Happy weekend. For any of you new graduates whom have started running during COVID-19 world you may have heard of a thing called parkrun. parkrun is a free 5K which takes place every Saturday morning all around the world. It is for everyone, slow, fast, able, disabled, big, small and everyone in between. Even dogs take part, just one per owner on a tight lead mind! Oh and don't forget about the super Mum's and Dad's who push their babies in buggies. You can walk, jog, run, run/walk, it's not a race, just a run in the park and loads of us here on Bridge to 10K did it religiously every Saturday morning.
Obviously we can not do it anymore. So until parkrun returns we take part on our own in a Virtual parkrun every Saturday morning. We post after our run and let everyone know how we got on during our run. The little run report can be done over a post virtual parkrun coffee and treat/cake. (parkrun is all about the after run coffee and cake, and meeting friends old and new). It can be run/walked on any route close to you which is 5K. Does not have to be done in a park, you can even do it on a treadmill.
If you are a new graduate and would like to start, all you have to do is a 5K run/jog/walk anytime tomorrow or Sunday and write a little run report under this post. It's like a little community and it is good fun, sets you up nicely for the weekend. If you want to you can register on the parkrun website and you can log your 5K (not)parkrun. In fact you can log any 5K done during the week as a (not)parkrun on the website. I only log Saturday runs, when I remember.
Looking forward to my run tomorrow morning and also looking forward to hearing from all of you. Happy running and have a lovely weekend.
Damien
I've pinned the post. So please respond over the next day or two in the below thread. Happy running.
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Today we ran a (not) tourist (not) parkrun at Delamere Forest. We are camping just next to the course after a day out at Chester Zoo yesterday.
Luckily the 5K running route is waymarked because I would have missed one of the turnings if I had been relying on the course map and my memory from the time we ran it for real.
My time was just over 37 minutes, which I was very pleased with as I almost bent my knee the wrong way at about 1km. I stopped, hobbled a bit, walked a bit then found I could run again.
On the way back to the campsite we stopped at a cafe for bacon and egg butties.
After showers we returned for a walk in the forest and we have ordered fish and chips from the cafe for our tea.
What a lovely day.
The current plan is to walk the 5k course tomorrow before we drive home.
Ha of course. It's (not)parkrun, you can post whenever you want. Great stuff. Sounds lovely, camping, forest, nature, bacon and egg butties and fish and chips for Tea. I'm jealous. Enjoy your walk tomorrow morning and hope your knee is OK.
Excellent run for you today RunaroundSue, I hope you are enjoying your holiday in Delamere Forest, I will be running my 12th not parkrun tomorrow at 9.30 am, by the way I have just heard on the radio the song by Dion, RunaroundSue. 😊 🏃🏾, guess who I think of every time I hear that song. 😊 🏃🏾
I am sure you are not like Sue in that song, she flirts around with different men then dumps them after a short while, hence the last words of the song goes "keep away from RunaroundSue "
I've been out this morning for a (Not) Parkrun around my local course. The course is in the country park at the top of my street. The course has 2 steep uphill sections within the first half, which certainly don't get any easier. Either that or I am pushing myself to improve how I run up them. I find the last section difficult as it has patchy areas of loose ish gravel which really sucks the energy out of your legs, surprisingly I got a PB for my last km. It wasn't my fastest 5k, but at 33.11 mins I am happy with that as it was slightly faster than my last 5k around the same route.
Very well done and great running. Any improvement is always good news. I’m hoping that I can make an improvement to my own times this morning. Leaving soon to go to my own local park.
What a lovely fresh morning. ☀️ Still in shorts and short sleeves though - it takes a lot for me to start the slippery slope into long anything! 🥵 The cool breeze was a little stronger than I’d have liked as it provided a pesky little headwind, but on the flip side it kept me cool, so we’re even!
I’d headed out with reluctant legs (running 10 miles on Wednesday would do that to them!), but they obliged by carrying me to a 2nd fastest (Not) PR time of 34:58 today. They need to get me up the hill at Ashton Court on Monday morning too. No rest for my little pins! 🏃♀️🏃♀️
Happy running, and I hope you all had/have good (Not) PRs too! 🥰
Very well done cheeky on your second fastest (not)parkrun time and well done on Wednesdays long run. I must say I'm a little cold blooded and much prefer running in cooler temps. I even wear shorts on the coldest winter days. Give me Autumn over Summer any day for running, although summer usually lasts a weekend in Ireland. But saying that we had amazing weather during the early days of summer. Once the Government announced a hose pipe ban in May it did not stop raining since.
