SRG: Why I love parkrun
I love Mr. Trihard. I love reading his blog. It’s funny and it’s honest. It really is like reading about the things that go through my own head when I’m training and racing.
I look forward to reading it every week. That’s why I was chuffed when he asked me to write something for it.
I was nervous submitting my last blog. I mean, what if he said I was no good? What if he said ‘Get outta here, Kid, you’ve got no future’? I mean, I just don’t think I could take that kind of rejection. So, imagine my surprise when he asked me if I’d do another one.
That’s when the terror really set in. Writing one blog about three years of running, that was easy. Now he wanted another one! In less than a month!!
What on earth was I going to write about? Turns out, it was kind of obvious, because I really do love parkrun.
A free, weekly, timed 5km run? What’s not to like? I completed my first parkrun in 2012 at York parkrun in 18 mins 50 secs. It’s still one of my fastest parkruns, but since then I’ve realised that parkrun isn’t a race.
You can turn up and plod around, you can run with your friends, you can pace them to a personal best (I've even assisted Mr Trihard to a 5km PB) or you can run it as fast as you can.
You can even try to finish first, but you can never ‘win’ a parkrun because it’s not a race.
It’s a timed run. It doesn’t matter if it takes you 15 minutes or an hour and 15 minutes. And that really is why parkrun is so special.
(A note from Mr Trihard: Both myself and SRG are Colchester born and bred. So I'm surprised he's broken the golden rule of immediately following any mention of Colchester by stating that it was the Roman capital of Britain. You're welcome. Now I'll let SRG continue.)
It’s beautiful. It’s all paved. There are toilets right near the start line. You run around a Castle. Three times!
However, the best thing about Colchester Castle parkrun is that my whole family is there. My brother goes to parkrun. Both his kids have done parkrun. My sister goes to parkrun. So does her boyfriend. My Mum goes to parkrun. I mean, she doesn’t run, but she’s there cheering us on.
This is probably the best thing about parkrun for me. It’s a chance to see my family, have a run, and grab a coffee afterwards. It’s a great way to start the weekend.
Well, it’s got one of them into running. My eldest son has been turning up at our local junior parkrun for well over a year now. He loves it.
At first, he wasn’t convinced– first time we turned up, we went to just watch, then we volunteered, and once he felt comfortable he ran it.
Now he’s almost got his ultra-marathon wrist band. Last year we went on Christmas Day and this year we’re doing it again. That’s a tradition! How cool is that?
Sometimes he runs it fast, sometimes he doesn’t. Sometimes he runs non-stop. Sometimes he walks. He runs, sometimes I volunteer. My wife and baby watch. We have coffee (or ice-cream) afterwards. It’s a great way to start a Sunday.
Mrs SRG has pointed out that this is all sounding a bit too idyllic. She’s right. It sounds lovely, doesn’t it? It’s not always lovely.
Sometimes it’s a rush to get to parkrun. Sometimes it’s cold or wet, or cold and wet. Sometimes we can’t find our barcodes and it’s time to go, and ‘ARRGH, where are the barcodes’?!
Sometimes, we’re all set to go and my boy decides he doesn’t want to run, or leave the house at all, but I’ve volunteered so I go ahead by myself. Sometimes we’re all set to go and our baby needs a new nappy, or he’s sick, or he needs a new nappy and he’s been sick and it’s all a bit, well, hectic.
Sometimes I’m guilty of trying to squeeze too much in and it would be easier if I just didn’t go to parkrun at all. Sometimes I don’t, but sometimes I do. It’s usually worth it, but not always. And despite all of that, I still love parkrun… and Mrs SRG.
Our baby is only 15 months old. He can’t walk yet. Let alone run. And that’s why God invented running buggies. It’s tough pushing a running buggy, but not as tough as I thought it was going to be, and he loves it. At least I think he does….
I look forward to reading it every week. That’s why I was chuffed when he asked me to write something for it.
I was nervous submitting my last blog. I mean, what if he said I was no good? What if he said ‘Get outta here, Kid, you’ve got no future’? I mean, I just don’t think I could take that kind of rejection. So, imagine my surprise when he asked me if I’d do another one.
That’s when the terror really set in. Writing one blog about three years of running, that was easy. Now he wanted another one! In less than a month!!
What on earth was I going to write about? Turns out, it was kind of obvious, because I really do love parkrun.
