Last Saturday I ran our local parkrun with the pacers. The previous week, I ran it in 35:18. My previous PB at the local parkrun was 32:46 from the previous year on 13th May 23. This time I ran it in 31:56, sprinting past the 32:00 minute pacers to the finish line. It had felt for a long time that I wasn’t improving and sometimes even going backwards! On this occasion, my heart rate stayed low until the very end, and my performance condition, according to my Garmin, was fantastic too. I’ve been training hard, working towards the Carsington Water Half Marathon, which is on the 26th October in three weeks, so I was pleased that the effort I’ve put in over the last 3 month are paying off. (Thank you, coach Rachael at The Running and Movement Hub for all you help and encouragement 😉). However, something else which may have made a difference is the fact that I’ve recently increased my water intake. I know I don’t drink enough water, but I hadn’t realised how much dehydration can affect flexibility, speed and endurance. When dehydrated, the blood is thicker, and the heart has to work harder to pump it around the body. Therefore being well-hydrated prevents the heart rate and body temperature from rising too much. My heart rate has always been high, and I assumed it was just the way I was!
Today I ran at Clumber Park on their 500th event. My previous PB at this location was 33:35 on 2nd March 24, before I injured myself. Today I ran it in 31:55, a huge improvement and without the assistance of pacers too! 1:40 off a 5k is quite a lot. I was pleased that last weeks PB wasn't just a one-off. I'm starting to believe I can do this 😊
After
After#progress #hydrationiskey
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