Here’s another one that Mum and Dad found en route to Orkney earlier this year.
(Coordinates 58°63’84.0″N, 3°16’95.7″W.)
This one is next to a bus stop and a postbox. It still has a phone inside, which is a little more common in remote areas of Scotland due to poorer mobile signal.
This was the second marathon of the year – something that would have been inconceivable just a couple of years ago, as my body simply couldn’t have handled it.
Following my 4:21 at Manchester I wondered if I was capable of a sub-4 this year. It was a big jump, but I had just taken more than two hours off my previous marathon time and was used to big jumps in terms of PBs at the time. I decided to train with the aim of sub-4 and see where it got me.
Training was pretty intense and I didn’t miss a session, but I did find myself struggling on the long runs – this was the first time I’d attempted to do marathon goal pace blocks during long runs rather than just taking them as easy as I liked, and I found it incredibly hard to manage the pace. This is very much a mental thing as I can manage much faster than marathon goal pace on shorter runs, but on long runs I always feel fatigued from early on and it seems impossible. Due to this frustration, I have also become more aware that my true easy pace (i.e. what I fall into when not focusing) is still very slow compared to other people I know who do similar race paces to me – and this has given me a bit of impostor syndrome in recent months, as it makes me feel that deep down I’m still a naturally slow runner and always will be.
I only did one B race (the Great North Run) during the training block, which was great as it meant things didn’t feel as disrupted as they did during the Manchester block. Going forward I’m going to be splitting training into slightly shorter blocks and mostly focusing on one race at a time.
I did a 15-week plan with a three-week taper as I had done for Manchester, but I found that I didn’t even begin to feel rested from the taper until a few days before the race. This should have been a bit of a warning sign.
Geth and I planned from about halfway through the training block to run the race together. He’d originally been aiming for a 3:45 but his training was significantly hampered by his Achilles injury, so he hoped he’d be able to pace me to the sub-4 instead.
I spent the last few days before the race really worried about the weather conditions, as Storm Ashley was forecast for the weekend. The wind didn’t end up being too bad on the day – it was the rain that was more miserable – but I really felt that because of the weather forecast, the race just wasn’t in my control anymore.
It was lovely to spend the weekend in York with some of the Benchies, as there were quite a few of us down for the marathon – and the out-and-backs on the course meant there were always people to look out for!
Setting off on the day, I was glad I had Geth with me as it meant I didn’t have to worry about pacing myself – I could just stick with him. I was able to manage the pace but I knew from the first few miles that it didn’t feel as easy as it should. There was an energy missing in me. We had done a faster pace together at the Great North Run – also in the rain – and that had felt easier.
At halfway, we were still on pace, but I really felt deep down that I wouldn’t be able to keep it up for another 13 miles. I tried hard, but by about 17 or 18 miles I couldn’t stay at the pace anymore and Geth had to slow down to stay with me. The aim became a PB.
This was what kept me going for the last six miles, because the last six miles were hell. I wanted to stop and walk SO badly – probably more badly than I had done in Manchester. But, just like in Manchester, I knew that if I took even one walk break, that would be it – I would have given myself permission to walk, and I would keep doing it, and I wouldn’t get my PB. So I kept running as fast as I could, even though ‘as fast as I could’ was definitely not fast anymore.
The miles ticked by so slowly at this point, and there was so much mental maths. But finally we got to the last mile, and I was surprised to find that the notorious hill at the end – the one I’d found such a struggle when I did the Yorkshire 10 Mile back in 2017 and 2018 – didn’t feel like much of a hill at all these days. Geth encouraged me on, and I managed a weak semi-sprint over the line. It was a relief to finish, but I didn’t feel elated like I had at Manchester. There was quite a bit of disappointment there.
4:16:30. Very nearly a five-minute PB – 4 minutes and 58 seconds off my Manchester time. It was a difficult race and I’m proud I kept running when it got hard – that’s two nonstop marathons run now.
I won’t be attempting a fast marathon again until autumn 2025 (my next marathon is part of a multiday challenge, then I’m doing an ultra, then a fast half as my spring A race), which is partly why I was disappointed – I won’t get the chance to improve on my marathon PB for a year. But it does give me the time I need to improve and think about what I can do differently next time.
I will definitely be factoring in a longer taper. Back in my super-slow days, the happiest I ever was after a marathon was when I’d done a five-week taper. For next autumn’s marathon training block, I am going to try four weeks. I think, due to the spondylitis – which does still cause a lot of fatigue even though I’m very well medicated for it now – my body perhaps just needs a bit longer to recover after the peak training period.
I think I also need to find some way of speeding up my easy pace. This is more complicated, as I really feel that easy pace should just be what feels natural (and should speed up naturally as you become a faster runner in general – though unfortunately mine doesn’t really seem to be doing that!). However, I do have some initial ideas about things to try. I’ll change a few things around next year and see what works.
I have let the parkrunday posts get away from me, so I’ll make each parkrun recap brief! But quite a lot has happened in my own personal parkrunworld since I last updated…
Jesmond Dene #171
On the 10th of August I headed to Jesmond Dene, as I hadn’t given it a proper go for a while. Conditions were great and I managed a nice course PB of 25:54, sneaking under 26 minutes for the first time there.
