
Sunday mornings are always a time for trepidation. Will I jump out of bed in pain or not? I'd stretched sensibly through Saturday and found myself awake and pain free ready for a scheduled 2 hour run.
Despite being pain free my pre run procrastination knows no limits so I spent a silly amount of time faffing before making it out the door, kinesio tape on my left achilles just to be sure.
For the third week in a row my long run was taking me to Bishops Stortford. The country lanes I usually run are all off limits due to flooding, running to Stortford beats laps of Stansted! I'd scanned the map trying to find the 1:20 of running I'd need south of the A120 to complete two hours.
I was able to indulge in some nostalgia by taking on the Parsonage Lane hill and then ventured further south around the hospital and into some delightfully strong wind out by Hockerill cricket club. I was tempted to run up to Thorley Hill but my knowledge of west Stortford is poor so I headed through the town centre and back towards Stansted. A hilly detour via Lindsey Road brought me back to Rye St and en route to Stansted. I crossed the A120 once more knowing that I was less than 20 minutes from home but in theory had another 40 left to run.
I turned right into Birchanger and took on another short but sharp hill up to Forest Hall. After a lap of the estate I headed back towards home, downhill to the station and then one last slog up Chapel Hill. I could have stretched out the run further by crossing the road to Bentfield Green but felt spent. I took the sensible option and got myself home.
Despite being pain free my pre run procrastination knows no limits so I spent a silly amount of time faffing before making it out the door, kinesio tape on my left achilles just to be sure.
For the third week in a row my long run was taking me to Bishops Stortford. The country lanes I usually run are all off limits due to flooding, running to Stortford beats laps of Stansted! I'd scanned the map trying to find the 1:20 of running I'd need south of the A120 to complete two hours.
I was able to indulge in some nostalgia by taking on the Parsonage Lane hill and then ventured further south around the hospital and into some delightfully strong wind out by Hockerill cricket club. I was tempted to run up to Thorley Hill but my knowledge of west Stortford is poor so I headed through the town centre and back towards Stansted. A hilly detour via Lindsey Road brought me back to Rye St and en route to Stansted. I crossed the A120 once more knowing that I was less than 20 minutes from home but in theory had another 40 left to run.
I turned right into Birchanger and took on another short but sharp hill up to Forest Hall. After a lap of the estate I headed back towards home, downhill to the station and then one last slog up Chapel Hill. I could have stretched out the run further by crossing the road to Bentfield Green but felt spent. I took the sensible option and got myself home.
The Eat #2
A bottle of cookie dough milkshake soon soothed the woes of a long run! This was followed by an evening meal at Paula's folks.
The Conclusion #2
Seventeen kilometres in 1:48 won't be good enough in Helsinki, but it'll do for this point in time. My overall pace was mid 6:10-20/km and I did lose pace later in the run. It is still my longest run in some time & I only took on two gels. Conditions were tough, no rain but plenty of wind to batter you constantly. The pleasing aspect is that I took on plenty of hills.
A couple of rolls on El Bastardo (my lovingly named foam roller) eased my quads and I've stretched out my calves.
A couple of rolls on El Bastardo (my lovingly named foam roller) eased my quads and I've stretched out my calves.
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| Attempting some Kinesio therapy on my shins |
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