I'll put a girdle round about the earth in forty minutes

…. but I may never manage to run a 10k in that time. Maybe girdling the earth is a cake-walk and any fool could do it in their sleep. I keep telling myself that the marathon is my only “A” race this year and that all other races are at best training and at worst a distraction. When I felt the hamstring tighten on last Monday’s loosener I did think “For Puck’s sake, there goes any chance of a PB at Dewsbury” and so it turned out.

I didn’t run all week and offered the leg up for three painful massages. I tested the hamstring at parkrun on Saturday and I could feel it from start to finish. I set off tentatively and gradually got quicker, but knew that I couldn’t go full throttle. It was my 100th run at Leeds parkrun (my 105th overall) and in a week of free running goodies I collected my black parkrun jacket and technical T shirt.

Given my inability to attempt a PB, I’d decided to aim for 43 minutes and run with clubmates Ali and Ellie. It didn’t work out that way as the wind was a killer. Was on track with Ellie for the first 4k with Ali some way behind. By the turnaround we were off the pace and Ali was a little way ahead. Despite being one of the least interesting of runs, I really like the out and back nature of Dewsbury, you get a chance to admire the running styles and sheer determination of the fast runners and to cheer at (and be cheered by) runners you know.

The wind didn’t seem to behave itself or blow logically. There was a definite head wind all the way out and then either a cross-wind or a swirling head wind on the way back. Perhaps I’m psychologically programmed to only register conditions when they’re unhelpful. We struggled between 6k and 9k but came home in under 46 minutes. I was so intent on keeping a decent pace going and cursing the wind that I didn’t think about the hamstring at all and it seems ok after the event.

The marathon training has lost momentum this week with four rest days, no long run and mileage down. There’s enough flexibility to get back on track and I don’t suppose there’s such a thing as a perfect plan that is precisely executed.

I’ll come back to having a go at a forty minute 10k when the marathon is done and I’ve had time to recover. Maybe I can do some race specific training for the Abbey Dash. Some track sessions would help. I think I can improve at all distances, just need to focus on one at a time instead of the current shotgun approach.