parkrunners Assemble! DFYB for a run, not a race!

[FiftyNineOhEight]

Gather here parkrunners old and new. Tell us all about your running, volunteering, juniors, tourism, and cows.

Old thread here for anyone interested.

We are probably the best thread on MN. All are welcome here whether you are brand new to parkrun or sporting your 500 shirt.

Massive congratulations Life that's pretty bloody brilliant!

And great stuff with the age category Melanie, what a way to complete them.

Great to hear about summer Christmas miked, what a way to start the day.

Happy Christmas everyone!

Hello everyone! Just popping in again. Well done on all these PBs

I took DS with me yesterday dressed up as Rudolph and Mrs Claus. He loved doing the new runners' briefing with me and feeling like a pro in the hi-vis vest, plus he got a PB on the course at 33 minutes. I haven't been able to print out his barcode for the past couple of runs so I'm going to get him a wristband so these runs actually start counting, poor chap. There were 275 runners yesterday so a huge crowd and a great atmosphere.

Re. volunteering, do people tend to mind if someone volunteers lots for a slot that means that they get to run too? I only volunteer a week in advance to give other people the chance to take that slot but still feel a bit selfish.

There are no rules on volunteering - do whatever makes you feel good.

I was the official meeter-and-greeter today at our Christmas Day run - quite a few visitors! I think they appreciated my elf onesie and rosy cheeked face paint. And my 24th volunteer stint, so one of my 2017 targets will be easily achieved!

Hello everyone. Finally made it to my first parkrun yesterday - visiting in-laws. Quite a big one - 500 runners possibly because of new year. Everyone was really nice and friendly and I made in 30.08 at a completely even pace - passed every km marker at 6 minute intervals. Need to get fitter, faster and lighter as that was the first all tarmac run I've done and my shins are grumbling more than after 10k mud runs or my 10k training loop on hardcore mostly..

Will try to head to my local soon if I can juggle DH's work commitments - our local isn't pushchair friendly and I don't fancy running with DD in a sling. Doubt I'd get anywhere near that time as it's a hilly trail course and the course record is 2 minutes than the one I did today.

Thanks Melanie. I'm quite new so I have no idea whether there's some sort of etiquette I'm unaware of.

randoms 500 sounds massive! How did they handle the finish tokens?

Well done parkrunners

I didn't go this morning although I could probably have got there and back and showered before DSs got up

However the parkrun elves visited our house twice this weekend. Last night the very kind RD slotted me into the results despite me turning up with my Waitrose tag instead of my barcode yesterday. And then DH completely surprised me with an apricot jacket this morning

H

We topped our course record by nearly 200 on Christmas Eve, took us well over the five hundred mark. It did cause a few logistical problems, I think they ran out of tokens and there was eventually a queue to get over the line. Amazing job from the team to keep it all going, the atmosphere was wonderful. So many families and first timers so hopefully we'll see them coming back!

They seemed used to it, by the time I finished (300 ish) there wasn't much of a queue for the 5 or so people scanning and there was a labelled box at the start with high numbers so I guess it was expected. Quite a long finish chute as well. It's the only one in a small city so probably quite busy on a normal day.

random it wasn't a north Hampshire town was it? We passed 500 runners for the first time at the weekend. I knew it must have been a record breaker because even DD's finish position wasn't too near the back, there were still lots of runners to go

2017 will hopefully see us volunteering some more and DS will finally turn 11 later in the year so he won't have to have the embarrassment of running with me any more . He'll thrash me.

Peterborough - they were impressively slick. Will be back next inlaw visit! Likely to be my PB until then given "home" park run is hilly forest tracks unfortunately - although probably better for my shins than tarmac paths...

My away parkrun PB (flat out and back course) is faster than my home PB too.

Yay congrats on your 50th lifesabeach!

Depends if it's needed ThomasRichard, parkrun don't want anyone to feel they need to volunteer so it's entirely down to you. I think that volunteering during the run gives you another perspective on parkrun and is a lovely thing to do. We have pre event set up in our roster by actually we have it sorted so that the rd can do it on their own so mostly don't have the second space filled.

