Mud Run and Wildlife Parkrun

I've taken Scouts to the mud run a few times but I don't usually get to participate - usually too busy watching them.  This time there were enough leaders & helpers to be able to bring up the rear and have a go - got to make sure we don't leave them to drown in the muddy puddles.  As it had been quite a wet week and it was raining at the time there were plenty of muddy puddles and quite a few small muddy lakes too.  

The first tunnel wasn't too difficult, apart from the stench of decaying vegetation but any idea that you might not get muddy beyond the ankles was gone in the first second.  The trenches were great fun, muddy water that reached beyond the comfort zone and the pond reached right to the shoulders. Odd that the water and mud felt comfortably warm despite the rain and the evening chill.

This is after a swim in the pond!

Saturday was a wildlife themed parkrun and all runners were encouraged to wear a suitable fancy dress.  I'd seen some easy home made spider costumes so I thought why not.  A black t-shirt (worn inside out so the logos didn't show), black running tights, black running socks stuffed with bubble wrap, and a black hat with eight eyes sewn on and voila! one running spider.  Running in the costume was a little warm so I kept the pace nice and easy (though each lap was still 10 seconds faster than the previous one so good marathon pacing practice - only 23 miles to go) finishing 3 minutes outside my PB but who cares.  

As I drove out the site after the post run tea and chat two women who I'd been chatting to waved furiously and yelled at me to stop.  It seems I'd won first prize for the best costume!  Needless to say I had to put my costume back on and pose for a photo.

Running spider

And with that I've reached Wick and 800 miles running for the year.  Only 16 miles to John O'Groats then heading back south again.

Catch up

Just realised it's over a month since I wrote an update.  The highlight of this catch up has to be my PB at the Stratford 10k.  In 2016 I ran 51:34 which was a PB and I was pretty chuffed at the time.  The last two years I'd been handing out water at this event so I was determined to run it this year.  Based on my Stratford Parkrun time I was predicted to run 51:24, so just a couple of seconds faster.  

What actually happened was I smashed my target time and finished in 49:04.  I knew I was in with a chance of getting around 50 minutes at the 8k mark but I was shocked that I got so far under that.  Shocked and also worried that I was about to be spectacularly sick in front of all the spectators at the finish - I don't understand how you can feel fine while running but the moment you slow down you want to throw up!  

Two weeks on and now I'm worried that I'm never going to get anywhere near that time again.  Everything just came right on the day.  I'd done lots of interval work including working my way through McMillans World's Best 5k workout plan followed by the 10k workout plan (which I didn't quite manage to complete).  The weather was perfect too.  12C and no wind whatsoever.  Plus three days in a tent followed by hand digging 90 ft rows of potatoes is obviously the perfect way to spend a taper week.

Since then training has been a bit hit-and-miss.  I did start out with a plan to do some longer interval sessions in preparation for the Stroud Half but the reality is work and life have been too busy to make consistent progress with these.  Add in an enforced two week break in the middle of it and it's not really working.  I still might run the event but the chances of me being able to get under the 1hr 50 predicted by my 10k time seem slim.  

On a positive note I'm now only 25 miles from John O'Groats in my virtual LeJog.