First parkrun at last!

[tortoisegirl]

After about a month of dithering, illness and general procrastination I finally did my first parkrun this morning! There were about 500 runners, some looking like they were limbering up for the Olympics, and some who looked a bit more my level. I ran with my daughter, who is doing parkrun as part of her silver Duke of Edinburgh award. There are some mean hills, one of which we walked, but apart from that we just had one short walking interval. My time was just under 42 mins, which I was pleased with, as that is faster than I have run 5K on the flat! At the end I had that W1R1 feeling ie about to pass out. Was amused to see that in my fairly early 40s I am classed as a veteran!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Goodness what would that make me at 66?

Well done you ! Veteran or not.. a great run

[tortoisegirl Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

A super hero?! Thanks, Oldfloss , now that I have actually got there I will definitely be back!

[Hidden]

Well done - it feels great doesn't it, just knowing you have taken part in an event? I have done two Parkruns now and both times have run my fastest 5ks. Glad to say we have no hills on our parkrun though - I hate hills!!😜🌟

[tortoisegirl Graduate in reply to Hidden]

It did feel great, once I could breathe again! I am not a fan of hills, but I am beginning to feel that I need to do a bit of hill-training. Can't believe I just wrote that on a public forum!

[Pc59 Graduate]

Well done I'm still trying to pluck up the courage to go to parkrun 😊I'm a slow runner so waiting to get a bit faster😀😀! Bet you felt a terrific buzz after it 😊x

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Pc59]

Are you free on Christmas Eve Pc59 ? We could run our first ever parkruns wherever we happen to be in the UK at the same time! I understand that some people walk most of the way. I'm getting my Santa 🎅🏻 Hat ready as we speak. What do you say? 😊 🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🎅🏻🎅🏻 "It doesn't matter if we're slow, it matters that we've had a go!" (I'm a poet, and I don't know it!) ha ha, lol. x tortoisegirl you could show us how to do it. If the categories for veteran runners are anything like rowing, they start at 28 ☹️

[Pc59 Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

Wow that is is a brilliant idea🎅imagine how we would feel😊😊 like 2 christmas days celebration😃😃! All that puts me off is I'm 59 yrs young(don't feel it though) and I have been checking the results every week & last person still quicker than me😀by about 5mins!!! I am silly I know but frightened it'll put me off running as so slow!! However it might keep me going to get 3days a week in & get to that 40 min mark😃😃it really sounds a great incentive and quite exciting!!!! I love a challenge😀😀😀maybe we should just go for it!!! 🎅🎅 here I'm learning so much from you which garmin did you get & does it have music too. I have a Fitbit & use runkeeper on my phone!! You are such a poet & inspiration 😊😊x

[tortoisegirl Graduate in reply to Pc59]

Just had a peek at your last post, Pc59 , and you ran 5K in a very respectable time. Everyone is very friendly and encouraging, and no-one was judgemental.

[Pc59 Graduate in reply to tortoisegirl]

For my age 44mins33secs I thought was ok😊Just no one slower than 40mins!! Must be right fit up here ha ha!! You know i really fancy it so just have to "wise up" & go for it!! Thanks for post😊X

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Pc59]

Thank you Pc59 I'm going to google the parkrun times where I am. I think some are slow, so up where you are, they must be very fit! It would be really rather nice to know that we were aiming for our first parkrun together, now wouldn't it? Santa hats and all! 🎅🏻 🎅🏻

As for my Garmin, it's a vivosmart HR +. The music is linked to your phone as far as I am aware. You pair your phone with it when you first get it. I'm still reading through the manual now and then. So I think you can start your music 🎶 on your phone and then pause it or forward or go back a track or two. You can probably change the volume too, but I haven't done that yet.

I've still been listening to Laura, but may one day manage to put my faves on a folder for my runs. Must download Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture too! LOL

For some reason I have "Born Free, as free as the wind blows" in my head this morning. Happy running 🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🎅🏻🎅🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[Pc59 Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

You will laugh at this😂 on my runs I have 3 apps on Laura!! Then I press the music bit & play running music & then I press runkeeper once I start running by time I've done all that I'm exhausted 😂😂. Do you know what I think us doing the parkrun in 🎅🎅 is a great idea it would give us something to aim for & il just have to get over the fact il be last😀😀 & positive thinking someone has to be but at least I'm trying!!! Let's go for it!!! Phyllis x I better check one on & txt them to see if they mind waiting till i finish😂😂😂

[Von99 Graduate in reply to Pc59]

I too am sitting on the Parkrun fence just too scared to take the plunge! But my husband has been trying to persuade me to go and in a moment of madness last week we bought two Santa hats with the idea of doing the one on Christmas Eve! I have only run 5k once though in a very slow time so you've encouraged me to try to get in a few 5k runs and maybe... Just maybe, that hat might get used!

