I am a massive fan of ParkRuns!

ParkRuns are free, weekly (every Saturday 9 am) timed 5 K runs up and down the country.  You only have to register once then you can turn up at any event – there is no commitment, you choose when it suits you.  You find runners with the whole range of running abilities, from those who bomb it round in 15 minutes to those of us in it for the long slog.  You will not find a more varied, inclusive or supportive running community.  People run with their dogs with their babies in prams with their kids with their partners with their friends – the spirit is always high. The ParkRun volunteers will cheer you on with enthusiasm regardless of whether you are running in first or last place (or any position in between).  I cannot recommend ParkRuns enough!

In addition my little brother Kyle, took up running in January and has also caught the bug!  He is currently training for his first Half Marathon – the Ikano Robin Hood Half Marathon on the 27/09/15 – go Kyle!

So when serendipitously it turned out that Krakow, where Kyle, Mum and I were visiting on a city break (to celebrate their birthdays) has a ParkRun… well it was obvious to me what had to happen!

And so on Saturday the 1st of August at 9 am in Krakow, Poland, Kyle and I, with 102 other runners set off.

The Krakow ParkRun course is a wide tarmac path enclosing a pizza wedge shaped park. It was flat, straight and even – basically the perfect running terrain and almost immediately I knew it was going to be a good run.

My suspicion was confirmed when the first K was up and my pace was 5:52 min/K (normally I run 6:30 comfortably or 6:00 at a push over short distances). The next K was completed even faster at 5:41 and I still felt great. At this point Kyle started to slip a bit behind and like the loving sister that I am, I abandoned him in a trail of dust to his fate.

As normal the ParkRun volunteers cheered and danced and shouted support – pushing me to run even faster. I was beginning to feel tired – running at this pace is energy consuming – but I also felt invigorated in a way. After all I was still running wasn’t I? I was still putting one foot in front of the other. I was definitely doing it! Besides I could see I was gaining on a few other runners so I was chasing them down, picking them off one by one. Guy with buggy, check, tall guy in red, check, girl in pink and black… this last runner I chased for ages. If she can do it, so can I. I told myself. Just a little bit longer.

The final corner and the last straight, I pass girl in pink and black and it is just me and the 500 m to the finish. I can do this, I can do this. Arms, legs, lungs, heart and head… we are all focused on this simple task – it is harmony in motion.

I cross the line to the cheering of a few dozen Poles, grab my finishing barcode and go to stop my GPS watch… realise I am a few metres short and confuse everyone by running off again. A bit anticlimactic but I wanted to hit 5 K because it was such a good run!

By the time I come back to the finish line my brother was already crossing it.  My mum had made some new friends whilst spectating and so the spirit of ParkRun is maintained even outside of the UK! (I am not surprised).

Our official times were 26:55 and 30:02 both new personal bests!!

Week 5: Total mileage for the week was 34 K (21.1 miles), total running time was 3:44.