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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Good morning everyone. There was over 90 parkruns cancelled today in Ireland thanks to yesterday’s storm. A lot of trees down all over the country and damage to buildings, power grids, mobile networks etc. Thankfully my local parkrun was going ahead although there was a heavy frost last night. With icy freezing conditions I decided to take it easy and just run by feel. I walked up the hill twice and didn’t push myself. I was surprised to get a finish time of 27:40 , so the Garmin Training plan is working well. Happy running everyone.
Hi damienair, I thought of you all this morning and wondered if your parkruns would be able to go ahead. I’m glad you were able to run but I bet you could have done without the icy conditions on top of the recent storms! Well done on your time though, you must be pleased! I was swimming today so no parkrun for me but I’ll be back on it next week!
Good morning Damien and other parkruners, no parkrun for me today as all the parkruns I go to were cancelled because of fallen trees on the course due to Friday's gales, however, I did go a short 3K reconnaissance run to see how many trees had fallen on several of the routes I run near to where I live, only two trees completely blocked the paths, other parts of the paths could be navigated with care, I know Ireland had extreme winds as well from the storm and probably had a lot of cancelled parkruns too, hopefully back to normal next Saturday.
Yes 90 parkruns cancelled today here in Ireland. You probably got similar gusts to us from the storm, very dangerous conditions. Well done on getting out for your 3K.
Indeed Damien, the highest wind gust from Storm Eowyn in Ireland was at Mace head, County Galway 114mph, the highest in Scotland was 100mph at Drumalbin Hill South Lanarkshire which is well inland from the coast, I live in North Lanarkshire where the highest gust was about 80mph, no trees in my garden fell down and there was no damage to my house, not one slate fell from my roof, my white cat Loki refused to go outside due to the strong wind, instead he cuddled into my lap.
Sorry to see all your local parkruns were cancelled Al but better that than possibly putting the volunteers and runners in harms way. And you made good use of of your free Saturday morning!
There was one parkrun which did take place, Elderpark parkrun in Glasgow which on average has an attendance of 130 people, because of other parkruns being off Elder Park had an amazing 535 runners, joggers and walkers, they ran out of tokens, Elder Park is one of the smallest parks in Glasgow, I have never ran there, the runners have to run round it almost 4 times, on Saturday the fastest runners lapped the slowest just after they started. 😊
It was pacer day at Lister Park parkrun today,I was the 35 minutes pacer and came in at 34.59 definitely happy with that. I'm still getting over plantar Fasciitis so just running the parkrun at the moment and taking it fairly steady. Most of the other local parkruns cancelled because of ice 🧊. Well done everyone if you got to a parkrun today
I’m relieved to hear from you Damien; I wondered if you’d lost power. I hope the storm didn’t affect you too badly - it sounded horrific for your part of the world. It didn’t hit us in the SW badly at all. Yes it was pretty windy and we had a spell of heavy rain, but nothing compared to Storm Darragh last month. 🙏🏻
I went to Severn Bridge solo this morning. It was 2 degrees but bright sunshine. There was a pre briefing briefing, warning us of a very icy first stretch, and to remain in single file until we were told it was safe. I started my watch when I was able to begin running (when I say running, it was more of a mince to remain upright!) and it was literally minutes after the leaders!
They’d laid on extra ice marshals, who alerted us to the worst parts, and apart from being dicey at the beginning (and still at the end), the conditions were perfect. My work colleague came in first place. Clearly youngsters aren’t affected by ice! 😅
My time was irrelevant due to the walking start, and being uber cautious, but it was enjoyable and I’m glad I went out. Then for a 80 minute yoga class! So much activity and no food yet today. 😳 I’m ravenous!
Well done Cheeky. We were ok with the storm. Loads of people in the country and around us lost power but luckily we were ok. Big trees came down across parks and and roads. No damage here thankfully. Glad you got around safely and made it to yoga. Hopefully you have food in your tummy now too.
I guess the bridge is so exposed for ice cheekychipmunks but it sounds like the RD and team made it as safe as possible. So many parkruns were cancelled last minute due to the ice so you were lucky. We were 2° too and you could see the steam in the air above the runners.
Well done cheeky, I think you’re very brave running when it’s icy, there’s no way I could manage that! As you say, the youngsters don’t seem to be bothered by such trifles! Let’s hope things get back to some normality next week, you’ll be missing your buggy running!
