Another few weeks/months have passed and more races have come and gone and I am still struggling to update my running blog and also my running scrapbook. So I have made the decision to blog when I can. I have been spending so much time improving my running that I have very little time to write about it.
Two updates on what has been going on in Sarah's running world -
I took part in the most fun run ever with my big sister, The Color Run in Birmingham on the 16th August. It was a 5k fun run not timed and I jog/walked the whole way simply enjoying myself holding my sisters hand. At every 1k we went through a large inflatable tunnel and had powder paint thrown all over us!
The first station was pink and it was so much fun. Though I felt it safer to put my sunglasses on during the paint throwing. The next station was blue where I ended up looking as though I had eaten half the paint. Yellow was our favorite station it was a very happy and fun color station. Then the final station Orange all went a little mental with people rolling around on the floor and throwing paint at each other.
Besides from having colorful fun I have been working hard at improving my running times. Working hard at efforts every Thursday has certainly been paying off. What started off as a bit of fun at park run every saturday morning with my times around the 30 minute mark, I got down to 28 minutes then Ben paced me around to a 25 something minute pb. Since then I have been half paced round to a 24:49 pb but wanted to beat that as I would get on the park run wall of pride having done 10+ park runs. On my 10th park run I had a bash at pacing myself and would you believe I matched my time to the EXACT second!! 24:49 that number burnt into my mind. Where could I have made up 1 second. The clock at home was mocking me every time I heard it tick I thought that one second could have been the difference to me getting a pb. So this Saturday I got myself pumped up ready to go though I know how much it hurts for me to run that fast, I had a new inhaler which had proved itself to help at efforts a few nights before. I made the decision if I was to get a pb and get on the wall of pride I needed a clean break at the start so lined up on the first row. Wow that was scary looking around at the sub 19 minute runners! I lasted with them for all of 5 seconds but I had got a clean enough break that I didn't get caught up behind children or dog runners. I knew to scrape my pb I had to run 8:18 minute miles. First mile I clocked at under 8 minutes... felt strong.. stronger than the previous week. Baring in mind it was only April that I was running a mile flat out on the magic mile at 7:55 I knew I had improved my running and speed ability I was hoping to keep this up for 3 miles! Mile 2 came in at 8:01 again still feeling strong. I knew I had some time in the bank now for the final part but I didn't want to make the same mistake twice and ease off to come in bang on the same or even slower than I wanted! I kept pushing forward my breathing really labored now and struggled up the final climb. Coming out on the grass for the final straight I dare not look at my watch I felt like I was going to throw up or collapse, maybe both. The relief of crossing the finish line is something I can't put into words. You must understand I am a different runner now to what I used to be even 3 months ago. I was running nearer 30 minute 5ks I have taken nearly 6 minutes off that time. To cross the finish and feel your legs wobble as you finally stop and your lungs release that one final agonizing labored breath and you look at your watch and see that you have taken 22 seconds off your current pb makes it all worth it. My park run pb now stands at 24:29 and I wonder now if it is possible to continue chipping away at this time or if that is all I have in me? My next aim in sub 24 minute. I got on the wall of pride as I envisioned that morning and am now having a week off park run just in time to go camping and running for the weekend at The Joust Ultra 24 hour event. Who knows there may be another blog coming soon.......
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