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.

Boo to no Maserati Melanie

First time I have run our parkrun in 'anger' i.e. trying to get a PB. We have a new PB bell, dedicated to our RD who died a few weeks ago, and I really wanted to ring it on it's first outing. Thought I'd made it and rang the bell but missed it by 4 seconds! Still it's my fastest parkrun at home since mid-2015 and my second under 30 mins this year.
Will need to be a bit more strategic if I want to run fast again as we had 303 runners yesterday so the first lap was pretty crowded

Well done to your friend MyBlackCat!

That's rubbish MelanieCheeks, at least you have several opportunities.

So great you're so busy feetheart! Still going to bushy on 25th march? It was you wasn't it?!?

Thanks for the well wishes everyone, I ran with my friend who I was training with and got injured 3 weeks before so it was much more enjoyable than any hm I've done but much slower! The weather was hideous but I got my medal and enjoyed the run anyway

This Saturday is our 4th birthday! I can't believe I've been regularly attending a parkrun for 4 years. I feel sad that I don't feel the same way about parkrun as I did. I guess maybe no longer being ed hasn't helped but I also feel like parkrun itself isn't what it was, in their bid to be bigger they are making changes that I don't like, such as parkrun vitality everywhere! But anyone enough of my misery, I am rd and I have a cape, mask and gold gloves! I have however given up chocolate, biscuits and CAKE for lent so I'm really hoping someone brings flapjack

cinnamon - yes it was me and yes it is the 25th for Bushy. It would be lovely to see anyone who can make it - we will have cake and flapjacks
Congratulations on your 4th birthday and I hope flapjacks appear! We have our 100th parkrun in 2 weeks and our 2nd birthday next month - both will be celebrated
I do know what you mean about some things changing but I see that as inevitable to enable parkrun to go where people want them to be. On a local level the changes don't have much of an effect and I wouldn't want to deny anywhere else the chance to build such an amazing community as ours has become.
Big news here is that a Junior parkrun is starting about 6 miles away at the end of March DS is very excited as he loved his first Junior experience in Bedford.

Doing my first ever parkrun this Saturday! Not much of a runner at all and will have a 5yo with me... but I'm going to give it a go!

I did my second ever parkrun on Saturday. I think it's a fairly new run as they have only done 36 total. First week I did 32 mins then on Saturday they had pacers for the first time which worked really well and I did 29.55. My PB for a 5k which I did at an event was 27.30 so that's my goal this year.

Welcome WatchingFromTheWings and DeepfriedPizza - in case anyone hasn't warned you yet parkrun is very addictive . So speaks the woman who ran her first one in May 2014 and by the autumn was plotting to set up a local one
Hopefully the 5 year old will love it, just don't let them go off too fast to start with or little legs (and probably big legs!) will be complaining before the end!

Hello Parkrunners, can I ask you a question ? I don't really know much about parkruns but a friend suggested I might like it. A few years ago I managed to get myself from non runner to a 5k for a charity run but I would be starting from scratch again. Could I go from zero to 5k between now and 30th May when there is a big logal parkrun event where I live ? I'm not totally unfit as I walk miles but don't do any running and the venue is a bit hilly/undulating. I guess it would be a goal and DP said he'd do it too

TheDogsMother - absolutely yes and you can actually do it at parkrun if you want. We have people who only walk our course and have no inclination to run it, we also now have a run 1min/walk 1min pacer most weeks but that is unusual and wasn't something we consciously planned.
If you like a really friendly, social community (and cake!) with a bit of a run chucked in then parkrun is definitely for you :)

Thanks feet I think I might do this thing and take DP and dog along too

I'm touristing at Shrewsbury tomorrow, feeling a bit under the weather so will be taking it easy. I want to get the tourist cow cowel before the end of the year - Shrewsbury will parkrun course #13 for me so still some way to go

MyBlackCat - that's DS's aim for this year too (so I get it too as I am the transport :)) Think we are on 15 now and are running Bushy parkrun next weekend.

Just home from our club Awards Night and should go to bed! So many mentions of parkrun in what people achieved last year, very proud :)

I'm RD tomorrow and we have at least two 50th parkruns and a 50th birthday so there will be lots of cake. Results will be processed in a haze of sugar

Happy parkrunday everyone.

Happy parkrunday! Do tell us how you got on, watchingfromthewings, deepfriedpizza and thedogsmother as well as the rest of you.

No parkrun for me today as I have a monthly dance class instead.

Happyparkrundayfolks :) Hope you have your barcode and are on your way dogsmother

I better get out my PJs and get a wiggle on too - enjoy everyone and report back later. Love to hear how things go

Very grim here today

I had a very steady run in Shrewsbury today, a couple of short sharp hills but a course which has PB potential- I'll definitely be back

And just realised it was my 75th parkrun - 25 until the black t-shirt

We had an amazing 4th birthday run, 142 runners so our highest non-nyd attendance. Lots of super heroes and Star Wars characters. I did a bit of a speech about no longer being ed and how it made me realise that parkrun was about people and that there were loads of people I didn't know 4 years ago who were now good friends and even if I wasn't at parkrun every week anymore I still see all of those people. I did blah a bit but not too badly and I had a few others join me! Plus I managed not to eat any of the cake as I have given it up for lent, was tough and I'm still thinking of cake this evening!

Sorry about your weather Deepfriedpizza, we were pretty lucky with ours.

thedogs walking PR is fine. One of our race directors had a week off and walked it with his young toddler in a sling yesterday. I'd never overtaken him before .

Our PR is getting quite big. If I ever want a chance of a PB again I'm going to have to start right at the front.

I forgot to update this on Saturday. The weather was shocking but I managed a PB! 29.53. There is a junior that runs who is about 7-8 i'd say and I try to keep up with her

There is a man who runs with a small dog, he keep the dog on a short lead at the start but lets it off a bit when running and weaves in and out everyone

Can someone explain how the barcodes work? How does your actual time get recorded if there is a big queue at the scanners? how does the barcode know when you stop running? stupid question maybe

The barcode doesn't record your time.
As you cross the finish line the timers click the stopwatch then you collect your finish token - this links the time and the finish position (and why it is VITAL that everyone takes a finish token) When you get scanned that links the finish token to your barcode.
After the run everything is plugged into the computer and . . . magic happens (parkrun technical language>> . . . which links all 3 together - time, finishing position and your barcode which is how you get your result.
Hopefully that helps?

We had 300 on Saturday which kept us busy (3rd time in 4 runs that we have hit 300+ ) I'm slightly concerned about April/May time which is traditionally when the numbers start to increase as the park won't comfortably take many more without getting too crowded!! We do have a possible venue for a second parkrun but need to get the ball rolling :)

feet am aiming to be there on Saturday. Just pondering costumes.... Wonders where the new parkrun is likely to be.

Thanks feetheart. I knew some sort of magic happened but wasn't sure how.

I am not running the next 2. I am bridesmaid for my sister on Saturday and then next Saturday is DD's Birthday

It took me a while to work it out :)

Halle - excellent! Will be good to see you and we can get you to answer a couple of questions as you were at our inaugural - writing run report by interviewing people :o
There are actually two possibilities that I have in mind and, in time, both may happen.
Also do you know that there is a Junior parkrun starting in Hitchin at the end of the month?

Yup I know about the junior parkrun but more excited by Harpenden as could take kids and then do long run Sunday whilst husband takes kids home. Though heard that one was delayed.