Final and Best Park Run

73 Park Runs, and now my final one.  My training lately has been lax.  But it's my last Park Run.  I'm in full racing kit and go for it.

I push, push.  The people I've always considered faster than me are left behind.  Down the back straight I almost catch Mike Reeves.  But he edges away.  I start to suffer but keep going.  It's a mob match so I am running for PWR and not just myself.  So at the finish I drive myself.  I get myself into a five way sprint.  There's no way I'm going to lose probably my final sprint.  I win.  The time is a PB.   By a long way.  Not just a Park Run PB but a 5km PB.  20:22.

 I don't think I could ever drive myself to get under the 20 minutes.  Anyway, that is an arbitrary target.  An arbitrary distance, arbitrary time.

I push myself beyond believe and finish 51st.  I got overtaken by someone ten years older, in jogging bottoms and a top.  Most things in live aren't like that.  The winner is the last man left standing.  Running isn't like that.  80% talent, 20% effort.  I'm a last-man-standing kind of guy.  Bloody-minded my wife would say.  It's worked well in everything I've done.  Except running.  Which is about physical talent.  That and heavy weight boxing.  Not much else.

20:22 5km PB

Forgotten Back From Lewisham

I forgot to write this up and so have not much to say.  Think it was back from Lewisham, probably hated it.  Nearly there

5.2 Miles 48:00?

Last Cat and Canary (Hare and Hounds)

I checked the stats and I am the 4th most persistent Hare and Hounds (Cat and Canary) runner with 24 entries.  This is the 5 mile time trial at work.  Today my final run.

I start off and a guy in yellow who starts behind me  by 20 seconds zips past me.  I follow him until half way when I take him and then push on.  I'm running well but it is windy.  I know I will feel great at the end but I hate every minute.  I can feel last nights track session in my legs. But even then. this is not fun.  It is ego boosting bullshit.

Towards the end, I don't appear in any danger of being caught but I put together some kind of sprint.  And then I am done.  The time is not to ad, givin the wind.

5m 26:28

Last track session

It's my last track session.   And to my mind it is going to be an easy one.  10x400m with a 1 mile tempo warm up.

We do the warm up and then to business.  I believe I am fast twitch with a bloody mind.  So I can sprint.  I only do the distance running for the  bloody mind.  So most of the 400m I drive the pace at the front of my group.  A couple of intervals I relax and really bang them out.  1:23 and all that.

One lap we get to 300m, and I turn to the group and say, this will be a 1.27 lap.  (I currently have no watch)  We all dutifully cross the line at 1.27.  I have a feel for this now.

Then after toying with a couple of easy ones, it comes to my last ever lap of the track.  I go on the B of the Bang of the start.  Straight on my toes and drive.  With 200m to go I open up.   A couple of the faster groups at the finish notice me and start cheering me up.  Then I go all out.  A final bright spark on the final burn.  And then I finish.

Mike shouts the time of 1:12.  I tell him that I am finished and thanks for all his help over the last couple of years.  I think some people do not believe me, but I am done.  They ask me where that 1:12 lap came from, and the answer is that I am done.  That was my sign off

Intervals 1mile tempo 10x400m

Sunday night 2 hour

One more two hour run tonight, one more long run and then taper, then marathon, then done.  After a busy day at my son's 5th birthday I head out.

I run through Hayes and up towards Keston.  Then I start to get hungry not having had my dinner.  So I divert to the Keston Mark where I know there is a petrol station.  There I refuel.

I continue up towards Wilberforce but run out of pavement.  I turn and head back through Bromley Common.  I mess the timing up but suspect I need a little more distance.  I run up through Bromley and loop round past the magistrate court.

Recently I have been musing that my best marathon was run in barefoot shoes.  My racing flats still have a certain degree of padding.  I have been wondering if that is why my thighs ache.  I've decided to marathon in my Vivo barefoots.  I need to get some miles in them and tonight I have them on.  I think it definitely improves my form and raises my cadence.

12 Miles 2:00

Easy 4km round Canary Wharf

I'm out tonight so I decide on an easy recovery run during lunchtime.  It's a short one as I run down the west side of the Isle of Dogs.   It's lovely being by the river on a Sunny day.  The path is closed and I have to divert.

I'm soon back and probably less than 4km.  A good tonic after last nights track and smash.

4km 22:00

A solid interval session

A mile up to Hayes and back and then 3x1600 with a 400m Jog recovery.  The whole gang is here, Jenny, Rob, Rob and Me.  We run and push each other on.  I hold on at the back for the first two reps.  The final one I go for it.  Me and Rob W break free and apparently put a gap of 50m on the other two.   Still at the finish they pull it back.

Worked really hard tonight.  I don't feel massively fit but after a session like that I can't be doing too bad.  Did 20 miles at the weekend as well.

1 mile 3x1600m

Down to the river on a sunny spring day

Out at lunch I gently jog down to the river.  I cut a little bit through Mudchute Park.  I stop and look at the river for a minute or so and then head back without the cut through Mudchute Park.

Beautiful to be in the sun.

5km 30:00

5:30am Sunday run

Up at 5:30am.  Kit prepared the night before.  I run all the way over London Bridge and to the monument.
Gradually as the hot sunny day unfolds it gives a clue as to how marathon day will be.

The last 4 or 5 miles are hard but I do it.  Just one more long, long run to go and then the big day.

20 miles 3:15

Despite cold a good hack through the city

I've a cold.  I toy with not running, I want to get home back to Pancake night.  I summon up the strength.  Mainly by going on an interesting route that I know will end in fun.  I head down Cable Street towards The City and then City Thameslink.

The first bit is dull, but at a decent lick.  Then I hit the crowded city with suits everywhere.  I weave in and out, varying my pace, zipping in and out, blasting and cruising.  Heaven.  Extreme running through a crowded street.

6km 30:00

Turning it round

The weekend long run did not happen.  It was meant to be 20 miles but no running happened.  Today was a just to turn it around to try and do that last push.  So I run two hours on the way home from work.  It doesn't take two hours to run home so I tack on an extra bit around Bromley.

The pace is not fast and it is a struggle but I keep chipping away.  Almost there.

1:55 12 Miles