Parkrun newbies and trying a sub 30 - keeping each other motivated! 🏃‍♀️ 🎉

Mine was a disaster. I cycled to a new parkrun but was UNPREPARED for the cold. My feet were so numb when I got there that I didn’t realise that I was doing my (now 1 year old) injury some damage until it was too late. Feel like I’ve set my recovery back a few months - DAMN. Now I’ll have to take a break from running again, so frustrating. (Got a good time though!) (and first in my age category!) (but was it worth it? NO.)

The only strength training I do is my physio exercises, but my physio knows the aim is to be running again so has set me good ones for that.

I do weighted Bulgarian squats, deadlifts (5kg but would like to increase, might ask for more weights for Christmas), seated calf raises and normal calf raises. 3 or 4 times a week. It’s so boring but I’m very motivated because I want to be able to run (pain free) again!

I did go to cheer the other women over the line at the Parkrun graduation of the 2nd cohort of the RunningClub. They did brilliantly.

One of the women is in age category below me - she's 60-64 - and she made it over the line in 45 minutes and 3 seconds.

Not jealous. No sirree. Not jealous at all. twitches

@Lemontreeinthecity

I'm not training at the moment - still recovering from flu or whatever viruses I had - chest is still raspy and I finished up with a blooming UTI as well. Put it this way - I wasn't going to risk a coughing fit whilst running.

I normally train at the gym, either in classes or in the gym on my own. I can't go heavy - too damned old and unfit.

I've had the running coach suggest that leg curls and leg extensions are best for running, but I'm only managing 19-21 kilograms. I also do sit to stand with varying weights, but never more than 9kg thus far.

I've been going much heavier on the adductor and abductor - way above 80k - but don't imagine I'll manage that on my return.

Our trainer advised us to practise using our running arms with weights - I do mine with 7k or 7.5kg usually. I also do side raises and overhead presses with free weights, but can't manage more than 7.5kg. Also low rows.

I go heavier with the machines: 21 kg usually for shoulder press, shoulder fly and lateral pull.

I know I popped in ages ago then never had the courage to actually do a park run 😅 but I ran my 10k! (Very slowly!) Then did a 5k with the local sands group as a group ribbon run, joining together with a park run. 34.37 so not fast but my fastest so I am chuffed 😊 @Lemontreeinthecity I mostly only do 2 runs a week, I used the Nike run club but take 2 weeks to do one if you see what I mean. So a long one and intervals or whatever

Wow this is quite the schedule! How do you have time to fit it all in?

@Lemontreeinthecity is 10k a distance you usually run? If it’s not I would start by doing 6 or 7k and building it up.

3 runs a week is a pretty standard amount of running to build for your first half. Though you may need to go up to 4 days as you get nearer.

I run 6 days a week usually. Monday is strength, Tuesday club which is usually 7 or 8 miles but I’m adding extra miles on now and aiming to run a half marathon distance that evening, Wednesday is usually 4-6 slow miles, usually trail, Thursday is hill repeats with about 3 miles run before hand, Friday is a track intervals session, Saturday is usually park run, but this week was a long run due to weekend plans, Sunday is usually a long run of 15-20 miles often trail but sometimes road and usually with friends. I aim for about 50 miles a week now so I’m used to the distance in time for proper marathon training to start in December.

That sounds like three runs a week?

I try to do a long run on a Monday, track interval session on a Wednesday and parkrun on a Saturday. Will add in another maybe 30 min run in the lead up to my half. Also strength training.

This is all in theory right now as I have a cold and a knee injury and am resting.

I use the RunKeeper app on my phone. Today it told me my 5k time was 31.56. Official stat was 31.39. I have an Apple Watch but don’t like it as much as my old Fitbit versa, so tend not to use the activity options.

I love my Garmin! I definitely recommend it to keep track of your runs and to monitor how you're doing during the run. I don't take my phone running as it's too bulky

Do you use a watch? Phones are notoriously bad at tracking accurate GPS. They usually are a bit too generous and tell you you’re faster and have gone further than you actually have.

