Anyone else do Parkrun?

[Ooopsadaisy]

It's (almost) the highlight of my week.

Really motivational and friendly.

Just wondered if I am alone and if anyone else loves it as much as I do?

[HeySoulSister]

is it??

i'm considering it....looks good. might register myself and ds

are there slower runners too? and whats the average time

[Ooopsadaisy]

Do it, do it!!!

There are crazy fast runners and plodders.

One man runs with his child in a buggy quite regularly. A man of 80 runs our Parkrun and he's inspirational. Children run with parents.

It's for everyone.

If you google your local Parkrun and go to the results link it will show you last week's runners and times.

[HeySoulSister]

yes,i have it bookmarked already....been waiting to pluck up courage to go. even bought ink for my printer to print of registration and barcode lol!!

needed a post like this to nudge me forward.

[Merle]

Yes, I love it. Poorly today so disappointed to miss it.

HeySoulSister don't worry about average times. Have a look at the results for your local run. You will see a real spread of times - from (annoying) lads who do 17 minutes, to people who find it a challenge to walk it in 35 +. It is great and the support is terrific.

[MrsBertMacklin]

They're all at 9am on Saturday in my area. Never going to happen for me!

[Ooopsadaisy]

I go on my own but lots of people run together if you have a running friend?

Some people chat on the way round, others run to music.

The first time I went I self-concsiously introduced myself to marshall who was so helpful that it didn't matter I hadn't been before.

Parkrun has helped improve my running enormously.

I am now a time-freak who eagerly awaits their results by text every Saturday afternoon.

[Lizzylou]

I ran at my local one this morning, I love it.
Really friendly and supportive, all ages and abilities.
I too wait every week to find out if I have beaten my pb.
That is what is so good, seeing improvement and only competing against yourself.
Go! The first time I went I hadn't ran 5km in about a year and was so slow I almost went backwards

[Merle]

Oopsidaisy I'm the same. Last week mine had a big turn out (special occasion), so the results didn't come through til the evening. I checked for them every half hour! Have you been to Parkruns other than your home run? I was in London earlier in the year and went to one close to where I was staying. I like the way that they are so portable.

[Ooopsadaisy]

Only ever done my local Parkrun and unfortunately my job requires me to work occassional Saturdays - gggrrrrrrr.

[EauRouge]

Yes, I love it too. My local one has only been going for 5 weeks but I've already met loads of really nice people- all ages and abilities as Lizzylou said, there are quite a few parents and DCs running together which is lovely.

I helped out with the marshalling today and it was brilliant, everyone said thank you as they ran past. I get 100 points for marshalling, will probably be my highest score all year

HeySoulSister, the first Parkrun I did a few weeks ago was the first time I'd done 5k. I'm quite a recent C25K graduate. You should go! They have tail runners at every event and some people walk the whole thing so don't worry about times. You won't ever be last, even if you only run for 10 metres.

[HeySoulSister]

I'm a c25k graduate too.... My 5k takes 35 mins but I've joined a running club so intend to improve it

Just don't want to be last!

[EauRouge]

My first one was 34 mins something and I was far from last! 35 mins is a perfectly fine time, no one will think you are slow or rubbish.

Parkrun is great for improving your times, if you go regularly you will get to know the people who have similar pace to you as well. The ones towards the back of my local parkrun are around 45-50 mins and the tail runner is usually around an hour.

Sign up, gwan

[Ooopsadaisy]

I got another pb today! I broke my 24 minute goal!!!!!!!!

I would never have achieved this without Parkrun (and my new running shoes)!

Is it wrong to be this happy about it?

Well done all you Parkrunners!!!!!

Anyone who is thinking should I/shouldn't I - do it, do it, do it.

[HeySoulSister]

Well done!!!

I'm gonna register me and 2 ds's ages 14 and 10.... I'm also doing Northampton colour run with 2 dd's and ds and race for life with other dd, running was MY thing lol!! It's become a family affair, the teenagers love it

[badguider]

I've been a few times. I wasn't fast (29min pb) but have run a few half marathons and further. Pregnant now with my first but my plan is to do c25k from 6wks or so to make sure I build up slowly and gently then to do a weekly parkrun. Concentrating on 5k means my runs will be nice and short. DH is very supportive and looking forward to his sat mornings with the baby :)

[Ooopsadaisy]

HeySoulSister - are you in Northampton?????

[CharlieUniformNovemberTango]

My DD (12) has just started park run. We missed today in favour of a local healthwalk on the seafront but she's been loving it.

She's happy if she's come in under 100th place. Ours usually has around 300 runners and is a great mix.

We have a few buggy runner, mums with young kids etc.

DS and I usually sit in the park and wave as she runs past us but he did a great 6 km walk today despite being a terrible walker so next week I'm going to walk it with him as I am no runner!

[HeySoulSister]

No I'm in Bedford, but it's nearish for the colour run ( every 1k you get covered in a different colour from as you run through)

[melliebobs]

Yup I do it was my parkruns 1st bday today

[Otherworld]

Love it when I go but it's difficult to manage logistics of 3 kids and swimming lessons at the same time so it's rare that I'm there!

[Ooopsadaisy]

Happy Parkrun birthday melliebobs!

[melliebobs]

There was cake en everything. Made running in the freezing rain a bit more worth it

[Ooopsadaisy]

We were lucky yesterday - the rain held off, but the wind really hit when we turned a particular corner.

As a small 9 stone person, the wind seems to really affect my running and I found all the big, burly men overtaking me. I think this must be purely a muscular thing, as they have more weight to push in the wind and you would think it would affect them more. It isn't age as all the women seem to suffer this way, even the SW20-24 (not just the VW40-45 and over!!!).

Have you noticed how women slow more on hills too? I guess that is a muscular thing too? It really hacks me off to see all the men push on on the hilly bits.

Is your Parkrun results board dominated by male runners? Is this purely down to physical strength or is there a Parkrun out there where women actually win the thing?

[Lizzylou]

Oops, I was disappointed with my time yesterday . I never do well in those conditions and also if I have missed the run the week before (we were camping).
I am sure I have read that women's hamstring muscles are very often underdeveloped, that may be something to do with it?
I am useless on hills, despite my normal run from home being very hilly.

[EauRouge]

Ours hasn't been going long, but yes, it has always been men at the top. The top 15 from yesterday are all men and there are only 7 women in the top 30. Strength is probably a big factor. I also think that women are not encouraged to do sport in the same way men are, and they are not encouraged to be as competitive. There are very few women in my category (SW30-34), I've no idea why this is.

I want to do some hill training so I can get faster. I think some people are surprised by this, thinking that I just want to bimble around to keep my weight down. I don't give a feck about if I am skinny; I want to be fit, and fast.