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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Hi damienair & (not) park runners, and park runners,
It was 90% humidity today so I opted out of park run. I’ve also been keeping an eye on a niggle since last Saturday. It has felt ok all week so I picked up the pace a little to run 8k down to meet hubby & no. 2 son at park run. Niggle seems to be gone thankfully.
No.2 son came in at 19:28 & Dad at 26:03 which was good going considering they did 14k yesterday for HM training & it was stinking hot.
Happy to hear you’re niggle free. Super running by Son no.2 with another sub 20 and great running too by hubby. Happy running and have a great weekend.
Came to the Netherlands and did Zuiderpark, the nearest Z to the UK and ticked it off my Alphabet challenge. The run was mostly managed by other Brits who also live here and the system is exactly the same: brief, run, barcode scanning and more importantly, post run coffee 🍰
I was on the tourist trail today for my 51st Parkrun. I visited Rendlesham Forest for my first forest based parkrun. Beautiful pinewoods with a mixture of mud tracks, forest floor, wood chippings, concrete and “sandy hill” which unfortunately has to be repeated! It’s a forest famous for its alien sightings but luckily i managed not to get abducted! 👽😆 The tree roots were no joke and you really needed your wits about you (I’m used to a concrete promenade!) I really enjoyed it and the volunteers were all very friendly. This was no.55 towards the Fibonacci challenge and has also ticked off R in the alphabet challenge. Enjoy the rest your weekend everyone!
Well done on bagging your R and completing a lovely forest parkrun. I was doing some tourism today too and it was also a lovely forest trail run. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
The Fibonacci challenge seems so elusive to me. Thankfully the 5k app now allows us to search for events that match the criteria, so I might attempt it, once I've done the Alphabet, which is my first priority. If I'm lucky I'll tick off one or 2 while I'm doing the Alphabet.
it was a chilly morning in Stratford upon Avon so a day for getting on with it and getting home to the warm. I’m still recovering from my red Feb exertions but also mindful of my HM training plan which has been under threat from aching legs and general fatigue. I ran a delightful 5k yesterday in Hyde park with Sandie1961 , I was having problems with my breathing and was glad of the many photo stops, so I decided todays Parkrun would be all about breath management, running at a steady pace but keeping steady controlled breathing. It worked! I managed to run the course non stop, no aching calf muscles and my 3rd fastest run on that route. 😍😍😍
Marshalling at Eastville for Flossie and I. I’m not sure if it’s me recovering from my virus, but I was absolutely frozen to the marrow and shuddered whenever runners went by in shorts and short sleeves, which quite a few did. 😱 Flossie and I were dressed like Eskimoes!
Regardless, I jumped around a bit with enthusiasm (and to try to warm up) and had a great time.
Home for Lemsip capsules and a steaming hot mug of Bovril, which always does the trick when I’m under the weather. 🙏🏻
Well done for getting out there cheeky (and Flossie too of course). It is “Baltic” up here, with some snow forecast, so I know how feel. 8 degrees wouldn’t be too much to ask for would it? 🥶
Well done to you CC and Flossie on marshalling at Eastville parkrun despite the cold
I wasn't at parkrun today but despite a slight frost with a temperature of 3C I ran in shorts and a few layers of light jumpers a 3K maintenance run in a time of 21:04, got back home and had another ice cream chocolate swirl, 😋yummy 😋, from next week I hope to run for 4 weeks in a row at the four different parkruns I attend.
I only felt a little cold walking down the road to the start, I soon warmed up once I was running, its a 1K circuit all the way round this pond including a boardwalk over part of the pond, the only part of the run this morning which was icy was that boardwalk, I ran very slowly over it making sure that I didn't trip and fall into the water,.
well done and shorts as as well, impressed. Wasn’t icy here. I was out for a walk 5 km but real slow. Ribs and back still bothering me yet. Will hear about your walk tomorrow. 😊
I wasn't too cold after I started running, well done on completing that 5K walk despite your ribs and back still bothering you. Tomorrow's Sunday morning walk will be a 12K on another parf of that Half Marathon course I walked last Sunday, this Half Marathon trail run takes place in late October, the runners have to climb several hills then along the side of a canal, up another hill of around 200 metres, down the other side to the bottom where the canal is, then run up another hill of 200 metres which is the first hill they ran up the first time but on the other side, back down then along the side of a golf course with a short but steep hill then a final down hill to the finish, I divide my Sunday morning walk over two weeks, even doing that I only walk a little of that HM course, it is a very hard course for those runners.
