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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It’s meant to be the toughest course in London. I felt that it was tough, but not the toughest course I’ve ever done.
The volunteer doing the First timers brief did acknowledge the fact it was known as the toughest course, but mud makes a difference. Today there was no mud, so it was easier than usual.
I brought my trail shoes as I’d heard it’s a trail/cross country run, but because it wasn’t muddy, normal shoes would have been fine, plus there’s a short section on tarmac, which my trail shoes don’t like 😜
Well done for taking on the challenge DiogoC. My favoured Park Run is flat and fast, but I think my legs would be better served with something with a few more hills. Running a bit less slow is fun though!🙂
A return trip to Albert Park park run today Damien. Warm, but there was a drop of rain in the air at the start. I bumped into an old school friend, Tony (pictured in yellow); turns out it was his 500th Park Run today, so good timing. Tasha99 and GTFC will know him. This run is really flat with a total ascent of 8m! It is getting a bit silly now…another 5k pb at 27:57 and Park Run pb at 28:40. Trouble is, it is a such a feel good run that it is hard to kick the habit! Hope everyone else had a great morning. I have a dog to walk now!🙂
Thanks Sue. There are lots of real speedsters at Albert park. The fastest today was 15:33! The rest of us were just pulled along in his slipstream! Hope you are enjoying your runs and swims. 🙂
Slippery slope to where is the question Dexy5! This happened on my early Park Runs; a bit faster week on week. I am not sure that is good in the long run….but it is certainly fun at the moment. 🙂
Thanks Damien; just enjoying this spell whilst it lasts. I think that there is a home football match next week, so Park Run will have to give way; Molly needs her walk before we set off for the ground.
I was really really tempted by the Monsal this year, which is pretty much halfway, but so many things hang on me being around up here pending Mrs BC getting back on the road. Hopefully that will be resolved when the cardiologist and remote heart monitoring team decide which of them is supposed to say “OK”. I might have to put my oar in next week!
I have just checked up. 13 Park Runs completed, 9 of them were PBs for both Park Runs and 5ks ( my Park Run is longer than 5k). The change of surface and running with other people clearly makes a big difference. I think that one of the reasons for my taking a big break from Park Runs was that I felt that I was just chasing PBs and must be nearing my limit.
Enforced rest next Saturday. I will be interested to see whether today’s effort helps my planned 20k on Monday.
There was a Fordy Runs Runner at Albert Park today. I didn’t see him; I guess that there are lots of them! 🙂
Good reason for rationing parkruns BC. Never thought of that but it certainly keeps the excitement up. Good luck with your 20k!
Had a look at the Albert results. Nope, don’t recognise the name. There are >40k of us though so I’m not too surprised. Biggest running club in the country apparently but maybe HU is a close second if you think of it as a club?
Good morning Damien and everyone else who ran at parkrun today, my run this morning at Drumpellier parkrun was not nearly as good as recent parkruns, I was dreading the result, I just couldn't get going, I just plodded along ,all the other runners passing me, I eventually finished in a time of 33.46 compared to 31:33 the last time I ran at Drumpellier six weeks ago, never mind, at least I completed my 135th parkrun sub 35 minutes, I thought I might be over that, next week I am a marshall at nearby Palacerigg Country parkrun.
Thanks Sue, one of the best things for me this mornong just after I completed the run was I met a runner who I haven't seen for a while, she was barcode scanning and was so happy to see me, guess what? before she scanned my barcode she gave me a cuddle😊this lady was the person who told me to try running along the Clyde Walkway which I often do when I am not at parkrun on Saturday morning. ✔️
YLol BC66, no, I remember my first parkrun, I THOUGHT that after the scan was the time given, of course it's when you cross the finishing line that's when you get your time, there were 274 running this morning, a lot to do with a nearby parkrun being cancelled because the car park being resurfaced, this morning my position was 207 which meant that I was around 3 quarters down the course.
