So this week started off rough, as I mentioned last weekend sucked. However I had graduated C25k and needed to keep it up. I went out for a run on the Thursday and did my own Forrest Gump impression. I went out in the opposite direction to what I had done before. It is a route I had walked the dog round a long time ago. I had also downloaded Zombies, run.
Now Zombies run is frankly weird. You play it in addition to your usual music and it pauses your music at set intervals to play a story. In the story I was runner 5. I had crash landed a helicopter and was set to run to the hospital to get some meds and keep my pace up to avoid the zombies that were chasing me. See, told you it was odd! The story was quite good to be honest though so I’ll stick with it for a few weeks. It may spur me on.
Well my Forrest Gump run took in a few hills, which I hadn’t done before. It added a new dimension to my training which I thoroughly enjoyed. However as I went through the footpath near the school I realised I had gone further than planned. It was tough, very tough. But I kept going. Didn’t stop for anything other than to cross the road. As I approached home in my ear I got a message saying “runner 5 congratulations you have run 7k”. I couldn’t believe it. Happy was an understatement.
Then came Saturday. Wow what an experience. I got there very early as I was nervous about parking and then finding the start line. When I got there I was greeted by the girl guide volunteers who had took over the parkrun for the day. After introducing myself I stood around nervously looking for my mate Steve who volunteered to run the parkrun with me. I quickly found Steve who told me I was aiming for 40 min time. That was 3:30min faster than my current PB. I told him I couldn’t do that, but he insisted I could. We had a briefing which all runners had. They said to be careful of the puddles near coronary hill! I wasn’t expecting a hill.
When we set off it was at a much faster pace than I was used to; we quickly regulated to a more comfortable pace as I wanted to run it all and not have to walk. As we approached the tennis courts there was a big puddle and there was a queue forming to get the route round it. Steve yelled “straight through the middle” which I duly did. Wow! The water was cold and the route seemed harder carrying about a pint of water in each trainer it seemed. Then time for the hill, at this point there were a lot of people walking. I picked them off one at a time which felt good. I felt strong. Then through the woods and more deep puddles. In for a penny, in for a pound I hit them all head on and at a pace I felt fast at. When we got to the halfway point Steve told me I was 25s down on my 40min target.
I told him there was no way I could keep the pace up. My legs felt heavy and my breathing was rapid and shallow. Steve kept looking at his GPS watch telling me if I picked it up a bit I could hit the 40min target still. not a chance I thought. I slowed the pace a click or two. When we got to coronary hill I had a second wind. Instead of slowing down I kicked on and overtook several more people. I held this increased pace through the woods and through the deep puddles. Before I knew it I was on the home straight. Giving everything I had, my legs were on fire I sprinted with Steve.
At the finish line they give you a token with a barcode on it to finalise your time. I wouldn’t find out the official time for a little while. Here I am pretty knackered but the happiest man alive. I can’t thank Steve enough, I would not have done it without him pushing me on.
We had a coffee in the shop and then I headed to my car. Just as I had opened the car door I got a text from a mate asking me if I wanted to buy his Time trial bike….
Bipolar Ironman 