Returning to Park Run and Winter Running Kit

Ahhhh Park Run, every Saturday, wind – rain or shine, runners gather for a 9am start to race 3.1 Miles around a local pack, scan ones bar code and await the text advising just how long it took.

Park Run frightens me; I hate races and put myself under enormous amount’s of pressure when in reality the only person I have to beat is myself and my own fear’s. So in an attempt to beat my fear, I made a vow to start returning to Park Run on a more regular basis, I’m happy with the distance and my local one is not far away plus I really shouldn’t make excuses to myself as I’ll only get faster or back to my previous pace with effort and more regular racing.

When I attended last Saturday it was my first Park Run in over a year, I had no expectations from myself other than to finish and I made a humongous mistake of starting with the faster pack. I ran my first mile in 7.51 and during that time I was over taken endlessly, leaving me massively out of breath and wondering what on earth was wrong with me, so  I slowed down and finished in a lacklustre 26 minutes.

But wait – I felt good! I had overcome my fear and I made a promise to myself that I’d return the following week, on Monday morning I took to my local park to practice interval training (painful) and set a aim to speed up considerably for the next Park Run. That didn’t quite go to plan, on the Friday before I ate a huge meal and picked on mini pork pies during the day (this is not not normal practice but hey, I’m only human all right?).

Saturday AM I felt terrible, I was out the door from visiting my parents extra early to drop my dad at the train station and I’d driven for 45 minutes once I’d got to the event, clutching a black coffee I was seriously regretting attending. As the race started the drizzle came and soon I’d lost my ‘chosen person’ to pace myself with and started to feel like I was failing, everything ached and my leg’s felt like complete blocks of led.

Somehow, I managed 27mins 12 seconds and I stumbled back in my car and wondered how on earth I would get my groove back, yet then I realised it was a tough run and not a bad life! Sometimes running feel’s effortless and other day’s even short distances feel like a massive mental and physical struggle, I know by running slightly longer distances mid week (plus a Long Sunday run) and calming down on the day I’ll be back to ‘normal’.

Shall we turn this around and get a little upbeat and funky? 

I feel very strongly about being seen and safe during winter running and this is my favourite kit of the week, bright, light and very cost effective..

For the gym or under a light jacket I’m absolutely head over heel’s in love with this outfit…

Call me vapid, but new kit means I can turn my frown upside down!

Talk to me – Do you ever Park Run? How often do you buy new kit? Isn’t this weather up and down? One day I’m running in frost and the next day it’s too warm!

Katie

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