I'm feeling a bit dazed at the moment, but I have just achieved a major goal - completing my first parkrun!
The course at Mile End is quite twisty, and you do two circuits - this means that you have to go up and over the Green Bridge 4 times. That is a killer!
The runners and volunteers were great, but most of them left me in the dust as I ploughed through my regulation 28 minutes. I was overtaken by a mum with a child in a pushchair, by a woman who was 6 months pregnant, and by that Indian guy who is famous because he is still running at 100 years old.
I was one of the last to come in, but I did it in about 43 minutes. (I'm not sure as the Parkrun site is not yet showing people's times.) Still, at least I have set a baseline for myself.
Written by
Katie204
Graduate
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Thanks! I was pretty tired going round the course, and of course I hadn't yet had any breakfast, but I feel fine now.
I nearly didn't go, as the gremlins were telling me to stay in bed and think about starting next week - also I was out late last night, at drinks with my neighbours. But at least now I know I can do it!
Hi Secan - it's so kind of you to say that! I'm not sure that "enjoyed" is the word I would use for struggling up those slopes, but I'm glad I made it round. I was in the last 3, but apparently a couple of people dropped out part-way through, so at least I was a finisher.
Well done! And you got to see the old Indian guy! Did you go on your own? I'm planning to do my first parkrun next week. Barcodes are ready. I'm nervous now it's coming round!
Hi Digger - I did go on my own, but got chatting to some of the people when I arrived. (I was a complete parkrun virgin, so I didn't know anyone there.)
It seems that the Mile End posse are a pretty speedy bunch of people, but everyone there was very welcoming and helpful. I was a bit nervous beforehand, as I didn't know what to expect, but once I got going it was OK. Also I was listening to Laura as I went round, so I had her familiar voice to keep me going.
Well done. My local is Hatfield Forest, it's flat, so I'm not too worried about the running. I don't know what I'm nervous about, I'm sure it'll be grand. I suspect I've just been building it up for too long!
I found it was a new experience running in a group with other people. I learned a lot by watching *how* other people run - most people seemed to be striding out and kicking their legs up much more than I do.
Great! What a great achievement. When you get the email it will tell you where you placed in terms of gender and age so that's probably more useful than your overall place. Hope you enjoyed the experience- a real milestone for you x
Great effort well done ☺
Katie, that's amazing! I didn't manage to run 5k until weeks after I graduated, well done you superstar!
I just looked at our scores from yesterday and if you did a parkrun up here in t'North with "normal" folk (I mean that in the nicest possible way, as in they're not the super-human's London seems to attract) your position would have been midway xxx
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just done mine too! Damn you get all the good place names and famous people over there 
Parkrun - W7R1
First parkrun
First Parkrun 
First Parkrun completed! 