I love parkrun…because it’s not a race
A free, weekly, timed 5km run? What’s not to like? I completed my first parkrun in 2012 at York parkrun in 18 mins 50 secs. It’s still one of my fastest parkruns, but since then I’ve realised that parkrun isn’t a race.
You can turn up and plod around, you can run with your friends, you can pace them to a personal best (I've even assisted Mr Trihard to a 5km PB) or you can run it as fast as you can.
 |
| The only time Mr Trihard has ever kept up with SRG |
You can even try to finish first, but you can never ‘win’ a parkrun because it’s not a race.
It’s a timed run. It doesn’t matter if it takes you 15 minutes or an hour and 15 minutes. And that really is why parkrun is so special.
 |
| Can you guess what number token this is? |
I love parkrun…because you can find one pretty much anywhere
When I completed that first parkrun in York, I was on holiday. There were no parkruns anywhere near where I lived at that time, but I’d heard about them and wanted to try one out.
I’m not going to lie, Mrs SRG thought I was nuts! I could see it in her eyes.
‘You want to get up on the first morning of our holiday and go and run 5k?’
‘That’s right, it will be fun!’
Since that first parkrun, I’ve completed 22 different parkruns and compared to a lot of people that’s not very many at all. If we’re away I always try to visit the local parkrun. It really is a lot of fun. Mrs SRG still thinks I’m nuts. I can see it in her eyes.
I love parkrun…because it’s a chance to see my family
I go to my local parkrun at Colchester Castle whenever I can and it really is one of the best parkruns I’ve done.(A note from Mr Trihard: Both myself and SRG are Colchester born and bred. So I'm surprised he's broken the golden rule of immediately following any mention of Colchester by stating that it was the Roman capital of Britain. You're welcome. Now I'll let SRG continue.)
It’s beautiful. It’s all paved. There are toilets right near the start line. You run around a Castle. Three times!
However, the best thing about Colchester Castle parkrun is that my whole family is there. My brother goes to parkrun. Both his kids have done parkrun. My sister goes to parkrun. So does her boyfriend. My Mum goes to parkrun. I mean, she doesn’t run, but she’s there cheering us on.
This is probably the best thing about parkrun for me. It’s a chance to see my family, have a run, and grab a coffee afterwards. It’s a great way to start the weekend.
 |
The family enjoying the sunshine at Clacton seafront parkrun
|
I love parkrun…because it’s got both my kids into running
Well, it’s got one of them into running. My eldest son has been turning up at our local junior parkrun for well over a year now. He loves it.
At first, he wasn’t convinced– first time we turned up, we went to just watch, then we volunteered, and once he felt comfortable he ran it.
Now he’s almost got his ultra-marathon wrist band. Last year we went on Christmas Day and this year we’re doing it again. That’s a tradition! How cool is that?
Sometimes he runs it fast, sometimes he doesn’t. Sometimes he runs non-stop. Sometimes he walks. He runs, sometimes I volunteer. My wife and baby watch. We have coffee (or ice-cream) afterwards. It’s a great way to start a Sunday.
 |
| Approaching the finishing line at Junior parkrun |
…Interlude
Mrs SRG has pointed out that this is all sounding a bit too idyllic. She’s right. It sounds lovely, doesn’t it? It’s not always lovely.
Sometimes it’s a rush to get to parkrun. Sometimes it’s cold or wet, or cold and wet. Sometimes we can’t find our barcodes and it’s time to go, and ‘ARRGH, where are the barcodes’?!
Sometimes, we’re all set to go and my boy decides he doesn’t want to run, or leave the house at all, but I’ve volunteered so I go ahead by myself. Sometimes we’re all set to go and our baby needs a new nappy, or he’s sick, or he needs a new nappy and he’s been sick and it’s all a bit, well, hectic.
Sometimes I’m guilty of trying to squeeze too much in and it would be easier if I just didn’t go to parkrun at all. Sometimes I don’t, but sometimes I do. It’s usually worth it, but not always. And despite all of that, I still love parkrun… and Mrs SRG.
Where was I… oh yeah, I love parkrun…because it’s got both my kids into running
Our baby is only 15 months old. He can’t walk yet. Let alone run. And that’s why God invented running buggies. It’s tough pushing a running buggy, but not as tough as I thought it was going to be, and he loves it. At least I think he does…. |
| No socks were abandoned in the taking of this photo |
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