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.
Written by
damienair
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That was one very cold week. No running during the week for me due to work and horrendous weather. It was still pretty rotten this morning but much better than earlier in the week. My 2nd Son decided he would like to join me at parkrun today so I decided to bring my dog Ruby as well. My 2nd Son had Knee surgery done about 1 year ago and it was niggling him a little. We walked and jogged and got around the course in a time of 45:18. It was my Sons first ever parkrun. So now he has a nice easy PB to beat.
I’m going to take him out for Brunch now to celebrate.
I’m away from home so a great opportunity for a little parkrun tourism. There were 66 runners at St Mary’s plus a wonderful bunch of volunteers. The course is along narrow paths with 3 laps and some out and backs. There was a lot of rain and a rather nasty head wind on the river stretch but a very friendly welcome.
No parkrun for us in the Austrian alps, although we have been chatting to parkrunning guests in our hotel. Love this picture in a restaurant so I thought I had to share.
It was my second parkrun today and it’s been cold and wet in south London. We were warned about mud and frozen puddles so my goal was to get round unscathed and ideally remain upright!
There were a few hairy moments and I felt pretty tired from scurrying around the worst mud.
I finished feeling pleased I’d done it and not too worried about time… only to find that it was my fastest 5k! So I have a parkrun pb that will be pretty hard for me to beat!😂
Feeling pretty good about it. Thanks to the folks who talked me into wearing my new sneakers rather than trying to save them from mud. I probably would have fallen if I’d worn my old sneakers.
Good afternoon Damien, this morning was Dunfermline's 300th parkrun, at the end of the run I had birthday cake and a cup cake with the number 300 on the iceing, this is the run I have ran with the most amount of runner's, there were 294, previously 264 was the most at Drumpellier Parkrun on September 21st 2019, the weather was sunny but a bit cold, my time was 33:40, position 214 out of 294, a reasonable run for me today 🏃🏾👍
Brilliant Al. Well done on your parkrun and how nice to have cake at the finish line. Have a lovely weekend. I’m watching the Rugby in front of a nice warm fire. Big match is tomorrow with Scotland 🏴 v Ireland 🇮🇪.
I do indeed Oldgirlruns, the last 3 parkruns at 3 different ones I ran have had cake at the finishing line, either the parkruns birthday or a milestone like today (No. 300) or a volunteer or runner celebrating a birthday or milestone run, the cake I had this morning was delicious 😋 😋
PS Oldgirlrun, apart from the cake there was quite a contrast in the number of runners at Saturday's run, 294 at Dunfermline compared to the last parkrun I ran 3 weeks ago where there were only 36 runners at Palacerigg Country Parkrun.
We are up in the Twickenham area for the rugby and I have finally got enough oomph for combining parkrun with a rugby international day so my 220th parkrun was also my 4th visit to the wonderful Bushy Park
Oh lucky you. I must do Bushy pilgrimage sometime . Well done, it must be an amazing experience. Enjoy the Rugby too. I’m watching Wales v Italy at the moment in front of a lovely warm fire. Pouring rain outside. My lawn is water logged.
Whoop whoop! That’s great news Coddfish, I’m so pleased for you! I shall look out for you on the TV while I watch the rugby in the warmth of my brother’s house!
We were supposed to be touristing today at Clare Castle but the car had other ideas. Weeks of salted roads and a long journey mid-week have upset it and it has to go to the car doctor instead.
So we were back at home for a chilly, damp, slightly flooded Stratford run. We were one of the few in the area that hadn’t been cancelled but I think most people headed for Coventry as we weren’t that busy. Coventry is on hard paving and hasn’t got a river that’s likely to spill over, so is more reliable in these conditions.
Katnap and youngest kitten volunteered so I was on my ownsome. This was one of my HM training runs that I’d moved as it suited parkrun - 30 minutes at Threshold pace, which is what I usually run it at anyway. It turned out at 27 and a half minutes but I’d run there so I counted that as well 😊. It was a bit of a killer - I started out far too fast, no moving up the gears, just hanging on for dear life for three laps! Apart from that it was quite uneventful, apart from being cut up and nearly going flying as I went into the final bit - I wasn’t very impressed.
Back home now, just warming up. No coffee shop today as no Shake-and-run and also the fear of how much the car is going to cost to repair! I have a feeling its days are numbered anyway 😔
Caffarella PR this weekend! I’m in Rome with 60 choir members and of course as there were a few runners between us, we had to sample PR!
So I was very good drinks-wise last night (not so much the other nights 🥂 🍹 🍻 🍷) and retired to bed at an earthly hour in order to catch the Metro at 8:15.
It was easy enough to find and we were impressed with the spread of cakes, pastries and drinks (including Prosecco) on display at the finish. It happened to be their 2nd birthday - how lucky was that! 😅 The course was lovely, mostly flat with a pretty meadow, loads of dog walkers and hiking groups. And of course, so friendly! ❤️
Now I haven’t run a step since 21st February due to being sidelined by a viral chest infection. Happily my cough is diminishing now, but I knew today was going to be slow, and I wasn’t convinced I’d make it round at all. But I did, albeit at snail’s pace, but I ran the lot except a little killer hill towards the end. Garmin and official PR times differ massively though, although my friends’ times appeared to be right, so maybe I wasn’t as slow as I thought. 😅
Good photo CC and a great run for you in Italy at Caffarella parkrun, glad your cough is diminishing, lucky you to be there for the parkruns 2nd birthday and having a cake at the finishing line
The parkrun I ran this morning at Dunfermline celebrated its 300th run and at the end I ate a piece of birthday cake and a cup cake with the number 300 on the iceing.
