parkrun to 10k Week 3 (I feel this needs a more catchy title but it not going to get one)

Week 3

So…..as you all know things have been going quite well with this increase in running and I have proudly shared this with you….well I should have kept quiet as this week has been *in the voice of Craig Revel Horwood*….. “A disaster”

Monday

The weather was good, the first signs of spring and I was really looking forward to getting out and having a run (am I starting to sound like a runner?  Mental note….must stop that).  The children were off and out the house with minimum of fuss…well if you disregard the incident with the ipod, the plastic duck and the toilet cistern…apparently these things can just happen in child number 4’s life!  My trainers (running shoes) were on, there was no big black dog on the field so off I set.  Today was 10 mins running and 1.5 mins walking…so quite a big jump from last week.  And boy, did it feel a big jump!

After my five mins walking warm up I set off, taking it nice and easy, and I ran, and I ran and I ran and  checked my watch and I had been running for two minutes and 21 seconds (!!!) so I ran, and I ran and I ran and I ran and I checked my watch (still no Garmin) and it was six minutes and four seconds….so I ran and I ran and I got a little bit bored of running and I got to thinking what a stupid idea this was and why was I doing it and I checked my watch and I had done eight minutes and 59 seconds, so in my head I was thinking well that’s nearly ten minutes and as there is only me and two cows in a field who would know if I stopped running now, but then I thought the cows would know and then every time I had to run past them I would know that they would know that I stopped running, so I ran and and I ran…..and then at last it was 10 minutes and I could walk!!!  And I walked for a whole one and a half minutes! And then this started all over again and I ran and I ran and I ran and I checked my watch and I ran and I checked my watch and…..oh this happened another four times with each time me wanting to give up running around the nine, eight….four and three minute mark! Finally it is the five minute cool down walk and I am back at home.

After having a cup of coffee I start to think how ridiculous todays run has been….. I know that I can run for 35 minutes non stop and there are actual people, not just two cows who have seen that so even they know that it is true.  So why was running for 10 minutes at a time so bloody hard today??    If anyone knows….answers on a postcard please!


So to sum up…..

• 50 mins of running
• 16 mins of walking
• listened to the voices in my head muttering about running for 10 minutes at a time
• carrying a bottle of water and some left over jelly tots
• how do I feel…..bit deflated

Wednesday

I have discovered that I prefer morning running, but as I have entered my lovely husband into this 10k madness too, then sometimes I have to run with him.  So, Rob arranges to finish work nice and early, I arrange for the children to be picked up from school and then I promptly forget about the run plans and am side tacked with coffee (glass of wine) and salad (posh sausage sandwich) in the cafe with friends……several shouty telephone calls later and a very quick walk (nearly a run…but I had heals on) the two miles home, I arrived just a couple of minutes late for my run with my hubby!   Ooops!

Quick change into running gear as apparently there is 'no way I am running with you with that skirt on’ and I am ready to go.

Same 10 mins running and one and a half walking but six times today and Rob is going to run alongside me to support and encourage me after Mondays Metal Block run…awwww how sweet!

Reality is…we have been walking warm up for about two minutes and he is already suggesting we run and that if I had been home on time then this warm up would have been over and done with already.  We finally set off running and I am left in his dust!  I can just about spot him on the distant horizon!  So I run for ten minutes just about following him and the is an ache in my right calf that I just can’t seem to stretch out…it is there every step and is nagging and groaning and becoming more painful.

I finally catch up with Rob at the bottom of a huge amount of steps and am told “don’t worry about it, pick up your pace, that will sort it out”…..oh yes, I am sure that it will…..not!

So my one and a half minute walking is up these hundred or so steps (I am prone to exaggerating….can you tell?) and then it’s off running again.   At let me tell you, picking up the pace did not help one tiny incy little bit!!  By the end of this run it really does hurt and I could be walking faster than I am running, tears are beginning to form in my eyes and……. I have just about had enough…..would stomp feet….but even that would hurt!

Luckily (for him), my hubby doesn’t say anything too stupid this time and puts his arm round me and says “it’s okay 'limp a lot', walk it home and I will have the kettle on when you get back”, then leaves me in the woods and runs off home……true love, obviously!!! 

