New Parkrun

[LightDark]

Tried a new Parkrun this morning - and what a technology/brain fail!

My usual is pretty flat - along the river so barely any slopes - let alone hills, but this new one is "hilly" (for me) and on grass so harder going because of that. the grass isnt really cut - just kept down by runners and dog/walkers i guess, so because i don't lift my feet very high it feels like there is a lot more restistance than im used to on the path.

ALso at my usual one, we all listen to the briefing and walk togehter a minute to the start - I use this time to get my app ready to hit "Running!" but at this one we just went! So i had no record of the start and it was too fiddly to get going once we were all on the move.

No matter, i thought, i know its 5k, and i'll get my time from my barcode - not the end of the world!

SO i ran - it was a tough one for the reasons above, and becuase it was a bit warm, and there were fewer people to pace myself against as its a much smaller group.

finally got to the funnel - the last 1k motivated solely by the thought of coffee and the flapjack that always features in the run reports - only to discover that I hadnt got my bleedin' barcode - aargh!

So i have a 1m15s window which I, as UNKNOWN, came in on. Humph!

At least the flapjack was good Loads more people came back for coffee than at my other PR and I chatted to a few which was really nice

I can really see the attraction of Parkrun tourism. A chap I spoke to is in his mid-late 70s (i checked on the results) and is doing a different London run every week and is thinking about going further afield. He does the 5k in less than 25mins, and averages 75% age-graded score- amazing!

[Nilzed]

Parkrun seems as good a justification as any for exploring your region and beyond. Will you try this one again?

[LightDark Graduate in reply to Nilzed]

Yep definitely - if only to get a proper time!

But they were friednly, and its techincally closer, so I see moving over to this one as a bit of a new gradatuion/progression in my running journey.

Problem is I don thave a car, so exploring further afield is complicated... but I do have friends arounsd the country I keep meaning to visit...

:)

Hows yours getting on?

[Nilzed in reply to LightDark]

We are moving closer to the nearest parkrun. It will be about a mile away, downhill. Which means it's uphill home. After the run. And it's a serious hill.

[Treemouse Graduate]

If it's any consolation, my first Parkrun was identical! I didn't forget barcode, but managed to turn my Runkeeper app off on my phone as I slid it into my armband...twice! I gave up, and felt bad not knowing what pace /distance I had done. However, you went out and you did it! That is a brilliant achievement, especially on tougher terrain and in the heat! The next one you do will be much better and you will have laid your gremlins to rest with this run

[LightDark Graduate in reply to Treemouse]

My first parkrun was pretty shambolic too - maybe thats just the way it goes! Tryng too much to be in control!

I'm sure the next one will go supper smoothly and maybe i wont even feel tired at all! (haha) Good point about gremlins!

Hope you have had better ones since

[Vixchile Graduate]

I find running on grass difficult too i just worry about the ground underneath. The park run sounds nice and friendly. Coffee and yummy flapjack sounds like the perfect way to end a 5km run!!

[LightDark Graduate]

Yeah there were a few dicky points where I worried about going over on my ankles - but kept going and trusted inmy trainers! Apparently it gets bog-like in winter so may have to re-think that! The flapjack really hit the spot!

[Nilzed in reply to LightDark]

Running in Wellies is seriously hard!