Well, it's taken me a long while to be brave enough! However, when I realised we'd be on holiday near to a Parkrun ticking lots of boxes for me, I thought it was now or never!
flat ✔ anonymous (200 miles from home!) ✔ close to where we're staying (less than 10 mins drive) ✔ no laps (psychologically I very much prefer not having that feeling of having to go round again!) ✔
Hadn't bargained on the south coast heat though, I'm used to more northern temperatures! I know it's hot everywhere, but this was a tad warm for me. I also had to contend with some of it being on grass, which is not a surface I'd usually run on due to dodgy ankles which turn easily.
Still, I ran all the way without stopping - I've only done maybe half a dozen 5k runs before, so this wasn't a given. I managed to run very steadily at my own slow pace, and still wasn't last (as in really not last, there were a handful of non-tailwalkers after me) which I was rather pleased by.
I think the only really disconcerting thing was that with this particular course, you have to run past the finish point, to do a loop at the end - it's not easy seeing everyone else who has already finished ages ago when you still have another 7 or 800 metres to go!
Overall, I'm delighted that I did it, quietly rather proud of myself 😀 Thanks to everyone who reassured me beforehand!