Totally agree Damien! Crisp spring and autumn days are best for me, followed by cool winter ones. I don’t even mind rain. Just don’t enjoy strong winds. and especially not humidity. 🥵🥵🥵
Morning Damien and everyone! As Shake-and-run has headed off to the Pyrenees for the weekend to watch the Tour de France, my (not) Parkrun was back to my local out and back route to Monbazillac. My final, and fastest, (not) Parkrun in France for this summer at 30.43 and just 3 seconds slower than my fastest (not) Parkrun, so pretty happy with that. Sadly we are returning to the UK and 2 weeks incarceration next Saturday and we are not even allowed out to exercise, unlike at the height of the pandemic, so my next (not) Parkrun will be in 3 weeks, as I really can’t imagine running 5k round the back garden. Have a great weekend all 😁
You might feel more tempted to run round the garden by the time 2 weeks is nearly up Sandie, don’t knock it 😳😅 I’m sure it will whizz by though 👍 Hope you all have a good journey back 😊
Well done and great time. You pipped me to the post. Enjoy whats left of your time in France. I am sure the 2 weeks of incarceration will fly by. Netflix, cooking and baking, oh and all those lovely bottles of wine to get through.
I feel like I’m way behind the times but it’s only 10:15!!
We had a bit of a lie in this morning. We’ve had all sorts of trauma from eldest kitten’s possible interactions with a COVID-19 positive person to youngest kitten’s paper round being cancelled due to lack of papers. All a bit much for a Saturday morning. But it didn’t stop us: running is made for this sort of stress.
The weather was perfect again today but as usual I had the mental faffage. I wish my head would shut up and just let me get on with it. Thankfully the Achilles is behaving and regular doses of paracetamol is calming the right hip down so I don’t feel quite so physically decrepit today 🤣
Bit busy as we were later. First k was a bit slow so we had to make up for it, so second and third (the one with the hill) k were fairly similar but much quicker. By the time we got to the final k we were whizzing along and even though the last road seemed to have turned into a pedestrian’s version of the M25, we still finished in good time. Watch said 28:10 when I clicked it, so 2 seconds faster than last week and 1 second faster than the week before! Can’t beat consistency!!
We were also late for the parkrun quiz but 10/15 this week as we got all the True/False questions right!!! So the guessing is improving 😂
Great consistent running and great times again. I'm still chasing you TailChaser , got closer this week, but still 3 minutes behind you. You'll be in my sights over the next few weeks as my (not)parkrun nemesis. Your safe for a good while yet.
I spotted that Damien 😁 I wish I could get a bit faster to get you on your toes but the course will have to get flatter I think! I’m sure it won’t be long 👍🏃🏻♂️
(Not) parkrun times this week were 31:10, 33:40 (couldn’t get my head into running that day no matter what I tried) and 32:16. Tempo run to do today, but will be working on keeping the time slower than these, as the tempo bit is only 15 minutes. My warmup pace should average it out to over 10/mile.
Well done. I can't do running math in miles. I can only compute in Kilometers. I had a better run today, but still way off where I want to be. But improving which is good.
I’m the same with kilometres... I can think in mikes and also in laps of a track, but my mind won’t think in km while running! I think in miles most of the way, and suddenly it switches to “3 laps to go” for some reason.
Had a terrible run that was supposed to be a lot longer... reset the mind with some meditation and a rest day, felt great again yesterday... so hopefully back in it again now.
You’re going to get where you want to be, of course, gradual improvement is all we can aim for really after the initial big gains we make as new runners. Part of me is interested as to wether I can match the race predictions on my watch... the distance I’m actually training for seems to be about right, but the 5k time is definitely beyond me by some way. This is what I’d expect though... my fitness maybe makes that 5k time possible, but I haven’t done the training to convert it to an actual time. I’m going to have a look if the 5k plan will keep my baseline milage where I want to be (or at least close enough to be able to add some recovery runs in to make it up) after my HM.
No, I do almost everything in Imperial measures (driving, cooking, measuring furnishings- even though that means that I have to take a tape measure to go shopping)
I’ve been looking at this too... splitting hilly routes into “laps” based on elevation change often produces more laps than miles or km... they look great in connect after the run 🤣
Good morning Damien, just ran my 25th Virtual and 12th (not) parkrun, the weather reasonable, temperature 11C, my time today was a so so average for me of 33.28 which I am pleased with, I thought it might be 34 something but I quickened up in the last kilometer.
25th Virtual Alan. We never thought this malarkey would have lasted 6 months at the start did we? Very well done, you have been so consistent all through this pandemic. Very well done on your time. Temperature was the same here. Enjoy your weekend Alan. I'm growing my beard again, my 5th COVID-19 beard, my wife is starting to like them now. I'll never catch up on yours. I shave mine when ever I go out to meet customers. So my beard is a mark of being confined to the home office. You can gauge the length of confinement by the length of my beard.
