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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I’m just now dreading that the end of quarantine will coincide with another lockdown. We’re supposed to be spending 2-5 October on a boat on the Thames with our son and his girlfriend for his 25th birthday, to make up for their holiday in France with us being cancelled due to quarantine 😢😡😣
From what I’ve been reading there will be an announcement on Tuesday, which could announce a nationwide “circuit break” mirroring the North East and North West ie no mixing with any other household, which would put paid to our weekend
Plus Mr Cheeky and I have booked a cottage for 3 nights from 5/10 in Cornwall with Flossie. I guess we’ll know if we’re going or not after the press conference on Tuesday.
Good chance of it unfortunately 🙁 but then how many of us actually expected it to be back this year until the announcement last week? We’re lucky we have this wonderful forum to keep our community going whether it’s virtually or the occasional sneaky meet-up 😁
There is some consolation in knowing that even if there's another full lockdown, running was one of the few things still allowed. So at least I have one thing to help hang onto my sanity and distract me from all the other things I can't do. Not sure what I'll do if we have to self isolate and not leave the property at all, laps of the garden probably!
I did a 5k run around my local park run course on Tuesday with a time of 32.13. It was really humid and there was a wonderful sunrise.
This morning I wanted a longer slow run so I went out for a 10k run on a different route. It was only slightly slower than my first 10k by about 30s and somehow I managed to get negative splits throughout. I'm really happy with the time of 1.09.06 for my second 10k run.
Hello pals, hope you’re all having good (Not) PRs! Thanks damienair for keeping this up, it’s lovely knowing we’re able to run together of sorts - until the real thing returns. 🥰
Mine was good this morning. Windy up on the exposed plateau where I have my course, but it helped cool me. It was only 12 degrees, but still fairly humid. Nothing compared to my sapping 10 miler on Wednesday though. 🥵
My time today was 34:27, 4 seconds quicker than last week. Happy with that as my prep wasn’t ideal after whole family sized “sharing” pack of Minstrels (I don’t share!) yesterday, and not enough water. And of course the 10 miles in my pins. So yes, I’ll take that. 😀
Great running again Cheeky. Well done as well on tour 10 mile run during the week. Oh my, I adore Minstrels. I'd have to polish off a family bag too. So I never buy one. They are my favorite sweet thing.
I sometimes used to buy a small sneaky pack. They would do me a whole 3 hour drive. I’d slowly suck the hard shell off each one individually and then move onto the next victim.
Hello Damien. I ran my not parkrun yesterday and considering it was about 20 degrees which is quite a suprise in September in Scotland as the weather had just started to get colder last week.
Anyway I managed a time of 30.28 so I'm quite pleased with that.
Enjoy all your not parkrun today everyone 😊🏃♀️🏃♂️
I was back out again this morning. Legs were tired after cycling yesterday, so there was a bit of jeffing, thus pleased with my time of 33:32. And I overtook another runner! Nice to enjoy the late summer sunshine too 🌞
Good morning Damien, cool conditions where I am in Central Scotland for my 27th Virtual and 14th (not) parkrun, believe it or not I actually overtook a runner on way to a 33.18 time 5K run, that runner was running at around a 38 5K time, I greeted him with a a good morning as I passed him, us runners are all very friendly, last week I was passed by a runner who said good morning to me, he was running at around 28 minute 5K pace, so another good run for me today, have a great day.
Well done Alan. I was practically running with you. I ran with two lovely ladies this morning across fields along a disused railway track, down country lanes and back along the main road. I ran 6K but at 5K I was 33:28. So a nice steady pace.
Hi all, actually managed to post earlier this week! Usual run around local roads and through the park at about 8.30 this morning, taken at a nice easy pace and finishing with 29.44.
In the week I'd tried an intervals session, the first since my piriformis injury - no problems and a time of 29.28, so that will be my (not) parkrun time this week.
Thanks BC - sounds like you had a good one too.👍Re heart rate , I was surprised that mine was very low this morning - mostly in zone 2?! Not sure how much I trust the wrist sensor as I don't have a chest strap.
