Parkrunners Assemble - the new thread that will remind you to "do not forget barcode" and that "you can walk, jog, run or volunteers"

[standingonlego]

Panic moment, we were running out of room on old thread so started a new one for today's run reports

Well I went along and did it - just under 34 minutes which I was pleased about for my first go.
Everyone was really friendly and there were quite a few First Timers so I wasn't anywhere near last!
Will definitely make it a regular thing.

It was drizzly and cold but I went along and did my second run on Saturday. A lady with a greyhound finished just behind me - I suspect the doggo wasn't running at full speed!

Can I join you?
I've printed off my Parkrun barcodes (even had them laminated) but I haven't plucked the courage to actually do a parkrun yet.
I'm an older runner, in my 50's and reasonably fit and only recently disovered running.
When I do run I bloody love it! I wish I'd discovered it earlier, (instead of wasting my younger years smoking behind the bikesheds when I should have been running round the track for PE )
I've been training for about 6 months now. I started off with couch to 5k and when that finished, I started doing a combination of treadmill, hill repeats and a 3 mile slow 'outside mixed terrain' run on a Saturday or Sundays.
The problem is this.
I'm reasonably fit, I'm fairly slim and strong, but I am slow.

The slowest of the slowest of the slow. I have two speeds - Dead Slow and Stop.
Despite my best efforts, I can't for the life of me seem to get it under 40 mins!
For context, I still have energy when I finish the 5k and I'm not that out of breath and my legs don't feel tired - even though I'm dripping sweat and my face is a red, hot sweaty mess.

How can I get quicker? I really want to do a Parkrun but don't want to be last, where the kids and the people with prams and even the dogs are over taking me!
Help?

Obviously I no longer smoke (haven't for 20 years)

A freezing run today at Sewerby, but a PB of 31.26 my 3rd parkrun.
Love it!
Hope everyone else had a good session this morning, and no injuries on the frozen ground.

walkrunwalk 40 minutes is a perfectly respectable time for completing a Parkrun, and you won't be last either. And I don't just mean the tail-walker.

Have you looked at the results page for your local one/s? Have you counted how many typically come in at >40?

I suggest you just plunge in and give it a try! If there's one think about how I took up running that I'd change, it's that I would have started Parkrunning earlier.

walkrunwalk you sound like me. In my 50s and quite recent to running.

I also signed up last year and laminated my barcode but was reluctant to have a go as everyone at my local Parkrun is so bloody fast!
I finally plucked up the courage to go last week and knocked 3 minutes off the time I take when I run the course alone.
If you're anywhere near London, I'll come along and run with you. We can be slow together.

It was a bit chilly this morning -3 degrees when I arrived at parkrun. A few icey patches but I felt really good today and enjoyed my run. Hope everyone else did too x

Kept it local this weekend and did Finsbury Park with bump and buggy. Walked the hills but ran all the rest, finished in 36ish minutes. 31 weeks on Monday and it didn't kill me :) Cold as hell but I actually love that for running.

No parkrun here - too much snow to drive to nearest one that was on!

Hi walkrunwalk and malovitt - that would be me too! It took me ages to pluck up courage to have a go - so long in fact that while I was faffing and hesitating a new parkrun started up, much closer to me... which kind of removed one of my excuses!

I'm still slow - have never got under 35 minutes after 11 runs - but it doesn't seem to matter. The other week I was overtaken by someone with a prosthetic leg (not a running blade, an ordinary prosthesis - and a limp ) but I didn't care. And even the week the weather was foul and numbers were really low, there were still people behind me There is always a tail walker anyway, so you won't be actually last

Next week I have volunteered for the first time - bit nervous, anyone got any tips?

My three runs have been around the 35-33 minute mark as well and there are plenty of people around that sort of speed or slower; folk taking it steady, people with kids and dogs, mixed run-walkers. I like the motto "it's a run not a race!". The sub 20 minute runners aren't competing with us 35 minute people, you only ever "compete" against yourself and that's just if you want to try to get a personal best. It's very much the taking part that counts, that's the whole ethos.

That will be my New Years Resolution.
To do a Park Run before the end of January.

Do New Years Day! Should be some later than usual 9am and many people will be slower...

My husband is doing two on New Year's Day - he'll do the first in around 25 minutes, then we'll all hop in the car and drive to the next one and we'll jog-walk it with our toddler in the buggy. I'll be 34 weeks and it will most likely be my last one before baby time!

I asked on another thread - the list of Parkruns that are running on Christmas Day and New Year's Day is here:

www.parkrun.org.uk/christmas-compendium/

I was meaning to look at the compendium, thank you for posting, I want to find some new ones for my NYD double this year.

I am on run 249 and missed last week and have to miss this week - very frustrating! On the plus side it means I can do 250 quietly without all the cake and balloon thing as people will have lost track of me (my local parkrun keeps track of those reaching milestone runs as I imagine quite a few do) , I'm not really into making a big fuss, I just want to earn the t-shirt.

Thank @Blowitout for it was she who linked it for me

And 'I don't care about the Tshirts' said no runner, ever

First ever DNF at parkrun today, stopped after one lap with knee pain 🙁 going skiing for Christmas so hope I have a miraculous recovery 🤞🏻

I'm in Scotland. Our local PR often gets cancelled the winter months because of bad weather
So on second thoughts I might attemt first one in March, not January.

Hopefully I will be fitter and it'll be a wee bit warmer by then

The dog and I were tourists at a nearby Parkrun this morning as our usual one wasn't on. This one was along the seafront and was very windy but a great start to Christmas Day. Came home to find the two teenagers still semi comatose! Merry Christmas to everyone.

"The dog DH and I were tourists at a nearby Parkrun this morning as our usual one wasn't on. This one was along the seafront in a country park and was very windy but a great start to Christmas Day. Came home to find the two teenagers still semi comatose! Merry Christmas to everyone.

Hi everybody!

My local was doing a Christmas Day parkrun, and I did another local double this morning. So I'm working towards my 200th by end February.

Got absolutely soaked at the 2nd one today, the last km was really me telling myself to put out one big ole foot in front of the other.

Onwards into 2018!

The dog and I took part in our local one yesterday - we did not do a local double as the second one would have been even hillier and more muddy than the first! One of my aims for 2018 is to get round the whole course running - even if it's very slow.