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.
Written by
damienair
Administrator
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Today I didn’t run as I’m doing a bike ride later and I wanted to save my legs.
I volunteered at Clapham Common parkrun, my new home run. We had nearly 900 runners, which I’m told wasn’t as busy as usual, due to the cloudy weather and some other events taking place this weekend.
Ooh, Katnap and I will be there next week with lots of other Fordys! I had a look at the results last week as I was considering run and scanning but your 30min plus runners don’t come in until 500+ 😱 so may not be worthwhile. Maybe see you there next week? Good idea saving your legs!
Another piece of Parkrun tourism here in North Tyneside. A lovely Parkrun for us both at Rising Sun. A beautiful one lap course on a mix of surfaces was a great start to the day. We particularly loved running through the woods and being shaded by the canopy. It's only 1 km away from our hotel and last night we visited both Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. We'll come back and do Whitley Bay one time. Next week we're back at Albert and I'm going to be a pacer for the the first time 😊 68 Parkruns at 34 locations with 5 volunteer credits so far.
Well done to you both. parkrun tourism becomes very addictive. 😁 But it’s a lovely way to visit different places and you get to see lovely towns, cities and parks which you would not normally visit if not for parkrun. Safe trip home.
This morning I travelled to Deerpark parkrun Carlanstown. It was just 23 minutes away from me. I did it before in 2018 and I was amazed to see how the park had matured including a fabulous community centre and a little cafe. Amazing community experience with free tea, coffee, drinks and sweet treats at the finish line. I started well but after 3 kilometres I was exhausted. I had to take a walking break before getting back to running the rest. My last kilometre was actually my fastest and I finished in a time of 26:50. I had a busy week and was a little run down I think. Anyway really enjoyed that. My family are all coming up to me today for a BBQ and party which I’m sure will run into the early morning. Time to mow the lawn and build up a couple of tents for the kids. 😁
Good morning Damien and all! Giving myself a bit of a rest today as it’s been a bit of a bonkers week, what with cycling with Shake-and-run and getting up at 3am Friday morning to run on The Ridgeway to welcome in the Solstice (post to come later).
Eldest kitten was RD today and he needed another tailwalker, so I was more than happy to oblige. Have a lovely chat all the way round with my co-tailwalker DofEr. Wore my tutu for 22nd but it was covered up by my hi vis, so I just looked like I had a big bottom 😂
Our ED is borrowing the tutu tomorrow as it’s the junior’s 5th birthday. Might have to run by to see him in it 😂
Very busy this morning at Chadderton. Normally we get 70-80 runners. Today there were 151. The paths can be narrow in places, so there was a lot of bunching up for the first lap.
About an hour before the run the overnight rain had stopped. The trees were still occasionally dripping water off their leaves. Combined with the sudden warm weather the last couple of days this made it extremely humid.
I was sweating before I'd even arrived at the start line.
Due to the doubling of numbers I failed to spot and greet a few of the regulars. I did however warn a couple of the visitors that the course was deceptively hard.
Calf muscle is still complaining, so I was kind to it. In the final lap I had a couple of walking breaks to keep the HR down.
My watch had this morning given me a training readiness of 1 (out of 100), the lowest it can give. The warmth and humidity didn't make things easy either.
In the end I plodded round with a time of 32:32. Just happy to finish.
To be honest, I don't think the course could handle much more than this. Some of the paths (especially after the first corner) are narrow and it's not easy to have more than two abreast on them. I've been told that some other local parkruns had been cancelled, hence the spike in numbers.
Worsley Woods today, the 11th and last parkrun within the M60. My 261st parkrun and 61st tourist run.We attempted a Freedom Run here last autumn but were thwarted by a "lake" across the path. We could have run through in running shoes but didn't fancy it in walking boots so had to divert.
Finally we returned and it was well worth it. Out along an old railway line, up a flight of steps then round the woodland passing the pond now back where it was supposed to be, under the M602, another set of steps still in woodland and back for a straight 2km run back along the track.