Great times JP. I, like cheeky, need to do intervals again. And I, like cheeky, am not looking forward to it. They do you good though don't they!!! We need to do it to get our PBs when we finally get back to the real thing cheekychipmunks !
Happy running 🏃♂️ all! Today is my rest day but I did a (not)parkrun yesterday with a sub 30 mins 5K for MontyMooDog ’s Weekly Virtual 5K. I’m tackling ju-ju- ‘s Magic 10K Plan and have my last run of Week 3 tomorrow - my first 7K attempt 😱
Looks like I should check out this parkrun website you speak of 😉
A bit “same as” time wise this morning with 31.41, but cadence is still increasing and average heart rate is going down for the same pace and distance. So running more efficiently. I keep putting in a slow first lap; maybe I need a more dynamic warm up?
A cool morning, lots of dogs joining in, but definitely a “good to be out there” kind of day. Keep safe everyone.
I turned up at my local park this morning at 9:10 all set to run in my parkrun Apricot top. I met my friend Ida and another lovely lady and they had decided to run a different route away from the park. It was about 6K. So I said sure, lets go. It was a really weird route, down a main road, through a hole in a barrier, down along a disused railway line which I never knew about, running through fields along tractor tracks, through a gate, down country lanes, and back into town and back to the park. At the 5K mark I was at 33.28 and finished the 6K in 40:09. It was such a lovely run. I loved the company and we ran the full 6K, no breaks at a nice steady pace. Myself and Ida then went off to a cafe and had a lovely fruit scone and coffee. It was a lovely morning. Now to mow the lawn, clean the garage and replace burnt out light bulbs. Mrs Damienair is making a job list as I speak.
That does sound an excellent route Damien, always nice to discover new places to run. Tractor tracks are tough though. Sounds like you'll be needing a nice cool beer tonight after all that work 👍
Hi damienair and other running friends! I ran my (not Parkrun) down in sunny Bognor Regis this morning🏃♂️🌞 I included some speed intervals which would have affected my pace but were hugely enjoyable😀 My overall time was 34:45 but that doesn’t matter at all😊👍 Happy running everyone!
Hello everyone. I was on a short 4k this morning so I can’t count it as a virtual parkrun. JonathanP managed to run 5k in the time I ran 4k! I realised it was almost 9.00 so ran in the opposite direction of the parkrun route which I haven’t done for a while. It was great to see a few dads running with pushchairs and a few dads with running children.
For those who missed it, the CEO parkrun was doing a Q&A yesterday which is on YouTube. It’s very long but they say they are going to do a written summary.
Hiya Damien, hiya all! Bit late today as busy morning (and I had a sneaky lie in!).
We took eldest kitten on his Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award graduation run. He's been busy building up his strength and ability since lockdown started and today had to be the day as next weekend he goes off to university. He's not a natural runner and he worries about things hurting which isn't the best combination, but he is very determined and doesn't give up once he takes something on so that helps us keep him going.
The route we take isn't the easiest and I was surprised at how well he took the idea of running up the big hill, especially as he's used to his 5ks being our flat as a pancake parkrun.
We set off a bit late so it was quite busy. There was a cricket match about to start at the school playing fields as well, so that road was quite busy. However, we got into our stride. I'm hopeless at trying to stay slow but Katnap stayed with him and I tried to stay in view as a (bit of a hopelessly too far away) pacemaker.
Near the hill we have a bit of a wiggly, slow gradient warm up that's always got cars going down it and then we get to the main road which always has dog walkers on it, so lots of obstacles to get round. Hopefully me being ahead guided them into the best places to go.
We ran up the cycle lane as we went up the hill, this way we avoided having to run on the bumpy, leg sapping grass. When I got to the top I ran around in circles for a bit as they caught me up and I clapped eldest kitten to the top. Halfway and now for the nice, long downhill bit for recovery.
3k turns up as we go past the roundabout then a long straight. I can feel him tiring now as I'm pulling further ahead so I run back for a bit to lessen the distance. Next is another downhill section as we go back towards town again.
Passing the petrol station I decide just to pull away and be there as a welcoming party when they came in. My 5k gets there early as I've been doing little circles, so I'm done just after the petrol station at 33:26. I ran ahead to get to where we normally finish just off the main road.
