Park Run

[Bob8]

1 hour ago, JonM said:

Good effort doesn't really cover it!

I did 100km in 2007 and remember spending the last 20 miles thinking "I'm never doing this again." I think blisters and leg pain will heal up faster than mental scars

Bloody hell, well done.

[JonM]

2 hours ago, stimpo-and-kat said:

Part of the toughness of this race is a lack of finishing line.

Yeah, hadn't really thought of that. Knowing that you *could* stop at any minute makes it that much tougher.

[tim2]

Managed my first official 10K for about 18 months on Sunday - very slow by my best standards but 2 minutes less than my target time.

[Methven Hornet]

Choices of a Parkrun Tourist

The athletics club I'm a member of - Perth Road Runners - have organised a low-key (but very serious) winter competition based upon nearby Parkruns. To qualify for the final table you have to complete five nearby Parkruns during the period beginning of November to end of February. Your average time is then calculated and presented as a percentage of your best time from the Perth Parkrun (flat and fast course). It's called How Low Can You Go (which judging from last week's Christmas social is pretty low - gutter low in some cases, almost River Tay in others), and the lower your percentage, the higher up the table you finish.

Now, as my running in 2018 has been shockingly bad, and my base time is poor, with a bit of effort I could do quite well in this. The problem is that I've only done the one run - Lochore Meadows in the old Fife coalfields - and I'm running out of opportunities to complete the challenge. With holidays, a wedding and my cross-country commitments, I have just 5 Saturdays to complete 4 runs. So, I've got to run tomorrow regardless of the promised wintery weather.

My dilemma: Which parkrun do I choose?

Camperdown (Dundee) 
2°C (feels like -4°), no snow, 22mph wind (NE), elevation grading 4/5 (Perth is 1/5)

Loch Leven (Kinross)
0°C (feels like -5°), snow (1 flake on BBC Weather), 12mph wind (NE but very exposed), elevation grading 3.5/5,

Kirkcaldy
2°C (feels like -3°), no snow, 18mph wind (NE), elevation grading 3.5/5, travelling time double that of the above two.

Dunfermline
1°C (feels like -5°), snow (1 flake), 16mph wind (NE), elevation grading 4/5, travelling similar to Kirkcaldy

Mm, choices, choices. I think I'm going to go for the quality of the post-race cakes and coffee, which will be Loch Leven. Quicker to get to as well.

But it's going to be so cold.
 

[henage]

Loch Leven because i have been there , many years ago .

[Methven Hornet]

1 hour ago, henage said:

Loch Leven because i have been there , many years ago .

What? You've never been to Kirkcaldy? You've not lived!

[gingerjon]

10 hours ago, Methven Hornet said:

Choices of a Parkrun Tourist

The athletics club I'm a member of - Perth Road Runners - have organised a low-key (but very serious) winter competition based upon nearby Parkruns. To qualify for the final table you have to complete five nearby Parkruns during the period beginning of November to end of February. Your average time is then calculated and presented as a percentage of your best time from the Perth Parkrun (flat and fast course). It's called How Low Can You Go (which judging from last week's Christmas social is pretty low - gutter low in some cases, almost River Tay in others), and the lower your percentage, the higher up the table you finish.

Now, as my running in 2018 has been shockingly bad, and my base time is poor, with a bit of effort I could do quite well in this. The problem is that I've only done the one run - Lochore Meadows in the old Fife coalfields - and I'm running out of opportunities to complete the challenge. With holidays, a wedding and my cross-country commitments, I have just 5 Saturdays to complete 4 runs. So, I've got to run tomorrow regardless of the promised wintery weather.

My dilemma: Which parkrun do I choose?

Camperdown (Dundee) 
2°C (feels like -4°), no snow, 22mph wind (NE), elevation grading 4/5 (Perth is 1/5)

Loch Leven (Kinross)
0°C (feels like -5°), snow (1 flake on BBC Weather), 12mph wind (NE but very exposed), elevation grading 3.5/5,

Kirkcaldy
2°C (feels like -3°), no snow, 18mph wind (NE), elevation grading 3.5/5, travelling time double that of the above two.