That’s a good run in anyone’s book Al. I was 173 out of 333; third in my age group (I would have been 4th in group if my pal had been running!). What is important is that we both had an enjoyable morning.🙂
Thanks CC, my PB's have been at Drumpellier parkrun, 30:09 in the Autumn of 2022, last Saturday on a hilly trail course at Palacerigg I ran in a time of 33:09 with a few short walking breaks, today on a fairly flat course with no walking breaks the run was 37 seconds longer, I am not too concerned about that, I still enjoyed the run despite that slower time, I have just realised that next week will be my 26th volunteer duty when I am a marshall at Palacerigg Country parkrun
Hello damienair and parkrunners. We had to cancel Southsea parkrun this week due to having holes dug into our route. So we went to our nearest and smallest local parkrun at Great Salterns. There were lots of familiar faces running and volunteering. Both our running dinosaur, and UTS met my challenge to wear a tutu today as it was the 22nd of the month.
It is a trail run , and wasn’t my best time , but it was lovely to be at a quieter run and hear the birds singing. Coffee and cake at the nearby Costa followed.
I've been checking my local one and I'm still several minutes slower than the tail walker each week so not going, but maybe I will and I'm doing a special one on 12 April
The tailwalker will always be behind you Sue, so don’t let that stop you. As you know, it’s a good way of joining a local community and the first one is going to be the hardest. Once done, you’ll wonder why you waited. You have done incredibly well given what you went through last year, and that’s definitely something worth celebrating.
So this morning I went to a local parkrun to attempt a parkrun PB. My goal is to run a sub 25 minute parkrun and I have been training hard since the end of October and was in a 17 week training block. However just over 2 weeks ago I got a pretty nasty head cold which knocked me out and I couldn’t run for a week. The following week I was back running but feeling weak and last week was the taper week. Bad timing. Anyway I gave it a shot but started out too fast for the first kilometre and half way through I was exhausted so took a quick walking break. I ended up taking 3 quick walking breaks in the end. A little disappointed after all the training but my finish time was still pretty good, 25:28. A new course PB and my fastest time this year. I’m not giving up and I’ll try again in a few weeks. Happy running everyone. Oh I was joined this morning by my lovely wife, my friend Ida and our Cocker Spaniel and we went for a lovely coffee and Scone afterwards to a local cafe.
If I’d have had a pacer today I’d have done it. Kilometres 3 and 4 were my downfall . My splits were 4:37, 5:01, 5:22, 5:24 and 4:56. The beauty of parkrun is that I can try it again.
🙂 I think that laps 3 and 4 would blame lap 1 Damien; as you said, just a bit too fast. I am managing negative splits; give or take the odd lap out of sequence…it helps that the run in to the finish is the only the downhill stretch on the course! Sub 25 will be yours before long.
GTFC and I did our NENDY today- they are getting further and further away from home! This was somewhere in County Durham. 3 hilly laps but I managed to do them non stop which I was happy with as I’ve been really struggling with running lately. It was a lovely course. 4 more to go till I can order my 250 T-shirt 👕 .
Well done to you both (and congratulations on your marriage too 👰 🤵♂️ ) . This parkrun lark has a lot to answer for, with trying to meet all the challenges. 😂
I’m a bit behind you but hope to get that 250 shirt by the end of the year . It’s pretty special. 💚
Very well done to you both. Wow just 4 more to the big milestone of 250. I did parkrun number 220 today so you are 26 ahead of me. My NENDY’s are getting further away too, over 2 hours away now for Republic of Ireland. My Northern Ireland ones are closer but I’ll complete the Republic of Ireland courses first.
The short version of this is we are currently in Germany stopping in 2 locations - Wolfsburg and then tomorrow to Berlin for a couple of days.
I had booked our hotel in Wolfsburg and rather conveniently discovered a Parkrun on the doorstep so headed to Allerpark. Normally a one loop round the lake but work is being carried out on the path so it was an out and back.
Small number of runners & volunteers but super friendly. Got the same time as I did at Parkrun last week 33:02. Another Country ticked off.
The longer version was we were due to fly from Heathrow yesterday morning into Hanover. Obviously (I’m sure you heard the news) that wasn’t an option although we had already set off for our early flight.
After a tube ride across London from Heathrow we went to London City Airport and managed to grab the last 2 seats to Rotterdam. We then had to navigate a 6 hour train ride (3 separate trains) to Wolfsburg arriving around 10pm. I was wondering if we were taking part in Race Across Europe only without the camera crew. Hopefully our return trip will be a bit easier!
