Parkrun Improve

[TheEd]

How did the session go Neil?

TheEd

[NeilJ]

I ran my Wednesday speed session with great determination yesterday as I was tired of the mediocrity and the lackadaisical feeling of lethargy. Remarkably it worked, not mind blowingly exceptional, but good enough to make me realize that so much of my resistance exists in my head. This naturally, I have recognized a long time ago, life sometimes however requires an aha moment to enable the creation of change. My knee, or rather the fear of its inflammation reoccurring has interfered with the progression of the program. I subconsciously have been inhibiting my potential speed as part of the defense mechanism to protect myself but subconsciously disallowed myself the privilege of running faster. I truly feel that yesterday was the beginning of unlocking the mental block to release the fear from which I have suffered, through the traumatization of being told by my Orthopod, that I will never run again. Thank you Gavin for highlighting this as the issue that has been holding me back. Hopefully we can start translating the slightly improved 1 and 2 K splits into a quicker parkrun. Herewith the session:

Warmup 8’00 @ 120 BPM slowish jog to session start.

1K @ 4’48.0 @ AHR of 148 BPM. Although I went into the session with full intent on running better than I have done since embarking on the program, I was also aware that my 1st K was going to be followed by the monster 2K segment.

2K @ 9’44.0 @ AHR of 155 BPM. I deliberately only allowed a 2 minute recovery from the first K as I didn’t want to over think this run, its I believe one of the things that has been subconsciously preventing quicker times. I ran through the 500 in around 2’24 and recognized that if I could hold the pace and finish fast this would make the session. Went through the 1k in 4’48 and focused on posture and form which was starting to go, I translated this into regathering my breathing rhythm and everything clicked to finish in around 4”20/K which translated into 9’44. Although I didn’t feel that in the moment that I could have run this particular 2k any faster, I recognized that perhaps next week or perhaps even next month there would be more to give to the effort.

1K @ 4’39.0 @ AHR of 153 BPM. Buoyed by my 2K time I again curtailed my recovery to just 2 minutes and went off hard @ 4’08/K dropping to an average of around 4’48 through the halfway mark. I managed to pick this up over the final 200m to the mid 2’20 ‘s. Although I finished feeling pretty spent I knew that the session was the beginning of better things to come.

This is in no way where I want or need to be in terms of reaching my goal of an eventual sub 23 minute Parkrun but I feel that this was the 1st breakthrough on my way of getting beyond a consistent sub 25. Thank you Gavin for your patience, persistence and continued encouragement, without it I may have settled for mediocrity.

[TheEd]

Hi Neil, sometimes these things take a little longer but the main thing is to enjoy the process

enjoy your parkrun tomorrow

TheEd

[NeilJ]

I Ran Saturday Parkrun with much anticipation after Wednesday’s speed session which felt like a bit of a breakthrough. I went out fairly hard and hit the 1k and the wheels came off. Our 1K mark at the local Parkrun is atop the 1st hill and I was struggeling to get any rhythm. I’m just not really understanding how the improved Wednesday sessions can’t translate into an even slightly improved Parkrun. I ran through the rest of the run to the best of my ability but at what felt like max capacity.

I finished feeling a bit disappointed and absolutely exhausted in my usual 25’33.

Next week I am running a beach run up the Westcoast which I am looking forward to, just as a change of pace, so not looking for any miracles due to the sand. This will hopefully reinvigorate the goal away from the same old, same old run week on week. Perhaps it’s just a bit of staleness and a change is as good as a holiday. Speaking of which I am also aiming to do the Monday Freedom day holiday as another alternative Parkrun.

[TheEd]

Enjoy Neil .. we can start looking to create a program around your routine and to change into a 2 week cycle

so after the Freedom Day run we can look to change things

TheEd

[NeilJ]

Just a quick catchup as I haven’t posted since last week. This Weekend was a long weekend with Freedom Day Monday and so I ditched Mondays long run to do a double Parkrun.

Saturday, ran Yzerfontein Parkrun on the beach thick sand, it was tough but quite beautiful, out and back course. I just settled in to run and enjoy the run next to the sea on the beach but still attempted to maintain a reasonable pace, ran 27’22 and was actually quite content with the run. Was good to run for fun on an alternative route for a change.

