Hello Everyone. 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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Portobello Parkrun in Scotland is unfortunately cancelled this morning for us. It's part of a weekend of running though so we move on to the next 😊 Good luck to everyone else this morning 🏴
Pity about the weather, my pacer for the Cumbernauld 10K I ran last September also ran in the Edinburgh half marathon, she had a PB of 2:16:03 but she said that it rained all of the run and there was a slippy surface at the end.
It really did rain non-stop Al. Really heavy at the start as well. It was very slippy coming into the finish line as it was so wet and the surface they put down was so wet it was difficult to get traction. Give your friend congratulations from me because that's a super time 👏👏👏👏
Today I premiered my 50 t-shirt and came to Stockley Country parkrun, the westernmost parkrun in London. It was so remote, you couldn’t see any buildings around the route, which was nice.
It was my first trails parkrun and thankfully I brought my trail shoes. Not sure my usual trainers would have handled all the little stones and twigs well.
I managed to keep to my usual time and happy about that, considering it was all trails on very narrow and winding paths.
Trails are the best Diogo for the reasons you describe. The views; what you can see and what you can’t! Brilliant. I use my Adrenalines on trails all the time; they stand up to it really well.
I took my usual trainers to a grassy and muddy parkrun a few weeks and slipped in the mud eheh
I'm not taking more chances on grassy/trail runs with my usual shoes. Especially as I got new ones, and I'd like to keep them "clean". Plus, I've got my trail shoes, that's what they're for. Gotta take them out of the closet every now and again
Good afternoon Damien, yesterday was my 78th birthday and to celebrate I bought new running shoes which I wore at Drumpellier parkrun this morning, not sure about the shoes or age but I got the highest age grading ever, my time was 31:41 with a age grading of 63.39%, there were 176 runners altogether, my position was 103, it's been a great week for running for me, on Wednesday I ran my 50th 10K, the Spring HU 10K in a time of 1:12:43.
Aww happy birthday for yesterday AlMorr . You share the same birthday as my hugely missed late dad (he’d have been 98 yesterday ❤️). Excellent times for your PR and HU10k 🎉
Thanks CC, interesting to know that my birthday is the same day as your hugely missed late dad, it's also the same day as Queen Victoria and Bob Dylan among others, I enjoyed both runs, today and on Wednesday
Thanks Dexy5, my PB at Drumpellier was 30. 09 on the 4th September 2021, my age grading that day was 62.85%, slower time today:-31.41 but a higher age grading:-63.39%
PS, after the run there were two plates with cup cakes, I ate one, yummy 😋
Thanks Sandie1961, I'm happy with my parkrun time this morning, next week, marshall at the nearest parkrun to where I live which is Palacerigg Country Parkrun.
Wow Al, firstly Happy Birthday, and secondly you must be in a very rare and exclusive club of runners in your age category whom are running such fantastic times and achieving such amazing age gradings. Also huge congratulations for your run on Wednesday for your 50th 10K, the Spring HU 10K in a time of 1:12:43. Thats incredible.
Thank you very much Damien, I do still enjoy running but I make sure not to overdo it, I only run twice a week, serious runners have to run at least 4 or 5 times a week, perhaps the reason I can run at a reasonable pace isn't to do with running but all the walking and cycling I do, I walk every day of the week, but I don't cycle any more than once a week, usually on a Sunday morning from May to September, from October to April Sunday morning is long walk day, longer than other days of the week, I only started running 6 years ago when I cut down cycling from 4 times a week to once a week and the distance was cut down from 50 kilometres or more a week, to less than 20K on a Sunday, at the most I only run 15 kilometres a week, so I think the other exercises I do must have something to do with me being able to keep running, as long as I can keep well health wise I will keep running.
Somerdale Pavillion for me and MrU this morning. Lovely and sunny…was glad of the shorts and sunglasses. Was aiming for a nice, chilled one but it still felt quite hard work in the unrelatedly sunshine. Finished looking like a tomato but I beat MrU, which was important!
Pleased to end up not far off 30 minutes today which felt like a big win coming off last week’s cold.
The nicest thing about this morning’s run was all the buttercups in the long grass!
Yes, it’s held on the old Fry’s/Cadbury grounds where they used to make Curly Wurlies and other delights Curlygurly2 and since the course has a very tight spiral, done on all 3 laps, that’s how Somerdale Pavilion earned its nickname !