Afternoon pals! We have a full on weekend, and as Jenny didn’t plan on running today, but was staying at ours with Noah while daddy‘s away, we went over to nearby Clevedon. I didn’t check FB very thoroughly, other than to check is was on, and clearly didn’t see the post saying it was to be their alternate alternate course. Not A, not B, but other!
Three identical laps, narrow in quite a few places, and more ups and downs. No big ones, but even so it’s nice to have completed the final up! Jenny and Noah were cheering me on each time at the turn.
39 something (Garmin and official) which is my new normal until I can get more running in, and as it was my first outing since last Sunday’s HM, it felt good. 😀 Most likely SB next weekend, followed by a couple of very exciting weekends! 👏
Another parkrun sandwich for me today. I had a 2hr 20min long run with 50 mins of marathon goal pace to fit in after an hour of easy pace. Unfortunately I had no one to natter to this week so I went a bit too fast and did just over 31 minutes… it should have been 35-38 mins, so made the last part of my run harder than it should have been as I’d tired my legs out. I have no self control 😂 Ended up having to do another 2 laps of our 3 lap course and another 25 minutes elsewhere to make it all up, but at least Katnap joined me for that bit.
So after the traditional bacon and egg sandwich we got home and I made some more flapjack and the weekly bread. Looking forward to a lie in tomorrow (and eating more flapjack!)!
500 at Stratford upon Avon today (10% increase on last week), the town is getting busy with tourist groups and they’re putting the big wheel back up. Summer is nearly here ☀️
Parkrun number 130 and this week my 28th visit to Hafan Pwllheli.
The forecast earlier in the week had been for a chilly, windy day and potential rain. This morning was glorious sunshine and a light breeze.
I ran in tee shirt and shorts again. When I arrived a group of the regulars were showing off a table of the most frequent visitors to the venue that one of them had found. We were all in the top twenty (probably because most people running here are tourists and don't go more than once a year).
There were a few runners appearing in fairly fancy running shoes. A thought came to me that they would be of no advantage here, and on some days you might have just as good a run in a pair of wellies.
Anyway, we lined up and were off. As usual the newbies all zoomed off at full pelt not realising that they'd be regretting it a few minutes later. The softer sand at the start/finish is unforgiving.
Thankfully the beach firmed up after a few hundred metres and we spread out on the slope of the sand trying to find the firmer surfaces. The sea was flat calm with lazy waves.
The sand today was more evenly firm than previous weeks this year, and the shingle was more spread with weaker ridges.
At about the three quarters mark I was overtaken by a lady with long, untethered hair. I said "Go for it" as she passed me, and she had encouraging remarks in return.
I fell in behind her, staying a few metres behind her for about a kilometre. Then we split as she found a path higher up the beach whilst I stayed closer to the water. I inched ahead for a bit until we reached the softer sand near the finish and she powered ahead whilst I was struggling with the energy-sapping effects of the softer surface.
Once again it was a hard run, and my HR was pretty high throughout.
After completing I hung around to chat with a few people. When the tail walker came in I bid my farewells.
Official time: 31:06, 23rd out of 48.
Incidentally, Pwllheli parkrun is ranked the 6th hardest in the UK for 2025.
I am not running again. After my brief flurry with trying to restart running just before and after Christmas, it soon became apparent I would need a second hip replacement if I want to make any real progress. I hope that will take place sometime in May. So meanwhile I am just volunteering.
However we had this weekend off completely. Booked into a lovely hotel overlooking Lyme Regis, lots of nice food, to celebrate being either a year or 18 months in remission. It depends on whether you count from my last systemic treatment, or from the ablation that cleaned out the residue of my liver mets. My oncologist has also promoted me from 3-monthly to 6-monthly scans. So whilst metastatic cancer is always classed as incurable, they are starting to treat me as if this immunotherapy induced remission might have a durability about it. Not long ago, my oncologist was on a theme of metastatic triple negative breast cancer always comes back.
Anyway, it was quite easy to get back into running after hip replacement one, so maybe towards the end of the year I can try again. Although I do need to recognise I can’t just shake off the collateral damage the cancer treatment has done.
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