I use my garmin watch to track my runs and then upload to Strava. Because, you know, if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen 😂.

went to the last ever parkrun at my local course on Saturday as the landowners pulled the plug with a weeks notice. Massive turn out for the final event. It made for a packed course but a great atmosphere. Sad to see it go as it was a bit different to your standard parkruns.

I have a garmin watch that tracks my distance. It’s not always super accurate so I tend to trust the parkrun route which has (apparently) been mapped out with a trundle wheel so in theory should be fairly precise.

Confused about the pace though because 5.12 average (assuming this is 5 minutes 12 seconds per km?) would give you a 5k time well under 30 minutes…? More like 26 minutes!

Finally some progress! I was at a flat and fast parkrun today and the weather was perfect for running. Got round in 32 min 55s. Really pleased with that. Fastest time this year.

Don’t be disheartened! The new year is around the corner and then you can set a new best time for 2027. In the meantime think about what was happening back in January… Were you running more consistently, sleeping more, eating differently? Or do you just run well when it’s cold?

I set a pretty fast PB in my twenties before having kids, then spent YEARS thinking I’d never beat it. What changed for me was that a friend who’s older than me and has the same number of kids as me started running and getting faster times. I thought “if she can do it, I can do it” and once I started believing I could, I did!!

Running is SUCH a mental game and half the battle is in your mind. If you tell yourself you’re not going to get a PB, you’re not!

Oh yes I should imagine Joe Wicks being there would bump the numbers! You can look them up though on the website and see exactly how many people participated in each event - I love stats so this kind of thing weirdly appeals to me.

I think it’s nice to have a “home” parkrun that you do regularly (probably your local) and then tourism every so often keeps it interesting. If your home event is hilly, then doing a different one that’s flat will probably get you a better time and that’s an easy win!

However I can never beat my pb at my (flat) home parkrun because I know my parkrun so well (have done it 200+ times), I know exactly at what point I can go all out. At other parkruns I always hold a little more in the tank right up until I can actually see the finish line.

I'm working on speed at the running club and trying to work on endurance via the Couch to 5k app, but methinks the strategy isn't working. It's possibly a bad idea combining the two.

I did my third 28 minute run today and only managed 6 and (I think) 5/8 of a 400m lap...on a track with a good surface.

I'm telling myself that if I at least keep going then I'm very gradually building endurance.

Jeffing is named after Jeff Galloway, an American Olympian who died earlier this year.
I'm not sure about trying out different parkruns and I don't think it matters. I like to go to the same one (as I can walk there) and it does mean I can compare times, but going to different ones adds interest.

I did mine. Seemed to be a lot more runners than last week (it’s only my 2nd time so don’t know average numbers yet). Possibly because Joe Wicks was there doing some promotional thingie?

Pace seemed lots faster this week so was able to get a new PB, even with some Jeffing (assume named after chap called Jeff?) up the hills.

another daft question, and am asking as could feel myself getting agitated when people were running past me. As a newbie, is it better to focus on improving times at same location or to experiment with locations first and finding one that suits.

Or should I just remind myself that none of this matters it’s just a fun way of exercising?

@Ricecrispiesatsix well done getting your best time for this year. I got a PB in January and just cannot manage to beat it.

I did! Still recovering from my fall two weeks ago, I was a bit slower today, but I went round!

Well done on your best time of the year @Ricecrispiesatsix. Your morning sounds lovely!

Did anyone parkrun this morning? And if so how did it go?

I stayed overnight at friend’s house and we did some parkrun tourism this morning together, followed by brunch. It was absolutely lovely AND I managed to get my best time of the year (and best time post injury) so that has made me really happy all day.

Congratulations that’s a very respectable time and especially for a first parkrun!

Re stretching, not a stupid question at all! Personally I am terrible at stretching post run but I think the right answer is to stretch immediately. Our local parkrun has a group stretch led by a PT which is so fun but I’m always too busy chatting to join in.

My other tip for parkrun is to pay more attention to your age grade than your time. Age grades are a beautiful thing. I took great joy in pointing out to my competitive younger brother that even with his 20 minute PB, our mum in her sixties has a better age grade. Ha.