Hello Everyone and happy weekend. Today is parkrun day, a free 5K event which takes place every Saturday morning all around the world. It is for everyone, slow, fast, able, disabled, big, small and everyone in between. 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 do it religiously every Saturday morning.
Some of us may not be able to do a parkrun at the moment so until parkrun returns fully for everyone some of us will continue to take part on our own in a Virtual parkrun every Saturday morning called a (not)parkrun. Or if you are away on Holidays, prefer to run on your own, or do not have a parkrun close by you a (not)parkrun is perfect, please feel free to join in.
Please post a little run report after your parkrun or (not)parkrun and let everyone know how you got on. The little run report can be done over a post parkrun coffee and treat/cake. (parkrun is all about the after run coffee and cake, and meeting friends old and new).
If you are a new graduate and would like to start, all you have to do is run, walk or jog at a parkrun or a 5K run/jog/walk (not)parkrun anytime today or tomorrow 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.
For anyone whom has not done a real parkrun yet and if it is available to you, give it a try. It is the most wonderful community event. Saturday mornings will never be the same again.Looking forward to hearing from all of you who ran in real proper parkruns and (not)parkruns. Happy running and have a lovely weekend.
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damienair
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Who would have thought that you could get an awful cold from air conditioning. I’ve suffered all week, I’m still up most of the night coughing. I’m on a course of steroids, antibiotics, antihistamines and a Ventolin inhaler. So obviously I can’t even think about running at the moment. I’ve missed 3 parkruns in a row due to Holidays and being sick. But today I’m going to go, my cocker spaniel Ruby and I will walk parkrun today. Weather is awful again. Drizzle drizzle drizzle. I’ll put on a rain coat and brave the day. Have a lovely run everyone.
Better to be ill in bad weather Damien….you don’t waste nice days that way. It doesn’t surprise me that air conditioning can carry colds……and legionella of course if it’s not properly maintained. Get well soon.👍
Oh no Damien! How miserable, I hope you are able to get back out there soon. Are there any air purifiers? Maybe you can suggest some get put in if this is a common thing? Well done getting out there 👍
Hi damienair & (not) park runners and park runners,
Still no running for me this week but I’m healing so hope to be back out there soon.
It was a very windy park run today! Hubby and no. 2 son did well even though the headwind was brutal on the way back. Hubby came Ist in his age category with a time of 25:18 & no.2 son ran his fastest mile (6:16) with a finish time of 21:32.
Good evening RunWillie, I hope you recover very soon and you can run parkrun again, congratulations to your husband on coming first in his age catorgary and No. 2 son running his fastest mile 🏃🏾👍
Your no.2 son is incredible RW, I could only dream of a mile that fast!
Hope you’re healing up ok. Katnap joined the falling over club today. He has two sore hands and a very grazed knee. Who would have thought this club would be so popular!
Sorry about the air conditioning causing all those problems for you Damien, as I write this post at 10am you will still be walking parkrun today, no parkrun for me today but I did run a "3K maintenance run" at 8.30 this morning around the park very near to where I live in a time of 20.17. I just hope that you recover soon from your bad cold,
Thanks Al. I’m bouncing back thankfully. Finished the steroids today and should be finished with the antibiotics on Wednesday. My cough is improving and I don’t feel as caught up. Well done on your maintenance run.
An 8k for me this morning. The first 5k was in 33:16, so I was quite happy with that given it was part of a longer run. It was drizzling but so warm that it didn’t matter. I am enjoying doing different routes and having someone to run with. We seem to be picking up pace, run on run, at the same rate, on the basis that we can walk for a few minutes if either of us needs it. Just the odd encounter with dog walkers this morning, and one young woman who overtook us with a cheerful hello, a smile and a clean pair of heels! So all good.🙂
Thanks Dexy5. Just trying to keep a lid on things and avoid getting over ambitious. I like these regular longer runs and my legs seem to be in sync with that too. 🫢
Morning fellow running chums! My first PR after a 3 week break, and it was a no brainer which one I’d pick. Severn Bridge! It’s so much of a favourite that I think I’ll do my 100th there! Number 91 today, so not quite yet.
