FIRST PARKRUN ~ ANY ADVICE & WHAT'S A DECENT TIME FOR A 50 YEAR OLD?

With any luck, my wife and I will be doing our first Parkrun this Saturday at Killerton, near Exeter. Does anyone have any tips or words of wisdom they can share, and what would be a decent time for a newbie?

[crox Graduate]

Don't forget your barcode!

Start at the back, take it steady and don't get carried away.

[crox Graduate in reply to crox]

Oh, and listen to the newbies talk at the start

[Hidden in reply to crox]

Thanks. I didn't know there was a newbies talk, so thanks for that. Also, I will be starting at the back, and undoubtedly finishing there too! I will keep my barcode safe, and it is laminated in readiness for the inevitable rain we get in Devon.

I fear the only 'carried away' I shall be is by the officials when I collapse in a heap and question my sanity.

Here's to being able to walk on Sunday morning.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Any time is a good time, regardless of age. I am hoping to be at Killerton on Sunday with my wife, although she says she wants to just do her next C25k run and not get timed. It would be good to meet up and swap notes with a fellow traveller on the C25k journey.

I have only done the one Park run and went off too fast. I did return a ridiculous time, which I don't realistically expect to match for some time.....but you never know. It is a great celebration of running and very friendly. See you there maybe.

[Hidden in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Hi, and thanks. With any luck, and the Saab not breaking down again, we shall be there! Look out for a rather nervous bald-headed chap in a Rab top or Mizuno Reading Half Marathon top (it was cheap in Sweatshop!)

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to Hidden]

The forecast is definitely not good and having only run through the glorious summer that has just passed, I am unsure of how much of a fairweather runner I am. Now there's a test of my commitment.

[Aftabs Graduate]

Good luck and don't worry about the time. Run at a comfortable pace and keep coming back! Hopefully over time you will be able to run a little faster. I ran run 8 times and I think I have broken my PB about 4 times, normally when I get behind a slightly faster runner and try and keep up with them!

[Hidden in reply to Aftabs]

Thanks for the encouragement. My wife has told me to run at my pace, and not to wait for her...! Not very chivalrous, and if I do wait, I may be able to get a new PB next time out ~ assuming she runs more slowly than me!!! :~)

[wilmacgh Graduate]

Good luck. Enjoy the day and just go at your own pace.

Don't forget to put you club as "NHS Couch to 5k".

[Hidden in reply to wilmacgh]

I hadn't thought of that ~ what an excellent idea.

[Hidden]

Try to relax and enjoy the experience

Whatever time you get could be considered a "good" time as you'll be enjoying the fresh air on a Saturday morning and running 5k while other people are still in bed! Having said that, whatever time you do get is an excellent bench mark to improve upon, so give it a go and don't worry too much about the minutes and seconds. Good luck and let us know how you get on

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I shall try and enjoy, rather than endure! Our son should be up and about too as he is in Broadclyst for the Scout Jamboree selection weekend. Next time he is away we will try another Parkrun (normally we have to take him rowing on Saturday mornings, so we can't get along. :~(

[Twizzle53 Graduate]

I shall be doing my very first park run too on Saturday and all of the responses to Sallycycle have been really helpful. I have marshalled quite a few times and watched the newbies come around the course. They have all passed my marshalling point (2k) running at a nice slow steady pace and have generally had enough breath left for a cheery "good morning" or a "thank you" So my aim is to stay at the back, enjoy the experience and hopefully acknowledge the support of the volunteers as I plod by puffing and panting.

However even though I've marshalled a few times I've no idea of what happens at the start or end of the race. For example is my barcode scanned on arrival before or afterwards, do I just show up and join the newbie gathering etc. It is these silly little things I'm worried about :-0

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to Twizzle53]

Just get to the start line, warmed up, at start time. Barcode is scanned along with your finishing position chip, which will be handed to you after you cross the finish line. All quite straightforward as long as the scanners are working. Don't worry about anything, it is just for fun and pleasure and you never know, the other runners might even talk as well.

Good luck and enjoy it all and put your club down as C25k, let the world know.

[Hidden]

I know just what you mean! Do we get scanned twice, or just at the end....? Lots of questions that we will hopefully find the answers to on Saturday.

Good luck with your run, and let us know how you get on.

[Poppy2010 Graduate]

Hi! The scanning is just once at the end; you get given a tag which will be your place (I think someone else does the time corresponding to the number) take that and your barcode, both get scanned (you'll see the queue or get directed to them) and you take your barcode away ready for next time. Chelmsford let me leave mine and they laminated them for you, just had to collect it from the timing tent before starting the next time.

Don't worry about times or effort; I was plodding last on my first attempt; had fallen over in the mud, but one of the marshals ran to join me and encouraged me all the way to the finish (in over 46 minutes!) helping me get my breathing under control by encouraging me to chat about my running journey. Since then I have done 8, got PB's 5 or 6 times (now at 34.03) & have been with my daughter so have not gone all out for a pb then but made sure she got round with no stopping (& hope she won't get quicker than me too soon!)

Enjoy & good luck!

[running_joke Graduate]

As others have said, don’t worry about the time – there will be people of all abilities there. Just look at the some of the results of previous weeks at your local parkrun, and you’ll be able to see the wide range of times that people finish in, so if you have some idea what sort of time you are expecting to achieve, hopefully you’ll be able to reassure yourself that there are others who will be finishing at the same kind of pace (or slower!) than you. Are you worried about coming last? Please don’t, it’s a fun event and there’s really no shame at coming last – if you read the Parkruns website, you’ll see they describe it as a ‘timed run’ rather than a race.

Other advice: find out about parking, and get there in good time. It will start promptly at 9am!

Don’t forget to report back and tell us how it went!

[wilmacgh Graduate in reply to running_joke]

And find out if there are loos available - the local Council open them early for our local one but I'm not sure if that's universal. (BTW Scottish runs start at 9:30, darker mornings here!)

[Hidden in reply to wilmacgh]

Thanks for the advice about loos ~ I hadn't thought about that one. Being a regular camel, it shouldn't be too much of a problem for me; but it may be good for my wife to find out where they are!!

What is the best post run refreshment at a National Trust parkrun? Tea and cake?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to Hidden]

The tea rooms are open at Killerton......so coffee, tea, cake, scones.....you name it

[Hidden in reply to running_joke]

I'm not worried about coming last; I expect that! maybe I will surprise myself, but I'm not expecting great things ~ not yet anyway!

My main intention is to 'compete' and enjoy it!

I shall report back when I am able to move out of bed.