Thankfully no traffic and no pedestrians as they come round the corner and I clap them in. Eldest kitten comes in at a new PB of 36:24!! If we hadn't made him run yesterday as well I'm sure he'd have done it in under 35 minutes.
Now the big test comes - continue running at university without us pushing him on...
Have a good week everyone and stay safe 🖖🤞🤞👍
(apologies for the mega-long reply, maybe this should have been a post on it's own!).
Fantastic job Alex! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 He’s certainly got his speedy legs on at the moment! I love how you’re hopeless at staying slow. If I was allowed (by myself), I’d do all my runs slowly! 🤣
Congratulations to your eldest Kitten on his Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award graduation run. Great running. I'm sure if he continues to parkrun once it gets going again he will continue to run through University.
For a moment I was wondering whether there was a DofE for cats... not sure they'd get on terribly well with the community section! Belatedly twigged, so congrats to you and eldest kitten anyway
So today was my 44 minute run on Juju's timed plan. It was a really beautiful morning .Very tired at the start so I did the "slow" thing and it worked.By halfway through I was really enjoying it. No records on the 5k front at 36:03 but actually ended up running slightly longer than planned due to misjudging my distance from home and preferring not to have a long cool down walk now the mornings are colder! Resulted in me running just under 7k_my longest run for about 18 years so the slow start was well worth it!
I hope you make this a regular weekend thing. My plan is to be off the IC and back in my running shoes next week, but will be very slowly ramping up to 5k again.
Don't worry, this is a regular thing. AlMorr has been keeping score since we started doing this at the start of lock down. This was the 27th Virtual and 14th (not)parkrun, so you are more than welcome to join in next week when your off the injury couch. You don't have to run it all. You can walk some of it too until you are fully back up to running the full 5K.
So having read your updates for weeks and regularly running 5k or a bit more 3 times throughout lockdown I thought I’d take myself off for the first time to my Park Run. Was looking forward to it but went out too fast, even though I didn’t think I had🙄 so ended up doing 4.4 k and needing to stop with stitch!! That will teach me, going to give it another go next week 👍. Quite a few runners out which was nice. Pace us everything so need to curb my enthusiasm as a Larry would say😂
I love Larry. Couldn't imagine him running though.
The secret is to go out really slow, run a nice slow and steady 5K. Log your time as a (not)parkrun on the website and leave loads of spare time to come back each week and get a new (not)parkrun PB. Bit by bit then you'll get closer to your true best time and then you can try improving on that. But most of all, enjoy it. Looking forward to having you onboard next Saturday. Make sure to post a reply after your run.
Yep, will do next week👍 I hadn’t realised I was going fast 6.18 first K😱. Got caught up in the whole emotion having missed it. Oh well next week it is.
Very happy with my run today - after a few weeks feeling decidedly under the weather it's so nice to feel my body is fuelled, hydrated and back to normal fitness. And I seem to have worked out a solution to my calf tightness (as I've suspected for a while, I was overcorrecting for my overpronation) which was vastly improved today.
My husband offered to cook dinner so I could get out for a run while it was still light, so I took the opportunity to follow one of my favourite trails. So nice to have soft (but not too soft) ground underfoot and beautiful countryside to look at - golden evening light turning the leaves bright green and dappling the path with flecks of light. Lots of nice friendly people too
I took a nice steady pace for the first 2k, then I started focussing on some tips I'd got from the 30 day challenge - picking up my feet a little higher and focussing on moving my arms backwards to set up a natural recovery. This took over a minute off my pace (7min/k to 5:45) with surprisingly little extra effort.
In the last 500m I did start to feel a bit tired, but calves were still feeling absolutely fine, so kept going at the faster pace. Because of the slower start, my time was 31:27, so outside my sub-30 5k graduation run PB but I rather overdid it on that run and felt exhausted afterwards - today felt a lot more natural and sustainable. I think doing JuJu's magic plan is definitely helping build my speed as well as building distance.
Oh, and to top it off, when I logged my miles this evening I got my 50 mile postcard from LeJog5
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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. 
