It's Not (All) About the Run

Working Hard -pic by Jim Carson

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimcarson80/5627572904/

I followed up last Saturday’s Strathclyde parkrun with a 10.5mile cycle, after supporting the runners at the Tom Scott Races and taking a few photos.  On Monday I decided to ignore my chest infection and parachute into the middle of Hal Higdon's Advanced 10k Training Plan.  This resulted in a 30minute run on Monday; Tuesday was 45mins at race pace; Wednesday an 8mile run, Thursday 3mile run and strength work; Friday 11x400m @mile pace and I couldn’t resist running Glasgow parkrun on Saturday (well Hal didn’t suggest that he actually said I should be running 30mins @tempo pace).  

I was amazed to see that there was, once again, a record turnout at the weekly Pollok park event.  Some 383 participants, supported by a dozen volunteers, set off at around 9:30am after the usual pre race announcements.  I congratulated Suzanne McMahon on her recent sub 1:30 Half Marathon time and Erica Christie, whose time of 3:17:26 at Lochaber was the fastest of any UK female vet 55 this year.  I tucked in behind Erica and sat behind her for the first kilometre, which we ran in a time of 4:18.  I’m afraid my Garmin always loses satellite connection for at least some of the route in the woods, so I tend to take any readings with a large degree of uncertainty.  The fast improving Claire MacAulay passed us and remarked that she would see me again when I overtook her later in the race. “Not this week” I replied.  I left Erica and was concentrating on my own run when Wallace Gray, another of the fast improving runners, sped past me.  “Hello Wallace” I said and he pulled up saying that he must be running too fast if he was overtaking me.  I told him to run ahead as I would be a bit slower than usual today.  I found myself leapfrogging with a runner wearing glasses, who was breathing very heavily, as he worked his way around the undulating course.  Compared to him, I must have looked as if I was out for a morning stroll.  Kilbarchan’s Catherine Stewart, who is also coming back from injury, overtook the pair of us.  I stuck behind her for a while but she was clearly increasing her speed whilst I was trying hard just to maintain mine.  “You’re running well Ian” said a Bellahouston Road Runner as I passed him on the glade before turning left towards the hills and the final kilometre.  I was feeling tired now and the guy with glasses passed me one last time and left me in his trail.  I started to relax at the top of the last hill before remembering that the Bellahouston Road Runner wasn’t far behind me and I quickly refocused on the race and I soon crossed the Finish Line in a time of 21:59 to be handed token number 71.  I had finished exactly 30seconds faster than last week and on a harder course.

Splits:

1) - 0.62m - 4:18 - 174bpm avge - 182bpm max
2) - 0.62m - 4:25 - 164bpm avge - 179bpm max
3) - 0.62m - 4:30 - 164bpm avge - 181bpm max
4) - 0.62m - 4:34 - 160bpm avge - 172bpm max
5) - 0.62m - 4:13 - 160bpm avge - 171bpm max 

I congratulated the bespectacled runner on his performance and Catherine on her excellent finish.  She had finished in 66^th spot, with a new PB of 21:47.  Erica was three places ahead, with a time of 21:24, whilst Wallace ran a PB of 21:08 to place 60^th.  Claire was three seconds off of her PB, finishing 58^th and 4^th woman, with a time of 20:58.  Suzanne was also just off of her PB, placing 2^nd woman and 32^nd overall.  Helensburgh’s Julia Henderson won the women’s race and placed 27^th overall in 19:28.

In the men’s event Andrew McCall (Greenock Glenpark) placed first with a new PB of 17:46, Tom Lauckner (Bellahouston Harriers) earned runner up spot with a PB of 17:51 and Gerry Scullion (Bellahouston Road Runners) earned third with 17:55.

It was good to catch up with a lot of runners and volunteers as we stood around after the race and then back in the Burrell Cafe.  In particular it was good to see one time parkrun regular Joe Chambers getting back into running, after having some time out.

Full Results
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