As I reflect on my progress with running since June 2012, I mainly feel that what stands out most is a lack of progress! My Run Britain handicap chart offers a nice graphical representation of a steep and swift climb up a sheer mountainside in 2010, but which has since hit a a plateau and virtually levelled out since early 2012, with only some very minor contouring in between. Blah. I'd like to think this is natural, but the truth is, my string of injuries are the root cause of that plateau as I know that, given the chance to train properly, to the levels I used to, I have so much more in me. Frustrating.
So, whilst parkrun has not been great for my endurance - it's left me feeling like any race over 5k is a bit of a slog, when it used to feel like an 18 minute asthma-attack-inducing sprint! - they have been great in terms of enjoyment, pressure-free adrenaline-charged fun, and for meeting people.... chiefly, helping me to get to know my imminent husband-to-be, Matt.
I didn't know Matt at all when I did my first parkrun on 30th June 2012. I had just, one week previously, moved to Devon from Sherborne, Dorset (go back to beginning blog posts for this!) and didn't really know anybody in the Exmouth / Exeter area. Like me, Matt didn't go to parkrun every week at this time; however, as fate would have it, he was there on June 30th and my Mum managed to capture us both in the same photo at the start of the run! It would take us another 7 months to meet each other officially and actually talk, but I think it's kinda nice that he appears in my first ever parkrun photo memory! (Below).
A lucky capture! Matt likes this photo because he's ahead of me in it! My first ever parkrun, at Killerton, June 30th 2012.
It was around February time, when parkrun moved to Ashclyst Forest on a temporary course due to flooding on the Killerton estate, that a small but keen band of us began to go on a weekly basis and stay behind for coffee after. This is how I met my coach, Gordon, my close friends Adam and Carly and John and Alison, and, of course, my future husband! Parkrun likes to emphasise the friendliness of the scheme and always tries to push the post-run coffee and cake, and you will only hear good things about the parkrun coffee posse from me!
At this time, there were only 3 parkruns in the (deep) South West: Killerton, Barnstaple and Plym Valley. The latter two were too far to trek to at that ungodly hour of the morning (9am starts - I guess you get used to them after a while!), and so we found ourselves converging on Killerton on an almost weekly basis. There was a nice number who regularly attended in 2012 / 2013 and you could soon get to know all the faces. Fortunately or unfortunately, however you want to look at it, the parkrun phenomena has seen a massive boom in past couple of years and Killerton now regularly sees fields around the 300+ mark (a far cry from the 40 hardy souls who lined up every week in Ashclyst Forest!). Whilst it's great for the sport, it does take the intimate feel out of the event a little, and makes getting our favourite seat in the tea rooms after that bit more challenging: humph!
Luckily, several other parkruns have started up to take some of the strain, chiefly for us, Exeter Riverside parkrun, which is directed by our good friends John and Alison Caswell; Parke parkrun at Bovey Tracey; Montacute parkrun near Yeovil; Longrun Meadow parkrun in Taunton; Tamar Lakes parkrun on the Devon / Cornwall border and Lanhydrock parkrun, near my home town of St. Austell, in Cornwall. Weymouth and Blandford are also within driving distance. So we now have choice! Horrah! We have flat, fast courses (Exeter, Taunton, Barstaple), we have hilly scenic courses (Parke, Killerton, Lanhydrock, Montacute), and we have flat trail courses (Tamar Lakes, Weymouth, Blandford).
I have now completed 101 parkruns (snuck an extra one in whilst on holiday in Eastbourne last week!), on 16 different courses, and each course and run has its own very unique atmosphere and feel to it. Aside from the obvious fact that they are run over different terrain, the people that organise the event, the people that attend the event and the weather can all make a massive difference to the feeling you get on the day. I chose to run my 100th run at Killerton as that is where I started out and where I have run most of my parkruns; however, due to the scale of the event now, it has become difficult for them to keep tabs on all the runners comings and goings and so, unfortunately, my 100th run sadly didn't get a mention in the pre-run briefing or in the post-run write-up. Most of the runs I have done try to give acknowledgement to first time parkrunners, visiting parkrunners and parkrunners completing landmark runs (10, 50, 100 etc), but this is easier to manage when you have fields of 100 runners or less. Of course, one only has to look at Bushy, the founder run in 2004, to see how the popularity of parkrun has boomed: its numbers have swelled from a handful to over 1000 runners each week!
Enough parkrun waffle; now for some photographic memories of my parkrun journey from 1 to 101! (NB; It's also a visual documentation of how much my hair has grown in 2 1/2 years and, post wedding, it'll be getting the chop!)
My 2nd run at parkrun, and at Killerton, in autumn 2012: a course PB of 19:36.
First spot of parkrun tourism: running the Harrogate parkrun whilst visiting my Gran, in November 2012, in a time of 19:22.