No Jenny with me today as she’s whooping it up in London. No worries, I trundled over solo. It was the B course (will be for a while) due to roadworks, but it’s basically identical except for running down the slip road at the end towards the finish! I was stride for stride with another lady, and we sprinted across the line pretty much together. I let her ‘win’ by one second as we were going at quite a clip and I had visions of us entangling our feet! I didn’t fancy a face plant, and I’m sure she didn’t either! We high fived as we finished, and it was such fun! It’s not often I go fast. 😂
Anyway, 35:47 Garmin 35:50 official. Happy with that in the extremely humid conditions. 🥵
So your 100 is close to the GSR. A long way from those C25k days. Good run for you today cheeky; I remember stepping back to allow Tasha99 to finish before me on one park run. On her subsequent park run, she and her mate sneaked up and galloped past me at the last minute; youth of today eh? 🙂
It’s a nice bonus of the B course Jonathan. 👏👏 Although even for a sure-footed mountain goat like me, it felt like we were somewhat out of control! I did NOT relish falling flat on my face. 😳😵💫😅
I did tell him but he was too keen! He’ll be ok, one sore knee, washed off in the sea and dabbed with cream, two sore hands, one with a bandage whilst he drives. Just got to keep the other one moving as I think he’s bruised the tendons.
Update on Katnap’s wrist: suspected fracture in his wrist (difficult to see on the X-ray apparently) and it’s now got a brace on it. About 10 days recovery, but he still wants to go on my interval run with me tomorrow 🥰
Now let that be an end to the HealthUnlocked run of accidents please 🙏
Appreciate the update TailChaser but obviously not good news. Hope Katnap 's wrist mends fully and quickly, and please ensure the pair of you don't do yourselves any more damage!
Well today was Parkrun 4 for me and run in 39.39 so very happy with that in the very humid conditions. BUT a big SHOUT OUT to Sixfields Upton Parkrun ratcheting up their #150 event. Thank you to all the volunteers. I'm still enthused to keep running as many events as possible for now but will volunteer soon, perhaps when run 10 has been done! The volunteers are just the best. (Profile M70 stroke recovery)
Well I was all set for my 101st parkrun this morning, but after checking online I realised that there was a severe shortage of volunteers and particularly marshals. So at the last minute I changed my plans, did a nice 3k down to Portsmouth Lakeside and offered my services - which were gratefully received. I was also rewarded with an extra point on VO2 max - not sure why!
I was marshalling at the point where a cycle lane crosses the course. We usually have 2 marshals there, but today it was just me and there were a couple of hairy moments - some people are very impatient!
Oh well done Jonathan. Very noble of you to forego your run and go to marshal instead. Eastville was pleading yet again - I get so cross that it’s always the same faces who volunteer. 😠
Well done you Jonathan- I saw the desperate pleas on the Facebook site last night.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for your shirt. TailChaser has been waiting months for hers , and me for my V50. I will copy the email I had from the supplier to you
Thanks Dexy. I did a 'live chat' on the ProDirect website and was told that there was a delivery tomorrow, but that seems unlikely given that it's a Sunday!
My email and Dexy’s ProDirect response emails were identical JP, which is strange given that they were 3 months apart! However, they have to be right at some point surely?
That’s brilliant JP, I think they’re all a bit short at the moment. Our parkrun commandeered an old RD who was over from New Zealand today - most of us other RDs were off gallivanting across the country!
Fair play to you and very well done for Volunteering Jonathan. I’ve put myself down to volunteer next weekend as timer. It will be my 24th volunteer day.
It’s a great parkrun family isn’t it Damien? I didn’t run today as I didn’t feel brilliant when I woke up but I toddled down later to see the finishers and do a bit of chatting! Met a lovely couple of ladies from Chew Magna who often run at Ashton Court - they were celebrating 200 parkruns each and one of their group was doing his 100th different parkrun. And they brought cake! What wonderful tourists, you’re welcome in Southsea anytime! Dexy5 and UpTheStanley had run so deserved their post run breakfast; but, feeling better, of course I had to join them! Happy “sort of” parkrunning folks!
