Running race 17:13 [5] 3.1 mi (5:33 / mi) +45m 5:19 / mi
Preston parkrun - 1st 17:13
My 38th different parkrun, and 39th in total, and the first I've done in the rain. Pretty bleak.
However, a lovely park on the banks of the Ribble below the station, noted a permanent course with some heavy duty plates as posts but can't find the map on the interweb.
3 laps, with a short but steep hill of maybe 50m length a minute into each lap.
Tucked into 3rd early doors, and down the back of the lap we were 3 abreast moving well, so I sat back a bit expecting this to be a bit of a battle. However the pace soon dropped and I naturally found myself moving to the front, with one guy attempting to keep with me as we completed the first lap.
Kicked up the 2nd hill and dropped him and from them on just worked hard all the way home, though think I would have be v.close to 17 had I been pushed, I was sort of stuck at a hard but not killer pace as the mile splits show - 5:42/5:40/5:42. Course may be slightly short to be fair, if my Garmin is accurate though you do pass under a couple of lengthy bridges per lap and the time felt about right. Certainly better than Guildford last week and on a par with Pen Flash.
All those 3 have smashed their attendance records when I've been, parkrun really is booming.
Didn't feel bad at the end so threw so strides in at the end with only minor groin twinge so hopefully phase this back in. Down Old tram road and back on old railway which added to the location value.
The plan was to cycle home but the torrential rain in Preston put paid to that. Got train home and then never got out once it dried up, but I think I needed some time doing nothing anyway after a hectic few weeks.
Planned a long course for Baildon Urban which I may go and check out on Monday, quite pleased with it for a first stab, oodles of route choice (and contours!)
Preston parkrun
Course scenery - 9/10
Course difficulty - 7.5/10