Wk9 r3 park run

[Fitjack]

Hi everyone I am hoping to do my graduation run at a park run tomorrow, any tips for me please x

[Irish-John Graduate]

Relax, enjoy and savour It's your graduation run - a great achievement

[BarbieW Graduate]

Slow and steady and don’t forget your barcode!

[Buddy34 Graduate]

Great , just do what you have been and go slow and enjoy your parkrun for your graduation run good luck 😊😊

[Fitjack Graduate]

Thanks everyone

[runwithdog Graduate]

dont forget your barcode and pace yourself so not too fast at the start.

it is a great feeling to complete it and be out with all these running people.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Laminate your barcode if it going to rain.

Do listen to the new runner's briefing.

Don't start near the front.

Don't be tempted to go faster than your comfortable pace.

Do have a wonderful time.

[Hatman Graduate]

These were my experiences

Park Run people are the most supportive and cheerful people going!!!

All those volunteers stood at their marshal positions around the course and cheered me on! Every time I passed them. My chosen course was three and a half laps of the local park. I turned up worried. Where do I go? How do they know I’m here? Shall I just go home? Loads of yellow jacketed smiles ushering us lost folk. I wasn’t the only one there for the first time. There’s no where to leave stuff, but the start is only yards from the car park. Get there in time for the briefing at about ten to, was all I had heard. The route map was on line. I had searched - parkrunuk, and filled in a registration form. That got me a barcode to print out. Take a copy of the barcode with you. As you finish they give you a token, take that to a table where they scan your code. That is it. As you registered nationally, they have your details and very soon after you will get an email. Mine said it was run #163 for that park, I took 46’48” and was 4th in my age group. That fourth in my age group was the most encouraging. I never came as high as fourth in anything energetic before! Even if it is 70-74 year olds. There were still some finished after me and even an official ‘last’ person who made sure that he was last, not a competitor.

The start is a big jumble, with elite keen runners at the front and loads in the middle. I made sure I was at the back, so as not to get in the way when I set off on a five minute warm up walk with Laura in my ear, W9. It soon thins out. Then it’s a case of getting the head around ‘I am walking, everyone else is running. I am wrong?’ Conquer that and then start running and sorting out your breath. Accept that quite soon you are going to be overtaken, covered in the briefing, keep over one side. You are running only for yourself. This is not a race. Just a run. Keep going slowly. Marshals at each junction, smile, clap or cheer encouragement each time you pass. Pass the toilets four times, then turn into the closing straight. Laura had finished the run and the cool down and started her next run by the time I turned into the straight. Those cheers and applause were appreciated, although I perhaps didn’t look very appreciative. Staggered to the table and was scanned. My wife had some water ready for me. Many runs converge on a cafe for post run banter. Me, I just went home, happy to have finally run 5Kilometres , graduated and at that stage no thought of doing it again. Not being an athlete, I am happy to continue my new running “hobby”, running just three runs per week similar to W9, with Laura on C25Kplus Stepping stones sending music and guidance to my ear.

Have fun tomorrow. Enjoy your running.

[Fitjack Graduate]

Thanks , slow and steady