help...my delightful son has persuaded me to sign up for parkruns.....and he insisted we do the first tomorrow at Ashton Court in Bristol near where we live.
I am absolutely terified for the following:
1. Will I be last
2. Will people unnerve me ( I have rarely encountered another runner)
3. Will they laugh at me...and even worse at leon
4. I don't know the route and i like to know my milestones
5. Bodyfluids ( nose etc), not a good look
6. Husband seeing me run for the first time, I know he'll laugh and yell obsenities
7. will I collapse
SO in preperation:
1. I am drinking a glass of medicinal wine to calm nerves.
2.I have downloaded audiofuels 1 hour thing for the ladies.
3. Deep breathing
If any of you are going, you won't miss us, I'll be wearing my orange sweatband and my lad is fully decked in running gear with his new garmin and will be wearing a huge grin. Please say hello!!
PS: can you tell I like lists?
Happy weekend runners
Julia
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Yes, it's a bit scary to think about, but actually doing it was great. I haven't quite decided whether I'm doing another one tomorrow or not - was going to, but my running/walking/cycling this week for the final week of 5x50 challenge have made my legs, knees and feet feel as though they might not be up to running 5k early in the morning. I'll see how I feel when I wake up.
I can state without any doubt that "No Parkrun runner will laugh at you", I can't of course comment on your hubby but there are wonderful punishments you could dish out if he does
All the very best for tomorrow to both of you. Just one tip, don't try and go off at a sprint speed, there will be some serious runners there tomorrow who can run like the wind, ignor them, get into your comfortable running stride and enjoy it. Good luck and well done, you'll love it.
If you love lists, try the app Paperless - I think it's brilliant (and it syncs across all my phones and iPads). Won't help with the Parkrun - but you won't need help anyway. Good luck.
[Not onnected with them in any way - but as a compulsive list maker I use it all the time...]
Ooh no. My desk tends to be like a mindmap, but I like to keep other things, like tasks and objectives, simple (though one can all too easily multi-layer lists).
Good stuff! We don't have parkruns in our area of the States but we do have organized runs. I still get the jitters with a list as long as yours. So far, I am amazed what a wonderful lot runners can be! Never an insulting comment or gesture. Now...as far as being the last one...this is a huge fear of mine also. The nice thing is, after everyone has left you in a cloud of dust, it can be quite the tranquil and peacefully silent run. You will do fantastically well!! Gayle
Gayle, although the States are SO large compared to our little country, I really can see the tumbleweed It's all down to those old cowboy films I used to watch as child!! We're more likely to sink in the boggy ground in England
We actually live right in the center of tumbleweed country! I just wrote to Malcy how much I'm enjoying all of the gorgeous pics of your countryside. We have had an ongoing drought and anything green is sparse. The town we live in was probably featured in one of your old westerns. We live in Dodge City, the queen of the cowtowns. Did you ever watch an old western series called Gunsmoke? It featured Dodge City.
I run at Ashton Court when I can and everyone there are very supportive. The course is there and back again so you will always be amongst other runners. Plus there are plenty of marshalls/volunteers cheering you on. Don't forget to go for a coffee afterwards with everyone. Enjoy! Maggie
Its a little bit hilly on the way out but downhill all the way back. Another local Parkrun is at Little Stoke which is very flat, and again they are very supportive and good company.
Unlikely - they normally have a "tail runner" to ensure no-one is left behind But I'm sure you won't be last anyway.
2. Will people unnerve me ( I have rarely encountered another runner)
No. If anything they will inspire you to keep going! Maybe overtaking one or two to prevent point 1 above.
3. Will they laugh at me...and even worse at leon
Absolutely not. Everyone is very encouraging.
4. I don't know the route and i like to know my milestones
Know where you're coming from here but follow the pack and you'll be fine.
5. Bodyfluids ( nose etc), not a good look
I'm reliably informed that it's OK for runners to blow out their snot (sorry) on to the path next to them, obviously ensuring that if it's windy, it's not going to land on someone down wind! I can't quite bring myself to this level at the moment so I held a tissue in my hand last week. Convenient, easy and discrete.
6. Husband seeing me run for the first time, I know he'll laugh and yell obscenities
Obviously I don't know about your husband but mine has been very supportive but normally still under the duvet at 9am on a Saturday. I'm sure he's cheering me on behind his eyelids.
7. will I collapse
No, you'll be fine.
SO in preparation:
1. I am drinking a glass of medicinal wine to calm nerves.
Good for you!
2.I have downloaded audiofuels 1 hour thing for the ladies.
Ok, Don't know much about these.
3. Deep breathing
You'll need this tomorrow!
