Norton 10k fun run

After looking for a local race to take part in I found the Norton 5k and 10k fun run just a 5 minute drive from home and you get a medal...ideal.

Arriving on the morning after my amazing park run pb of 25 minutes 45 seconds it was a small local event with a field of around 35 runners this was down to the fact it clashed with Evesham and Gloucester 10k races. I felt confident in my running but wary my legs may feel tired from the efforts of the previous day. An announcement was made at the start that the course was a series of 4 right turns and 5k runners would do 1 lap and 10k runners would do 2 laps but the option was there for the 10k runners to do move down to the 5k do 1 lap and still get a medal.. as the starting horn went off and my concrete legs started lifting off the ground this option sounded very very appealing! The course was undulating with a few steady climbs, one big hill then a lovely downhill where I got an 8.20 minute mile in! I made the decision then and there that if I was on for a 5k pb then I would do the 5k. Coming to the final straight before entering the field where I had to do a lap I wasn't on for a 5k pb but I was close and tired and my shin started playing up, some may judge but the choice was given and I listened to my body and I went through the 5k finish tunnel rather than heading out for another lap.

I finished in 26 minutes 49 seconds and was super pleased with myself as it was only 1 minute 4 seconds slower than my pb and I was pacing myself around on tired legs. I feel Ben helped me push through a barrier and I am now even to this day (a week on) running quicker and finding it easier.

Park run and a super PB!

Having frequented park run 7 times now and working towards being part of the 100 club and get my tshirt I have knocked some time off my park run pb and got it down to 28 minutes 1 second.  Last weekend after waking up at 8.20am and not really being bothered to go I dragged my arse out of bed and rocked up with not much time to spare. Whilst sat on a bench in the sun (it was super hot) I looked down and "oh pooh! I had forgotten my watch"  I hate running park run at the best of times as I never know where I am on the course as it confuses me and without my watch I would be even worse.

My friend Ben who runs park run in 20 minutes had been offering to pace me around for a while but I always refused due to it being trail and not wanting to damage my ankle again but today I knew I had to do something and asked Ben if he would pace me to around to my usual time 28-30 minutes. He was pacing his dad to 28 minutes so it was ideal to tag along with them and try to keep up as much as I could.

We set off and I was running along side Ben with his dad just behind the whole way through Ben was shouting at his dad to run faster he's falling behind pace etc, I was glad it wasn't me being screamed at. Under a mile in and his dad was struggling and told us to run on and pace me around instead so the screaming then started coming in my direction, I knew Ben was pushing me hard my breathing was very labored and I was making grunting noises (something I have never done before!) Coming up to the final run up Badgers Hill he was telling me it's all downhill after that and think of it as one more sprint like at efforts on a Thursday.... at that point in time that really wasn't the right thing to say.   I wanted to stop but Ben said he wouldn't tell me what time I was on for.. which made me think I was getting close to overunning the 28 minute 1 second pb I currently held on that course.  Ben left me on the final straight across a dreaded field so he could stop his watch as I crossed the finish. I felt like my lungs were going to burst, I was feeling light headed but coming into the finish tunnel Ben held his watch out to show me my time.

25 minutes 45 second..... 25 minutes 45 seconds...... 25 minutes 45 seconds. I can't repeat all of the words that came out of my mouth but it went something like " Are you ******* kidding me?"   I could not believe that I had knocked just under 3 minutes of my time, I never thought my 5k time would begin with a 25 considering when I first started running I was pushing at 31 minutes.

Now I just needed to run this fast without someone pacing or shouting at me the whole way around but my hat goes off to Ben he does this selfless act of helping people get pb's often and always knocking 3 - 4 minutes off times. It has been mentioned if I pay his entry to a 10k race he will pace me to a 10k pb so watch this space.

Malvern 5k

It's took a while to start blogging again as I honestly don't have the time anymore. But after hearing the disappointment in my moms voice when I told her I would no longer be blogging I felt maybe I shall carry on as best I can...... I will have to try to remember details of these next few races.


Malvern 5k was a hot one, so hot I was very pleased I had opted for the 5k woodland trail race. Arriving early I was thinking about maybe getting a good time and had a plan of action to do my race then laze in the sun waiting for the rest of the gang to finish the half marathon and go back home.

I made my way over to the starting line for the 5k and we were off running into the woods over grass fields. The route started off very nice and I was speeding along at under 9 minute miles but I soon came out into a field where long grass had been cut and the clippings still on the ground. I couldn't see the field beneath me or how uneven it was and the worst thing possible happened. (same as 2 years ago at park run) my left ankle rolled all the way over and popped. Ohhhhh it was agony a shooting and burning pain shot up my leg and I stopped for a few seconds, tried to put weight on my foot but was limping like a hurt animal with it's paw in the air. I thought for a second about getting medical help but I didn't want to waste anyone's time getting an ambulance or car out to me as I was in the middle of the woods by now I was just over 1 mile in it was only a 3 mile race surely I could carry on. So I did, I continued to run and crossed the finish line in less than 30 minutes with as much of a sprint finish as I could manage. I then proceeded to collect my medal and go to a st johns ambulance where I received treatment for my ankle that had ballooned up. I came away from the race with my medal and my foot strapped up and the effort of now having to drive home barefoot with my clutch foot out of action.  I hated the race for obvious reasons and made the decision that the only trail running I will do now will be park run and I won't go fast!