So I set my alarm (and told my other half what time I would like my cup of tea!) this morning so that I wouldn't be rushing, and set off to my first ever Parkrun.
I had been wondering which local one to go to - but after some last minute research last night, decided on Orpington. 2 3/4 laps of a mixed course, some grass, some trail, some tarmac, round a lovely park.
I did a mixture of running and walking - setting myself targets each time like run to the yellow cone, walk to the bench etc, and looking at my Garmin stats, I ran more than I walked - just!! I knew I could walk 5k in about 55 minutes, so was hoping to do it in less than 50 - actually did it in less than 45! (In fact my Parkrun time was 43:30, but I forgot to stop my watch - hence the time on my photo - modelling the beetroot look!!!) And I wasn't last!!!!😁
Written by
CookieM
Graduate
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I live opposite a park & there's a run every Saturday that quite a few of my friends do, they keep asking me to join them but I have no confidence in my running at all....I can't do week 4 of c25k so there's no way I would be able to do a park run!!!! Think I'll wait a few months ....well done to you !!!
I didn't run more than 10 minutes in one go - and you can walk the entire thing ( at least 2 of the people who came in behind me did just that) - Check out the slowest times and do a timed 5k walk - if your time is near the slowest then go for it! Do your weeks run as per the program and the walk the rest ( with a run for the finish line!). I'm sure You'll enjoy the atmosphere!!!
I had to drive to get to this. There is one I can get to with one bus, but that has over 500 runners - far too many for now!! (maybe later?! - or a weekend when I don't have the car on a Saturday!)
There are quite a few within about 10-15 minutes drive - but I'll stick with this one for now!
I was actually responding to MummuCav109's comment that she lives opposite a park where there is a parkrun. Five hundred runners sounds like too many for my taste – ever! But it's good that so many people are keen.
Do it - it doesn't matter if you can't run it, you will never be last because there is a trail runner/walker. Even if you used it as one of your weekly runs and then just walked the bit that was left it's a huge achievement. Just my opinion - and in no way belittling the super fast runners - but I think the marshals actually prefer the slower runners. You will not pass a single marshal without a few words of genuine encouragement. You and me are what Parkrun is about - those who would otherwise only ever run alone becoming part of an amazing collaborative team. Lots and lots of people walk it - and you still get an applause and encouragement from so many.
I was a little disappointed to with the encouragement on this one. I was one of the last to come in, and there were only a few people standing around chatting when I approached the finish, everyone else had gone apart from one runner who was standing near the finish encouraging us. I guess those of us near the back were a bit spread out ( we were all walk/ running but not at the same time so we kept overtaking/ being overtaken by each other) and there were no marshalls out on the course.....
But I enjoyed the route and I'm used to running on my own so.....
That's sad. I've only done three - one was Hove Prom, the other two were Eastbourne - but the marshal support on both were amazing - especially Eastbourne which needs quite a few marshals. I could not do it without the marshal support. Maybe try another. I'm doing to do others - but I need to conquer hills first!
I find if I have said enough times that i am doing something, then I will do it - mind you, I didn't sleep well on Friday night as I was worrying about it!!
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First parkrun
W8R1/First Parkrun
First Parkrun
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First Parkrun
