Parkrun - my first!

I've just completed my first PR. I did have a thread  going on here, asking for experiences as I wasn't sure what to expect. Everyone was great, really friendly and welcoming - and VERY encouraging!  I don't know yet what my time was, likely be somewhere 45 mins and I wasn't last (nearly though, who cares!)

It was really, really hard!  I'm used to running on the flat and I usually try to get one long hill in , but this was more trail terrain so tree roots, mud, uneven ground and constant up and down hills! And no, the downs did not compensate for the ups!!  Kind of thinking if I can do this then a "normal" run should be easy. Ha!

so glad I went, even saw an old class mate I haven't seen since 1987, he recognised me, said I hadn't changed (good or bad? On one hand I was a real chubby kid, on the other maybe it means I don't have that many wrinkles yet!!). Think I'll probably go again in a couple weeks. If anyone, like me is unsure of whether to try, I'd say give it a go. No-one said "you shouldn't be here, you're not a real runner". In fact, people who'd finished  still hung around clapping and cheering as i came round a corner, or over the finish line, that made me run a bit faster and kept me going. Result!!

Comments

  • glad to see you enjoyed it.i went to my first one since January and realised that I miss them image

     

  • Well done Laine. Keep persevering and you'll soon see your times coming down. parkrun is a fantastic concept and I couldn't imagine my Saturdays without it now. 

  • Well done! that does sound like a tough route but like you said now it can only be easier when you are back on the flat! image

  • mathschickmathschick ✭✭✭

    Well done Laine! Keep going and you will find after a while that it doesn't feel so hard. 

  • Well done Laine!! Congratulation on your first and hopefully manner more enjoyable runs! I hope to get to my local one next week image

  • Well done, it's not about time, it's about enjoying yourself

     

  • Chuffed to bits! My time was 40.19 which is faster than I've EVER done before. Don't care that I came last (didn't think I had because I defo overtook someone but perhaps they didn't finish). Well pleased!

  • I did my very first park run Saturday 29th June , was nervous in the morning not knowing what to expect but I got there and asked the layout ,and the course direction. Listened to my music to relax until it was go time, and give it 110% the whole distance making passes all the way, the top runners were gone but I set my sights on people up front and got passed them until the final 100m one guy passed me beat me by a seconded lol.. But I was so happy 15th out of 280 with a time of 20.06 not bad only been running since February , but I really enjoyed it and hope to go again this Saturday , would love to get a top 10

  • mathschickmathschick ✭✭✭

    well done James, fantastic time for your first. I can only dream of being able to move that quickly!!

  • Cheers mathschick,was really happy to see  my hard work paying off  I was really pleased with my results, i want to build of that and hopefully get into the top 10 so im going to do the park runs when I can as I think it  is a good stepping stone running with people, as i always run alone, I've signed up to a few races this year Cardiff 10k, Bristol half, Cardif half and VLM in 2014 , so I need all the running ,racing experience I can ready for 2014..

  • Fantastic James. Are you sure you've only been running since Feb? Have you ever been a runner in the past?  That's an amazing time, 20.06! I'm now looking into my first 10k and I'll do another 5k fun run with my friend but you've embraced the whole distance thing!  im a bit of a window shopper at the moment. I keep reading, thinking and visualising doing longer distances, say a HM but I'm not quite confident yet to step up!  But I know I wisooner day. Good for you! 

  • Hi Laine,  I defiantly haven't been a runner in the past ,I'm 29, 30 this month, started running in February ,a friend of my wife's was training to run the London marathon 2013, that is something I always wanted to do,so started off steady building miles each week until I was running a lot of 7 mile runs, then a few 9.2mile runs I've done a few 14mile ones now, I really enjoy it and I'm quiet competive always trying to improve on my past runs.so i jumped in at the deep end and got a place to run the VLM 2014 for the outward bound trust, signed up to a few more races to build convendence,a friend of mine completed newport half marathon in 90mins, so that was my new target to run 7min mile so been pushing hard , so that's were I'm at now running just under 7min miles Only for 7miles max, so going to build of that.

    I think you should go for it 10k, I'm no expert but find a nice route were you live and work upto that distance, that's what I did I've got a great 7mile run I must of done it 30times... Entering my second event Wednesday evening called the senic 7 so see how I get on with that ...

  • Well good luck. And thanks for the tips!image

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