Achieving the (seemingly) impossible
Many of my posts have mentioned parkrun. It is the centre of my running life. It is the event that, more than any other, has contributed to my love of running. It has become a fixture of my week, provided me with good friends and been a fantastic barometer of my improvement over the three years I have been attending. It also lifts my spirits to see people take on the challenge and then come back every week, getting faster, fitter and happier.
When I started running the three mile course I was finishing just outside the 21 minute mark. The target was clear, I wanted to break 20 minutes. Every week I attempted to reduce my time to one in the teens. After 34 attempts I finally cracked it with a time of 19:42. I thought that was it, my aim achieved. I would happy if I never ran that quickly again.....for about 5 minutes before......
I began to set my sights on a new target. Could I get below 19:30? That was achieved eight runs later with a 19:21 time. Was I content? No way. Sub 19? Was it possible? It seemed not as I strived each week to get close with no success. Maybe I had peaked. I was happy with what I had achieved but the thought of a sub 19 minute 5K wouldn't go away.
For 31 weeks I tried and failed to get close to my PB. I stopped dreaming of sub 19 and just hoped to get under 19:21. Then it happened. After almost a year I managed 19:08. The thrill of that PB was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced in running. I punched the air and was grinning from ear to ear. Everyone knew I had done it....
...but only 9 seconds quicker and it would have been sub 19.
Once again the fire was lit, I had to crack 19 minutes. This time it took 13 parkruns to get there but I dipped under quite significantly with a great run of 18:48. Just 9 weeks later I knocked a second off. This was the first of a hat-trick of PB's which brought me down to 18:42 and then amazingly 18:27.
I'm now dreaming of a once impossible to imagine sub 18 minute 5k. Is it possible? Maybe. As I look back I recall how I strived for that sub 20. I have now managed it thirty times. I've even gone sub 19 now on six separate occasions including five out of the last six runs.
I've worked hard to get these times. My weekly mileage has increased, I am more knowledgeable about how to run and training does pay dividends. However for me it has been more of a mental battle. There is no other way to explain why I found it so hard to beat 19 minutes but have now done it multiple times within such a short period without the help of any illegal substances.
Believing your goal is possible is more than half the battle. Plus, once you have done it, the believing part is easy! So my advice is to run as though you know it's possible. It isn't a magic formula but it may give you those extra few seconds that can make all the difference.
When I started running the three mile course I was finishing just outside the 21 minute mark. The target was clear, I wanted to break 20 minutes. Every week I attempted to reduce my time to one in the teens. After 34 attempts I finally cracked it with a time of 19:42. I thought that was it, my aim achieved. I would happy if I never ran that quickly again.....for about 5 minutes before......
Year  | Best Time | Best Age Grading |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 00:20:46 | 63.88% |
| 2013 | 00:19:21 | 68.99% |
| 2014 | 00:19:08 | 70.30% |
| 2015 | 00:18:27 | 73.44% |
I began to set my sights on a new target. Could I get below 19:30? That was achieved eight runs later with a 19:21 time. Was I content? No way. Sub 19? Was it possible? It seemed not as I strived each week to get close with no success. Maybe I had peaked. I was happy with what I had achieved but the thought of a sub 19 minute 5K wouldn't go away.
For 31 weeks I tried and failed to get close to my PB. I stopped dreaming of sub 19 and just hoped to get under 19:21. Then it happened. After almost a year I managed 19:08. The thrill of that PB was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced in running. I punched the air and was grinning from ear to ear. Everyone knew I had done it....
...but only 9 seconds quicker and it would have been sub 19.
Once again the fire was lit, I had to crack 19 minutes. This time it took 13 parkruns to get there but I dipped under quite significantly with a great run of 18:48. Just 9 weeks later I knocked a second off. This was the first of a hat-trick of PB's which brought me down to 18:42 and then amazingly 18:27.
I'm now dreaming of a once impossible to imagine sub 18 minute 5k. Is it possible? Maybe. As I look back I recall how I strived for that sub 20. I have now managed it thirty times. I've even gone sub 19 now on six separate occasions including five out of the last six runs.
I've worked hard to get these times. My weekly mileage has increased, I am more knowledgeable about how to run and training does pay dividends. However for me it has been more of a mental battle. There is no other way to explain why I found it so hard to beat 19 minutes but have now done it multiple times within such a short period without the help of any illegal substances.
Believing your goal is possible is more than half the battle. Plus, once you have done it, the believing part is easy! So my advice is to run as though you know it's possible. It isn't a magic formula but it may give you those extra few seconds that can make all the difference.