Dunfermline
1°C (feels like -5°), snow (1 flake), 16mph wind (NE), elevation grading 4/5, travelling similar to Kirkcaldy

Mm, choices, choices. I think I'm going to go for the quality of the post-race cakes and coffee, which will be Loch Leven. Quicker to get to as well.

But it's going to be so cold.
 

You soft Jock.

Just off to a seafront E=>W course so the return half will be run straight into a coastal headwind of 34mph. The feels like is set to be -3. At one point there's a ramp as well so don't talk to me about gradients.

 

[shaun mc]

Anyone done the UKs greatest ascent Park Run - Whinlatter? You finish 300 feet higher than the start, and there's nearly a km of downhill at the start, so basically the rest is uphill on forest tracks. Not looked at recent timings but very good runners (eg English Fell Racing champion) took nearly 4 minutes longer than a flat Park Run

[Methven Hornet]

5 hours ago, gingerjon said:

You soft Jock.

Just off to a seafront E=>W course so the return half will be run straight into a coastal headwind of 34mph. The feels like is set to be -3. At one point there's a ramp as well so don't talk to me about gradients.

 

Hey! I'm only half soft Jock, I'm part soft Nigel as well.

And, yes, ramps can be cruel. Perth is as flat as a pancake but it has two ramps up to the flood defences at crucial points of the course, near the start and finish.

I've been out for three weeks with quite a prolonged bout of manflu and I've only been running since Monday. At that point I was struggling to run 5K, with a pair of lungs that felt a couple of sizes too small, but things got easier as the week went on.

Loch Leven was just as I expected: cold with a biting wind. And quite a climb that they made you do three times. I just placed myself to ensure I got round but ended up with my highest ever finishing position, coming 21st! (the field was only 31 strong + dog). A slow time but enjoyable.

And I beat the two runners who had worked so hard to catch and pass me. It never ceases to amaze me how people put so much effort in just to stop on the last climb. Forget being out of breath, you can breathe when you've finished!

[Methven Hornet]

5 hours ago, shaun mc said:

Anyone done the UKs greatest ascent Park Run - Whinlatter? You finish 300 feet higher than the start, and there's nearly a km of downhill at the start, so basically the rest is uphill on forest tracks. Not looked at recent timings but very good runners (eg English Fell Racing champion) took nearly 4 minutes longer than a flat Park Run

I shall have to try that one (next spring/summer )

[shaun mc]

Profile

There is a bit of downhill to the finish, and the 674 in the top right hand corner is the ascent in feet

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Methven Hornet said:

Hey! I'm only half soft Jock, I'm part soft Nigel as well.

And, yes, ramps can be cruel. Perth is as flat as a pancake but it has two ramps up to the flood defences at crucial points of the course, near the start and finish.

I've been out for three weeks with quite a prolonged bout of manflu and I've only been running since Monday. At that point I was struggling to run 5K, with a pair of lungs that felt a couple of sizes too small, but things got easier as the week went on.

Loch Leven was just as I expected: cold with a biting wind. And quite a climb that they made you do three times. I just placed myself to ensure I got round but ended up with my highest ever finishing position, coming 21st! (the field was only 31 strong + dog). A slow time but enjoyable.

And I beat the two runners who had worked so hard to catch and pass me. It never ceases to amaze me how people put so much effort in just to stop on the last climb. Forget being out of breath, you can breathe when you've finished!

I had it wrong anyway, the headwind was for the first 2.5k and then behind you (ish) on the return. Not just southerners feeling the cold and I noted that a regular in a Leeds United shirt seemed to have other plans. 47th out of 191 which I will more than take.

[henage]

Dogs been doing 1 lap for the last 5-6 weeks . Today it made a successful break for freedom at the start . Took a big early lead , realised it didn't have its bar code sat down near the kids play park and waited for the wife . Did 2 laps as well 

[Methven Hornet]

23 hours ago, gingerjon said:

I had it wrong anyway, the headwind was for the first 2.5k and then behind you (ish) on the return. Not just southerners feeling the cold and I noted that a regular in a Leeds United shirt seemed to have other plans. 47th out of 191 which I will more than take.