Town Moor #631
Bit of a blast round Town Moor on 17th August – a nice consistent effort meant another course PB, just under 24 minutes with 23:59.
Town Moor #632
I never usually run the same parkrun two weeks in a row, so I hoped there might be a chance of getting the ‘Groundhog Day’ achievement (run at the same parkrun twice in a row and get the exact same time)! I was a few seconds out, but I wasn’t going to complain about another course PB – 23:54.
Agnew #169
Oh my goodness, Agnew parkrun. I might be less brief with this one if you’ll indulge me.
I visit this parkrun once a year for a fast effort. Last year I took THREE minutes off my then-usual time. It is very much a PB course. I brought my Vaporflys and put my serious face on.
Geth was still recovering from his injury at this point and was taking it easy. ‘You might win this,’ he said, looking around the field at the start. I would not allow such thoughts to enter my head. Besides, I had already spotted one fast lad in carbons, so I knew it was unlikely.
Bang, off we went, and for a minute there was only the aforementioned fast lad in front of me. Another fast lad soon joined him. But nobody else did.
At the turn of the first out and back, solidly in third place, I glanced at the other 58 runners stretching out behind me. Could I really hold them all off for a whole parkrun? I didn’t know.
But I was going to give it a good go.
Agnew parkrun is three laps with a lot of out-and-back sections, so you’re very aware of where everyone is. It’s a good thing I’d done it a couple of times previously and knew the route, as the two fast lads were completely out of sight by the end of the first lap. At every turn I was glancing at the following runners, analysing how far behind they were. I was running on pure nerves and adrenaline, surprising myself by how badly I wanted to keep my placing.
This must be what it really feels like to race. (Don’t let anyone tell you parkrun’s not a race!)
Halfway through the third and final lap, the fourth place appeared to be gaining on me a little… and so I found a burst of speed and energy out of absolutely nowhere. I ran for my life and by the final out-and-back he was far behind, but I kept pushing and pushing and gave it absolutely everything up the final stretch. I hadn’t even been thinking about my finish time, only about holding people off, but it was a new all-time PB for me. 23:21. A time that would absolutely NOT get you third place overall at the vast, vast majority of parkruns, but it’s all about who shows up on the day!
Over three months later I am still buzzing about this result. One of my best running moments of 2024.
Jesmond Dene #175
The following week it was GNR weekend, and so I did my usual volunteer stint at Jesmond Dene – funnel managing this time. Jesmond Dene always smashes its attendance record on GNR weekend (due to lots of runners in town for the race taking the opportunity to bag their ‘J’ parkrun) and this year was no exception, with 547 over the line (more than Town Moor that weekend!). It can be absolute madness at the finish funnel but it’s my favourite parkrun of the year. Loved it as ever.
Town Moor #635
I took it fairly easy for the post-GNR parkrun (I always like to go to Town Moor the week after and be part of the big GNR t-shirts group photo!) but still did a nice consistent 25:26.
Rising Sun #347
21st September was the first weekend with a bit of a nip in the air, so out came the long sleeves and trail shoes for Rising Sun parkrun. I took it fairly steady and Geth kept up with me most of the way. Not quite a course PB but close, with 25:22.
Heaton Park #650
My sisters-in-law have recently moved to Greater Manchester, so on our first visit to their new place we scouted out their new local event (and took my sister-in-law along for her first parkrun!). It’s a very busy event and I made the mistake of starting a bit too far back, so it was really congested for the first stretch – but I managed 25:09, which I was pleased with given the hills on the course.
Town Moor #638
It was pacer week at Town Moor on the first weekend of October and I hadn’t done it for a while, so I signed up to pace 30 minutes and ended up pacing one gentleman to his first sub-30 following a serious injury. Bumped into him again at Yorkshire Marathon a couple of weeks later. Pacing is really rewarding when you can help somebody out! I was nearly bang on pace too, finishing in 29:56.
Jesmond Dene #180
I fancied another go at Jesmond Dene the week before the marathon, but kept it a little steadier as I didn’t want to go too hard that late in the training. Still a decent result with 26:27.
York #520
We’d intended to do our pre-Yorkshire Marathon shakeout at Heslington parkrun, but realised the night before that it was a bit further out of town than we’d thought. We ended up at York instead in an absolute downpour with about 800 other people (including our friends Jack and Ann from the Benchies)! Could barely see in front of us but we got the job done and I finished in a comfortable 29:59.
Town Moor #641
Took it a little steadier than some recent attempts for the post-marathon parkrun effort, but I still found a bit of pace and came in at 24:53.
Denton Dene #70
I started November off with a return visit to Denton Dene alongside some of the Benchies. Managed second lady this time round (I couldn’t have caught the lady who came first even if I were on top form!) with a nice consistent 24:05.
