My Running PB

and how I did it.

It’s been great to see people sharing their goals for 2023 on social media, and what’s even better is that a lot of them include running- a sport that’s helped me stay active in retirement.

So to help anyone wanting to run faster, I thought I’d share how I got my parkrun PB (Personal Best) from 25:01 down to 18:46 in 12 months on Twitter and was surprised by the response and how many questions I got.

I’d originally planned to share my 2023 goal this week, but with school holidays making it hard to think clearly, I’ve decided to write a quick blog to expand on how I did it, and hopefully uncover some lessons I can take into 2023.

parkrun is a weekly, free, 5km run that is open to people of all ages and abilities. And with 11 in Canberra (plus many more all over Australia) there’s probably one very near you.

---

How I got my parkrun time from 25:01 to 18:46 in 12 months.

1. I didn’t set a big goal.

When I first got into running, I was doing it tough mentally as I’d just retired from Rugby and Grandma was dying. So my only goal at the time was to just stay active because I knew it was good for my physical and mental health if I did, and I can’t thank my two mates that took me to my first parkrun enough.

But after a few weeks when I had some times on the board, I started trying to beat my time from the previous week. Some weeks I did, others I didn’t. But I did do a PB nearly every month and loved the boost to the self-esteem that comes from doing your best.

2. I got lighter.

I was 119kgs when I ran 25:01 and 102kgs when I did the 18:46, and it felt like someone had taken a 17kgs backpack off me and I was finally able to run free.

12 months apart

Sadly, a lot of people get into running just to lose weight. But I’ve found it much easier to focus on losing weight thru diet so I could run faster and further, and feel great as a result.

How you go about improving your diet is up to you, but tracking what I eat works for me because it helps me be mindful of what I’m eating, how much, and helps me to keep myself accountable.

3. I ran consistently.

parkrun is at 8am every Saturday and I only missed one in my first 50 weeks. I also did some runs during the week as training, but didn't have a set program. I just tried to get out as often as I could and go at a pace where I enjoyed the run.

Run 1

Run 50

4. I tracked my runs.

While parkrun tracks your times for you, I was also tracking my runs with a smartwatch which helped me see my progress, and know when I was doing too much and at risk of burnout and injury.

I was lucky I’d been educated about running volumes while at the Brumbies, as our trainer would put up a weekly list of how far we all ran during preseason as a way to motivate everyone, and I knew I’d been running 18-25kms per week for over a decade.

So I decided why not keep tracking my runs and started using Runkeeper, but now I use Strava.

5. I didn't get injured.

Nothing halts progress more than injury and is to be avoided at all costs.

I made sure I didnt do any crazy amount of kms or try to push thru niggling injuries. But I did stretch and foam roll my ITBs once a week and was lucky I was taught good running technique while at the Brumbies.

But unfortunately, no matter what I write here, this is something people need to experience for themselves, because people won’t stretch until they get injured and experience for themselves how shit injuries are.

6. I ran with friends as often as I could.

Everyone is busy which makes it hard to run together often. But having a friend waiting to do the run with makes it much easier for me to get my shoes on and out the door, and I think is the number one hack for getting fit.

Plus I always enjoy the mandatory post-run coffee or beer, and the chat we have once we’ve done some hard work.

Exercise is just so much better with friends, and to this day, I really struggle to have the discipline to exercise alone.

Exercising with friends makes getting fit easier

If you’re thinking of getting more active this year, why not give parkrun or Running 4 Resilience a go? Both are free and open to people of all ages and abilities.

Click here to create your free parkrun profile and I hope to see you at a run soon!

If your keen to hear more about my running journey, check out an interview I did on the Aussie Runners Podcast last year.

---

I rarely ask readers to share posts, but if you know someone who’s trying to get active and think this post could help, then please give it a share on either social media or by forwarding on the email. Cheers!