After the excitment of the Super Sunday it was back to training for the main event. We had intended to return to Arthurs seat on the Monday but through the day I decided that I needed to rest my ankle. Mo continued to train while I battled against the will to run and tried to keep sensible. I succeeded but only just. Mo takes over from here.
I always enjoy the pacer Saturdays at Strathclyde parkrun,
on the first Saturday of the month we ask some of our runners to don the pacer
vests and run at a steady even pace so that those runners out there wanting to
achieve a particular time have someone to follow or try to stay ahead off. It
has proved popular with both runners and pacers alike.
We both quite often don one of the vests, last month I wore
the 27 min vest and paced on of our regular runners Mike Ward round the course
to a PB. Of course it’s the runner who does all the hard work but one of the
thrills of being a pacer is encouraging the runners around you and the joy of
seeing them get a PB. This month I decided to go for a PB myself, I’d been
trying to get under 23 mins almost since we started our parkrun and had been so
close on several occasions. Standing in the starting pen with my 23 min pacer
Ian (Devoy) our race director Ian (MaCauly) gave us the usual important start announcements,
you run at your own risk, we don’t have priority in the park, be considerate to
other park users, listen to the marshals instructions and remember to say thank
you to the marshals as they have given up their opportunity to run to deliver
you a great parkrun, and then Iain (Yuill) the timer set us off. By the way you
don’t have to be called Ian to help out at parkrun!!!!
The first km was tough as I hadn’t warmed up properly but
Ian set a steady pace and I fell in behind him, a quick wave and a thank you to
the first two marshal (Anne Smith and Mairi McGowen) and the 2k marker was upon
me. So far so good.
I wasn’t sure marshal 3 (Paul Smith) would get a thank you
as I was beginning to struggle a bit, but I managed. Once round the turn I told
myself we were on the home strait and I could do this. Ian kept looking at his
watch then looking back to check I was still with him. 3 km done and he tells
me quite cheerily that we only have 2k to go. Marshals 2 then 1 only got a wave
on the way back as I couldn’t speak! The 4k marker was just ahead and I was
beginning to flag at this point, would I be able to make it? Ian must have
realise I was slowing down a bit as he kept looking back telling me I was doing
fine and to just dig in. Funny how things turn around, just a month ago I was
telling Mike the exact same thing! 800m out and I caught up with Ian, 400m to
go and he tells me to get ready to go for it. The 200m marker appears and I
start to sprint ahead, I could hear Ian behind me telling me to go for it. Then
the long awaited finish line! Well did I manage a PB? Yes I did 22:40! I was
chuffed to bits.
The pacers are great and a big hit. I also enjoy being a
pacer and I suppose it’s a bit like being a jogleader, which I also really
enjoy. Maybe that’s why I’ve naturally fallen into the role of runleader with
Speed of Light.
Wondering what else happened to Jo this week? Well, as well as resting up his ankle in a bid to
be fighting fit for the next instalment of the Speed of Light adventure in a
couple of weeks time, he has been keeping himself busy, organising The Jammys summer tour.. More to follow in the coming weeks.
Runners know
exactly how hard it is to be injured and not able to run. Although I have been told
to keep my grumpy-ness to myself. That won’t stop me blogging about
it! (comments removed in the interest of the fairness to readers – Mo)
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