Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be pissed off with DP about park run 😤

60 replies

HildegardVonBingham · 24/01/2026 09:41

DP and I are both women and both quite physically fit. I’ve done two half marathons with a good time and DP does long distance cycling. I said to DP that we could do park run together this week but I’d need to whizz home after as I’m off out of London to see a friend, and I wanted to run at a reasonable pace. TBH I like to run at a sedate pace because it’s only park run and I only like to really go for it if I’m running alone and listening to pop music. I made all this clear to DP (you may have gleaned I wasn’t wildly enthused about park run this AM.) At the start line she then starts all this nonsense about ‘a sub 30 minute park run’, to which I say ‘it’s only park run’. About 5 mins in my hip starts really hurting because I haven’t stretched, and I say as much. Two mins later proceeds to whizz off at lightening speed !!! I slope off to the cafe in a huff without finishing. She has just arrived and apologised profusely but I was incredibly arsey and told her she’s really PMO. Some of this is the lesbian disease of communicating every single feeling all the time but AIBU to be really annoyed? I was incredibly stroppy and now think I potentially over reacted!! DP broadly wonderful and very considerate but just very competitive about sport and exercise ….

OP posts:
Dgll · 24/01/2026 10:25

I would have done what you DP did. DH would have told me to run on and meet him at the end anyway. We would then have got a coffee and I would have sympathised about his hip while he asked about my time.

Swaytheboat · 24/01/2026 10:23

But 30 mins is a very sedate run if you are even reasonably fit? How slow did you want to go? Just go for a walk.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 24/01/2026 10:18

I HATE running with others just because of these expectations. Do I go on ahead or peg my speed back? What if they think I'm running slowly because of them and worry about me? Now I only do Park Runs with my son - he's a lot faster and he waits for me at the end.

Mismatch of expectation, that's all, OP. Chalk it up to experience and have a big bun.

CheeseWisely · 24/01/2026 10:17

I don’t really understand what happened? You wanted to run at a reasonable pace because you have plans after. Sub 30 minutes is a reasonable pace. Then you didn’t stretch so changed your mind about the reasonable pace, and you’re sulking because she cracked on with the original plan? Eh?

I often run Parkrun with DH or friends and it’s a total non-event if a plan to run together changes during, either because one person isn’t feeling it, or one person really is feeling it and wants to push on.

Not sure what being a lesbian has got to do with it at all. People of all sexual persuasions can unreasonably sulk.

HorrorFan81 · 24/01/2026 10:16

Well she shouldn't have agreed to run together if she didn't really want to. But if you were struggling and she was feeling really good I don't think she did anything wrong by cracking on. Its just a 5k PR not a half marathon or something. You've been pretty dramatic I would say

Bloodylovecheese · 24/01/2026 10:15

It was an hour, tops, out of your lives...
Life is too short. Forgive, forget and move on.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend

zingally · 24/01/2026 10:11

Honestly, this sounds like a lot of fuss about nothing.

Why are you even bothering with park run when you're not that fussed about it anyway?

Considering you had plans for today, I'd have just stayed home, got ready for that, and gone.

It's only a local park run - not the olympics. Calm down.

Tocsin · 24/01/2026 10:09

@HildegardVonBingham - in this instance, it’s you.

user2848502016 · 24/01/2026 10:09

I think you were both unreasonable really, if you didn’t want to do it you should have just said, she was probably sick of your moaning! Also was a bit mean to expect her to drop out with you just because your hip hurt a bit.
On the other hand your DP shouldn’t have tried to push you to be competitive when you had said you were taking it easy

PeopleTheyAintNoGood · 24/01/2026 10:07

Yabu. It's a non issue.
I do take exception to you saying it's 'only' parkrun, though. 😂. I'm very proud of myself for running it at any speed

ShawnaMacallister · 24/01/2026 10:05

You should have brought your headphones anyway, I would never start a park run without them. You knew she wanted to tun faster than you. And if you decided partway that your hip hurt and you couldn't be arsed that's totally fair enough and you could have enjoyed a nice chilled coffee then given her a kiss and said well done instead of behaving like a petulant child. I hate this kind of behaviour in relationships. Take responsibility for yourself.