In February 2013, Killerton celebrated its 101st run whilst the run was relocated to Ashclyst Forest. Compliance with the '101' theme was only adhered to by two of us!
Ashclyst forsest; a tricky 3 lap course with half a mile downhill, then half a mile back up again each lap! Julian (orange top) and Tom have since become friends and Tom has even bailed me out at the Bicton Blister race by giving me a gel when I was struggling. Love the camaraderie that running, especially parkrunning, generates.
The coffee posse! After a parkrun in Spring 2013, when it was still easy to bag our favourite corner table by the log burner as not that many stayed for coffee! Left to right: Gordon, my coach; Carly, Adam, Dave Tomlin and me. (Matt's taking the photo!)
Second bit of parkrun tourism: after Mile End parkrun in London, on London Marathon weekend. I had started my spell of injuries that spring so couldn't run London, but went with Carly and Adam to support Adam. Also met up with Vicky, my flat mate from uni. Vicky used to think me bonkers when I did so much exercise, now she's a runner too: shows how the sport has taken off! 18:55 on a scenic course that included canal towpath!
Patriotic red, white and blue theme to celebrate Killerton's 2nd birthday on 27th April 2013. Also a course PB for me that day of 19:20.
One week later, 4th May 2013, and I ran my Killerton PB that still stands today (see, lack of progress!) of 18:50.
June 2013. Parkrun isn't just about the running; it relies on volunteers for it to go ahead. They ask you to volunteer 3 times a year; I usually aim for about 5 times as I run so much. Gordon, my coach and regular Killerton timekeeper, has taught me how to timekeep: so you can also learn new skills at parkrun!
Parkrun tourism again! This time at the inaugural Montactute parkrun, near Yeovil. We went with our friends Adam and Carly in September 2013, it was hot but a stunning setting around the parkland in front of Montacute House.
Being a new parkrun, I got the ladies course record here, running 19:36. A year later, in June 2014, I lowered it to 19:23. It still stands as the ladies course record. I now gold 3 course records: Montacute: 19:23, Parke: 20:29 and Tamar Lakes: 19:33.
Winning the Killerton Christmas fancy dress competition in 2013, dressed as a fairy, complete with flashing halo!
My highest overall placing at Killerton, in January 2014: 1st lady and 3rd overall, just outsprinted for 2nd by John, next to me here approaching the finish. It was muddy that day and so my time of 19:19 wasn't too shabby!)
The inaugural Parke parkrun at Bovey Tracey, late March 2014. Probably my favourite parkrun course to date. It's also the hilliest, but you can't get bored! I hold the course record here (20:29), but I think that could be broken and someone could go under 20 minutes, if the conditions are dry and they are good on hills!
My favourite photo from Killerton: the tree lined avenue, with multi-coloured running tops, me leading the men up the path!! Spring 2014.
Bettering my course record and PB at Montacute, to 19:23, in June 2014.
Christmas fancy dress parkrun at Exeter Riverside: I seem to be the only participant, but there were others dressed up out of shot... but none with flashing tree lights like mine!! December 2014.
1st run of a New Years day double in Bristol. This was Chipping Sodbury parkrun, where I ran 19:10 on a flat but exposed, windy course.
And New Years' Day 2015 parkrun number 2, at Pomphrey Hill. 3 laps, 3 huge hills. Time 22 mins something!
My course PB at Exeter Riverside is 19:03, also ran a 19:07 and 19:15 here. Not got under the 19 min barrier yet as glandular fever saw fit to wreck health and hamper my running performances for the entire winter!
Plaits swishing! Like this photo from Killerton in March 2015.
Killerton parkrun's 200th run was celebrated by running the course in reverse (think starting low and finishing high, more hills!). I would prefer the course to stay this way, but I fear I might be in a minority!
And my 101st run was celebrated at a new event for me, Eastbourne parkrun in Sussex. A lovely flat course around some lakes and a nature reserve. A sedate 19:58.
Sadly no photos of my most treasured parkrun memory of all: Tamar Lakes in October 2014. I set a new female course record there, which still stands, and had my highest placing overall at a parkrun: 2nd, just missing out on first by 1 second in a sprint finish. However, it is special because immediately after, Matt and I headed to Port Isacc and he proposed to me on the cliff tops there, in my home county of Cornwall. Aaaaah :-)
Looking back at the above photos reminds me of how much fun I've had and of all the the great friendships that I have developed as a result of parkrun; not least, my biggest friendship of all, with Matt. None of this would have been possible without parkrun and so I guess, despite it's downsides (like it being massively addictive to the point that I have frequently run on injuries as I have not wanted to miss out!), I think that parkrun and I will be buddies for a while to come yet! Here's to the next 100!!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.