I did decide to pace after all this last weekend. I’d had a few weeks with lots of races and other hard efforts, and so I thought it was probably best to take it easy for once.
I asked to be the 30 minute pacer as I’d managed that really well last time and knew the pace I needed to stick to. I don’t think I was quite as steady as the previous time I’d done it, but I still came in very consistently at 29:57.
More volunteering this next weekend as I’ve got another race coming up!
I first ran this 10k last year, when it was part of the ‘Gateshead Half Marathon and 10k’. This year a full marathon distance was added, so the event is now the ‘Newcastle-Gateshead Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k’ as a substantial chunk of the course is now run on the Newcastle side of the river. It took place on 5th May this year (it’s taken me a while to do the blog – May was a really hectic month!).
I knew various other people doing the 10k, half and full distances – including a few Benchies who were running their very first marathon – so I knew it would be a good day out!
After greeting some of said Benchies at the start area at Gateshead Stadium, I waited for the marathon start to clear and made my way to (relatively) near the front for the half/10k start. I had an A goal of a PB (following my 49:34 at North Tyneside in March) and a B goal of a consistent sub-50. I was still feeling fairly slow and sluggish at this point – I had only run Manchester Marathon three weeks beforehand – but I thought I’d give it my best shot and see where I was. This was the first of four races during my spring/summer 10k season so I would have a few more opportunities.
I went off as fast as I could out of the stadium and down the hills, settling into a steady-feeling pace. I managed to stay at a consistent-feeling effort for most of the route, and my pace did remain fairly steady, but keeping up with my back-and-forth with the 50 minute pacer was getting noticeably harder. Nevertheless, every mile was under 8 minute mile pace… until the last one, when you have to climb up all those hills you sprinted down during the first mile! I wasn’t quite able to stick with the pacer up those hills, and couldn’t pick up enough of a sprint on the track when back in the stadium to catch her. I finished in 50:17, so didn’t quite hit my B goal. Still fairly consistent though, and I was pleased to manage this kind of effort for the first time since the marathon, so I can’t complain.
The rest of the day was really fun, watching friends finish their races and cheering in those who were doing the marathon! It was a good day out and a great atmosphere at the stadium, and I might go along next year even though I’m not planning on taking part.
Onto another 10k the following week… blog coming soon.
A fun revisit today to the Call Lane phone box…
We revisited it in October 2023 to find it now has Asterix illustrations on it! The other side remains a cash machine. Fun-looking and functional 🙂
A more rural location next week.
Another parkrun catchup post.
Geth and I were in Scotland for a stag do the weekend before last. The parkrun spread north of the Central Belt is a bit sparse, so it was a good hour’s drive to the nearest event from the village where we were staying! Faskally Forest had been on my bucket list for some time, though, so I was glad to have the opportunity.
It did not disappoint. It was a beautiful sunny and warm morning, perfect for a run through the forest. The hilly, traily course was a bit of a toughie and I just sneaked in under 30 minutes – but it’s the gorgeous scenery that is the real star of this parkrun. If you have the chance to do this one, don’t miss it.
This last weekend we were back home in Newcastle and returned to Denton Dene for a second time, first having run it eight months ago. Eight months is a long time and I have improved enough to take a good minute and a half off my course PB, so I can’t complain! Eight months was also enough time for Geth to forget the route and go slightly wrong at one point. We’ll make sure to go again a few times this summer so as to refamiliarise ourselves with the course.
A few Benchies and other friends were out west with us, so it was a good morning.
Back to Town Moor for pacer week this next weekend. Haven’t decided yet whether I’m pacing or chasing a pacer though…
Found another nice phone box duo when we were in Leeds last October.
(Coordinates 53°79’99.0″N, 1°54’71.5″W.)
One of them has a phone inside. The other has a broken/missing phone with a hanging receiver!
An interesting Leeds revisit next week.
We finally finish this Welsh series with a privately-owned phone box. Thanks to Mum and Dad for finding all of these phone boxes last September.
(Coordinates 53°29’19.0″N, 3°80’45.1″W.)
This is an old farmyard near to where Dad’s childhood holiday caravan park used to be, now a private property. This box is not in its original location – Dad says there was never a phone box there in the past. It does look nice though!
Somewhere completely different next week!
Quick parkrunday catchup. The last couple of weeks I’ve been volunteering at parkrun due to Sunday races (race blogs to follow next week hopefully).
A week and a half ago I was at Town Moor. It was Star Wars Day, the day before the Newcastle-Gateshead Marathon/Half Marathon/10k, and also my friend Claire’s 250th parkrun – so a lively atmosphere all round! I was pacing 30 minutes, which feels very easy for me now and didn’t tax the legs too much before my 10k the next day. I was bang on by my watch and 29:59 by result, which is the closest I’ve ever been as a pacer, so really pleased.
This last weekend I was funnel managing at Jesmond Dene (or rather number checking, as they have now split the role – the ‘funnel manager’ used to do both). This is a busy role that I really enjoy and the parkrun hour always flies by. It did help that the weather was absolutely beautiful this weekend – perhaps might have been a bit warm for a fast run on Saturday! No photo as I was busy.
A little further afield this next weekend.
Here’s another from Wales – a slightly off-road one.
(Coordinates 53°34’37.3″N, 3°36’77.2″W.)
There is an actual phone in this one! Maybe it’s used by caravan park patrons.
Final phone box from Wales next week.
Here’s another one from Conwy, down on the quayside this time. I’ve featured this box before – good to see it’s still housing a defibrillator (with appropriate Welsh translation on the sign)!
It does now appear to have a ‘not in service’ sign inside though.
Another Welsh box next week.
Back to Rising Sun this last weekend for the first time in a couple of months. I’ve been a few times in the last year, but it was Geth’s first visit since 2018.
I hoped to be consistent with my recent results there, but I think I still had a bit of the marathon in my legs (as well as the after-effects of a mild head cold earlier in the week) as I was about 50 seconds slower than my course PB. Hopefully I’ll manage to get up to speed again soon!
Pacing this weekend if I can get a slot.