Hi Damien. I have to report a failure! I got up at 7 am intent on doing a Park Run proper, but didn’t get out of the house in time for a 9am start! So, intervals on my woodland trails it was. 6.13k at 6:27/k pace and the last 5k took 31.56, which is my best for years. I will have to be careful, but the very long runs seem to be complementing the speed runs and vice versa….I guess that is what the plan is designed to do! I just slacken off a little bit between intervals now; the watch never pauses. Long run on Monday; we will see what that brings! Really warm when I set off, but colder by a few degrees for my walk home…should have taken a second top!
I think “could I have made it had I been more determined?” Is a fair question JP. Whilst I have met some really nice people at the only Park Run venue I have visited, it is a flat tarmac track, and very much PB territory…my 7 runs were all Park Run PBs ending up at 28:17. So there is a bit of self generated pressure there. With that comes an injury risk.
I think that some of the problem is probably located between my ears!🤷🏻♂️
This morning I did some parkrun tourism . I stayed last night with my parents and was just 50 minutes away from Portumna parkrun. My brother came with me and we were joined by my 2 parkrun friends from my home parkrun. The course was 2 laps in a beautiful forest trail, small crowd of about 20-25 people. My friend Petula is faster than me and this morning I decided that I would try my best to hang on and use her as a pacer. Each kilometre Petula was stepping up the pace and I was struggling to keep up with her for the last kilometre. But with 200 meters to go I dropped the hammer and gave it everything I had left in my tank. I nearly collapsed on the finish line. Guess what? New parkrun PB! 25:22. I’m still in shock. 😳 14 seconds faster than my previous PB from 2019. So to celebrate Ida, Petula, my brother and myself went for a lovely post parkrun breakfast. Great parkrun morning with a massive cherry 🍒 on top. 😁 Thanks so much to Petula for being my pacer today, a job she did not sign up for. 😁
Bit of a late check in from me today. We’ve had a bonkers week with Jenny’s wedding on Wednesday, and tomorrow is her baby shower. Lots of things to do!
Luckily I carved out time to fit PR in today. Cool and sunny so I chose Burnham and Highbridge. Not so cool on the course though, with no shade and only a very light breeze. I felt strong and kept up a steady pace, finishing in 37:57 (PR time 38:23 due to walking through the narrow congested start). I was pleased with that. 😀
Definitely a busy family week BC and I must admit I’m quite weary. It’s been a very disrupted week running wise, but somehow I only missed Tuesday on my HM plan. That’s ok, I’m loosey goosey about it as it’s yonks until Cardiff! 🪿
hello runny people, no chance of me staying in bed this morning as UpTheStanley was RD and he’d pinged me to brief the marshals before my run.
A sunny morning brought out lots of first timers to Southsea, and some brand new parkrunners too. 496 in total. I did a bit of jeffing in the 2nd half, so positive splits for me. I then ran the final km with a friend of Coddfish , and we chatted away and ran in together. And I let her have the first token. 😂
So parkrun time of 36:12, and Garmin 35.04. Apparently I earned a double/ton challenge today which is 200 runs or volunteers at Southsea parkrun. I’ll always take a badge even though I didn’t know it existed.
Breakfast Al fresco followed with Oldgirlruns . Have a good long weekend everyone.
I incorporated Woking parkrun into my HU Spring 10k today. I’d put on trail shoes as the muddy wooded section is legendary but luckily today, although there was plenty of mud, it was just about avoidable with a bit of leaping and swerving 🤣. A really pleasant 3 lap course in a well maintained park, a short distance from Woking railway station. Official time is 31:45 and this was my 49th different venue. Have to think about the location of my 50th!
I just had to Google what a "Nendy" is!!! Our one in moving to Ryde next week while the festival is on Mudita11 til September, so is a pretty seafront route! 😊xxx
Brilliant achievement Mudita11! Being a nostalgic type I would probably head for the scene of my first Park Run….but as I have only done 7, and they have all been in the same park, it isn’t likely to be a problem 😂
We thought about doing Marple as it should have been ok after the nice weather, then we had a couple of days of heavy rain and our friends said they were planning to go to Philips Park so decision made.A lovely morning for a run in a very nice park. A couple of short uphill sections which get mixed reviews on the app, but to compensate most of the course is flat or gentle downhills so it was very nice. Of course I walked some of the uphill bits because I am not bothered about my time and have decided that parkruns have to be enjoyable not a chore for me.
I will be Junior RD tomorrow, unfortunately the weather forecast does not look good 🌧️
A glorious morning for handing out finish tokens Damienair, that’s 89 volunteers to date! 497 very hot and sweaty runners and at the speed I was handing out the tokens, I’m sure they all came through at the same time! But good fun and I do love volunteering!
