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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So sorry everyone. I’m late posting today. I was up at 5am this morning as I was too uncomfortable in bed due to my rib injury from 3 weeks ago. I still can’t roll over on my side and my right shoulder blade muscles hurt sometimes when I’m lying flat. I was all on for walking at parkrun this morning with my doggie Ruby but at 8:30am there was very heavy wind and rain so I decided to relax and stay dry. I’m going to the park with Ruby now. So no parkrun for me today.
Tasha99 and I ran Flatts Lane Parkrun, a notoriously tough course which is always interesting. Sending our best wishes on your continued recovery my friend 🙏
Please don’t apologise Damien! I’m sorry you’re still in pain. 🙁
You and I had very similar mindsets today. I suggested walking at Eastville with Jenny and Flossie (both recovering from colds/chests), but upon seeing the weather first thing, I texted her to suggest meeting a bit later for a dog walk in the sheltered woods. 🌲🌳🐕
So we skipped PR and did just that. Much nicer. 🙏
I’m hoping to return to running next weekend. I’m trying to avoid a repeat of my everlasting chest infection from Autumn 2022 which I didn’t help by ignoring, and I ran multiple races when I really shouldn’t have. This one needs to sling its hook before I step out again. Love gifts from grandchildren ….. 🙄
Crikey, I actually participated in parkrun this morning! I haven’t done that since the Great South Run in October (but have been volunteering, natch!). I still don’t have a confirmed diagnosis of my foot issue so am being a bit wary but I thought I’d do it this morning, mainly because I was too slow to get my name on the volunteers roster! This was the first time I’d done Southsea ‘new’ course and while most of it was walking, I did run some and really enjoyed it! A good brisk sea breeze to blow away the cobwebs and a time of 49:59 plus breakfast with Dexy5 and UTS, what more does an OldGirlRuns need! Wishing you all a very Happy New Year !
Well I wouldn’t call it yer akshall running Dexy, more a brisk walk with some sort of shuffling at odd points, but I quite enjoyed it and think come January I might even manage to do a bit more!
UpTheStanley was RD this morning so I was his Jack of all trades. I started by doing the course check walk, arriving at the start with all the other volunteers, then I checked in and briefed all the marshals, allocating positions and handing out vests and lanyards . I was turn point 2 marshal and was only needed for 15 minutes there, so I then directed finishing runners to the scanners, with the hope of reducing missing tokens. After a breakfast with Oldgirlruns my mission ended with finishing the token sorting at home (2 missing tokens from the time I was helping a runner find the jacket she had handed to a volunteer en route).
277 runners, walkers and joggers arrived safely home with big smiles on their faces. Volunteering is so much fun and parkrun could not operate without the hi-viz heroes. Don’t assume your parkrun has enough volunteers - you won’t believe the work that goes on behind the scenes each week to get sufficient people to run parkrun safely.
I am running again on New Year’s Day - another bonus date at Southsea. Have fun everyone !
And this is a short video of our parkrun on Christmas Day which shows how much fun we had.
What a busy morning. And I love the video, especially the guy carrying Father Christmas 🎄 after all he'd had a busy night 😁 wishing you both a healthy, happy, New Year, and lots of fun running.
I hope you get an RD credit for all the help you give UTS Dexy? It sounds very much like the teamwork Katnap and I do. Amazing how those tokens disappear just as you have your back turned - typical!
Glad you didn’t have to cancel like we did - all that work, for nowt 😭
Yes our new course really does create extra work, and UTS was pleased of the help with suffering from a cold too. Not a good day for the PA system to die, but the boy did good!
Good afternoon Damien, I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas, this morning for the first time I was a marshall at parkrun, I was at the parkrun nearest to where I live which is Palacerigg Country Parkrun, of the four parkruns I attend only Palacerigg was on, the other 3 were cancelled due to ice on the course, the RD gave me a bell to ring as the runners passed me.After I got back to the finishing line I ate a few small cakes, yummy, there was also some Ale to have but I didn't drink that, overall I enjoyed my first stint at being a marshall at parkrun, by the way just after everyone completed their run there was a period of heavy snow, I was caught in it on my way home, I am now going to clear the snow from my garden path.
It WAS a winter wonderland walking home, in the afternoon I cleared the snow from my garden path, didn't really need to as it's now raining and most of the snow has melted.
I was never cold this morning Dexy, I was wearing two pairs of socks, my thick walking boots, thicker than normal trousers, a thin jumper with a thicker jumper on top, a scarf and thermal gloves with a new warm jerkin I got as a Christmas present from my son in laws mother, I wish you and UpTheStanley all the very best for 2024,.
A mud free weekend for me. A friend needed a flat run so we went to South Manchester which is very flat on tarmac paths although there were a few puddles that couldn't be avoided at least they were cleanish.A respectable 37.00 for me. Back to the village for our pp2b (post parkrun 2nd breakfast)
Due to a local fell race many of our junior volunteers will be unavailable to help me tomorrow so a couple of weeks ago we took the decision to cancel. So I am off for some volunteer tourism at another junior parkrun.
No parkrun for me today....I've had a good week and fitted lots in but starting yesterday I'm tired, it's a month since I got this illness and although the chestiness has abated and my voice is almost back to normal I'm not there yet, so will run when I can and rest when I need.