As I changed my profile photo from a dog/cat to me with a now almost 8 inch beard
Through the years from when I was a teenager I always wanted to grow one but was not allowed to by my parents, at work and my late wife would not let me either, sadly she died from dementia ten and a half years ago so over the last 6 years I have had that hair on my face, what they call a beard, my daughter likes my beard so it won't come off.
It was the 14th March that the last official Parkrun was held, I remember the run director telling all the runners that she hoped it would only be for a few weeks and keep in touch on the Vitality Parkrun Website for news of the runs starting again.
Now of course no one knows when they will return, I get a e mail from them, probably everyone does suggesting that they will return soon but how soon??? 🤔.
In the meantime we can enjoy Damienair's virtual runs and the not parkruns as well.
I went over to the park this morning after 9:15. A good morning so far, my new straps arrived for my Garmin Forerunner 35. The weather was good, dry, cool fresh breeze. So I said hi to some fellow parkrunners who were out at the park also this morning. Everyone starting at different times just doing the run on their own. No group participation. The loop is 1.5K tarmac path shaped like a referee's whistle with a bugger of a hill which needs to be repeated 3 times. All on a one way system since Covid reopening. I started my watch and off I went. I started too fast, 5:42 for the first kilometre, 5:57 and 6:08. I was happy to have had a sub 30 minute 5K average time for the first 3 kilometres but I was bunched. Took a walking break for 300 meters and then started running again only to be bunched again at the 4K mark, took a 200 meter walking break and then ran the last 800 meters at a faster pace to the finish line. Finish time was 31:03, over 2 minutes faster than last week even though I walked for 500 meters of the 5K course. Some of my friends were walking the (not)parkrun this morning as they are running in a virtual 10K tomorrow. They were a bit behind me when I finished, so I recovered a little and then joined them to walk the second half of the lap back to the car park.
I was happy with that, I'm edging closer towards my (not)parkrun PB and I'm on a mission to cathching up with @Tailchaser by managing to get back down to 28 minutes over the coming weeks. I then got home and fitted my new starp onto my watch. I have a nice navy blue strap now. Have a great weekend.
Hi Damien, greetings from a slightly nippy north east!
I set out in summer kit, with a bit of trepidation. I felt a hamstring niggle in my 10k on Thursday, undoubtedly caused by barrowing 1 ton of gravel from the front of the house to the bottom of the back garden on Wednesday!! So I did a cautious first 1k today; all was well so pressed on to a 31:50 with a finishing lap of 6:12. Bit slower than last week because of the slow start, but who cares, I am just pleased to be out there running. Even VO2 max, that ultra reliable measure of progress 😉, was generous and gave me a point back! Hurray!!
Nice feel to things this morning; people were kind, respectful of distance, shouts of encouragement from fellow runners having their post run coffee...that spirit of Park Run was evident.....great morning.👍
Well done and great running. I know that feeling, that’s why I go over to my local park every Saturday morning so as to get some of that parkrun spirit. It’s nice to get and give encouragement.
Thought people would be interested to know: on the parkrun podcast, Vassos said that he hopes there would be THE news on parkrun next week. Keep everything crossed everybody!! 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
Ooh, sadly I’m not sure the people of Southsea are ready for 500 runners along the prom yet or that PCC will approve it. Especially now students are coming back from all over UK.
Not sure Ireland is anywhere near ready yet. We will wait and see with fingers crossed. I was hoping that it would start up again this year but I’m a little doubtful, from an island of Ireland perspective.
I know what you both mean but I think numbers will be way down at least to begin with. Tbh in Stratford we’ve had so many visitors these past couple of months I don’t think a large group of runners meeting for a relatively short time will make much of a difference.
Hello damienair and (Not) parkrunners, I am back on the magic plan and I wanted to get out to do 7k this morning, and UpTheStanley said he’d pootle along with me as an easy run. I gave my usual warnings that it would be very slow as I’m concentrating on the distance and not getting injured again. Afterwards, he described it as a run of two halves. 😂😂 but as the best half was at the beginning my Not parkrun was a not too shabby at 38.04. My 5k time with running buddies on Wednesday was 35:16.
It was a gorgeous morning and to reward UTS for his forbearance the run was followed by cooked breakfast on the beach.
Not quite...... I ran 8.8k before tripping on a sprint finish and ended up in hospital with a gouge in my arm where I scraped it on a flint. Was off for a few weeks while it mended and then skipped the 2nd 9k in the plan and did the 10 in W7.