39.05 for me which was a bit disappointing on such a good track until I realised how long I waited to start running (477 runners) then 2 sets of steps plus I had a stitch for the last 2km.
No toilets or tea/coffee but just across the road we spotted a van selling fresh fish and seafood so we have stocked up our freezer. We went in our campervan (ie took our own toilet with us 😀) so we could keep the fish cool in the fridge.
We came home to get 2nd breakfast in the village cafe.
I'd toyed with the idea of going there this morning. However, I fell asleep on the sofa last night (waking up at 2.30am and dragging myself up to bed) and didn't get great sleep, so I went to the one I can get to with a ten minute drive.
That's because I don't do any races. I just do parkrun plus a couple of 5k runs during the week.I am trying to improve my stamina which seems to have slipped recently, so during the week I am going to use the C25K app to work myself a bit harder. Instead of doing Run/Walk though, I will do Run a bit faster/Run a bit slower. I just need a bit of structure to make myself do it. I did the first one on Thursday and plan 2 a week as I don't like to wear my earphones at parkruns.
Hello all! Last run for some time at Market Rasen and my 111th parkrun. Somewhat unusually my official time was 5 seconds faster than my Strava time, but it still meant I was 4 seconds slower than last week ☹️ Officially 33.25. Next week I am hoping to do my first Scottish Parkrun and what will be my most northerly Parkrun to date at Ayr as we’re taking the van for a tour around the South West Scottish coast.
If you get a chance to do Ganavan Sands whilst in Scotland (Oban) do it. We weren’t there on a Saturday but did run the course. It’s spectacular. No sand involved but definite hills.
Good afternoon Damien and other parkruners, this morning I ran my 115th parkrun at the parkrun nearest to where I live which is Palacerigg Country parkrun in a time of 33:05, exactly the same time as I ran there the last time 9 weeks ago, however, I notice that my age grading was higher today at 60,71% against 59.45% 9 weeks ago, very pleased with myself although slightly disappointed not to get sub 33 minutes there, my PB at Palacerigg is 33.04, that was run in September 2022, the weather this morning was cloudy but dry, temperature 14C.
Jen is still hanging on in there waiting for baby to show his face - now 7 days overdue - so in her honour I popped over to Severn Bridge for a treat. The weather was delightful and very clear, so the views were magnificent today. ☀️
Nothing exciting to report about the run. I combined it with an NRC HM Plan fartlek run, so the first 20 odd minutes were spent speeding up and slowing down for one minute at a time. Managed that successfully, and I had a lot of fun spending the rest of the run pootling back, enjoying the fresh cool headwind. Not something I’d normally say, but today it was much appreciated! 🥵
PR time 38:45, Garmin 38:56 (including trotting around to make up 5k after scanning!)
Well done on your run today CC, regarding babies, the first one is usually late, my mother in law was at her wits end when her daughter, my wife didn't give birth on the due date, don't worry, everything will be fine, I am sure you are looking forward to seeing your first grandchild and becoming a grandmother, good luck to you and Jenny.
Ahh thanks AlMorr - not my first grandchild though! This will be my 3rd! All three of my own children were late so no one’s worried; Jenny especially is very chilled about it! 😀
Whoop whoop - its Tu-Tu Day at parkrun! In case you haven’t worked it out, this Saturday is on 22nd day of the month , so 2 2. The next one is in Feb 25.
Never someone to miss the opportunity of fancy dress, the purple tutu came out again and it was good to see our tailwalker in a wheelchair was wearing an orange one to match his hi-vis , and several other runners and UTS wore them too
Volunteer number 149 for me today, and it was almost as tiring as running with shaking my tambourine and cheering everyone on at the final turn cone.
Wonderful to see Coddfish completing 249 too with her walking poles,
Breakfast followed with fellow volunteers UTS and Oldgirlruns , and Mr and Mrs C.
