Admit it. The moment you read the title of this post, Europe's most famous song was spinning around your head. Not only that, it will remain ingrained for days now. I can't help it, I've had a long term relationship with Sweden's finest rock anthem from an early age. My father had a three track VHS of their greatest hits, it might as well have been a single video.
It's not just me that likes the track, this Youtube video has been viewed over 81 million times. And you'll watch it now, because the song is already in your mind, ingrained. I use the song when running. My playlists often include it, why not throw to the song in the final kilometres of a run, it can't bring you down (unless you're depressed at the hole in the ozone layer all the hairspray they used created).
I didn't intend to start this week with an ode to Swedish music (because I'd have obviously started with Roxette), but once I had a blog title, the damn song was in my head. The week just passed was the penultimate in my Richmond Half preparations, I know this because my body is displaying the usual end of training cycle groans. The achilles both hurt, the ID feels a bit funky, both glutes now hurt, the list goes on.
It was more important to assess where my form was. I'd laid out the plan so that my last parkrun of the cycle would be at Great Notley, scaling the Hill of Doom to compare where I was in July. And yet by the end of Saturday I was more consumed with how badly I'd run. Thankfully my Sunday was also full of parkrun activities & I banished negativity.
Run #1
The first run was only a mere week ago & yet I'm having trouble recalling it. What's on the plan compared with what I actually run is descending into it's usual pre race farce. I didn't want to waste the session so decided on some 3-2-1 tempo work whilst out on the Stansted loop.
This resulted in one of my faster training runs, decent up tempo sessions & worthwhile rest intervals. I do wander if I'm doing these the wrong way round, perhaps building speed in 1, 2 & 3 minute chunks would be better than progressively shorter blocks. Or maybe it's designed that way to forever reduce recovery time. I might play around with these sessions over the autumn, maybe gaffer taping on a 4 and even a 5 at the start.
A very pleasing run overall, I seem to be developing a good ability for altering my pace comfortably. Wednesday was also a poignant time for me, leaving the Grange Paddocks adult swim school after 20 months with them. I've decided to move across to the Dunmow pool as I've found the half seven start time difficult when working later & often compromised by train delays. I thanked both of my instructors, the work they've put in since the start of 2013 to get me from a complete non swimmer to now has been excellent. Gone are the panic attacks in the water, my confidence in my ability to swim has improved greatly.
Run #2
With a squash game to contend with on Thursday I deferred my easy run to Friday. This time it was the Stansted loop tackled north to south & at a far more relaxed pace than previously in the week. The lack of daylight has become noticeable at my 0600 start time, giving serious consideration to assuming I'll get into Thunder next year & just going ahead with a head torch purchase.
Not really much to write home about regarding this run, just some easy plod to keep everything ticking over.
Run #3 - Great Notley parkrun
My second of three weeks at GN parkrun, a week of running sandwiched by voluntary roles. I'd designed my 12 week Richmond plan to assess where I would be in terms of pace. With that in mind, my last parkrun before Richmond would be at Great Notley, where I'd not run since a muggy day in July. I was eager to see if I could improve on my course PB of 24:44 & finish the training strongly.
What actually happened was a PB, but not a strong finish. I'm finding parkrun much more sociable at GN, mainly because I've volunteered & also well known to the guys there. I should clarify, I'm finding myself more sociable, I know every parkrun is sociable, it's just when I tourist, even with the all conquering 50 shirt on I can get a bit introverted.
Back to the run, Paul, Emily, Patsy and Alec all lined up to the left of the main start, Paul's special place for getting a decent start. I was intrigued how close Alec and I would be, his running is going from strength to strength and he'd ran a low 24 the week previously. As we started I found myself leading our little group as we headed into the first corner. Unfortunately I was aware within 90 seconds that I had taken on suicide pace and was already suffering for it! I tried to rein my pace in, but my breathing was already all over the place. Idiot!
Paul appeared on my shoulder and complimented my pace, my heavy, spluttering response confirmed just how wrong he was and with that he and Alec were gone, in search of better times.
