So I’m a new member of the 100 club and I had decided to do it in style. I wanted a new PB; it stood at 27.11 and I was desperate for sub 27. I have been told by respected running friends how best to get a PB. As with all advice in running there are two schools of thought and they’re usually opposite opinions! Some people say find a quiet race, don’t tell anyone you’re going for it so you can run relaxed and just do it. Others say tell EVERYONE and pile on the pressure so there’s no getting out of it, you have to do it! Well I know myself too well (especially when running) and I love pressure and didn’t want to be able to escape it. I was going for a PB and I was going to get it.
Sam Dooley had offered to be a 27 minute pacer so I’d know I’d have to be in front of him. I’m not great with pacers as the problem is that mentally I know they find it easy so I struggle that little bit more. Sam asked beforehand if I wanted a pacer and I said “not really, although a 26 minute pacer might be good so I don’t have to stick with you but just keep you in the distance” but Vicki Taylor wanted sub 27 as well so the three of us set off. My plan was to run my own race and if I was with Sam and Vicki then that would be fine but if not then that was fine too; I just had to be ahead of them. I don’t run negative splits, I try to go as fast as possible for as long as possible and then just keep going and add a sprint finish and hope it’s fast enough!
I decided not to run with music as I seem to be a bit faster without. After 1km Sam and Vicki were still on my shoulder. I was a bit confused as a 27 min pacer should be way behind me, someone said as they passed “27 or 25 minutes Nicola?!?” like I said, I start fast. Vicki had said she was just going to run with me and that was fine. At about 1.5km I realized Vicki wasn’t there anymore but Sam still was. I realized he wasn’t pacing the time anymore but he was pacing me! The only experience I have of running with anyone faster than me is running with Ben which I hate.
When Ben and I run together I am so aware of his long legs and how easy he finds the pace even when I am running full pelt, my pace is just too easy for him. If he ever wants to run with me then he has to run a few paces behind me so I can’t see him running. Now here was Sam and it was easy for him too! Now Sam is an AWESOME runner with a LOT of experience and half of my brain was saying “oh no he’s running with me” and the other half was saying “could I be any luckier, wow, how great I can’t fail with Sam by my side” I was torn. One thing was for sure he couldn’t run in front of me it slows me down so I said “Sam if you’re running with me please run a step behind not in front!”. He must have been thinking “she’s so ungrateful!” Oops!
The next km was fine and Sam seemed pleased at the way I run downhill. I LOVE running downhill and letting my legs go. I heard a fell running quote that when you run downhill you need to run to the point that you are almost losing control-I like it, this is how I run downhill. Focus on my breathing and relax my legs, I almost sprint down the hill, I’m flying! Kilometer 3 is the second haul up the hill. I have run Leeds parkrun so many times I know exactly how I run, where I struggle and have to push, where I need to catch my breath and where I need to speed up. We’d reached the top of the hill and I was losing my breathing, I tried to focus and get it back at exactly the same time as Sam said “we need to push now”, it TOTALLY threw me! I felt myself starting to hyperventilate, I had to snap at Sam “YOU’RE MAKING ME PANIC” (he’s paced some people in his time and must have thought I was a NIGHTMARE! Te he he!).
Although I hate running with people it felt quite reassuring to have Sam by my side as I knew if it came down to the wire that he would MAKE me do it. I would get my PB. After 3km Sam offered to carry my drink for me and then had to put up with me saying ‘drink’ not even ‘drink please’ I was pushing too hard for politeness! Getting to 4km was fine, like I said, I’m good at running downhill but I’m rubbish at running uphill, or more accurately I can push up the actual hill but then I really fade once I’ve reached the flat and that was exactly what was coming in the final kilometer. Sam pushed me on and the pace didn’t drop too much. Now, I hadn’t been looking at my Garmin as I know that if I just pushed all the way round I would be guaranteed a PB as I’d put in so much training over the previous few months but at the final corner I decided to have a glance. Sam said “don’t waste seconds looking at the clock” and that was me told.
On the finish straight I was waiting and waiting to break into a sprint, I knew if I went too soon I couldn’t maintain it, I was TIRED. Then suddenly Sam said “COME ON…..IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SUB 26 YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUSH, COME ON!” My brain had a second of total confusion SUB TWENTY SIXXXXX?!?!?! WHAT?!?!?! I’ve never run sub-27 so I knew I’d smashed my PB. No wonder I was struggling! I wasn’t really chasing sub-26, I was knackered but when there are people between me and the line I just have to sprint; wouldn’t you just know it, there were 2 people in front of me, forcing me to finish in style (although then nearly collapsing after crossing the line!). I then looked at my Garmin and realised I was less than 10 seconds from being sub-26! I’d run 26.06! I couldn’t believe it! I also finished in position 99 which was a little annoying as if I’d have let 1 person past me then I could have finished 100th on my 100th parkrun! :)
On reflection I had hated the run, it was such a struggle and between having no music and Sam’s encouragement I hadn’t escaped from the running for a second (which is what I normally do; try to forget I’m running so that I actually continue! Hearing my heavy breathing makes me feel like I’m struggling more than I actually am) but I was SUPER proud and I don’t think I would have beat my PB by 65 seconds if it wasn’t for the help and encouragement from Sam (thanks Sam).
I have had LOADS of comments along the theme of ‘if you knock 65 seconds off your PB then you haven’t been running fast enough before’ but what I would say is this: I have stepped up my running in recent months since I found out I had a VLM place for 2012. I haven’t been running Leeds Hyde Park much but I’d been running hard at other events (27.30 at Ponte 2 weeks before, 27.44 at Durham and I’d run a PB at Norwich Half Marathon and at the Abbey Dash; 55.06 for 10km) I knew it was only a matter of time before I got my PB at Leeds.
I can’t wait to get my 100 club jacket to be able to parkrun in true style (the 250 is SO far off I can’t even begin to think about that!!!). I’ve recently run a few newer parkrun events wearing my 50 top where people have said “wow 50 parkruns, that’s a lot” just wait until I have my 100 jacket, I’m so pleased-what an achievement and thanks so much to all the wonderful people who were there to celebrate it with me. Thanks for helping me Sam, and Vicki we will get you that sub-27. It’s just around the corner I can feel it! :) Vicki has also set us parkrun goals of getting our PB’s down to sub-25 by July and sub-23 by December! It’s crazy but let’s go for it!
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