[Pc59 Graduate in reply to Von99]

Well von99 let's you me & flossie22 go for it in our 🎅🎅 Phyllis x

[Millsie-J Graduate in reply to Pc59]

Lol! They won't mind I'm surexxx. Get a partner, friend, family member to walk the course and finish after you if you must! I believe some PR will get someone to run with you if you ask. Enjoy 😃👍🏼. Ps you are faster than me x

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Pc59]

3 apps! Phyllis, that's amazing, and there's you saying you're not very technically minded, or some such somewhere. You, me and Von99 , the three musketeers, the PRs aren't going to know what has hit them! I am imagining Von swinging her legs on the Parkrun fence, then jumping off it and joining us. Well, she has got the Santa hat now after all! Come on Von, join in the FUN! LOL XXX

Just thinking, the red santa hat is going to clash awfully with my pink face, perhaps I'll just take a photo of my trainers instead!

[Pc59 Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

Il be like a Christmas tree with my bright pink leggings!! Better leave out the fluorescent pink hat under my Santa hat!! Trainers well they are bright pink & purple!! Can't wait to see photos!! Now if we all post photos I might suss out how to do a collage photo😀😀o you have really set the mark Flossie22😂😂x

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Pc59]

We need to ask Hidden how to do that. Perhaps he'll respond here . . .

[Pc59 Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

Here just look at it as another challange😊😊x

[Flossie22 Graduate in reply to Pc59]

Oh Phylis, there's no stopping you now, is there? I am sure I have seen someone post two photos before now, not as a collage, but two separate photos. May have been mistaken . . . could have been late at night and I was seeing double! LOL x

[Pc59 Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

I have done it before but not convinced il remember how ha ha!! It'll be a surprise "Santa" pressie 😂x

[runswithdogs Graduate in reply to Pc59]

You should go for it! People near you must be quick. Our races usually have people walk the entire thing, and our Parkruns (which are new) consistently have people do run-walks. At 44 minutes you'd have no problem.

[Pc59 Graduate in reply to runswithdogs]

Ah thanks I'm really getting into the idea of it now so your encouragement much appreciated! Flossie22 🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🏃🏃🏃🏃🏃x

[Von99 Graduate in reply to runswithdogs]

That's the thing with the one near me, no one was walking, most people were coming in under 40 minutes!

[runswithdogs Graduate in reply to Von99]

I'd do it anyways, but that's easy for me to say because I know I love races and such. There should be a tailrunner who has to come last. And perhaps new folks wanting to join would be encouraged by seeing some longer times on the board (as you would be). People only care about their personal efforts, nobody would be put off waiting a few extra minutes.

[tortoisegirl Graduate in reply to Von99]

There must be some fast p arkruns out there! Our slowest runner came in at over an hour, and there was a tail runner. It is supposed to be for ALL abilities!

[tortoisegirl Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

Ooh, a Santa Hat! I must get one of those. I won't be anywhere near a Parkrun on Christmas Eve, or I would join you!

[runswithdogs Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

Ooh you guys should do it!!! I'm tail-running Christmas Eve and I'm already constructing a costume for the affair with jingle bells and all. I'd also highly recommend New Year's Eve - I've had a race that day for the past two years and it feels great to usher in another year of fitness.

[Millsie-J Graduate in reply to Flossie22]

I have done several virtual runs and would highly recommend them! I did my first PR last week running virtually with Hidden and thoroughly enjoyed it. If I hadn't planned the virtual run I'm pretty sure I would have let the weather put me off getting out there! Go for it! I'm going to do a PR on Christmas Eve for sure! When you register don't forget to put NHS C25k k as your club 😃👍🏼

[tortoisegirl Graduate in reply to Millsie-J]

Knowing that I had set getting to parkrun as one of my challenges in the Quest on here did help me get out the door. I'm a bit gutted I won't be around for the Christmas Eve run now! I will be cheering you on as I peel potatoes and wrap presents!

[Flossie22 Graduate]

Congratulations on your first parkrun. That's brilliant. I have yet to have the time to do my local parkrun, but I can imagine that there will be runners of all shapes and sizes and abilities. That's what makes it so much fun. How wonderful to be able to run with your daughter, a double celebration is required! 🍾🎉🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️

[Irish-John Graduate]

Good on you

[tortoisegirl Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

Thank you, I surprised myself!

[orchards Graduate]

Sounds like a good run I really liked the encouraging feel of the parkrun I did.

[tortoisegirl Graduate in reply to orchards]

Yes, the marshals were very encouraging. They must have been bitterly cold standing around this morning!

[Lon70 Graduate]

Well done. Good time. At your age you are in your prime!

[tortoisegirl Graduate in reply to Lon70]

Ah, thank you! I do actually feel fitter than I have ever done, and that is down to this programme.

[runswithdogs Graduate]

Well done. Sounds like a great new route with some challenges to push through. And great stuff you did so well with those hills! I often take a walking break up the big one in mine.

[tortoisegirl Graduate in reply to runswithdogs]

Very few people run ours. It's not long, but very steep! I get puffed just walking it!

[Millsie-J Graduate]

My Local PR has hills! I just took them really slow, almost a fast walk lol! 😂

[tortoisegirl Graduate in reply to Millsie-J]

There was no way I was going to run the steep one. I would have needed medical attention!