Pre-injury, the plan had been to visit Callendar Park last Saturday (4th February) for a pre-National familiarisation run then head south in the afternoon for the Alsager 5 the following day. Injury put paid to that so I revised the schedule and went to Falkirk a week later. Wanting to get at least one of each key session- tempo run, track session, hill session- done, more as a confidence boost than anything else, I opted for the Falkirk Parkrun to tick the tempo box.
Gradually upping the distance to 4 miles on Wednesday (see my last post about the Jog Scotland Canicross group), just over 5 on Thursday and 6 on Friday, this would be a sterner test, running further at a quicker pace on a mix of paths and trail over an undulating course.
Staying in bed for as long as I could get away with, until 7.40am, I had no time to shave, only shower, and blasted through to Falkirk, arriving 25 minutes before the start. This is one of the newer Parkruns, beginning in July 2011. It has quickly grown in popularity, now attracting slightly over 150 runners. Due to my long history of getting lost, I listened in to the first timers briefing as the route was described. Round the path at Callendar house, along the edge of the boating pond, right turn onto trail, gradual incline then undulation on trail onto the road, right turn then another sharp right back into the park towards the kiosk, right turn, up "Heartbreak Hill" back onto the trail then back the way you came for the last 1.5km or so.
Final instructions were given at the start to the field, which included two or three canicrossers. I had no time target. The aim was to finish uninjured. I moved in front along the boating pond, puffing hard already. Before long, I was on the trail, heading uphill among the trees bordering the park. Being chased by a friendly dog aside, I made decent progress onto the road then towards the kiosk then Heartbreak Hill. Taking the name from the Boston Marathon landmark, the Falkirk organisers certainly have a sense of humour. Thank goodness I'd done that hill session on Thursday or it would have been more of a shock.
Cruise control is maybe an exaggeration but I definitely did feel quite happy as I pushed to the finish line at Callendar House. A time of 16:06 represented a satisfactory shift on a tough course. I was very sore afterwards. Importantly however, it was soreness from a hard effort, not injury. Coming in 2nd, Brian Turner of Lothian Running Club recorded a course personal best of 17:08. Local athlete Claire Moffett finished first lady and 9th overall in 20:14.
I warmed down with a couple of laps round the National course to give me 8 miles overall, a big step forward. Back home, I shaved off my one and a half day growth then watched Queen's Park thump Montrose 5-0 to move up to 3rd in Division 3. Happy days.
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