Runner's screed

[Eggchaser]

Thank you, one and all. The TCA ones Janik linked to seem to fit the bill nicely.

[elguapo4]

So anyway, I turned up in the Phoenix Park tonight, and the small 10k I was expecting turned out to be the business houses annual 5k run, the 10k was last night.

About 2,000 runners from over 100 companies were there in a tented city with music, bar ,food, the works.

As for the course itself, it was better than I thought, despite a very strong westerly wind blowing at some of the tougher uphill stretches. I went 3rd from 4 in our relay and clocked 27 minutes 45 seconds. Happy enough. A few free cans,sandwiches and another medal to hang off the wardrobe

[ursus arctos]

Apropos of nothing, but do any of you know why "Phoenix Park" is always preceded by "the"?

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Did my 150th Parkrun yesterday (as a runner that is, I've volunteered at a further 19). I could have done it last week but delayed it for a week so I could do it on our London weekend, and chose Finsbury Park.

Came in slightly under 30 minutes which I was quite pleased about, given 1) it was my first back since doing the near 40 mile Keswick to Barrow walk earlier in the month 2) it was a deceptively climby course and 3) I had a few pints at a gig the night before.

[Janik]

I'm going to have a go at a 10k for the first time - I've just entered the one in Welwyn Garden City in three weeks time. Looks like a nice course mostly on country lanes, and also an event with closed runs (because it is mostly on small country lanes!). It's on Sunday 26th June with an 11am start if anyone else fancies it... or indeed is already entered...

[Janik]

And hopefully no hay fever issues (see Mundane thread posts passim!)

[Sporting]

Apropos of nothing, but do any of you know why "Phoenix Park" is always preceded by "the"?

Not sure that it is:

https://osi.ie/blog/phoenix-park-history-and-trivia/

[elguapo4]

Ursus is correct. It tends to be a local thing to use the definite article. It's more usually just called The Park, and people know what you mean.

[Janik]

considered myself as capable of running a sub-46 min 10k on a theoretical basis without the need to have actually proved the capability by, um, having ever run 10k in under 46 mins

The "yeah, I'm capable of running a 10k in sub-46 minutes" remains a purely theoretical argument. Today's time was 46:16. And that is a PB (not exactly a big sample, though).

[Simon G]

As I mentioned upthread, I've entered the Cheltenham 10k in September and have been training towards that. This training has basically been running 5k 3 times a week with the intention of moving up slowly.

Last Sunday I made my first step up and knocked out 7.5k. Most importantly about that though was the I felt comfortable when I finished and could have carried on. Then, after two very warm 5k runs on Tuesday and Friday, I was able to do my second ever 10k yesterday. It took me 1hr 3mins, which is an ok time, but the fact I completed it is a huge step up. My legs are currently thinking otherwise though.

I'm going to continue my two 5k runs tomorrow (or Weds) and Friday, but change up my 10k routes on a Sunday so that I can get used to running uphill and downhill at different points and not get comfortable with a set route.

[Etienne]

I did my 17th Parkrun on Saturday. I started doing them in summer 2019 and I was consistently under 25 minutes, and 3 times managed to get sub 24, with a PB of 23.39. I've done 6 since the run restarted and my times had dropped down to over 27 minutes. But Saturday I managed to get it down to 25.14 which I'm very happy about. Was really tough though.

[Paul S]

I did my 23rd park run on Saturday and had a time of 28 minutes 45 seconds. Normally I get under 28 minutes but it was a slow start with 273 runners on a not particularly big path which slowed everyone up. The Southend park run takes place on Gunners Park which is actually in Shoeburyness and we run on what is actually the "Ness" which is a promontory or headland. This time of year we get lovely sea breezes to keep us cool, but in winter with the wind coming off the North Sea it isn't run.