And that’s what I do….I walk, with a bit of a limp home…..and drink coffee!

So to sum up…….

• 10 mins of very slow and painful running
• 35 mins of walking a faster pace than I ran 
• listening to my tears fall onto stoney ground (that’s so poetic)
• carrying some pine cones and a really big stick that I found on the walk back that the children might like
• how do I feel….bit broken 

Saturday

Whoop de Whoop de Whoop…..it’s parkrun day!

And to make parkrun day even more special it is Bunnies on Tour to Leeds parkrun day!  Whoop de Whoop de Whoop de Whoop!!

And guess what?…..I am actually going to run at a parkrun on parkrun day!  Whoop de Whoop de Whoop de Whoop de Whoop!!!

It is an even early than normal start with all of the Bunnies meeting at Huddersfield parkrun at the ridiculously early time of 7.30am for a car sharing tour to Leeds.  After twenty minutes of chatting, deciding who is going in whose car, laughing at Chris who we are leaving behind to look after Huddersfield and threatening him with death if he breaks Huddersfield parkrun, we finally get into the cars and set off!  It’s not exactly convoy as we manage to take a wrong turn just getting out of the park.

Finally after travelling through dense fog on the motorway we we meet up with the lovely Jason Newell who guides us into a perfect parking spot just next to Leeds Hyde Park and then he hands over a packet of Jaffa Cakes…..you really do have to love the people you meet through parkrun!!!

On the way over there was the usual discussion in our car about what to do with the children, we only have the little two today as middle child has finally got a Saturday job….at last, someone to pay board!!

In the end we do the traditional coin flip and I end up with the children….and they are really happy about that (please detect the sarcasm there)…..they are so happy that Molly says “I wish I had a job too so I didn’t have to come!

For those of you who haven’t been to Leeds parkrun…you must.  They really are a fun and friendly group of people and loved the fact that 20 Bunnies turned up.  Special mention to Jocelyn, Sam, Jaz, Jason and Tess who made us feel very welcome….it was great to meet you.  It is a very well organised parkrun and the course is good to run….not that I would know about running it as there wasn’t a lot of running going on!

Some of the Bunnies on Tour at Leeds parkrun

We go to the start line and I am at the back with my little ones and off we go….we run about 100m and number 4 child is already kicking up a fuss.  Number 5 child is haring ahead and you just know that 2kms in she is going to be completely shattered and won’t run and will only talk about bacon sandwiches….and that’s just what happened.  Luckily daddy had already finished by the time we were on our second lap so I could leave the bacon sandwich loving child 5 and only had one left to run with (ha ha….there was no running).

I am not known for my motivational skills with my children….there is still the much talked about…teaching middle child to ride a bike….motivational moment……which lasted for 10 minutes including the eight minutes to drive to and from the park…..middle child learnt to ride his bike on his own!!! And with me being a very reluctant runner on a bad week….this wasn’t going to be pretty.

I am not going to tell you my bad mother moments, although if you were at Leeds parkrun you may well have seen them….all I can say is that through bribery, cajoling, threats, fake nice voice and dangling a Jaffa cake in front of her, child 4 and I completed Leeds parkrun in 40 minutes!  

Child 4 with Child 5 plotting behind her!

The next couple of hours after parkrun were spent in delightful company and we were joined by the super awesome Amanda Crozier and Nicki Dawson Bunnies who ran all the way from Huddersfield to Leeds to join us at part of their marathon training….a whooping 23 miles!  It kind of puts into perspective my prattle, complaining and nonsense when these incredible people are running distances like that! 

Nicki and Amanda arriving at Leeds parkrun!

So to sum up ………

• 40 mins of walking and jogging and picking up ipods and going back to find earphones and dropped coats and dropped barcodes and being a ‘motivational mum’
• listening to myself turning into my mum
• carrying two ipods, two sets of earphone, barcodes for all the family, two sets of bunny ears, a bottle of pop for each child, two children’s jackets and oh I wish this bit was true, some valium!
• So how do I feel…..incredibly proud of the fact that my children walked, hopped, ran and sulked any distance and incredibly happy to be part of this wonderful parkrun family.

So on that note…..I feel there is nothing else to say today….except parkrun is changing my life and I am loving every minute of it!  See you next week KX