Last week a magpie dropped a stick on my head

It was just before I went for a run and, as portents go, it was up there with Duncan's horses eating each other.

And so it was that I ran my second Regent's Park 10k of the summer - only to achieve a PERSONAL WORST.

The first lap I was flying. With two more to go, the announcer bellowed we were on for a 52-minute finish. Given my 10k PB is 54.33, this was a considerable improvement. I was feeling good. Fleet of foot. Forward landing. Hands clasped gently - as if they're holding a crisp or a butterfly.

And then I wasn't feeling good anymore.

With just three kilometres left, I remember thinking I might give up. The last time I'd felt this rotten was mile 23 of the Brighton marathon. I don't think I've ever felt this bad over a distance this short. I'm assuming it was due to my initial over-enthusiasm.

Suffice to say, I did not finish in 52 minutes, I finished in 56.01. Not a PB. And a week on, my shins still hurt. I tried a run yesterday, which turned into a shuffle, which turned into a walk to the pond. Ah... the pond. A cold dip makes everything better.

13 days to the Richmond half. 13 days.

(Stats: 6.2 miles; 56.01; 9.02 minute/mile)

Pic: Do you think this swan cares about a PB?

Addendum: Having just worked out that a 56-minute 10k works out at a 9-minute mile, I feel less cross with myself and that magpie.

Born to lose but built to win

I don't know what that means.

It's written on the label inside my new hoodie. I suspect it's nonsense. But then, I have just learned the crushing news that I was way off a PB for today's parkrun.

It's not a surprise. My legs felt like dark matter and I frequently seemed to be running in slow motion. A lot of effort for very little reward. On the plus side, I did manage a sprint finish. And at least I didn't trip over a dog like the man behind me. I didn't see it, but it didn't sound too good for either man or dog.

Pottered over to the ladies' pond after for a quick dip and learned two new tricks: 1) Don't hang about on the ladder, just plough on in. What you lose in acclimatization, you gain in reduction of fear. 2) Stay in the pond until the pain subsides. It took about five minutes but, once I'd regained the sensation in my hands and feet, I had a very pleasant swim indeed.

(Stats: 5k/3.10 miles; 27.03 minutes; 8.43 minute/mile; pond temp: 9 degrees celsius.)

(Pic: The wisdom of the hoodie.)