PB!!! PB!!!

No, I'm not just being over-enthusiastic: I got two PBs this morning and am now grinning like a proper Cheshire puss!

Before ...

Who could have guessed at 7.15 this morning when my alarm got thrown on the floor (and people wonder why I have the über-protective iPhone case), or indeed when I did finally drag myself out of bed at 7.45 that parkrun would even happen never mind anything else. Had not had the greatest of evenings yesterday as I got home and discovered Haagen Daz in the freezer (left by departed-flatmate) and scoffed half the tub which then made me feel very sick and guilty for the diet! Admittedly, six months ago I would happily have scoffed the whole tub and more ... but I was NOT feeling good last night. However, I threw on some running clothes, dug my watch out, and scrabbled for some bus change before heading to my local bacon roll shop for black pudding this morning (with a request for only one slice, not two).

Having kept an eye on the Lothian Buses tracker app (one of the best reasons for those living in Edinburgh to have a smartphone) I saw that the Cramond bus was not really catchable, but I thought I'd have a try with the full knowledge that I would have time to get the Silverknowes option should I miss it.  The 41 had in fact just shot past the empty stop as it had no takers, but having been caught by traffic lights 10 feet after it, the VERY KIND bus driver paused long enough for me to get my lycra-covered arse on board - which I felt sufficiently pleased with to tweet about (cos frankly bus drivers get so much stick normally).

By the time we reached Cramond, there were about 5 or 6 runners on the bus, although God forbid we should chat to each other on our way to the startline - spread out quite a bit along the path as we had oodles of time (which is actually why I usually grab the later bus these days) and took in the rather splendid morning scenery over the Firth of Forth.  Decided to warm up a little on the beach which was a mistake for two reasons: firstly I nearly tripped and twisted my ankle on the wee rocky bit getting down to the beach, and secondly the tide hadn't been out for that long and there were some really deeply muddy bits that were threatening to steal my lovely shoes.  Cut my losses (hope no-one was watching too closely) and did my warm up run on the prom with everyone else.

Having not had the best start to the morning, and having a few aches from my beach excursion, I didn't really want to push for a PB this morning, but instead trogged along to my Bach/Handel/Gluck playlist feeling like I was comfortable but not in danger of going backwards.  Even spotted someone's lost barcode, which I tried to wave to the marshalls around but they weren't watching (they were for the runners returning not us - did eventually rescue it and hand it in after finishins).  I know people have issues with parkrunners wearing headphones, but actually the combination of classical music (note the SMALL c) and the fact that I rarely have the volume up very high anyway, seems to mean that I'm much more aware of people around me that many people NOT wearing headphones!

Worked my way slowly through the field as the fast-starters began to tire a little (well, some of them anyway) and spotted a guy (who is in the VM 75-79 category) who beat me last week by a hair's breadth but who was running at a nice comfortable 10:30/10:15 pace ish and decided to let him pace me around a bit - super fast first place this morning shot past much earlier than normal and the first junior not far behind - it's nice to be among the parkrun old-hands at this point because we all clapped the front runners and gave the super speedy wee girl a big cheer as she whizzed past us!

Kept with my friendly pacer (who I did thank muchly afterwards) up until about 3.5k ish and then started to move forward a little - wanted to try and get the last mile closer to the 10 min mark but without dying - passed a couple of run-walkers who kept speeding up as I went past and then being overtaken by me as they walked again (both rugby type men, perhaps offended by being passed by a whale-girl? Quite pleased I eventually passed both of them properly).

I had re-jigged my playlist in preparation, so had the Bach Magnificat in the last kilometre followed by Handel's Dixit Dominum which are both good tempi for me to push a bit more without getting too tired. Had hope to finish to the descent into hell from Gluck's Don Juan but alas for me I finished too soon for it! Watch time was reading 32:26, but as usual had slightly missed the start and never sure how good I am at judging the extra time when in the funnel - well turns out that I was VERY good - official time is 32:24 which is both a PB (number 1) of 31 seconds with a LOWER AHR than my previous time, but also gave me my PB Age Grade too of 45.14%!!! Maybe my aim for sub-30 this year isn't so crazy after all?

Followed up my run with a nice long walk (including returning the barcode I spotted - as it was laminated) and a coffee in the Morrisons about 2 miles from the start/finish, which I combined with a wee bit of food shopping - so pretty good morning out and got home just in time for my results text.

Got a cheapy gym pass for a local rather swanky gym (for £2 after a joining offer) from payasUgym - so I think I might treat myself to their facilities this week between work and choir on Thursday - bit of treadmill running and a nice swim and jacuzzi afterwards. I feel I have assuaged my ice-cream guilt and more to deserve a bit of pampering.

After