(re) Born to Run...! - Running around Warwickshire, Warwick, Leamington and Hampton Magna

It was on Saturday 16th March 2013 at 9:31am that I realised I needed to get quicker at running.

Exactly 30 minutes and 8 seconds earlier, I had just started my first ParkRun in two years (I had done two back in 2011).

I play a few sports, I'm not a super athlete but I'm not mega unfit, or at least I thought not! Five very slow kilometers later, after being overtaken by all and sundry, including kids, mothers, dog walkers and even people pushing buggies, I realised that I should be running quicker than I was.

Back in 2011 I ran my very first ParkRun in 26:36, which to you half-able runners is slow, I know, but for me, was (until yesterday) my PB. Fast forward two years, and I was three and a half minutes slower (quite a bit over a relatively short distance).

It was at 9:31am on Saturday 16th March this year that I decided to do something about it, I decided I'd run it quicker, I decided that I should be running 5k in around 25 minutes, and I decided I'd reduce my time by a minute each month until I did so.

The plan was to do a sub-30min in April, sub-29min in May, sub-28min in June, sub-27min in July, sub-26min in August, finishing in September with a sub-25minute time for a 5k run.

The time could be set at any time, anywhere, provided that it was over a distance of 5km.

You'll see from the graph below, that so far I've been hitting my targets (albeit just in June!).

As part of my plan, I joined the Hampton Magna Harriers beginners running group, led by Anthony and Clare, it was a great way to continue and improve my running, it's almost fun even!

Warwick Racecourse, Toasty Warm.

Last night was the final session in the beginners course, which culminated in a timed 5k run (about two laps) around Warwick Racecourse. For those that remember, last night was hot, very hot, hot hot hot. I set off at a half-decent pace, and completed the first lap with relative ease. It was a lovely sunny evening, and is a very picturesque spot for a run. The start of the second lap was hard, I'd seen it all before, and there seemed to be even less of a breeze this time. It continued to get harder and harder, and I came close to walking, but I knew if I did that, then I'd struggle to get started again. I slowed my pace, gathered my breath, composed myself, then kicked on in the second half of the second lap (any Americans reading this would probably refer to it as the final quarter!). Cheered on by the HMH coaches and other runners, I managed to smash my sub-27min target, with a time of 26:31. Which for me is pretty good, in fact, it's a new PB (if only by 5 seconds).

The trick now is to continue my progress, I've got to shave off a further 91 seconds before the end of September. I've been trying to jog every morning before work, and run occasional interval training in the evenings when I get chance. I'd be grateful for any readers tips if you have them?!

Hopefully I'm getting towards a pace now where I'll be comfortable running alongside the intermediates at Hampton Magna Harriers and joining in with the #WarwickRunClub! (When I get chance that is, the calendar is looking very busy for the near future).

Anyways, if you see me running along the Grand Union Canal in the morning, say hello!

Grand Union Canal, better than a treadmill.

If I hit my targets over the next months, expect another blog post; and if I don't, then this is likely to be the last post on the subject!


2015 Update:

So it's taken a while (yes, ages, I know!) but I've finally got back out and running again a bit. My original aim was to run a sub 25 minute 5k.

Last month (April) I ran the Leamington Parkrun (25.04.15) and managed to get under 26 minutes. I felt great and went around the course in 25:30, a half minute underneath my milestone target.

This month (May) I was holidaying in Devon and ran the Killerton Parkrun (02.05.15). It's been just over two years since I started this post, with a sub 25min 5k as the target, and I managed it. Knocking almost a minute off the PB from the month before, getting around a very undulating course in 24:32!

I wonder if a sub-24 minute, sub-23 minute, or even a sub-22 minute 5k is possible?!