I achieved my highest ever finish in a Parkrun: 21st (out of 31 ). At one point it looked as there were going to be more volunteers than runners.

[Methven Hornet]

19 hours ago, henage said:

Dogs been doing 1 lap for the last 5-6 weeks . Today it made a successful break for freedom at the start . Took a big early lead , realised it didn't have its bar code sat down near the kids play park and waited for the wife . Did 2 laps as well 

Dogs seem to enjoy it so much. As usual, the run director's instructions were all but drowned out by the excited barking at the start.

[tim2]

parkrun has just got Sport England funding for 200 new parkruns. That will take it to nearly 800 in the UK. I've done 57 so far - hardly a dent in the total!

I'm doing Hull parkrun on Saturday - that will complete the set of 3 in the city.

The exciting news is that Tucson, Arizona has one now and I'm going there for work in February.

[JonM]

On 12/14/2018 at 8:53 PM, Methven Hornet said:

Choices of a Parkrun Tourist

 I have just 5 Saturdays to complete 4 runs.

Presumably you know about the possibility of doing parkrun on Christmas Day and/or doing one or two parkruns on New Years Day?

http://www.parkrun.org.uk/special-events/

Quick count says I've done 39 different parkruns. Should hit 40 this weekend as we're in Scotland on Saturday morning.

[Methven Hornet]

39 minutes ago, JonM said:

Presumably you know about the possibility of doing parkrun on Christmas Day and/or doing one or two parkruns on New Years Day?

http://www.parkrun.org.uk/special-events/

Quick count says I've done 39 different parkruns. Should hit 40 this weekend as we're in Scotland on Saturday morning.

Yes, we had planned  to do our local one at Perth on Christmas Day but Camperdown Park at 11 is a possibility.

[Methven Hornet]

Tomorrow it is back to our home parkrun at the North Inch in Perth especially for Christmas (mainly because my wife doesn't want to travel far on Christmas morning)

https://www.relive.cc/view/g16460896870

ps above video from last year includes warm-up.

Edited December 24, 2018 by Methven Hornet
Comment

[tim2]

I didn't do Hull in the end - I went to my home run of Rother Valley, celebrating their 250th run.

Looking to do Poolsbrook tomorrow, Ellesmere Port next Saturday and a double in Leicester on New Year's Day.

[MattSantos]

Likely back in the gym on Wednesday.

Will be tough going

 

[tim2]

I ran the Christmas Day parkrun in full Santa suit but I've just put 3lbs on in 2 days and have picked up a cold from my grandson. Hopefully I'll recover by the wekend to start repairing some of the Christmas damage. 

[Just Browny]

I got out and did the Vitality Big Half Marathon this morning, round East London (Limehouse, Canary Wharf, Wapping, Bermondsey, Greenwich).

It was damn windy and Mo Farah just edged me, but nice to get a longer distance in. Still might do Hastings again at the end of the month, but concerned I might run into GJ.

[GeordieSaint]

Been for an eventful run around Stoke Park in Bristol this morning; got attacked by a dog then went ass-over-###### coming down a steep slope that resembled a mud bath rather than an actual track... #funtimes

[gingerjon]

51 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

I got out and did the Vitality Big Half Marathon this morning, round East London (Limehouse, Canary Wharf, Wapping, Bermondsey, Greenwich).

It was damn windy and Mo Farah just edged me, but nice to get a longer distance in. Still might do Hastings again at the end of the month, but concerned I might run into GJ.

There’s no chance of me doing it now as I’m still recovering although actually able to move and my kids have stopped laughing at me (for that anyway). My sister, Major Ginger (Retd) is doing it though and I may still put my name down to Marshall. I’m delivering leaflets about it like a proper Lib Dem so businesses and residents know when you’re passing through.