AND THE SUN SHONE!

Sat. 18 April 2015 Newcastle Park Run.


 Yes, finally at the fourth attempt the sun shone on one of my races.
This was the first Park Run of my challenge (although my eight Park Run overall) and what a good one in many ways. Firstly, hurrah!, the sun shone and I wore a vest for the first time this year. Secondly, it was the biggest field I have seen at Newcastle's Town Moor for a Park Run, all of 646 runners. Thirdly and most important of all, I ran well. How well? Read on.
Lets first flip back to Wednesday when I had intended to do a Fell Race, The Grisedale Grind. The intention was to take Basset Hound Maisie to the Lake District, for me to run the race and then Maisie and I would wild camp on the Fells. With a forecasted overnight temperature of 2c I was starting to have second thoughts. At a revised -2c I chickened out!
Thursday saw me try out my loan bike, a road bike, for the upcoming triathlon.
On Friday, Louise Griffin and I put in an easy run up through Whittle Dene and back through Horsley Woods. At 9 minute mile pace it was pure enjoyment. This left me up for a good weekend and hopefully two races.
So Saturday dawned with a blue sky and sunshine. Warming up around the moor I was actually warm, what a novel experience.
Lining up with all those runners I was very pleased to meet a former Tynedale Harrier, Lucy Wallace, a lovely young girl I hadn't seen for at least fifteen years. Lucy had been one of a trio of young Harriers that I used to coach, the others being the Pearson Twins, Kimberley and Holly.
Exchanging expected times, Lucy volunteered 18 minutes I said 22 minutes and hoped that I could achieve it.
Well to cut a long tale short, I was able to keep well below 7 minute pace for the first 3k then just had to hang in to finish in 21.44 mins. That's my best result at 5k since I turned 60, am I pleased? What do you think?
Actual results, as you can see from the schedule below, were that I was 147th out of 646 runners and third overall in my category. Looking at the statistics, which Park Run provide, in my previous life as a V60 vet my best time was 21.59 which made me 35th out of 155 gadgees. This latest result puts me into seventh position out of 67 runners at V65 level. Who knows if the warm weather continues I might be able to take another second or two off.


Now it only remains to have another early morning, tomorrow and I might be able to run my first GREAT RUN LOCAL at Gibside.

Sixty Five for Izzi 2015
March 29th 2015- March 2016
Date	Number	Event	Time	Overall Finishing Position	Category Position	Comments
29-Mar	1	Hartlepool Marina 5 mile	36.27	173	3	Third, but only two prizes for category!
07-Apr	2	Monthly Mile S Shields	6.27	20	na	20th out of 79
12-Apr	3	Blyth Valley 10k	45.34	296	3	Target- improve finish time
18-Apr	4	Park Run Ncle 5K	21.44	147	3	147/646 A big field!
19-Apr	5	Sand Dancer 10K
25-Apr	6	Park Run
26-Apr	7	Wallsend T. O'Gara Mem. 5K
29-Apr	8	Whinlatter
04-May	9	Ashington Triathlon
05-May	10	Les Alcorn 10K
09-May	11	Park Run