Thanks Oldgirlruns , I must admit I wondered how wise it was, but the marshals were fabulous and people were being very sensible - apart from those gazelles who clearly had special non-slip powers! My little strides came into their own I most say. 🙏🏻
Yes, hopefully next weekend there will be a baby to push too - although now he’s started solids and is growing like a weed, I might regret saying that! 🥵 Maybe Jenny can be persuaded to do the whole uphill bit at SB! 😅
The conditions sound like they were very tricky. I think I would be too concerned about falling to venture onto an icy course. Fortunately Southsea had full sunshine and hadn’t been so cold overnight. I am not sure I could currently get myself up if I fell on a hard surface!
It was a beautiful sunny, calm but cold morning at Trentham. Due to various aches and pains, Sis and I did a leisurely walk/run together. No PB but equally no pain. Sorry no photo, we were too busy chatting! 😂
Today I came to Bethlem Royal Hospital parkrun, one of only 2 parkruns called hospital.
I had tried to do it a few weeks ago during Storm Bert, but lost my way and was late (plus there was a storm going, so I turned back). It was nice to finally make it today.
Really interesting run, tucked away in the grounds of the hospital.
No PB this weeks as it was supper muddy and slippy. I was happy to just finish without falling. The run director said that anyone with white socks would not leave with them still white, and he was totally right. Thankfully my socks are black, but they’re now brown with mud 😂
so glad to hear you were safe damienair and AlMorr . We were thinking of you both in such terrible storms. Our part of the storm turned out to be more short-lived than originally forecast.
We were going to head for our NENDY in Eastleigh, but after all the rain we decided that running on an old golf course would not be very nice. All others in the area were multi-lap trails, so we went back to Southampton. 1229 people turned up and I was 987th. Not as fast as when we last did it , but the fastest time this year (34.23) and my highest age grade score here (61.71). It was only 2°C and frost was on the grass in the shade but not cold enough to freeze the rain sodden ground.
Considering the number of runners trying to run on narrow paths, I am very pleased with that.. it took at least 10 minutes to get a token but that was to be expected.
We then headed for the Cowherds pub with a roaring fire and cappuccino and egg Royale.
I just discovered the Results Analysis part of the 5k app. It shows where you’re placed in age grade order. You’ll be way up there with that score! Well done Dexy!
Not bad at all Dexy. We saw Margaret on our way out of Brueton Park. She was in a parkrun video last year celebrating her 90th on her zimmer frame. Hope we’re all still doing it if we get to that age!
It was an absolutely beautiful morning in Southsea, as for once the storms landed on a Friday not a Saturday. Blue skies, sunshine, flat seas, no ice or puddles on the promenade.
I have been volunteering these last 6 months, following the achievement of my 250th parkrun last July. Those who read my earlier posts may remember I have stage 4 breast cancer which is in remission, but I have numerous long term health issues resulting from the treatment I endured. Lung damage, stiff joints, weak muscles and peripheral neuropathy are not great bedfellows to walking 5k, never mind running.
On the basis these things aren’t going to get any better, I have been trying to do some run/walking these last few months. I can’t get past the 3 minute blocks in C25K but I can at least string a few of them together now. As a regular volunteer who knows how cold you get, I had promised myself I wouldn’t do parkrun again until I felt I could complete it in less than an hour.
Today was that day.
I set off doing my current pattern of a 5 minute warm up, then 5 blocks of 3 minutes running and 2 minutes walking. I then messaged my husband, who had already finished, to intercept me on the course with water and my walking poles. I then finished the course, completing within the hour.
I am seriously stiff now, needing the riser function of my trusty recliner chair to get up. But it’s progress.
Ah that’s absolutely fantastic Coddfish , I am genuinely so happy to read this. Super well done you. I am so happy to hear that you’re doing well and that you have achieved your goal to complete your parkrun in under an hour. Wishing you every continued recovery and strength.
Whoop whoop Janice, what a perfect day for you, and to incorporate your run/walking in a 5k stint is absolutely amazing. So so proud of you. You know that the volunteers will stay as long as it takes to see you taking part again. But I can understand you not wanting to do it on windy day, it is a struggle for us all. 😘
After my recent unwelcome diagnosis (see my post from yesterday), I'm not planning any strenuous efforts to improve on my sub 30 result in Novenber. However who cares when you can run as part of 439 finishers - Portsmouth Lakeside's largest number ever!
It was a beautiful morning - chilly but with a low sun which dazzled us for the first 750m. Not surprisingly after Storm Eowyn, it was muddy and puddly round the lake, with no choice but to splash through. Quite surprised to finish with 31.56 and no ill effects apart from the occasional twinges I've come to expect over the last few weeks - long may that continue!