Fantastic Cheeky. How lovely to fit in a parkrun whilst away in Italy. An international parkrun and to catch a birthday celebration too. Enjoy your time away with the Choir.
Your choir members clearly have a much lower average age than mine. I can’t imagine there are any other runners in mine 😂 Fab international parkrun and great that you were able to run it. 🤞for seeing the back of illness!
I was a volunteer parkwalker today at Southampton where we had 874 runners - a lower number than the previous few weeks but still a crazy number 🤣. It was enjoyable walking and nattering, if a little bit nippy 🥶. Long run day tomorrow hence not using up my energy reserves today. Hope you’ve all had great runs.
Last night, after reading the story of the (not)parkrunners who are completing their 1000th (in German here: blog.parkrun.com/de/2023/03... ), I realized that, as I am simply a solitary runner (right now) and I want to be part of parkrun, I can do (not)parkruns! Yea, I know, duh! 🤣
Well, I wasn't really sitting on my brain... 🙃 I had realized a few weeks ago that a (not)parkrun was also a 5K (not the 30 minute runs I was doing on Saturdays), so I didn't quite feel part of the parkrun movement with those 30 min runs...
Today, I decided that I was ready for a 5K again and ran a wonderful (not)parkrun in the cold sunshine in 38:59, not quite at the 8 minute average I am aiming for in my "how slow can I go" quest. I also want to work on consistency as my tempo varied from a fast 07'06" in the 4th km to 08'56" during the first 1km... (if anybody has suggestions or comments... I am all eyes!)
Congratulations to you ChannelRunner2 on completing your (not) parkrun in a time of 38:59, I read that report of the runner who has run 1000 (not) parkruns since they began in 2020, one thousand is a remarkable achievement, I only run twice a week, usually a Wednesday and Saturday, official Parkrun on a Saturday and a (not) parkrun on the Wednesday, last Wednesday was #143, 143 weeks since they began, My Wednesday runs are sometimes more than 5K, when that happens I submit my 5K split time to my home parkruns website
Very well done on your 5K (not)parkrun. Mixing up your runs usually helps. Faster interval runs during the week and a longer slower run thrown in as well to help with endurance.
Good afternoon Damien and fellow parkrunners (in person or in spirit).
My eleventh visit to Hafan Pwllheli this morning. I wasn't looking forward to it after the recent weather. However, that was the least of our problems this morning.
This morning was a spring high tide with its peak at 10.10am. It was already quite high by 9am and was still rising. The start position was moved back. The Run Director informed us of the bad news: they feared the usual turnaround point would be under water so we were doing the alternative course today. Out and back twice to a point approximately 1.25km ahead.
The woman next to me in a very bright yellow top asked me to take her photo alongside the venue name sign, then explained she was doing C25K again after a break from running. I asked which week. "Week 5." I asked if she'd done the 20 minute run yet. "Yes, just done that." I wished her luck.
And then we were off. The sand was initially firm but then got progressively softer and more sloped the further we went. I paused briefly at the turnaround point then made my way back.
I came to the realisation that running all of this would be impossible, so decided to run/walk it. I ended up doing a game of running leapfrog with lady immediately following me. She was running in what looked like water shoes. Unfortunately she didn't hang around afterwards, so I couldn't ask.
Back to the start. I briefly pause and chat with the marshals, then set off in pursuit of my virtual partner. The second "out" pass was harder due to the footfall churning up the sand and the encroaching tide making the runnable area narrower.
Still run/walking, I pause briefly at the turnaround. The marshal there was doing little run loops herself. She was probably getting cold.
It didn't get any easier on the final "back", and of course the sand was even more churned up and harder to run on.
I get cheered to the end, receive my finish token, then have to continue on a little to make up a deficit of 250m from the GPS-measured distance. Once again the barcode on my finish token has seen some damage and won't scan. I use the barcode app on my phone to generate a substitute, which does. (Suggestion to parkrun organisers: use QR codes for finish tokens in the future as they handle damage better.)
I hang around a bit, chatting with various folks, empathising with them about the difficulty today. Then I start to feel chilly and head back to the car park.
Whilst pottering round the local Lidl about half an hour later, my official time comes in: 32:57
Runners spread into the distance along a yellow sandy beach, approaching parkrun finish.
I joined my first parkrun this morning. A very hilly course, I did struggle and had to run/walk but really enjoyed it. Got a time of 39:51. Lots of room for improvement
Brilliant. Huge congratulations on doing your first parkrun. It’s a great way to kick off your weekend and meet lovely people. I did a very similar time the first time I did a parkrun. Like you I walked and jogged my way around. It’s great going back and seeing improvements in time. Most of all enjoy them.
Quick confession time for me today Damienair as I’m staying with my brother and I haven’t run at all because of the snow! And to cap it all, Arrow Valley Parkrun was cancelled this morning because of the weather so no touristing either! Ah well, I had a nice walk with my sister and a visit to a garden centre instead! Happy running folks!
Lovely. Enjoy your time with your brother and family. There will be plenty of time to do other parkruns. I didn’t run during the week because of the weather.
I have packed my running kit, but, with over 1200 miles driven since Monday, I haven’t yet been for a run. Today Mr S and I left the van at the campsite and took the bus into Toledo so not even a (not) parkrun - Spain doesn’t have any real parkruns anyway! We did do 16000 steps and 26 flights of hills though, so I got some much needed exercise 😂
Milano Nord for me. A nice two lapper in an urban park and a good community. My first run since the Paris Half last week and my pace was actually slower despite being a quarter of the distance!
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