Jesmond Dene #184
Back in the Dene the following week, finally feeling fully recovered from the marathon, and managed my second fastest time round the course with a 26:03 – which is pretty good considering Geth and I are now doing parkrun sandwiches (running there and back) every week as part of training for our next big race!
No photo for this one.
Heaton Park #657
We visited my sisters-in-law again and returned to Heaton Park. I started a bit further up and knocked a few seconds off my course PB as a result, finishing in 24:49.
Fælledparken #613
I’d wanted to do a continental Christmas market trip for years, and this year we finally managed it, spending our 12th wedding anniversary weekend in Copenhagen! Ticking off a Danish parkrun was also a must and I’m glad I chose Fælledparken. It was covered in snow but the underfoot conditions were crunchy and not too slippy, and we had beautiful blue skies (unlike back home in the blizzard caused by Storm Bert!). We took it easier due to the snow, finishing in 29:35 – but it’d be a nice fast course in the summer as it’s really flat.
Town Moor #645
Finally, this last weekend we returned to Town Moor. We’d intended to do Rising Sun but found out the night before that it was off for a Christmas event. A nice easy-ish trip round the Moor instead following some long training days, finishing in 27:33.
Whew! What an epic – summer to winter. I won’t leave it that long again (I hope).
Finally, though, I want to pay a quick tribute to my Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 shoes, which you can see in most of the photos above. I have had these shoes for over two years and they have been my constant speed training companions, netting me more parkrun PBs than I can count. Sadly, however, they ran their 500th mile at Town Moor parkrun last Saturday, meaning it’s time for them to move onto a new life as driving shoes. I have laundered and relaced them accordingly, and to be honest am quite looking forward to wearing them in non-running life as they’re really funky-looking! I have got some Endorphin Speed 4s ready to take their place, so we’ll see how I get on with those.
This is a very late race recap. It’s been a mad few months and I’ve not had much time for blogging! But I’d like to get caught up before the end of the year, so expect a few more posts than usual over the next few weeks.
In September, as ever, I ran the Great North Run. It wasn’t an A race, as it was part of my training for the Yorkshire Marathon. However, I still thought I was probably capable of a PB, as I hadn’t run a half since February’s Valentine Half Marathon. In the weeks leading up to the race, I reckoned I could probably do 1:50ish. I was in the orange wave for the first time and I felt I was capable of it.
However, on the start line, I was having doubts. The weather was not kind (it would start to rain as we crossed the start line and would continue until we were nearly at the end), I didn’t really feel like running at max effort, and most of all I thought I would prefer to run with Geth, who was aiming for just under 2 hours following recovery from his Achilles injury. I decided that I would just set out and see how I felt.
A couple of miles in, Geth was still with me, so we decided we would run together at a steady pace to try and finish in 1:55ish, which would still be a big PB for me. It felt comfortable, and the miles ticked by really quickly despite the rain. I’ve done so many slow GNRs that felt like they took all day and this was so different.
No Red Arrows this year, but the finish straight was as wild and atmospheric as ever. I was conservative in my sprint finish because Geth couldn’t go too fast with his Achilles and I wanted us to finish together, but we still made it across the line in 1:55:22 – a 4 minute 9 second PB for me, and it felt so easy. I have high hopes for this distance next year.
Another bonus this year was no freak flash floods! So we were able to get the bus back to Newcastle really straightforwardly and were home by 3:20pm (also a PB).
I am currently in my tenth year living in Newcastle and so it was my tenth Great North Weekend, having started with my very first race at the Great North 5k in 2015. I got all my T-shirts out to celebrate.
Looking forward to many more! (Especially if they fix the start area process, which was complete and utter chaos this year.)
Up in the north of Scotland for a few weeks now, still following Mum and Dad’s travels!
(Coordinates 58°64’31.6″N, 3°10’80.1″W.)
This one is very tatty with a missing door… but it does still have a phone in, and possibly some kind of book/magazine exchange box at the bottom.
Here’s one from the Wirral.
(Coordinates 53°29’60.0″N, 3°08’35.0″W.)
It still has a phone in! Clearly in good upkeep as well.
Off to a different part of the country next week…
Here’s another one from Mum and Dad’s travels along the English-Welsh border.
(Coordinates 52°56’24.0″N, 3°14’79.7″W.)
This one has been painted grey and repurposed as an information box. Nice to see!
Mum and Dad took another trip to Wales in the spring and found some more phone boxes. This first one is actually in England, but very close to the border.
(Coordinates 52°79’61.0″N, 3°07’54.0″W.)
A rare one with a working phone!
More from the area next week.
Here’s one that Mum and Dad found in Wales.
(Coordinates 53°21’32.0″N, 3°35’47.8″W.)
A defibrillator box – always good to see this kind of re-use.
Here’s a phone box from the village where we were staying in May for my friend Sharpy’s stag do. It was a glorious weekend (suspiciously so for Scotland in May; my suspicions were justified when the heavens opened while we were waiting for chips at the chippy van) and I had a lovely short walk down the road to photograph this box.
(Coordinates 56°46’77.5″N, 4°31’79.2″W.)
This phone box is right next to a pub, so probably more of a pleasant item of décor these days!