Well done JonathanP . Even with your diagnosis, you’re smashing it out the park! And yes, wasn’t that sun intense this morning? I cracked out the trusty shades as the outward leg of SB is directly into the sun. 😎
Sorry, I’ve been really behind with my HU posts recently. Not a good start to the year!
Anyway, today Katnap and I went to Brueton Park parkrun. This was our NENDY (Nearest Event Not Done Yet), it had a Fordy meet-up and it was on the way to the National Running Show!
We didn’t realise how cold it was outside until we scraped the frozen rain off the car and learned that Stratford and Warwick were cancelled. When we got to Brueton they were struggling to find an alternative course as the tarmac paths were frozen. They had Brooks and SportsShoes.com visiting, as well as people like us on their way to the NEC.
They ended up with an ad hoc 3.5 lapper, part path, part cross country, but at least they held it and my hat goes off to all the core team and the volunteers for keeping it going. Unfortunately it did come up a bit short, so the team held back sending out results until they’d calculated our full 5k times from our average pace. This was for 690 of us! I think they deserve a massive pat on the back for all the work they did today, especially putting up with the unfortunate abuse that some of the attendees apparently gave some of the volunteers for it being a bit short. Katnap and I were just happy it was happening.
If you want to see a YouTube video of it then Tim Stent, aka Middle Aged Running Man (or MARM) was there, so something should be uploaded in the next few days. Hopefully he’s polite about it!
All in all we had a great day, the show was as fun as ever, I spent far too much but met up with loads of running friends. I can highly recommend it, especially if you can get a free ticket!
How brilliant that Brueton managed to get its parkrun on the road. We both know all the challenges Run Directors and Event Directors face in these Situations. And as we discussed last week, at parkrun we often see the best of people , but unfortunately we also see the worst of the entitled few. People do not pay for parkrun, chill out and make the most of a situation, don’t abuse the people who have given so much of their time and tried to make it work.
Absolutely! Stratford also got abuse for not cancelling until 8am. They forget that going out in the ice in the dark is actually dangerous for everyone, parkrun core teams included.
I suppose the slightly incorrect course length is always a risk when doing a different, temporary course. It annoys me when people complain, usually the ones who don’t volunteer themselves. As a previous Southsea RD used to say, it’s not the Olympics.
Hi Damien - Firstly, I hope that the recent bad storm didn't impact you and yours too much, since Eire was in the teeth of things.
I don't know why, but at each Parkrun this year (so only three so far) I've got slightly slower each week. It's only by 15-30 seconds a time, but it is disappointing just the same because I'm way off of my PR (35:02) and managed just 37:12 yesterday.
I am part of MissUnderstanding 's programme to get to 10km and I'm following the Magic Plan based on time running rather than pace and I wonder if that's something to do with it? I'm thoroughly enjoying it but I wonder if not pushing the pace is having an effect. As far as I know, I'm not doing anything else different. Any idea what is going on or how to improve it? My short term goal is to do sub 35 and for the year it is sub 30 so quite achievable if I can turn this trend around.
Don’t underestimate the effect the cold, damp weather has on your lung capacity Pugwash, it can make quite a difference. There is a reason why marathon season peaks in March/April and October. Good luck with the plan.
Thanks. Funny thing is that my PB was on the Christmas Day run 🤔. I know you're right and that this is anyway just part of the natural variation because one can't improve every week😁. Nil carborundum!
Don’t worry Pugwash , anything can affect your time each week, as TailChaser says, the cold weather certainly has an impact. But also it can be where you stand at the start, how wide you run around corners or even the pace of those running around you. To me, just being able to take part in this great community event each Saturday is the most important part at this time of year.
There is also something in what you say about doing the 10k plan . When I was doing the magic plan, I remember that it said you shouldn’t increase distance (time) as well as increasing speed. So your body could be doing exactly what it needs to adapt. Don’t worry, those PBs will come back as 5k will start to feel easier when you are running 10k.
Thanks for the encouraging reply Dexy5 - much appreciated! I'll bear your experience of the Magic Plan in mind and yes, far and away it is the participation in Parkrun that is the most important and the results should come with consistency; I hadn't thought of the 5km being easier when one has 10km in the tank but it makes perfect sense. Thanks again.
Terrific parkrun at Dulwich where I had a new PB. Very fast course. I also volunteered for close down. Today I volunteered at Pinner Village junior and hit my 25 volunteer milestone!!
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