Ah great, nice to meet up for the post parkrun breakfast. I walked along with my doggie, I was the only one out of 58 parkrunners walking so had a lovely chat with the Tailwalker. A young boy aged 12 did his 100th parkrun in a sub 20 minute time this morning.
I was a tail walker today with a lovely bonus - one of the marshals asked if I’d mind taking her dog with me to give him a walk. Mind? Blooming delighted 😀. He had a tail and we were walking so he was also a volunteer I reckon. It was good to be able to talk during parkrun as I can’t normally say more than a word or two. All in all a great morning!
Very well done on Tailwalker volunteering today. I walked today with my doggie due to being sick. I was the only one walking so walked along with the Tailwalker having a lovely chat.
Gee it was warm at Southsea again this morning. I don’t blame some of the men running bare chested, but I went for a running vest and shorts as bare minimum. After a fairly fast run to the turning cone, I decided to Jeff the return leg and came in at exactly the same parkrun time as cheekychipmunks . 35:50 (35:10 Garmin)
Rewarded with chocolate brownie from milestone tourists!
Lovely photo of you and your dad beth_f, great run as well, Bushy Parkrun seems to be the Mecca for parkrunners, they should all run there at least once in their lifetime, it was there that the first parkrun took place on the 2nd October 2004.
Thanks all. It’s an area we know quite well & used to frequent regularly as both my Sister in Law’s lived very close by until they moved down our way but that was before I was running 🤦🏼♀️😂
Ah how wonderful. Great that you were able to experience it with your husband and your dad. Huge congratulations to you on completing the Bushy pilgrimage. Amazing and lovely photo.
Annoyingly I have no photos from today's run but we have been touristing at Newborough Forest on the isle of Anglesey.
Originally we were going to meet up with nowster , Oldfloss and a fellow RD from our home parkrun. However, Oldfloss had to go home early and the tide was high which meant running on mainly soft, deep sand, which I really didn’t want to risk. So it was Plan B, which thankfully nowster was happy to oblige with.
With our fellow RD risking it all at Pwllheli, we met up with nowster in the Newborough car park and he showed us his impressive collection of ‘Five Finger’ shoes. Then we made our way to the start and before we knew it we were off!
Newborough is a mix of sand (with a small dune) and trail paths. Katnap shot off with nowster not far behind and then youngest kitten followed them once the undulating first 3.5km was over and the downhill 1.5km began! I was happy with my 30:23 but this week I was only 5th in my age grade even though I was the 20th woman. The majority of the 109 were tourists so I reckon most were keen regular runners.
As mentioned in a few replies, Katnap had an accident but he’s all patched up now. Grazed knee washed off in the sea and two sore hands, he’ll be ok.
Due to the rainy weather and lack of cafe we had to say farewell to nowster without the traditional post run coffee, but hopefully we’ll do this some other time, and maybe when the tide is lower at Pwllheli 🤞🤞🤞 It was great to meet you nowster and well done on your run 👍👍
it seems like a face plant at parkrun is obligatory this year TailChaser . Sea water is a great healing solution, so long as its not sandy. Super that you managed a meet up with nowster - Shame about the coffee, but you probably just wanted to get dry and on your way by then. Safe journey home.
Ha ha. You’ve just reminded me, I’ve still got badges for the postponed Queen Elizabeth Park parkrun. Maybe it needs redirecting as it’s platinum year , and before it gets muddy again . What do you think cheekychipmunks and JonathanP ?
I’m just impressed that you even considered running at Pwllheli TailChaser . It sounds energy sapping without even being there! Glad Katnap is ok. What a club! And how lovely to see Oldfloss again this week, and to meet up with nowster ! 😀
Yeah, he’ll be ok. It was lovely to see both, shame she couldn’t join us but family commitments called. We’ve been trying to meet up with nowster for ages so it was great to finally do it. If Pwllheli had been the same consistency as when we last did it, it would have been fine but I dragged everyone up and down the steepest road in the world (allegedly) twice yesterday and I think we were all grateful not to have to lift our legs up too high today!
You had a great run..and remained injury free... unlike the speedy katnap!
As I am not back to full strength.. I did not mind missing the PR tooooo much. especially an early start! It was just great getting together in the week anyway!