Monday I ran at Canal Walk Parkrun on Freedom Day as the special South African parkrun for the year. There was a great atmosphere and a huge turnout. I have run this unique route through the coffee shop and shopping centre before. It’s pancake flat and quite a good route to run fast if you are up for it. It was quite congested and given that it was my 2nd Parkrun for the weekend I just settled into a decent pace and finished quickly in 25’45 with an AHR 150 BPM.

This was not a great running weekend from a time perspective but I did truly enter into the spirit of running and embraced both of these runs. Occasionally it’s great to get out there and just run for the joy of running and that’s what occurred this weekend. Now to get back to the program proper and I will report back a bit later.

[TheEd]

great stuff Neil .. will chat soon about building up a training program around your needs etc

TheEd

[NeilJ]

I ran my Wednesday interval session and it was not great. I felt as sluggish as I have done since starting the program. I must admit I did go into the session a bit reluctantly from an attitudinal point of view as I was just feeling a bit low and tired. I tried my best to pep myself up for the start but going through the 1st 500m I recognized that neither my heart nor body were really into the session. I found it quite strange as this run two weeks ago was the best I have run it and felt really pumped with the results.

Here are the numbers:

1st Km - 1K  5’03.1 -  AHR 150 BPM. Hitting the 1st 500m I already felt quite lethargic, not breathing rhythmically with quite heavy legs.

2nd 2KM - 2K 10’32.7 - AHR 149 BPM. I started this segment slowly hoping to find something to build on through the run but there was just nothing there. I felt quite drained and even had to just hang tough through the turn around into and through the 2nd K. Felt absolutely knackered at the end and took a 3 minute recovery before I felt that I could run the last K.

3rd Km – 1K 4’58.1 – AHR 144 BPM. Built through the Km after a slow and exhausting start and forced a faster finish from around the 300 m mark just to attempt to resurrect a little decency into the session, even then the time was poor.

This session I would honestly place as the most difficult and challenging since I have started the program. I really felt two weeks ago that I was building some momentum into my running, getting incrementally faster through this session but also feeling so much better after every segment and the run in its entirety.

It will be interesting to see how this session goes in another two weeks time and if I can somewhat revert back to where I was just two weeks ago, then we know that this was just an anomaly.

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I was back to running my home Parkrun at Bellville this morning. It really was pretty cold, okay not Finnish cold but then nothing is as cold as Finnish cold. The run was okay without being brilliant in fact it felt pretty standard, I was actually strangely quite happy with the time and the way I felt through the finish after my terrible Wednesday interval session.

5KM in 25’28.2  AHR - 150BPM. I deliberately started quite conservatively after Wednesday’s session, not quite knowing what to expect. The hills were a bit tough but overall the run felt as many of these runs normally do from Saturday to Saturday. I felt that I did finish quite hard, running the last 500 M in around the 2’10 mark which had me gasping a bit, but overall quite content with the run.

[TheEd]

Hi Neil, i have been following your ParkRun runs and I was quite happy to see the latest result

if we are to establish a 6 week consistent pattern I believe it will iron out things, we are making progress

ideally I would like to add a little more distance to your long run and then to only have you running PR 'harder' every 2nd week

so for example towards this weekend, 2 to 3k warm up then parkrun with first 3k easy and last 2 k tempo and then a 4km warm down

what are your thoughts?

TheEd

[NeilJ]

After a couple of very stormy days of Cape May weather I got back on track with my tempo run this morning. Given how I was feeling last week I went out really slowly and decided to run through the bush behind the wine farm next to my house. I have run a few of the paths in the past but the sand is normally really thick and almost dune like conditions very difficult to run on. After the heavy rains I knew that these areas would be hard packed and perfect for a longish run.

Although quite fresh the wind had dropped and the rain nothing more than a misty drizzle it was a beautiful morning to go and explore the bush. It was great to run a different route in my own back yard for a change and I really enjoyed the 12K this morning. Total 12.16 Km in 1:20’03. Great to finish a run like this feeling so positive for a change, not a huge distance, not a great time just a great run.