I have loved a parkrun challenge for a long time now- if you don’t already, I would suggest that you peep at the parkrun chrome extension, as it has all manner of fun challenges and you earn virtual badges for them. For example, the pirates club (7 C’s and one R), or Stayin’ Alive (3 B’s and 3 G’s). I was focused on the alphabet challenge for a while, but seeing as I need to go abroad for a Z, it’s been on the back burner a bit. So my focus has shifted to the Wilson Index for a bit (the gaps between milestone tops get long so you need something to occupy your mind with). Basically, this looks at event numbers. My WI is 8, as I have been to event numbers 1-8, and then 10-14 and so on. Bury Field popped up before Christmas, handily placed near to Milton Keynes, where my dad’s cousin lives. (We got him into parkrun by meeting him at Linford Wood back in 2017, and he really got into it,, volunteering lots and recently completing his 100th). He was going to meet us for my 250th, but the stormy weather put him off, so a meet up was very overdue. Anyway, I wrote down all sorts of lists, working out which event number I would need and when it would be. The complications over Christmas and New Year (when event teams didn’t have to put events on) combined with my poor use of lines on a notebook meant that I got my dates muddled and we arranged to meet last Saturday. It turned out it was event number 8, and in fact I needed number 9, but by the time I realised it was too late (plus my dad was not free the following weekend). Anyway, we don’t really need a reason to visit a new event!
I picked Dad up and we arrived at just after 8.30. The car park is in the town centre (it’s free) and literally right by the field where the parkrun starts. The parkrun itself was a one lap, over fields, mainly flat and really pretty. It reminded me a lot of Ellenbrook Fields- more wild scrubland than city centre maintained park, but really close to residential areas. It wasn’t the best weather (drizzling at the start, and cold stinging icy rain by the end), but I loved it. Dad had got some trail shoes for Christmas and kept saying how amazing they were, how thy gripped on the mud and so on (he always had just road shoes before, thinking that two pairs of running trainers would be an extravagance, but realised that if he had 2 pairs, they would last twice as long).
The route was a bit of a funny shape, a bit like a clover leaf or something, as you came back to near the start/finish a few times without really seeing it.
Once finished we headed to a little café for a quick hot drink before heading our separate ways. Brian did tell us that after his next birthday he’ll be in a new age category (80+) and I am so happy that he is still active and loving parkrun at this age. He says that he often looks around on the start line to work out if he will be the first (or only) runner in that age category.
Puzzle progress, a cosy evening and some yoga
The rest of the day was spent doing housework (less fun), doing the puzzle (more fun but can only rally be done in daylight), and keeping on with the yoga.
Run scenes and pancakes when I got home
Sunday was such a gorgeous day but so cold. I went out for 8 miles and even when I was nearly home, some of the pavements were still icy. At one point I skidded along but managed to catch myself before I properly fell over.
First light as I leave for work, icy pavements on my run and of course the best parkrun pod to accompany my run
Although it wasn’t quite as bad as my morning pre-work runs (I was back to it that week)- some very icy glittery pavements.
Are you into any of the parkrun challenges at the moment?
I’m doing this year’s YWA too! I’m already a couple of days behind, but I really like that the practices are shorter this year so some days I can double up.
Yes that’s a good point. I did consider doing that at the weekend but then decided that I don’t need to rush through it. But it’s far easier to find 20/30 mins than it was to find the 40 mins that some of them used to be.