RueLepic · 24/01/2026 10:05

Why didn’t you just stretch? Even if it’s ’just Park Run’, not the London marathon, you still need to stretch, otherwise you end up in pain, and, in your case, sulking like a toddler.

ImmortalJillyCooper · 24/01/2026 10:05

Way too much drama over an everyday 5k. It would be understandable if it was actually a signficant event. (Also surely 30 minutes is a very sedate pace for someone who is quite fit and has a good half marathon time??)

newmenewwhatever · 24/01/2026 10:05

do you think they ran ahead to get a bit of space from you?

FryingPam · 24/01/2026 10:04

Unnecessary drama. Let her run her pace and you run yours (or go for a coffee). No need for anyone to be stroppy. If I run with DH and I realise that I’m not at my best today or see he’s motivated to go faster, I just tell him to go ahead and we catch up later. He’d do the same if it’s the other way round.

BlueWellieSocks · 24/01/2026 10:02

A sulking adult is always in the wrong.

Your partner had nothing to apologise for and you sound like hard work and extremely needy.

FOJN · 24/01/2026 10:02

You weren't wildly enthusiastic, you were on a bit of a time crunch because you were going to London, you didn't stretch, ended up in pain and now you're pissed off because your DP didn't run with you. Sorry but it sounds like you manufactured your own misery. Apologise, move on and don't agree to do things you don't really want to do in future.

ArtTheClownIsNotAMime · 24/01/2026 10:02

SunnySideDeepDown · 24/01/2026 10:00

Why did you think you’d be running together if you already knew she wanted to run sub30 and you wanted a relaxed run?

YABU to make a big deal of this and sulk. The fact she instantly apologised when she had nothing to apologise for makes me wonder how healthy your relationship is. Why didn’t you just say “you run ahead, I’m in pain and need to slow down/stop”?

That occurred to me too. The girlfriend "apologising profusely" doesn't sit right with me.

Fibrous · 24/01/2026 10:01

I don’t get people who run together at parkrun unless they’re new and anxious. Just crack it out and go home.

TappyGilmore · 24/01/2026 10:00

If I’m understanding correctly … you’d agreed to run together. But then you wanted to slow down because your hip hurt, so I don’t think it’s that unreasonable of her to just want to crack on and still do it herself in a reasonable time.

SunnySideDeepDown · 24/01/2026 10:00

HildegardVonBingham · 24/01/2026 09:46

@DisplayPurposesOnly we expressly agreed to run together at the same pace !! If we were running separately I would have bought headphones so I could listen to ABBA…!

Why did you think you’d be running together if you already knew she wanted to run sub30 and you wanted a relaxed run?

YABU to make a big deal of this and sulk. The fact she instantly apologised when she had nothing to apologise for makes me wonder how healthy your relationship is. Why didn’t you just say “you run ahead, I’m in pain and need to slow down/stop”?

jamandcustard · 24/01/2026 09:59

What a load of drama over nothing. You were injured and dropped out, she carried on as normal. What's the problem?

Meadowfinch · 24/01/2026 09:57

Yabu. There are hundreds of people at most park runs. If you want company, it's very easy to find someone sedate and chatty. And if you were in pain, better for you not to feel under pressure to keep up with her.

Nothing worse than having to run at less than natural pace.

harriethoyle · 24/01/2026 09:56

For goodness sake. You sound exhausting and SO needy. Your poor partner.

Hotel785634 · 24/01/2026 09:56

It’s a 5K, not the Spine ultramarathon. Just do your thing and stop whinging - it’s not her fault you didn’t stretch amor bring your earphones.

Swipe left for the next trending thread