[Janik]

I was at a parkrun on Saturday morning as a gentle warm-up for the 10k on Sunday. It would have been the 18th... except I forgot my bar code (or rather I grabbed the wrong card wallet in the morning rush to get out the door and when I was sorting my bag out in the car park at the park found myself looking at a long forgotten Oyster card instead!) so it doesn't count. So I'm still on 17.
This was probably a good thing, as it encouraged me to do the gentle jog that I had told myself is what I ought to do, whereas if I had had my bar code I just know I would have got tempted to go harder so as not to have a slow time in the summary stats! Taking it easy/running to an intended lower tempo remains the most difficult thing to achieve I find. I know others have also commented on this.
Of course, being me, I couldn't go easy for the whole 5k. The deal with myself was keep things light for 4k and then open up for the last 1000m. Which turned out to be a little embarrassing as there was a woman who overtook me at around 3.9k after working hard for much of the previous kilometre - I could hear her laboured breathing creeping closer. Almost as soon as she went past I then significantly upped my pace and breezed back in front again. I was tempted to apologise and explain it wasn't personal, I was kicking then whatever the circumstances of the run.

[E10 Rifle]

Anyone doing any big races this summer? I'm having another go at the Big Half in London in September, hoping optimistically to go under two hours though I don't think I'm quite there for that. Did 12.3miles today in 1:56 but not sure I can go that much quicker over that period of time.

[RobW]

Doing Manchester Half in October and they've published the new route. https://www.manchesterhalfmarathon.c...8EUVI0,511ZG,1 Quite pleased that it's no longer a long run down to Sale and Timperley, though disappointing not go past Frank Sidebottom. At least some of it is in central Manchester.

[Simon G]

I'm still waiting for Cheltenham to announce the 10km route for September (they've announced the half marathon route).

Having completed my first 10k of the year a few weeks back, I've since completed two more on the following Sundays (my last on this Sunday past). I've found that the first 5k is my kryptonite, but once I'm through that I set into a nice rhythm and feel I can just keep running. The past two weeks I've stopped on exactly 10k, but I could have gone further if I wanted to. It's a new experience for me, but it feels great.

[Simon G]

So this morning I completed my first ever organised race - the Cheltenham 10k. I managed it in 59:11, which is a personal best, but my God it was hard. I started well, and ran with the lead pack for the first 2km, but that seemed to be my downfall as I ran through Cheltenham and people started powering past me. Kilometres 8 and 9 were the toughest as they were on an incline and by then I was breathing through my ass - I did not consider stopping though. As I turned into the racecourse though for the last 500m I got my second wind and managed to finish quite quickly.

A huge thanks to Nishlord and Chart Music for getting me through it - how people run without anything in their ears blows my mind.

[Janik]

A huge thanks to Nishlord and Chart Music for getting me through it - how people run without anything in their ears blows my mind.

I’m surprised that was allowed. The races I’ve done, admittedly a limited sample, have all said that having headphones in whilst running is banned and will lead to disqualification if someone is spotted doing so. This is on safety grounds - being able to hear Marshall instructions, unexpected traffic coming, etc.

I’ve never tried listening to anything whilst running. I don’t want to distract myself from what I’m doing - I want to focus on how I’m going, how I’m feeling, what my split times are, that sort of thing.

[Janik]

Simon’s race merely advised against the use of iPods, MP3 players and other personal stereos rather than outright banning them.

[elguapo4]

I'm another one who doesn't use music. Apart from anything else, I can't get earbuds to stay in when I'm running.

[San Bernardhinault]

I prefer training runs with headphones because I get bored silly. But I find the fun of organized runs is the camaraderie spirit stuff so prefer empty ears.

[Simon G]

I've come to the conclusion that I actually don't like running so much, but love the feeling when I've completed a run. I never run with music on, it's always a podcast, that way I'm not thinking about being tired. It completely distracts me, and if I don't have it then I really don't think I'd be where I am now, which is a mile away from where I started a few years back.

[tuckwat]

I'm another one who doesn't use music. Apart from anything else, I can't get earbuds to stay in when I'm running.

My son runs with ear buds and at last year's local 10k one fell out as he was sprinting for the finish. Thankfully he didn't stop and got a time of under 45mins and recovered lost ear bud.

[ad hoc]

I couldn't imagine running without listening to something. It;s odd, because I never have earphones in when cycling (for safety reasons as much as anything), but running is so teeth grindingly tedious that I'd never be able to go for more than 5 minutes without some outside stimulation.

[DCI Harry Batt]

I've only just noticed that this thread is in "world". Interesting.