You are far stronger on the hills. It’s too easy for me to avoid them
I cheated yesterday and walked up my first steep hill as a warm up so my first km was downhill (hence 5.29!) then I made sure I hit 5k at the bottom of the hill and walked back up home 😊
Nice. Great going on your increase on distance. I’ve just started the plan. I want to get back up to 10K too. Hope you both had a lovely beach breakfast.
I will be keeping an eye on you on the magic plan Damien. This is my 3rd time and it’s a great way of getting there, especially as it includes a 5k, and we know what that means.
I will tell you and Damien a little secret, I have booked an appointment with the same sports shop that I bought my blue running shoes for Monday at 10am.
I intend to buy a new running belt, new TRAIL shoes and socks to match, next Wednesday I hope to "christen" them by running a 8K on part of the muddy route that I don't run on my normal blue running shoes, I hope to buy a pair of brown or black running trail shoes after a gait analysis.
Your secret is safe with me Al. My only thought is perhaps take your new trails for a shorter run before going for 8k. I found my trails feel very different to my road shoes. Have fun at the running shop.
When I went in last month I didn’t like running with my mask on, but he said as I had my back to him I could take it off while on the treadmill. Phew 😷🏃♀️
Thanks Dexy5 for that information and advice regarding the distance that I will run once I get my new trail shoes, I will run a slow 4K to "run them in" 🏃🏾
I could be wrong, but I think trail shoes are just available in neutral. So I don’t think you need a gait analysis unlike road shoes. I’m probably wrong. Brown or black would be a good call.😂
Of course I will take a photo of my new shoes and tell you if I get a gait analysis, when I was on the phone for the appointment the lady told me I would get a gait analysis, so who knows. 😊 🏃🏾.
I made heavy weather of my (not) parkrun around local roads at 8.30 today - not sure why as it was a beautiful morning with no wind to speak of. I started off fine but it all went downhill from there on, with an aching upper back by the end for no obvious reason. The result was 30.44, with perfect positive splits of 5.56: 5.59: 6.09: 6.15: 6.25!😜
Earlier in the week I'd managed 29.05 at my home parkrun course with my Southsea running buddies (more details here in case you missed it healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... ) and on Monday I'd cranked it up (or down) to 28.20 with no ill effects. Sometimes running is a mystery!😀
Good running. It’s hard to get improvement in finish times on every run. I think your better off working on a PB attempt once a month or so. That’s my excuse. 😂 A sub 30 minute 5K time any day is a great run. Bravo on the perfect positive splits.
Hi damienair, I ran my (not) Parkrun along the seafront at Bognor this morning🏃♂️ The weather was sunny but cold and there weren’t many people around🌞😎. The other runners I did meet were friendly and quite a few were wearing Parkrun or Contra gear, so it’s good to see Parkrun is alive and well, even if it is virtually!😀
That’s one thing that is a mystery to me David - where have all *our* parkrunners gone? We very rarely see anyone running in a parkrun shirt (I’ve seen people gardening in them though 🤣) and there are only about 20 who do (not)parkrun each week. Perhaps they’ve all gone to Bognor?!!
About 30 of my local parkrun usual runners turn up to the park every Saturday morning. All run at different times and all run in groups of 2 or 3 max. Few record their (not)parkrun’s on the website. But everyone gives encouragement and there is a nice friendly atmosphere. Just like parkrun. It is nice to see parkrun T-Shirts.
If you look at the numbers who don't record their times on the (not) parkrun website compared to the official Parkruns it's only about 5%, it's the same everywhere, 200 on average at a official Parkruns, 20 record their time at (not) parkrun, I notice its the same 20 runners every week who record their times at (not) parkrun OR for that matter for the virtual ones as well, I am wondering why so few don't post their (not) parkrun times on the (not) parkrun website.
That’s interesting Al, thanks for that. I find it odd too. We have the same runners each too. Why would you do it and not record it? Katnap never records his either but I suspect that’s because I make him go too slowly..
I must admit I’ve been surprised by just how few are logging (not) parkruns. For my 3 local ones last week there were only 19 runners in total out of an expected 850 or so.
Hello Damien, I forgot to post this yesterday. I ran my not parkrun on Friday at my parkrun route with a time of 29.35 . Love running there as I get go see all the swans , ducks etc. 😊😊
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Oh and don't forget about the super Mum's and Dad's who push their babies in buggies. You can walk, jog, run, run/walk, it's not a race, just a run in the park and loads of us here on Bridge to 10K did it religiously every Saturday morning.