Yay randomsebreuse! I'm not sure you'd be allowed to run with a sling, carrying children isn't allowed. Our course is forest trails but we have had pushchairs and even a double at one stage

Oooo apricot jacket fiftynineoheight!!

We had a fabulous Christmas Eve parkrun, our park was closed so we did refreshments at the finish and it made for a wonderful atmosphere. One rude woman wasn't happy that the hot chocolate that I got up early to make in my slow cooker and my dh had driven down had run out but otherwise it was lovely. 116 runners and 7 new to parkrun.
No Christmas Day run for me, my family aren't parkrunners and it seemed mean to leave them but I ran this morning not at parkrun.

ThomasRichard - I don't think people mind at all, mostly we are happy to have a full roster. The other jobs where you can run as well include course set-up, token sorting and run report writing. I'm definitely looking for more people to do the latter next year :o

DS and his mate were RDs on Saturday and had a great time with a record-breaking 275 runners (previous record was the day 401 Ben came to run with us) I was a slightly fraught funnel manager with stopwatches out of sync with each other and tokens even further out! Made for some interesting results processing but we got there in the end, thank goodness for the finish funnel camera is all I'll say!

Hoping to run on Saturday then I'm RD at ours at 9am on Sunday before heading off to St Albans to cheer people on and eat a big brunch afterwards.

Personal parkrunning goals for 2017 include getting to 50 (only on 35 so it may be a challenge) and improving my PB at my home course.
DS's include running 20 different courses so he can get a cow cowl (only on 14 so definitely a challenge!)

How many are doing the triple over the weekend?

I am hoping to do a combination of Bedford, Huntingdon and Cambridge this weekend.

I'm hoping to get two runs in, nye and NYD - don't think I'll manage a double this year

Oooo when are you doing Cambridge fiftynineoheight?

That's fair enough MyBlackCat! Could you do a second walking with the kids instead?

I wasn't planning any on NYD but after reading cinnamon's post, I had a look to see if there are any within striking distance. So there's Lydney at 8.30am and Forest of Dean at 10am. Lydney is almost an hour away so would mean a very early start, and we have friends coming over for NYE drinks, so not sure how likely it is that we'll do it.

I mentioned it to 8yo DS though and he's very keen! I suppose another option would be to just do the later one. We'll definitely be doing our home one on Sat so it would be a double at least.

We're planning on the triple - so the pressure's on me to finish the first one on Sunday in a timely fashion . DD has been tasked with making sure I don't slack off. Typically it's the really hilly one first!

Can't find any local runs on new year's day - but hoping for NYE.

If the course record is 2 minutes slower than the record at my previous run then I reckon 5 minutes slower would be a good time and 10 minutes slower would be realistic, probably... but it is a much smaller park run.

Will just have to see. No training all week as followed up parkrun with walking too fast around the city centre with DH immediately followed by sitting still, twicein one day. Calf has only just recovered :-(.

I'll be pacing on Saturday at my home event. And as it's my 25th time volunteering I just sneak in with one of my targets for the year!

There's a choice of nyd doubles in a 15 mile radius, so I'm hopeful of doing one of the permutations.

cinners I was planning to do Cambridge as the second of a NYD double, after running at Huntingdon with a MN friend. However, if the weather stays as it is I think I will have to stay local and cycle to my home parkrun. I don't fancy 20+ miles on the A1 with other drivers who might have had a late night/a skinful the night before if it's foggy (and would mean needing to build in even more time to get there). The alternative is heading in the other direction to see feet like I did lat year .

Well done Melanie on your volunteering. I hope the smaller tops come in soon, I haven't been able to order mine yet.

random I hope your calf feels better soon. I hurt mine running a hilly HM in April and it has not been the same since . I did a NYD run at Peterborough a couple of year ago and remember being impressed with the organisation, from the parking to the finish tokens .

chutney you'll be fine!

Life see how it goes. you might be up early and raring to go

BlackCat two out of three ain't bad

feet those sound like good goals for next year!

Just counting up my parkrun stats for this year. 38 runs so far (including 3 as tail runner) and 10 other volunteering slots. My goal was to volunteer once a month, so I managed that. I ran at six different courses, including home, and made it on to the 20 course list

Goals for next year include getting to 150 and hopefully a bit more tourism.