Well, all being well tomorrow I am off on holiday. Need to do my packing very soon so this will be a quick blog. Hoping next week to do the Paris parkrun if time allows. On Thursday we did the Rollercoaster run, so only one option for it today, had to do Strathclyde parkrun to get some speed back in the legs after all these 10ks. Just after a hard run, nothing else, if possible beat my course PB of 18.39. Got down and conditions as good as you are going to get at Strathclyde, with a minimal wind and quite dull. Said a hello to Law’s Jonathan Kennedy who is getting into some tasty training again after injury. He was looking for sub 19 he said. Aye right. we will come to that later. A wee hello to Tim Bloss who I’d been close to in each of the Polaroid races. Saw Shettleston’s Charlene McCallum  who I had marginally beaten at Clydebank, and Giffnock’s Luke Chamberlain who had comprehensively beaten me at the Monklands 5k. Along with Marcus , Robert etc from MAC and a few Cambuslang runners including Frank Hurley who I had been in awe of as a Junior at Cambuslang it was looking like a strong enough field to hopefully pull me through to that course PB. Alan Strang was looking in the mood too. Was today sub 20 day for him? It was good, felt no nerves or pressure, just an end of block run. Need to blow those cobwebs away again. We were off and Luke and Jonathan were straight to the front and pulled away. I expected that and was happy to let them go. The second group forming straight away was lead by Tim, with Charlene and a troop of  Cambuslang runners led by Iain Nicholl. I was working hard to keep with them and was happy to go through 1k in 3.41. Second k complete in 3.43 and I was sitting in about 6th or 7th. The front two were well away, I wasn’t going to be near a PB, I was part of a group so as we got to 3k and I was up to 5th I decided to race it and try and get my first top 3 finish. I was closing in on Iain in 3rd but he was running well. As we came to the bend at the end of the loch I took my chance and moved into third knowing it was going to be a slog for home. I wasn’t feeling great, the sun had come out and it was now very warm and my breathing was getting heavier than Meatloaf on a tractor. I really hate that last 1 1/2k. It goes on for ever. I could hear Iain behind me but didn’t look back. Focus. Game face. Jonathan was leading Luke out ahead of me. Wasn’t going to catch them but I could see them. That was a novel thing. But I did it. I held on. Ran hard and finished in third for my first ever top 3 finish, an age group win and a course PB of 18.17, officially my second fastest 5k. I will take that. Jonathan beat his 19 minute aim to win in 17.46, with Luke in 17.57. Marcus had a superb second half of the race to come through the pack and finish in 5th place in 18.51, pipping Tim on the line. A very pleasing run. I actually enjoyed having a race without feeling any pressure. After a slew of 10ks that I didn’t really enjoy maybe I should do more of the 5ks. Food for thought. Anyway, off now to pack, hopefully I will have more luck getting away than I did last year. See you later blogpeeps.

Estuvo Bien – Mexrissey’s Mexican version of Morrissey’s Suedehead. Roughly translated as “it was good.” It was you know. Thanks to all the Strathclyde parkrun volunteers as always. Appreciated 🙂