Softly Softly...

Yesterday's jog went more or less according to plan. I've eyeballed various points along the local Park-run course to indicate half mile waypoints. The first half-mile indicator is a perimeter gate just to the right of the path, the second is a 10 mph speed limit sign painted on the path tarmac, third is a tree just after a left turn on the course and fourth (two miles) at another sharp left turn. The final two markers are a large, very outstanding Oak tree and three miles at a rather stunted willow tree beside a pond.

All very conveniently situated and for all intents and purposes quite accurately sited. This particular run is also quite flat and mostly a made up surface with only three short stretches of unmade grass track. The good thing about this is that during a Parkrun itself they allow fairly accurate pacing and for training runs they can be used as longish intervals at half mile quick, half mile slow. The last one at the willow tree also signals for a further increase in pace (I won't call it a sprint) for the finish line. It's combination of flat course, long straights and good surface make it quite a good course for a Park-run PB if you feel so inclined. The only thing not in its favour is its popularity which can be anything around a thousand entrants on the day which causes a bit of crowding in the first mile. Even this has its advantages which prevents the over optomistic going out too fast at the stat.

Anyhow, bearing in mind that I haven't run anywhere for almost two months, I used the course as a session to try out the ever grumbling shoulder and to see if jogging is going to affect the repaired muscles. Monday's  effort was a simple walk around at the fastest pace I could manage. It simply ended up as three miles at just over fourteen minutes/mile. Yesterday, I walked the first mile and a half at the same pace to serve as a warm up, but then jogged the last half of each of the final two miles. This went:
Mile 1, 14:19.  Mile 2,  11:20.   Mile 3, 11:18.  So, nothing particularly spectacular there but nothing untoward with the shoulder either which seems to be hanging together.

The other Parkrun course I use is at Richmond which is a totally different kettle of fish. Again it's a single loop with the first mile and a half being quite significantly downhill on a metalled path. Just right to let the brakes off and go with the flow. Turning off the path at the bottom of the hill presents a slight uphill slope on grass for about a quarter mile and slippery when wet. Then after a short period on a hardcore track it's back to a long uphill clime on an unmade but well trod path. Then two short downhill an back up again stretches with a final burst uphill to the finish. It's a great run to  train on and brings strength to the legs, but it's not fast. My best time on this run has always been anything up to a minute slower than on the flat.

So I'll probably make the next outing on lthough it won't be in the Parkrun itself, that would be pushing it a little too far at the moment.