I’ve now got my feet up , in preparation of a 10k run tomorrow.
After a few week’s gap (rugby, family, volunteering, holiday) I managed to lay down parkrun 249 today. Slow progress in all senses as I am still managing a number of complex and overlapping conditions arising from my cancer treatment. Suffice to say they all converge in making it difficult to walk - numb feet, aching joints, wading through treacle.
My Garmin had run out of power having not been used for a few weeks. My phone was safely tucked away in the back pack that also carries the hydration system that I can’t tackle parkwalk without. So I was blissfully unaware of how long I was taking, other than that I was at the back, as always, and I was finding it really, really difficult.
It feels harder each time at the moment. Not impressed when someone I didn’t know, taking me for an unfit newbie, said “you will soon find it gets easier if you keep coming along.” There I was in my GSR 2019 10 mile finishers shirt, from the days when I didn’t have metastatic cancer, had working joints and feet, and could run.
Anyway, volunteering next week which will allow Mr C to catch up with me on the parkrun front, and then parkrun 250 in 2 weeks time. I have had the excellent news that my cancer is in remission, so the treatment complications are worth it. I am also finally, after 9 months, free from steroid support, so hoping things will feel a bit better once my body has adjusted to that. It doesn’t seem to be responding well to my regular entreaty to just make some cortisol. Hopefully it will soon and I will feel a whole lot better.
Oh what? That was 100% out of order Coddfish . I think I’d have had to have said something back at that ignorant person, well meaning or not. 😠 You are one heck of a strong person and I doubt very much they could match you.
I think he was trying to be supportive so better just to smile and thank him. I do look like someone who is unfit and struggling because I am. Unfortunately just working on it isn’t going to improve it. Definitely look forward to 2 weeks time.
You have been through such a tough time, but you always rise to the occasion. Your 250 is really going to be a massive celebration. Wish I could be there in person, but I will definitely be there with you in spirit. Go you!
Wow. Super well done Coddfish. Super effort. I am so delighted to hear that the treatment has worked and your cancer is in remission. I wish you a speedy recovery and return to full health.
Warm but cloudy conditions at Portsmouth Lakeside this morning, in contrast to yesterday's wall-to-wall sun - which was very welcome. Pleased that last week's progress continued with an official time of 31.27, my fastest this year and in fact since my hernia last February - onward and upward!😀
had a bad fall Friday, cuts and some very bad bruises as I’m on blood thinners (last dose today - hooray!). Still went but my time was 2 minutes down on normal. Felt totally wasted afterwards but fine this morning.
First parkrunner here, was persuaded by a couple of friends to give it a go and went along to the Westerham parkrun yesterday. It was fun and I can see it becoming a regular thing.
Pleased with my 32:30 time although my focus is on bridging to 10k but I'm sure Parkrun times will improve as a by product. A long way to go to match my friend though, his time was 21:24 😵
Welcome to parkrun penfold96 ; I’m sure you won’t regret it. I used my parkrun as the weekly 5k when doing ju-ju’s magic plan to 10k. I believe Squerryes Winery is quite a tough one, so that’s an excellent time. I love Tilgate Park in Crawley , not so far away.
Fantastic and congratulations to you on completing your first parkrun. Now you have a PB time to chase after. Now you have a West too for the compass challenge. 😁
Been down to London all weekend, Mrs Doubtfire Friday Taylor Swift Saturday and she was brilliant 👏. Saturday morning parkrun and we had to do one it's a great course and a pb course unfortunately for me I needed the toilet half way round 😅 it's a course I would recommend
parkrun has got to be done on a weekend away, so well done. Don’t worry about the loo break, we’ve all been in that situation. 😂
I was in London on Friday and when I arrived at Waterloo station it’s full of fabulously dressed ladies off to Ascot, and when I went home it was full of Swifties in silver cowboy boots and hats and glittery dresses. It must have been fun.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