I've not been in this position for a while, struggling to remember any run / race (10p to the parkrun is a run not a race fine fund) where I've been trying to rescue it from such an early stage. I've had nightmare starts before, such as the busy and narrow Fulham Palace parkrun. But this was unlike previous scenarios. Usually a bad start means a slow and frustrated start with me trying to recover my pace. This time I'd floored it, knackered myself out and was now trying to get round.
I gave serious consideration to abandoning the run within the first km. Quite what that would have achieved I'm not sure. Instead I tried to grin and bare it, distracting myself with high fives to the lakes marshals and imploring myself to find some kind of rhythm. As the first lap was approaching it's end I felt a pang in my stomach and with it a slight explanation for why the tank felt empty. I'd managed to skip breakfast. To be fair I frequently run on an empty stomach, but not usually at race pace.
Alec was already a solid 30 seconds in front as the first lap ended and sights were set on the hill of doom. My climb was pretty good, it didn't appear to tax me too much, only tightening as the bird was close. My descend put the nail in the coffin for all remaining rhythm I was seeking. My fourth kilometre was even slower, despite not including the hill, my legs appeared to be wrapped in treacle, pace lacking all kind of consistency.
And yet despite all of this I clocked a course PB. The pained expression in my finisher photo tells you everything about this run. A 24:25 didn't feel deserved. I think it says more for my overall form than of the 5k itself. One positive from the visit was the form of Alec. He took over a minute off of his best to finish in 23:10, am immense time on what is a tough course.
The Eat - Cheesy Ballbags
We joined Emily & Paul at their new house and alongside Patsy tucked into some well deserved Krispy Kreme donuts. Unfortunately I'd picked up some extra donuts in Tescos and felt the need to share them. For some reason, they've felt the need to launch Smokey Bacon and Cheese & Onion flavoured mini donuts. As our hosts were veggies and fearing I'd be put off bacon for life, I opted for a bag of cheesy donuts to share.
Quite what the throw shit at the wall and see what sticks development team were thinking with these donuts I'm not sure. The flavour was there, but the texture and sogginess made them pretty disgusting. They were (probably rightly) compared to sweaty ball bags, this is not a recommendation.
Thankfully in the evening the food woe was banished. I'd placed a shoulder of pork in the slow cooker before leaving for parkrun, pouring in a bottle of Innis & Gunn ale. Eleven hours later and the meat was just falling apart beautifully as we served it up in fajitas. Slow cooking is a great way to serve up tender meat, yet it seems like such an 80s concept to have a slow cooker!
The Walk
On Sunday we drove across to Hatfield Forest to meet up with others interested in walking our provisional parkrun course. Given the public Facebook group, it's fairly open what I'm trying to do. We're about six weeks into the project and slowly getting there with funding and volunteers. One thing we do have is a provisional route, designed by Simon from the National Trust.
We were joined by Len, Great Notley's Event Director and font of all parkrun knowledge. His experience combined with everything I've picked up whilst touristing means we should be able to offer something great in an awesome location. Whilst Len & I were walking to consider the technical aspects such as marshals and signage, everyone else was being treated to what will be a challenging course. Regular readers will know just how much I like tarmac, there's none to be found in the forest! I suspect I'll be taking trips to Chelmsford on my off weeks to get my fix!
After waking for just over an our in perfect conditions we settled in the cafe to discuss our findings. We also thoroughly tested the cafe facilities, I can confirm the sausage rolls are up to expected standards!
I managed to lose some of my notes so spent the afternoon typing up the route using photo and gps prompts whilst everything was fresh in my mind. The parkrun is becoming a case of when rather than if it will happen.
More on all this at a later date, wheels are firmly in motion though.
The Conclusion
I think I've got to a stage now with my running where I can be rightfully be dissatisfied with my performance at Great Notley. The PB proves little, on current form it was almost to be expected. I ran badly, all due to an over eager start and then suffered for the remaining 23 minutes.
I'm still in good shape for Richmond & targeting a 1:52. The performance acts as a reminder to focus properly and get out of shape. So a slight downer, but much preferable to suffer it a week before than on race day.
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