I can't go tomorrow as I have another commitment but I'll be thinking of you!
You've had lots of great advice there - I don't think I can add anything very useful. I've done 3 parkruns now and last time out I was not last but close to it, and I can tell you that the volunteers cheer as much for the slower runners as they do for the speedier ones. If you have a Garmin and know roughly how fast you usually run then I'd say that's a great help. At our parkrun they certainly all tend to set off very fast - for the last two runs (as my blogs testify) I've been in absolute last place for most of the first lap and then gradually reel in a few people who started fast and couldn't sustain the pace.
One thought that sustained me last time was knowing that several other C25K people would be running in their parkruns at the same time - it's definitely a feeling of fellowship however remote.
Oh - and your husband won't DARE yell rude things etc. It's far too positive an environment for that.
Good luck, have fun and let us know how you get on!
Oh, I forgot to say, about being last... I expected to be last in my first parkrun, and in fact I was (there was someone behind me collecting up signs or something - but he was walking!) - I was 203rd! My biggest worry was that it would be embarrassing if people cheered me in as last, but it wasn't actually, it just felt really supportive, they weren't right by the finish line, just sitting drinking tea and eating cake, and I just thought, well, someone has to be last, and maybe some of them were last sometime in the past, and they remember how it felt. I didn't regret it at all.
Good luck ! An easy way to pace yourself is to stick to a pace where you can speak a few words to other runners for most of the 5k. Then, go for a bit of a sprint finish.
Resist the temptation to go too fast at the start, it's easy to get drawn into the initial rush but don't be afraid to stick to a pace that is comfortable for you - I'm with Sue in that I tend to catch up and pass a few people towards the end.
Your first parkrun is really about learning the route so you can pace yourself a bit better next time - don't worry too much about time, you're just setting yourself a starting point.
Most of all, make sure you enjoy it ! You'll get plenty of support from the volunteers and other runners. Good luck
Nope, there is one nearly every week so they are all behind you!
2. Will people unnerve me ( I have rarely encountered another runner)
I felt both intimidated and inspired by the sight of the athletes. They were doing complex stretches and I wandered around like a wide eyed impressionable child. Until they gave me the "runner's nod" then I felt great.
3. Will they laugh at me...and even worse at leon
Not even a bit. At mine they clapped for the newbies and made us feel welcome.
4. I don't know the route and i like to know my milestones
I wandered off the course and a volunteer went out of their way to wave me back on the right way. There will be people just ahead that you can follow fairly easily.
5. Bodyfluids ( nose etc), not a good look
They always feel 100 times worse than they look! I use my nose wipe gloves (tm).
6. Husband seeing me run for the first time, I know he'll laugh and yell obsenities
Have a few choice ones to throw back. (Or a tissue in case he cries with pride)
7. will I collapse
Not if you are well hydrated and imagine us all willing you on matey!
Enjoy it, it will be a great experience. We all love lists!
So glad I found this... I'm doing Finsbury Park parkrun for the first time tomorrow (I bottled it last week). Great advice here, especially about starting slowly and tissues! I've looked at the times and if not last, I'll definitely be in the last 10%, but I'm not going to worry about that. Excited now! Good luck juicyju! See you on the other side of our respective runs to compare notes.
Was thinking about how you got on, I love Finsbury Park my dad used to live there. I did survive and i wasn't last but it was hard!! Hope you enjoyed it??
Is there none in Cornwall, thats a shame! My sister lives in Truro and her and a group of other mums used to run together. She doesn't so much now due to the madness of life but if you live that way I could find out for you??? It was a really great event and i really enjoyed it!
How'd it go juicyju? Did my first one today as well AND I came last, not a problem as I crossed the line with a new buddy who said she's always last, so I hung back a little, grinned and said "You're not last today"
Hope it went well and you're not too sore! More wine is needed I feel......
Oh thats so lovely, people are just great aren't they?? I managed it and wasn't last ( there were quite a few people walking it). I really enjoyed it, and so did my son, he zoomed off in a flash of blue!! Husband took me out for a meal last night as a treat which was fab, so I was spared the pain of Eurovision!! Well done you and lets hope we get better each time
Finsbury Park was okay. It was quite hilly so I went pretty slowly and walked a bit, but I got round and wasn't absolutely last. Everyone was so nice and we all had coffee afterwards. Definitely going back next week!
Well done all parkrun newbies I ache today, then realised that I had doubled the amount of time I ran for over night, which probably explains why! I'll ease back for a few weeks as I don't want to pick up injuries and not be able to do race for life in July. There's always next week/fortnight/month
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It's all down to those old cowboy films I used to watch as child!! We're more likely to sink in the boggy ground in England 
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