Parkrun 5k and Gala 10k 10+11/04/10
Parkrun photo from a couple weeks back.I had originally planned to do the Heaven & Hell half in Perth this weekend but decided against it mainly due to the two steep climbs involved and the fact I am doing the Chris Hoy half next weekend.
Therefore it was down to Cramond on Saturday morning for the Parkrun. This was my 10th one and the best conditions to date. There were a few other faces from Portobello but I did note Bert and Jenni, who I normally see there were absent - nursing hangovers from the bowling night? There was a large contingent from Carnegie Harriers as they were using this race as one of their club races. If you have a look at the results you will see they dominate the top 10 places. From a personal point of view I was looking to try and get under 18 mins for the first time, with the favourable weather conditions. The route used to have markers at each km but these seem to have disappeared in recent weeks so it was hard to judge the pace without a Garmin watch which I do not have. Anyway as I came to the start of the path which takes you to the finish line (about 350 meters to go at this point I think?) I checked my watch as it was showing 16.25 and got the head down to finish in 17.37. Quite a few other people from the club got PBs as well so well done to them.
Parkrun photo from a couple of weeks back.Sunday morning was a drive down to Gala for the Gala Harriers 10k. Another great day weather wise and with the course hopefully not having such a big hill as Dunbar last week the aim was to try and get under 37 mins for the first time. The big difference between this race and the other two I have done this year (Alloa and Dunbar) was the fact hardly anyone else from the club was there. Only Willie J,Tom (making a comeback from injury) and Philipa. The race itself started in the rugby ground and was more or less two loops of the same course. It was not a huge field with only about 130 people taking part. Thankfully apart from a smallish hill which you had to do twice at 4k and 8k the course was flat with a mixture of running on the roads and a path beside a river. The first 5k went ok and I was 18min 9secs at this point however the second 5k felt harder and my pace slightly dropped which was maybe down the 5k the day before. At the 7k stage I was running behind some guy but I could feel him slowing up wanting me to go ahead of him to do some of the work, which was only fair I guess as I had been on his shoulder for most the race up until then. Once I got to the top of the hill the second time I looked around and he had dropped off by about 30 meters. The finish was into the rugby ground for a ¾ lap of the pitch and I finally crossed the line in 36.40 which felt a bit strange as this was 30 secs faster than Dunbar but I felt I ran stronger at Dunbar - maybe due to Dunbar being a harder course. Willie had a time of 35 something (can’t remember!) and won male super vet category and Tom and Philipa finished in exactly the same time, which I think was going to cause a problem with regard to who was going to have to do the washing up in their household due to a bet they had on who would come first!
Only downside to the race was apart from a banana there was no free food on offer at the end – what happened to free home baking!!
Report Michael Fullerton
Results should be here for Gala 10k
Parkrun website and results
