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

[Lemontreeinthecity]

Hi
Starting a new thread for those who are trying to achieve a Parkrun sub 30…and newbies to parkrun….and also experienced! Basically all! 😊

Im trying to get a sub 30. I’ve been up early and done the parkrun route before the kids get up!
Time was 31’32”
I felt like I was wearing too many tops and was getting hot 🥵
But I didn’t stop and ran the whole way.
anyway here we are!
im hoping to beat that on Saturday.

over to you….

x

Frustrating parkrun this morning as I messed up my watch at the start so didn’t get a proper Strava time but ended up running my 2nd fastest 5k and got my “official” parkrun PB this so I’ll take that.

I was focussing on my 10k race in September but with one eye on starting marathon training in winter I’ve booked a half marathon for the end of October so concentrating now on building up the miles without aggravating my over sensitive IT band.

Did you do parkrun this morning @Lemontreeinthecity? Any closer to your goal? It’s hard with the heat not properly dying down, full sun round 90% of the route this morning 🥵

I’m under strict instructions from the physio to run a maximum of 5k once a week, SLOWLY. So a chatty one with a friend this morning.

Though it does make the actual running part more enjoyable, I do SO miss the buzz of chasing PBs and pouring over the stats afterwards 😭

31’22” on Saturday, it was warm 😊
determined to keep going - stats show I started with 34’45” a few months ago now down to 31’22”
Absolutely determined to nail the sub 30😊

This is fabulous. If you can do that in the heat, you will be flying in the autumn 🤩

Brilliant! Agree that once it cools down it will start feeling much easier and will smash that 30 minute time!

Hello, just joining the thread as I’m trying to get back into running after an 8 year gap! I did a lot of park runs and was generally quite fit in my 20s - my PB was 22.40 - but I had 2 kids, life got in the way, I’m now 39 and my last attempt was 33 minutes - very depressing! I’d love to get back into it and sub 30 is my first (ambitious!) goal.

Hello, this feels like a good thread for me! I only started running last year but have now done 60 parkruns. I’ve gradually improved my time from 41 minutes to about 34.5 but seem to have plateaued a bit. I’m training for a half in October which is seeming a bit unrealistic right now, but it is getting me out running three times a week. I’ve got a runna plan and it’s always telling me to run slow ehich is fine with me, but I feel like I’ve got into such a habit of running slow (especially in this heat) that I’ll never get my parkrun time down!

Welcome to all who have just joined…I know it’s still hot but if anyone is doing parkrun on Saturday …hopefully we all get a good time …and of course enjoy ☺️

We are up in London at the weekend and dd1 is keen to drag me to a parkrun there as she loves a bit of parkrun tourism. Thinking of either Finsbury Park or Highbury fields as they’re the nearest. A London parkrun seems quite intimidating to me as a country bumpkin 😂😂.

I’m assuming it’s the number of runners that feels intimidating? Because we’re nice parkrunners in London, promise! Maybe avoid Highbury as it’s very crowded being 5 laps.

I don’t know what it is. Maybe the numbers and as it’s an affluent part I imagine people will be really professional and well turned out. Our local one is literally around a farm! 😂.

Finsbury Park has a lot more runners than our usual haunts at home but less than the one she attends in her uni city. Though her city isn’t as fancy an area 😂.

We’re away for the weekend so will be parkrun tourists in Whitby. Looking forward to a nice leisurely run, no more PB chasing until I get this IT band issue under control

How did everyone get on today?

I did my first park run since mid June. I have another commitment on Saturday mornings, so I can’t often go, but I was free today. I took 18 seconds off my last time and finally got under 35 minutes! I did run out of steam around 4.2km though, so I need to work on that!

I’ll now continue to increase my distance with a target of 10k in October. I’ve run 10km three times during the summer, with my best time so far being 1hr 24mins. This includes a few walking breaks during the run. I’d like to get down to 1hr 20mins. Slow but steady 😄

I made it to the London parkrun! We ended up at Highbury fields as Finsbury Park was cancelled. It was pretty packed and I did a lot of weaving around but I didn’t find the 5 laps as arduous as I thought I would and I actually ended up with a PB! I couldn’t believe it as I hadn’t set out with a mind to PB this morning and we ran 3 miles to get there.

it all felt quite easy. Maybe I need to run a few miles at a steady pace before trying for fast times over shorter distances!

Who is ready for Parkruns tomorrow?

I did another practice run on Wednesday. 31’24”. Felt the last 600m was brutal! Also still running with my phone and car keys in one hand 😆 it’s now become a thing where I have to hold them in my left hand or I feel not ready..what is wrong with me😆😆

Hi, can I join? Started running this year with couch 2 5k and have now done six or seven park runs. I have managed a sub-30 (just - by 7 seconds!) but I've not been able to go for ages, and have just had two weeks away where I didn't do any running at all, so I doubt I'll be achieving that next time. I can't go tomorrow but aiming for next Saturday.

I went for a run this morning though and managed 5k but in 32 minutes. Never achieved a sub-30 5k on my own - I blame the hills (I'm in Yorkshire so hills are everywhere!)

I hope everyone going tomorrow has a good run and the heat isn't too debilitating.

For the moment, as it's still hot, I'm just going to go for a 33 minute one this week, which would still be quite good for me!

The heat makes such a difference. In the winter I was doing sub 28. But since June I have barely made it in under 31.

How did everyone get on?

I am quite chuffed as, despite the heat and dust, I managed a 32 minute-r! Also I didn't find it too challenging (it was still tough though!) so I reckon the 10k training is helping! I hope that when it gets cooler in Autumn I might be able to make the magic 30 mins. Maybe...

I had a craaaazy morning - we’re camping the Netherlands and although the plan was for the whole family to go to Delft, we were all kept awake by a huge thunderstorm and I couldn’t bear to wake everyone up and drag them to parkrun. So at 7.40 (6.40 uk time!) I decided to borrow my 11 year old daughter’s bike and cycle 20km in the rain to Delft parkrun.

I arrived just as the run director’s brief was starting and ran way too fast as I was full of adrenaline from my bonkers journey. Still can’t believe I actually made it. DH and kids came to meet me at the cafe and couldn’t believe I’d cycled what was a 30 minute drive down motorways 🤣 and we still got a nice day out in Delft. My legs are absolutely DEAD now!

Well done @Ricecrispiesatsix! I’m not sure I’d get round if I’d cycled 20k to get there 😂

The reason I ‘couldn’t’ go this morning is that I was doing another sport this afternoon and I knew how knackered I’d be doing both (tried it once, never again…)

Can I join? My time 3 weeks ago was 42 and today was 35! I’m hoping to do a half marathon soon so have started parkrun to get me going!

@RicecrispiesatsixWow! And they say Parkrun isn't a cult! 🤣

@countrylifeorcitylifeWelcome! That's an amazing improvement in 3 weeks. When is your half? Good luck!

I've found my people! Volunteered today. I achieved Sub 30 last year after 7 years of trying! Due to injury trying to get close to 30 minutes is difficult at the moment as I still have to be careful with the knee. It is great to hear everyone's stories and 5k journeys.