Katnap and I were due to be RDs today but it has rained and rained and rained. We spent most of yesterday trying to decide whether, and then when, to cancel. We spent all day watching the river level forecasts at both our weather station and those further up the river (to see what to expect later). We did an afternoon visit and then an evening visit but it was no good, the water levels weren’t dropping, so we had to call it off. It’s such a shame as we had a beautifully full roster and lots of great milestones to shout out, as well as it being the last parkrun of the year. As it is, even the NYD parkrun now looks in doubt 😢. The joys of having a riverside parkrun 🙄
We were going to do some touristing but we were so relieved and tired after coming to our decision, we stayed up too late watching a film, then couldn’t get up in time this morning. Ended up logging my first (not) parkrun of the year and finding a great, relatively reasonably priced, cooked breakfast at a local pub. We will be going back to that one!
So if we are cancelled on Monday, we’re contemplating Bushy. We just have to get up in time this time!
Happy new running year to everyone, may it be injury free and full of PBs xxx
It is. This time of year is always a bit dodgy though so we shouldn’t be surprised. The ED says it is happening more often though 😢 Happy new year to you too Sue
We only thought about it this morning. I said the same thing about numbers but Katnap thinks we should just go for it as we’ve been trying to go for nearly a year now. It would be a great way to start the year. 1383 today 😱 They have 12 funnel managers 🤣
It’s such a shame when you are forced to cancel, but early notification is welcomed so that runners and volunteers can make other plans. Bushy on New Year’s Day? How great is that! You will love the buzz.
It will make up for the disappointment of this weekend that’s for sure Dexy. Judging by the river level map for Monday, I think it’s more likely than our NYD run 😢
Such a pity you had to cancel. I was at a riverside parkrun this morning and the river level was very high. Finding the breakfast spot was a positive though 😁.
Good afternoon everyone! No parkrun for me today. I started sneezing on Boxing Day and it has developed into a full blown cold, 🤧🤧 although starting to feel a bit better. Thankfully above the neck, so no cough or chesty problems, but it was cold and damp, so I decided to stay in the warm!
Yuck. You and Shake-and-run manage to share a cold even though you’ve not seen much of each other! Very glad you’re on the mend, we just need to send healing vibes to Shakes x
Thank you Damien. I’m feeling a lot better. I contemplated a short 20 minute run today (having started a 30 day yoga programme and done my physio exercises this morning 😇) but I just couldn’t face the torrential rain. Tomorrow maybe 🤞🏻
Sorry to hear about your ribs. You definitely made the right decision to stay in the warm.
We were due to go to Richmond on New Years Day but other plans have cropped up so decided to make the 1 ½ hour journey today.
The last time we were here was for my Sister In Law’s wedding some 20 odd years ago and before the birth of Parkrun.
It was pouring with rain when we arrived but as soon as we started to walk to the start, the weather eased up. Missed the first timers briefing and didn’t hear the run directors start (too far back).
Fortunately the rain held off and I just followed everyone else. A tough course and I struggled, but the location was beautiful, even with the grey skies. Had to finish on an incline 😫. Official time 36.17 and another time trial ticked off.
I did my 44th parkrun today. Loved it, met some tourists who were parkwalkers. Lovely time walking with them and chatting. I managed a jog at the end! I'm marshalling and doing the first timers brief on New Year's Day, already looking forward to helping out.
I marshalled and did the first timers brief today. Very cold but I do enjoy it. Found out when results came in that I've completed another challenge, the festive one. Attend two events in the same festive season.
I did my 44th parkrun today. Loved it, met some tourists who were parkwalkers. Lovely time walking with them and chatting. I managed a jog at the end! I'm marshalling and doing the first timers brief on New Year's Day, already looking forward to helping out.
parkrun number 91 for me. Visit 61 to Chadderton Hall. My weeks are currently reversed with Dad still in hospital, with me spending weekdays in Wales and weekends in Manchester.
It was raining very heavily this morning and I was in two minds as to whether to stay under the duvet. By force of will I got up and kitted up.
The rain had eased a bit over the next hour.
A feeling of unease meant an extra visit to the loo before leaving the house, and that made me a little late. The rain stopped as I arrived in the middle of the RD briefing, with just enough time to get towards the back and say a few quick hellos before we were off.
There were a few puddles to tiptoe round but it wasn't as bad as I'd feared. It rained lightly about half way through. No heroics today as I'd not run since Boxing Day (Tuesday, Gŵyl Sant Steffan) in Aberdaron as Storm Gerrit pretty much made it impossible to leave the house with horizontal rain and a wind that threatened to take the door off the hinges if you opened it.
I didn't hang around as long as usual afterwards this morning as it was 5°C and very damp.
Decided to pay one back today at Portsmouth Lakeside and opted to marshal. The forecast was light rain so I got kitted out in gloves, waterproof and Christmas present beanie, only to find that the drizzle dried up before the start. My allotted position was halfway round the lake - splashed through the puddles to get there, which had definitely not dried up! A good turnout of 260 finishers - as usual, many with a 'thank you marshal' as they passed. A most enjoyable hour!😀
It was hot & I was very tempted to make my last run of the year an easy run but one of my 2023 running goals was 80/20 running (Don’t neglect the 20%) so off to park run it was. Park run is so much more than time goals but Park run has been amazing for me this year as although I haven’t run any park run PB’s. Just showing up to run a sub 30 park run regularly has kept that speedier run in my running week & encouraged me to not neglect that 20%. I’ve put my name on the volunteer roster to be the 30 minute pacer in February which I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do at the start of the year. Now that’s a good way to end my park running year!
93rd park run for hubby & 26:15
65th park run for me & 29:21 for me.
Happy New Year! park & (not) park runners❤️🏃♀️🏃🏻♂️
Well done on all your runs in 2023. It’s a great feeling when you can consistently run a sub 30 minute parkrun. Im planning to get back to sub 30 this year.
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