A bit of nostalgia and a novel opportunity - Bridge to 10K

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A bit of nostalgia and a novel opportunity

Shake-and-run profile image
Shake-and-runGraduate10
16 Replies

Earlier in the week   TailChaser texted me with exciting news. There was a brand new parkrun starting in our neighbourhood and the inaugural event was this weekend. Last weekend   Sandie1961 had experienced an inaugural parkrun in her neck of the woods and we thought we should make the effort to match such a great achievement.

The course was at Wolford Wood (near Moreton in Marsh). I grew up very near to Great Wolford and had many memories of the big wood on the outskirts of the village. My Dad had told us tales of playing in the wood when he was a boy, and as a teenager I rode my pony there often. Although most of my memories are of over-grown trails and mud that was hock deep, so I was anticipating quite an interesting morning.

As it happened the route was mostly in a meadow, where the ground was uneven and boggy in places, and there was an out and back section that went into the wood along a track of rough stones. It was 3 laps of the meadow and 4 goes up the out and back.

The organisers hadn’t made a song and dance about it’s inauguration as the parking is limited and they did not want to be over-whelmed, but   TailChaser ,   Katnap and I put on our trail shoes and joined about 90 others on the start line. The day wasn’t too cold and there was little wind (the meadow is quite sheltered by the surrounding woodland). Running around the course we were cheered on by some very vocal, friendly and encouraging volunteers, we could hear songbirds and woodpeckers in the wood and met the delightful Gloucestershire Old Spots in their enclosure next to the course.

The runner first over the line completed in under 20 mins. I took considerably longer. My feet seemed to have forgotten how to run on uneven ground and I became very nervous of tripping or twisting my ankle so I opted to walk most of it. On the third lap I was no longer being overtaken and there was much more space around me so I ran more of the course, just walking on the rough stones and the boggy sections, I had worked out how to shorten my stride and felt much more confident. No parkrun banner for a photo-shoot but some plastic piggies in volunteer jackets made for an interesting image.

I think I might return another day, my trail running definitely needs more practise and there is promise of a different route for the summer months. We had a fabulous morning and for me it was very special. Memories of my childhood flooded back and I called out to my ancestors as we drove home past the churchyard in my village. (You will be pleased to know they did not reply).

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Shake-and-run profile image
Shake-and-run
Graduate10
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16 Replies
CBDB profile image
CBDBGraduate10

How exciting!!!! Yes, I’ve been hoping that the running club in my town would start a parkrun in my neck of the woods, but no luck so far!

Shake-and-run profile image
Shake-and-runGraduate10 in reply toCBDB

fingers crossed it happens for you

Cowladyrunning profile image
CowladyrunningGraduate10

Exciting! Love the piggies too 🤣

Shake-and-run profile image
Shake-and-runGraduate10 in reply toCowladyrunning

They are super cute. I did point out to the others the irony of doing a pig themed run this week and a sausage themed run next week………..😱🤭😳

Runnerno profile image
RunnernoGraduate10

Wow how exciting Shake-and-run an inaugural Park Run and in the area near to where you grew up.It certainly sounds like an interesting course.Well done to the three of you.

Shake-and-run profile image
Shake-and-runGraduate10 in reply toRunnerno

thank you. It was nice to support them and enjoy a unique experience

SueAppleRun profile image
SueAppleRunGraduate1060minGraduate

What fun you had, and.... I'm pleased your ancestors didn't reply to you

TailChaser profile image
TailChaserGraduate10

It’s been a lovely morning Shakes, I’m so glad we could share it with you (and that bike cafe is ace!) 😍

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10

how lovely to revisit your old stomping ground for a new parkrun Shakes, and great to see Katnap and TailChaser there too

Sandie1961 profile image
Sandie1961Graduate10

What a coincidence to have 2 inaugural runs on consecutive weeks. Yours seems to have managed to keep it more under wraps than mine (still 309 runners this week though 😳) and it definitely sounds more challenging. One for one of my visits to you I think! So nice to go back to Moreton too 😃

Shake-and-run profile image
Shake-and-runGraduate10 in reply toSandie1961

I thought you might be interested, but we do have quite a few Ws.

Oldgirlruns profile image
OldgirlrunsGraduate10

How lovely for you Shakes; a new parkrun in your old stomping ground! And of course, great company!

Shake-and-run profile image
Shake-and-runGraduate10 in reply toOldgirlruns

absolutely OGRs. Although I don’t see them between the start and the finish normally, with the out and backs on this one I saw them briefly on a few occassions.

Oldgirlruns profile image
OldgirlrunsGraduate10 in reply toShake-and-run

A bit like me then - I see more people on my outward leg as they’re on their homeward run than I ever do at the start!

cheekychipmunks profile image
cheekychipmunksGraduate10

That sounds like a lot of fun Shakes! Always fun to be there for an inaugural PR, and doing it with your buddies is even better. Glad you enjoyed yourselves. 😀

A tenuous link, but Jenny and I ran at Clevedon yesterday, and its inaugural PR was in September 2019, which I did!

Told you in was tenuous 😅

Run46 profile image
Run46Graduate10

Sounds fab, apart from the uneven ground/boggy part! Ah well, if you continue to go, it'll defo strengthen your ankles & knees! 😊👍

I'd love a local park run so I could give it a try...I don't drive and the two I'm aware of are 6 & 12 miles away.

Not sure if it'd be for me as I like to run alone, but I tend to think of a park run as running alone in a group!? 🤔

All the best to your ancestors, ready for your next shout out 🙃

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