Time: 17:49 (new PB)
Position: 3rd (of 214)
%: top 1.5%
I’ve been banging out the miles recently, and the day before this run I completed the 2,014 miles in 2014 challenge. This was in part aided to the fact that in July I ran over 370 miles and in fact, had continued the 12 miles per day average in to August.
I had cajoled a few others into the run. Skoosh, Brian, Barry and Andy all came along. I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect! I’d only done easy runs Thursday and Friday (5 milers) to give my legs a modicum of a rest.
I wanted to break 18 mins but wasn’t sure I was fresh enough to do it.
Before the race I had a nice we catch up with Ally Robb, who is also appearing at Glenmore later in the year, and who is an integral part of the Strathclyde parkrun organisation team.
Then, I looked about. There was a ton of people here, much more than on my only other appearance when I finished 4th. The smattering of club vests had me scoffing at Brian’s suggestion of a top 5 for me.
Plan was to go out at 5:45 miles and hopefully hold on to that for the whole way. That would have me about 17:55-ish.
At the start, after the pageantry of mentions for honourable and far travelled visitors, I edged my way to the front and at the whistle set off with a focus on keeping the breathing easy.
After a few hundred metres I was in about 6th place but my watch told me I was on pace as I wanted so just concentrated on that. Position was irrelevant.
As we approached the mile I’d moved into 5th, with the leading two pulling away all the time and by the turn I’d moved into fourth and was closing on third, a place I had taken before the 2 mile marker. The second mile was done in 5:41.
Surprisingly I felt quite good at this point but eased off. Sub 18 was the prize and I didn’t feel that 3rd place was under threat as I was easing away. And to be completely honest, 1st and 2nd were so far ahead, that there was no chance of me getting close to them at all!
And that was it, I held my form well and closed the third mile out in 5:44 and even finished strongly for a 23s 5k PB in 17:49. I was delighted.
Big shout out to MJ Sharkey who finished a full minute ahead of me in 1st place. A great run.
So what of my compadres?
Skoosh obliterated his PB to come in 21st place in 20:04, just outside of 20 minutes and he will take that next time. Barry was just behind in 20:24, and this too was a massive PB. Brian finished like a train on speed to come in 21:38 (his prediction was 23 something). Lastly, Andy was 29:30, 23 seconds outside of his PB but given his training has been limited recently sub 30 was a magic run.
All in all, a pretty good day. Big shout out and thanks to all organisers and volunteers, they really make parkrun a fine morning’s work.
James Stewart 