I haven’t run at my local parkrun course since the 1st January, my first run of 2014 and on a course that was rather grim. I am not really used to running in muddy conditions, I don’t own any spikes and I worry about staying on my feet. But I got around the course in one piece, even if my relatively new trail shoes got completely ruined.
After that run I decided to go and try out the hackney marshes which I has heard was flat, an out and back route…oh and on Tarmac for the most part.
So that’s where I have been for the last few weeks, with some amazing times too. I managed a 32.09 which is only 9 seconds slower than my all time parkrun PB.
But anyway this morning I decided enough was enough and I had to go back to my home course.
The mud was twenty times worse. The football pitch area at the start and end was completely water logged, so after the start it didn’t take long before my feet were completely soaked.
The course was tough and I knew I wasn’t going to get a good time, but I decided I was going to embrace the conditions. I splashed through puddles, slipped through mud slicks, squelched foot deep in parts and do you know what it was quite good fun, if a little draining on the old legs.
With my marathon fast approaching I can not use the conditions as an excuse, I just simply don’t have the time. In fact this morning I decided to run to and from parkrun so as to get a long run in early in the weekend. I did just over 12k door to door.
I figure though that this shouldn’t even be seen as a long run at this stage in my training, so for the next few weeks I will continue running to parkrun, turning my weekly 5k into something a little more challenging.
The mud is good practise for me anyway as, aside from my 2nd marathon attempt in April, I have just signed up to tough mudder, billed as the most difficult of obstacle course races in the UK. Yep I’m doing one in August so I guess I need to get familiar with the feeling of being covered head to toe in mud.
As I queued up to get my barcode scanned I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection of the club house glass and I noticed how my shape has changed this year.
The scales tell a different story, but hey scales were sent to test me I reckon.
What are your thoughts about muddy conditions, oh and muddy obstacle type races, am I completely bonkers to have signed up?
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