It sounds a lovely route, but obviously I just love the Pwllheli one!!!!!!!!Heal well Katnap xxx
He’s had an X-ray and he’s got a suspected fracture. It should be mended in 10 days and he only has to wear a brace, thankfully it’s not too bad and at least it’s on the mend now.
An early start today after getting to bed late last night.
There was a last minute change of plans, and Pwllheli was no longer the venue for the meet up. TailChaser , Katnap and one of the Kits had decided to break their journey home by stopping off at the Newborough Forest parkrun.
The journey there was about 90 minutes but the roads getting there were quiet.
The group arrived after me. I spotted TailChaser just as I was leaving the toilet block in the car park there. It was drizzling. They watched me change into my "tractor tread" shoes (Spyridon MR) then we ambled over to the start position, reaching it about ten minutes before the off.
The start point has its own permanent marker and the route also has little white on blue "running stick figure" signs throughout. There were the usual yellow-backed parkrun arrows at all the turns.
The RD did a very short briefing from a rise at the side of the main path. It came as a surprise when she said "Go!"
As usual I held back at the start, a few metres behind TailChaser.
Katnap pulled away first. Once I started to feel confident (and the crush of runners had thinned a bit) I started to move up the field too.
The first stretch was a gentle rise on gravel, then a gradual drop to a left turn, then a right turn. The first surprise: a climb up soft sand. I went "stuff it" and powered up the dunes. It was firmer at the top. The rest of the course was a gentle climb on packed gravel or earth tracks, then from about the half way point, things levelled off and we started to gradually go downhill.
As I'd kept my powder dry at the start, I had enough left to overtake a few folks during the last km. The very end was a sharp right turn on sand into the finish funnel.
A very interesting course!
The rain held off during the run but started to come back once we'd finished.
Katnap finished first. Then me. Then the Kit, and finally TailChaser.
I came in at position 42 (of 105) with an official time of 26'50". That's an official parkrun PB for me. Unofficially, Blickling was still faster (26'26").
We chatted near the finish area for a bit until Katnap had cleaned his grazed knee and the rain started to get heavier. The parking was free until 11am. Normally it would be £2 for two hours.
Splits (on the watch): 5'57", 5'39", 5'14", 5'03", 4'52". Another first: negative splits at a parkrun.
Great to actually meet some people from here in real life! Hope you all had a safe journey home.
Great to finally meet you too nowster and thank you for joining us after the last minute change of plans. Well done on your PB, especially on such a technical course. Your splits are very impressive!
Hi damienair and everyone else. I haven't run for 17 days, too hot then away in Crete then too tired from lack of sleep lol but today was the day.I decided I'd just take it very easy. Mr YLG said he'd run with me but he couldn't hack my slow pace and slowly but surely pulled way ahead of me. I was happy with just Coach Bennett (Running for more: Joy) and an indie playlist off Radio 6 to get me through.
A lot of the time a woman about 10 years younger than I were running together, taking turns to overtake and even having a bit of a chat. She blamed her boobs for running slower than the guys who were miles ahead of us. I blamed myself for being old and decrepit. Eventually she pulled ahead. Normally I'd make a point of overtaking her but I was just enjoying the easy run. She finished 25 seconds ahead of me but I was just happy to be running again.
I finished in 39:11, not too bad, not my fastest but not my slowest either. Other half finished in 32:07, his slowest for a long time.
I felt really good once I finished but that treacherous Mr Garmin obviously didn't agree. My age according to the VO2 was 39 at the start but when I checked it after he tells me I'm 44. He's usually such a sweet talker, instead of being glad he's clocking me as 20 years younger than my real age I now feel cheated!!
Planned to do glossop as hadn't been there since number 25 but saw that woodbank was celebrating their 600th event so changed it last minute. They're coming up to 13 years now since event number 1!
Just a base plod this weekend but decided to press the pace on the last k on the flat section and pulled out a 4:04 which surprised me in the hoka shoes. The big wedge of cushion and lack of plate normally prevents me from going so close to 4. Quads must be getting stronger.
Feel like it may be time for another pb attempt so perhaps next Saturday I'll travel to the super flat rother valley parkrun.
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