The parkrun 20202020 challenge - Number 19

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NENDY. My Nearest Event Not Done Yet was Hilly Fields. Why? Because it is a bruiser. The clue is in the name. I've avoided running it as part of my challenge because I thought I would never be able to get a sub 20 minute time. However...

Today I felt brave. I also reasoned that, whatever the time, it was another London parkrun ticked of the Lon-doing list I've surreptitiously started.

I kept the warm up short - 1 mile - and then hit the initial downhill section hard. I hoped to get some time in the bank for the big hills to come.

It is a very strange course. Three clockwise laps starting with a big loop that ends with a tough climb before diverting off down a steep path that leads to a shorter and even steeper grassy climb. Back around again with both hills, and then on the third loop you tackle the climbs before heading back towards the finish the opposite way to which you started. If that makes sense...

Anyhow. I reached the first climb and as soon as it started my legs felt like lead. All I could think was that I should have left it longer to rest after yesterdays sub 20 parkrun at Brockwell Park. I kept pushing though and recovered my breath on the downhill path leading to the grass hill.

Although I didn't realise at the time, I followed the path too far on the first two laps meaning that I had extra climb to do on the grass hill. That evened out however on the third as you will see.


I was panting heavily when I reached the summit and forced myself to push on. It was a relief to have some gentle downhill and flat. The second time up the path my legs again felt solid and slow but I made it to the top. (I think it was actually down to the effort I was putting in rather than tiredness.) Another down and up on the grass slope and one more lap of the park left me with just one more steep descent and ascent. Or so I thought.

I mentioned that I had extended the first two laps. This meant that rather than finishing 50 metres along the flat after the hill I reached 5km just half way up the hill. Although not an exact following of the course I probably ended up doing more hill as I didn't reach the final flat.

The only other course I misread during the 20202020 challenge was Bexley back in August, and again I made up the difference there. That is one of the problems of doing new courses alone that wouldn't have been an issue when I planned this pre-lockdown. I'm not going to beat myself up about it. Maybe if I had come in with only a second to spare I would, but today I finished in 19:17, way under my target. 

In my wildest dreams I didn't expect to finish that quickly. I had hope for a 19:59, but expected a 20:30ish. During the hills I was thinking it would be more like 21 minutes so it was a great feeling to see the time on my Garmin at the end.

One more to go.

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