I’ve see the forecast and I’m relieved that we’ll be away for at least some of it Jonathan! I think Rome should be warmer even if it’s not baking. I’ll take anything at the moment! 😅
Well done to the champion volunteer team cheeky and Flossie! It was pretty cold here to today, even I kept running to try and keep warm! Hope the Bovril and Lemsip did the trick!
Visit number 46 to my local parkrun. It was definitely parky this morning. 4°C but it had been nearly freezing overnight.
I arrived with about two minutes to spare. Somehow I'd lost track of the time. I got up early enough. However one runner was still arriving when the Run Director counted down. He turned around and joined in when the lead runners reached him.
I held back as usual at the start. As I'd got close to hurting my right knee on my Tuesday run I was being very careful about doing a longer distance today. I didn't want to reawaken the problem after nursing it all week.
A few of the regulars were there. Many were not. I plodded round, gradually overtaking the stragglers as usual. I had a cold nose for most of the run.
I was overtaken on the third lap (as usual). On the final straight the marshals were encouraging us (myself and a lady behind me) to race to the finish, but I didn't have anything left.
As I was taking photos afterwards a lady came in with a grazed upper lip. She'd fallen part of the way round but was determined to finish as it was the anniversary of her mum. The first aid kit came out, and a fellow runner with medical experience cleaned her up a bit.
As I was leaving kids (and their adults) were arriving for a cross country event which was starting soon after parkrun had cleared up.
A much reduced turnout today: only 52. I came in at position 28, the first time in ages that I've come in the second half. Official time: 29'49"
Well done nowster on your sub 30 minute run this morning, should that runner who joined the run after the RD countdown and after the runners started not be disqualified?
It was probably 20m. He ran towards the front of the pack (against the flow) then turned round and joined them. Not really worth getting bothered about in the grand scheme of things.
I traveled this morning to do some parkrun tourism at Monaghan Town parkrun. It was the most beautiful place, gorgeous forest park with lakes, hills, beautiful artworks and even a large car park and cafe on site. It was lovely. I traveled with 3 parkrun friends and we all wore our Apricot Tourist gear.
It was a 2 lap course through forest trails. The GPS watch had issues getting a signal so was off pace. I knew I was not running a 6:50 minute kilometre pace so I ignored it. I just kept running and myself and Ida were side by side all the way. The views were lovely and it was challenging with plenty of hills but the finishing kilometre was mainly downhill which was fantastic.
I got my first sub 30 minute parkrun for 2023. My official parkrun time was 29:30. Delighted with that. We celebrated in a cafe afterwards before driving the 90 minutes home.
Congratulations Damien on your first sub 30 minute 5k at parkrun this year, that's a lovely photo. I didn't go to parkrun today but I ran another 3K maintenance run around a 1K route near my home, over the next 4 weeks I hope to run at a different parkrun, those are the 4 parkruns I attend in a regular basis.
Very well done damienair on your parkrun and your sub 30 minute 5K finish time. 😉😆
Was the N2 usable this morning, or did you use the N3 and the unusual road (N54/A3) that crosses the border multiple times? I did that one back in the late-00s.
What a lovely tourist pic Damien, it sounds as if you had a good time! And well done on your first sub 30 for the year, I’m sure there’ll be plenty more!
We’re sitting in a pub in Selly Oak waiting for Katnap ’s birthday lunch post uni visit post parkrun! We’ve been to Canon Hill parkrun as it’s the closest to University of Birmingham.
I was a bit unsure today as I’ve been having issues with my right ITB being really tight and painful. A sports massage and some strengthening exercises seem to be working and I was able to do my first non-stop run since last Saturday.
Probably a bit too quick but I just can’t help myself. I was intending to keep it gentle but…well…you know… Just over 29 minutes which I’m very surprised about all things considered.
I just hope I haven’t made it worse for the 10 miles I’m supposed to do tomorrow but I’ll definitely take that gently as there is no one to run against apart from me and my ITB!
Not quite sure what we’re doing for the rest of Katnap’s birthday but he did get an RD shout out today and he seems quite happy with that!
It was very good thanks OG. Youngest kitten definitely suits the course, he’s just got to get the grades 🤞🤞🤞 I’m particularly pleased the logistics worked out and we were able to celebrate Katnap’s birthday!
No parkrun for me today - or for several weeks unfortunately..... In the week leading up to last Saturday's parkrun I'd had some intermittent pain in the groin, but since it hadn't really affected my running I'd assumed it was a muscular thing. However later on Saturday it had worsened and I then noticed I had a lump there. I managed to get an appointment at my surgery on Monday and an inguinal hernia was diagnosed - oh no!😞
I'm being referred for surgery but of course given the current waiting list situation, that could be some time. I initially wondered if some gentle jogging might be possible, but it soon became clear that it wasn't - even a shortish walk or some stretching exercises were sometimes uncomfortable. So a bit of a waiting game to see whether anything changes and what the response to the referral is.
