First parkrun on International parkrun day! - Couch to 5K

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First parkrun on International parkrun day!

sarah469 profile image
sarah469Graduate
20 Replies

Well that was fun! Everything went as well as I had hoped. Thanks to everyone who motivated me to do it, I'm very pleased I did! It was nice to do something in the community - all the runners coming together!

I finished in a time of 34:04 (which I am VERY pleased with) without stopping and came 146th out of 180 runners. Did not do well in my age group as I am 25 so I should be much faster I suppose but I was not the very last! Anyway something to build on!

Only worry at the beginning was that it was bl**dy cold and foggy! I hadn't really realised how cold it was so hadn't brought my new running jacket, and had to run with my fleecy hoody which I'd been planning to take off! But it was fine.

I was pleased to go with a friend but we didn't stay running together as you'd all advised and I was happy to go at my own pace - I felt she went off too fast for me right at the beginning so I hung back, and in the end I overtook her by a few positions. We are planning to go again! :)

I had my headphones in quietly but I think next time I might try without (or atleast one ear out perhaps...I do like my music) to get more of the atmosphere. Would have also liked to stick around a bit more at the end but my friend was gasping for the water in the car!

Nice to get the first one under my belt, and on International parkrun day! I didn't realise it was today although I had read about the anniversary - I have good timing ;)

I hope everyone else's Parkruns went well today! And thank you volunteers!

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sarah469 profile image
sarah469
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20 Replies
Steve_L profile image
Steve_LGraduate

Nice to hear your account of your first Parkrun (first of many, I bet). That's a decent time, too. I ran in my 26th Parkrun today. It's transformed my Saturdays, and I really love it. I amazed myself today with a storming PB of 28:22, which seemed to come from nowhere.

sarah469 profile image
sarah469Graduate in reply to Steve_L

Congratulations, that sounds like a great PB! Nice achievement to start your weekend with :)

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate in reply to Steve_L

Fab new PB! I hope to give Parkrun ago once I have graduated.

Madge50 profile image
Madge50Graduate in reply to Sandraj39

Don't wait until you graduate, use it as part of C25K, you'll be welcomed, I wish I'd gone sooner, that's my one regret. It's just fab, go, I promise you'll have a good time.

Mx

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate in reply to Madge50

Should be graduating on Monday, so yes I am probably ready!!! Have registered and hope to go in the next week or two with my 15 year old son. He will of course, leave me way behind, but then he has youth on his side. 😀

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor in reply to Sandraj39

Don't forget to put NHS C25k down as your club on your parkrun details.

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe

Oh yes, will do!

Dunder2004 profile image
Dunder2004Graduate

Well done Sarah and congrats on your first Parkrun.

34 minutes is not to shabby but you are still a novice runner and still have huge scope for improvement. You will be surprised by the progress you make, and feel, in the coming weeks and months,

sarah469 profile image
sarah469Graduate in reply to Dunder2004

Thanks Dunder :)

well done sarah :D so glad you had a great time :) and the time was pretty good too for a 1st time ,you have something to aim at now :D

sarah469 profile image
sarah469Graduate in reply to

Thank you! Indeed!

Madge50 profile image
Madge50Graduate

That's a great time, well done! (You're faster than me) and yes, international park run day, 11 years ago 11 fans of running started it all, what a fantastic thing they have created. We had one person on their 50th, and one on their 100th - who race walked it today, you'll be after those milestone t-shirts I'm sure, and don't forget there is a 25 milestone t-shirt for volunteers - we had a 'festival of volunteering' at ours today, and cake! What's not to like 😄

Happy running!

Mx

sarah469 profile image
sarah469Graduate in reply to Madge50

Thank you Madge! Your parkrun sounds great! Yes, I will definitely think about volunteering once I have a few runs under my belt! Already have the 10 milestone within my sights ;) x

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate

Yay, well done, first one in the bag and I'dsay you should be pretty pleased with that time. Well done!😀

sarah469 profile image
sarah469Graduate in reply to Sandraj39

Thank you Sandra! Good luck with your first parkrun, you'll be great!

davelinks profile image
davelinksGraduate

Well done! good time for first timer

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor

You now have a parkrun PB which you can chip away at and get great satisfaction as you r running develops.

Glad to hear it went well and a great time too! :-)

sarah469 profile image
sarah469Graduate in reply to

Thanks Mim! X

amandararium profile image
amandarariumGraduate

Well done you! You ran the whole way without stopping, which is great in itself. I haven't experienced running in foggy conditions yet, that must be tricky, esepcially with so many other parkrunners about. It's a whole new community to discover, isn't it? We loved our first parkrun today in St Andrews.

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