Wow, 89 volunteer days. That is fantastic. I gave my all today and left nothing behind at my parkrun. I was so exhausted coming through the finish line that I completely forgot to collect my finish token. Thankfully my friend was right behind and collected my token for me. 😀 Took a while to recover afterwards.
Hello everyone! I was messaged by my friend Clive on Thursday to say that he and a couple of running club friends were motorhoming at Belvoir Castle over the weekend and did I fancy Belvoir parkrun. Of course I jumped at it (even though I already have a B ☹️) and checked the course description. Several mentions of hills (well, the castle is magnificently located on top of one) but tarmac paths, so put on my road shoes. We met up and went to the briefing, to be told they had switched to the summer course, which is out and back and 100% trail 😬 Also a warning to be careful of muddy patches and sticky up rocks. The run started with a downhill section on gravel, then a long straight on grass/soft earth, where my road shoes were slithering! Then a 1km uphill to the turnaround point. Coming back down was very pleasant, then back on the slippery grass and finally a 500m hill back to the Start/Finish. An absolutely gorgeous route, but very challenging in the wrong shoes. 97m elevation gain, 99 runners and my time was 39.05. After a delicious brekkie at the fab on-site bistro, Mr S and I took advantage of the 25% discount for parkrunners and went for a tour round the castle and a walk around the beautiful gardens, full of rhododendrons. A pretty good day all round 😃😃😃
Incessant rain and cool conditions here in the east on Saturday threatened to turn my local parkrun into a damp squib. But it wasn't, because more than 150 of us turned out and we were all glad it wasn't cancelled. There was even a very determined first timer, who was not going to let a few raindrops (well, a lot actually) put her off. We counted our blessings that there was no danger whatsoever of overheating this week and that the rain kept large cycling groups away this weekend. Normally in summer, runners and cyclists need to do carefully-timed dances on the narrow path we share. I ended up doing a nice negative splits run by trailing behind a couple of superb athletes, who seemed to be running at (their) easy pace, chatting all the while, as they cruised past the field effortlessly. I love that there is such a variety of runners and walkers at parkrun.
Well done. That's what I love about parkrun too, the variety of people taking part. Young Children, Fit young 80 something year olds, abled bodied, disabled bodied, uber fit and not so fit, big and small and everything in between. I love that it is not competitive, you can go slow or you can push hard to run faster. Very well done for not letting the rain put you off and well done on doing it with negative splits. Great effort.
Better late than never I guess? A warm morning yesterday at Portsmouth Lakeside with a good turnout and a 31.11 time - 9 seconds better than last week, so what's not to like!
Also I bit the bullet this week and self-referred to the NHS physio service about my longstanding sore left knee, which doesn't seem to be improving despite regular strengthening exercises. Once I have a diagnosis I'll decide whether some more intensive treatment would be helpful - we'll see!
Parkrun number 101. Of course I had to wear the appropriate tee shirt.
Milder weather than I was expecting. I'd put another thin tee shirt on underneath the new one. I didn't need the extra layer.
Chadderton was busy, with over 100 people running. I arrived just in time (again), having made the mistake of replying to an email before setting out from the house and leaving myself barely ten minutes to get there.
There were a few familiar faces, so a few waves and "hi"s.
We were off! I hadn't run since Tuesday's 10 miler, so my legs felt fresh. I decided to go a little faster at the start. That was deceptive as there was more crowding and many of the regulars were holding back as they were planning on doing the Great Manchester Run on Sunday.
After passing the marshals at the end of the first lap, I saw a lad who seemed to be struggling with his breathing with his dad behind. I was reminded of my struggles with unrecognised exercise induced asthma in my early teens (and the totally unsympathetic PE teacher), and called out that it was OK to walk for a bit. I didn't see them on the following laps. I hope the lad was all right.
I found a good pace and kept near a group who were doing a similar pace to me. The first couple of laps were good but the latter couple were harder work.
We were lapped by a guy who eventually finished under 20 minutes. I commented to a fellow runner that the speedy guy was pronating a fair bit, to which they replied that he was still lots faster than us. We laughed.
I had a couple of ten second walk intervals after climbs. At the end I had just enough energy left to accelerate through the final 100m.
I had a few quick chats with people after, but had to disappear so that I could get ready to travel to Cambridge for a friend's birthday BBQ that afternoon.
Official time: 29:47, position 41/106.
A photo of the back of a 100 tee shirt, with a guy in black shorts wearing it.
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