I'm not allowed to run, but there's no rule that says you're forbidden to walk the Parkrun (although I do have a practical "rule" not to do that again if it results in excessive foot numbness). So I went down to the beach early this morning, and warmed up for half an hour or so, just to loosen up my stiff hip (which doesn't like to rest, but is comfortable as anything with just a bit of exercise). Then the Parkrun began, and I tried to maintain a balance between exerting myself as much as I could, and staying injury free. My pace varied quite a bit over the walk.
To begin with there was a bit of a crowd to get through. I wanted to do a "brisk walk" (and maybe even a borderline walk, since that might turn into an adequate substitute for running), so I had to work my way through the many people who do the "Park leisurely stroll" first, and then it was a matter of pushing along to catch up with walker after walker. Most of the walkers do a "brisk stroll" without pushing it too much, and I wanted to see how far I could push (within limits, as said).
Although I was just walking, I probably spent less time looking at the ships out in the roads, and the passing morning pedestrian traffic than I did on the runs I did earlier. I was too busy concentrating on what I was doing. Was that hurting? Could you push the effort up to a run-like effort? (No, I think) Are those knees locking? Stuff like that. And particularly, "Is that some numbness in the calf?" On a balance I pretty much walked as fast as I can most of the time.
My final time was 42: 10, compared to a best running time so far of 35: 08, so if you push it, there's not such a huge difference between walking and running. (At this level, anyway). I've read that there's some point at which running becomes a more efficient gait, and those times being close(ish) tells me my running pace is still quite close to that changeover point. Apparently if you walk "in the running zone", it's very inefficient, so you burn lots of fuel to achieve your result. So if the calories consumed aspect of exercise was significant in weight loss, it would almost make sense to not run when walking gets awkward if that was your aim. However I think the weight issue is something you really need to deal with mainly by controlling total quantities. (There's no way to bypass that much).
I did probably overdo my "cool down". I walked to the estuary of the Umgeni River, which is up from the built up area of the beachfront, after the Parkrun, and must check how far that is. It took an extra hour and a half to two hours, however far it is. I basically kept "cooling down" until I started to feel a bit sore, which is not how you're meant to do it.
So the moral of the story? Not only can you do the Parkrun in Week 1 of c25k (if you didn't start before), you can do it when you're not allowed to run, too.
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gary_bart
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Thanks. Yes, I really regret not doing Parkruns right from the start, and try to encourage people who're "waiting till they're ready" (just like I was waiting until I was "ready") to join in early and find out just how friendly and diverse running can be. In fact maybe next week, now I've done my experiment on how fast I can walk it, I think what I'll do is take it really easy, and maybe be the one who "comes last" so nobody else has to do that.
Good for you Gary!!! At my local parkrun, we have a man who is quite large and has bad feet -- he walks the 5K every week - but he puts effort into it and I noticed yesterday (as tailrunner) that he was using Runkeeper to track his pace. I really like "triers" like him -- but I am not so supportive of those who only turnup for a "stroll" -- sometimes with their dog!!!
Too much of a casual stroll seems a bit pointless, yes. Our Parkrun volunteers stop at not letting kids on bicycles into the sorting tunnel at the finish. We have the problem that some of our medical aid companies give members points for Parkrun participation, so some of those collect their points by strolling 5km, while others actually sit inside the casino opposite the end point, and wait till they think they can arrive inconspicuously, and just cheat it completely. Some are such cheats that they even arrange very flattering times for themselves. Some "speedsters" seem to be able to do it without even breaking into a sweat.
Because our run is down an almost perfectly level paved beachfront we also get lots of people with their babies in prams, but these tend to complete the run faster than just about anyone else. It seems if you take your baby for a Parkrun, the right way to do it is to make it as exciting as possible for your passenger.
As far as dogs go at our Parkrun, even the tiniest ones seem to mainly do an actual run. (And some of the more interesting passing traffic along the beach is the skateboarders whose dogs are towing them - sometimes surprisingly small dogs, too).
Hmm - bicycles are strictly "verboten" at Aussie parkruns - as are things like skateboards. Have never heard of "cheating" here either - I don't think Aussies would have a bar of that and cheaters would be vilified ferociously!! _Our baby pram pushers are also very fast!!! Dogs are mostly fast - except we do get some "strollers" .
Gary-- I have been researching something called "Zulu runs" in South Africa but can find much about them - can you tell me what they are?? I have read that the Zulus used to do a kind of run/walk system to cover ground faster so don't know if that has anything to do with "zulu running"
I haven't heard of anything like that as an organised current event, but people are always looking for new sporting events, so I'd guess someone is trying to start something of that nature. I can try to remember to ask the guys at Parkrun next week. I'll also see if my brother has heard of anything like it.
I can give some amateur historical background of what might be involved. A king called Shaka took the throne of a small tribe called the amaZulu back in the late 1700's (I think - might also be early 1800's). Zulu is the root of the word for "the sky" (but I forget the suffix you stick onto it for that meaning).
"The people of the sky" had a better general than anyone else in a time of warfare, and they ended up ruling over all the much bigger tribes in this end of the world. The methods of their general and king might have some relevance to your "Zulu running" idea.
Shaka basically decided that all the military methods of his times were too wussy for him, and he drilled his troops in tougher ways. One of the first things he got rid of was sandals. A real warrior should be able to run over the veld barefoot. It's faster, and it's scarier. Not only that, a real warrior should be able to dance on thorns (and we have some long thorns, as you might have seen in wildlife documentaries). Warrior feet had to be tough.
And the point of all this foot abuse was to enable a Zulu impi (really just the Zulu word for an army - but with a uniquely Zulu organization) to run something like either 50 km or 50 miles a day. (I forget which). The warriors would run out ahead with just their fighting kit, and then behind them would come a womens regiment with the food, the sleeping mats, etc, at walking pace.
So there you get your first basis for a notion like "Zulu running". Just to give an idea of how deadly it could be, the Matabele (who eventually ended up in Zimbabwe) were basically an offshoot of the Zulu who rebelled, and had to run very far away not to be killed as a punishment. In the process of running away, they wiped out lots of other people, and became rulers of whatever lands they entered. Now at some point the Boers, trekking, got into a fight with the Matabele over cattle (there was a lot of cattle raiding back and forth). A party of them on horseback drove off a big herd of Matabele cattle on one "punitive expedition", got a lot of miles between themselves and the Matabele, and after nightfall made camp, thinking that they'd ridden far enough away. Mistake. The impi responsible for retrieving the cattle (and then maybe retaliating by raiding some of their own) just kept running throughout the night, and in the early hours of the morning, came across the horsemen and killed them all.
Zulu running would be some kind of "ultramarathon" event, then, possibly even involving running overnight like some impi moving up to hit some enemy who never imagined they could move so far so fast. It might involve running barefoot, and it probably would not be on roads or even paths. Finally, it might be a team event. I suppose apart from anything else, the real mark of the Zulu running of old was that an entire regiment would run in this manner.
Presumably modern Zulu running would not involve killing everyone at the finish with stabbing spears, though.
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_Our baby pram pushers are also very fast!!! 
Parkrun
Parkrun worries 🙁
RICHMOND PARKRUN 12TH JULY
To parkrun or not to parkrun?
Final run done - at a very windy parkrun