However I decided that volunteering would be possible - just a question of what? Tailwalking was not advised and even marshalling might exacerbate the situation, so I decided to go for timekeeping for the first time. All went well until 200+ when I made a couple of unintended presses of the side button, but my fellow timekeeper was on target, so no problem and 238 were seen safely in. It was a bonus to see Mudita11 run through the finish doing some tourism - unfortunately we didn't get much of a chance to chat as I was too busy clicking!
Hope you get the surgery soon and it doesn’t cause you too much bother in the meantime. I find timekeeping a bit stressful!But my home PR has a couple of pros who always keep me on track!
So sorry to hear about your not being able to run for a while JP but I’m sure volunteering will be almost the next best thing! Well done for timekeeping - I’m not brave enough to do it, far too much responsibility! And how nice to see Mudita11 in this neck of the woods again!
First park run last week which pushed me to do my fastest 5k. I did a 7.5k run on Thursday and planned to to the park run again today but forgot I had the tiler coming in the morning.
I didn’t want to skip it so I went out early to do a 5k. It felt hard and uneven for the first half and when I got a stitch I was very tempted to stop. I’d gone about as far as I’d planned so mentally running back home was easier and when I hit 5k I was feeling much better and could have kept going. Shocked when I looked at my time and it was even faster than my park run!
Good 5K run for you today ReyC, I would count that as a (not) parkrun, if you wish you can report your time for that 5K to your home parkrun website, go to your profile parkrun page, scroll down to (not) parkrun, tap or click date, then time 'submit' that's the time you ran it today.
Well I've done it 142 times, I run a 5K every Wednesday as well as a official Parkrun on most Saturdays, if it's more than 5K as it was when I ran 6K last Wednesday I submit my 5K split time as a (not) parkrun, so far no one has stopped me doing that.
Hello damienair and fellow runners! I decided to head off to Doddington Hall again today, as I had spotted on Strava that one of my friends and former work colleagues was using it as part of her training to move up to 10 k for the first time. We haven’t seen each other since a socially distanced walk around summer 2021 so a meet up was long overdue. It was only 4c so I wasn’t hanging around and got my fastest parkrun time this year. 33.29 official time, but I started well back and my Garmin 5k time was 32.47, 167/224. Doddington has a Giant cycle store with a cafe so the catch up continued over coffee and toasted tea cakes.
Mr S and I are heading off to Spain and Portugal for a month in the camper tomorrow (no parkruns in either country) so my next one will be Easter Saturday, but the running kit is packed, ready for some hopefully warmer weather.
Lovely trip to Portsmouth Lakeside today. I needed a ‘P’ 🤭🤭 and the bonus of course was to see JonathanP albeit briefly as he was Timekeeping as in his report above. Had a quick natter though. A fast flat course and I got pretty close to a PB. A really enjoyable morning.
No parkrun for us for 2 weeks , because we found a last minute ski holiday in Austria. We are at high altitude and the snow is looking good from resort level. We shall see tomorrow, or I should say today as I’m having trouble sleeping despite being up at 5.00 this morning.
Well done everyone who parkran. Now back to sleep!
Hi damienair, what a contrast to 2 weeks ago when I had to stop and pull out. New PB 🎉🎉🎉😜 parkrun time 28.28 and Strava time of 27.58. Not sure if my Strava app had updated so I was getting no split times, I normally have them set every half a km so I was running oblivious to pace. It was such a relief that my breathing was not a struggle as it had been and felt good enough to attack the hills 😂Good negative splits all under 6 mins, another first 😁🏃♀️🏃♂️🏃
Very strange ParkRun, I was awarded our ParkRunner of the month (February) award, but when they read out the for why, I couldn’t recognise myself 106 parkruns, 8 pbs and a time improvement of 2 mins 8 secs. It turns out in the stats they have included my not parkruns, ah well I’ll take whatever I can get! Yesterdays run was my fastest of the year, no doubt as the ground is less muddy than it has been so far, I came first in my age grade, please note I am the only one in my age grade! Cake as usual after the run, someone’s birthday this time. Roll on the warmer weather and we’ll done to all the other Parkrunners/walkers.
Hi damienair I completed my 78th Parkrun yesterday at Bognor Regis. It was a chilly day but we had a good turnout. I finished in 0:31:29 which is my best Parkrun time this year, so I’m pleased with that!
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