My First ParkRun

A colleague at work has been  trying to encourage me to join the ParkRun movement. He correctly predicted that I would find the event really fun, but the timing on Saturday morning wasn't ideal and so it was this week before I got a chance to join in the Porterstown event which is less than 2km from where I live.

It was a very icy morning so I had to be careful of my step as I ran to the venue. When I got there I could see there was a big crowd and a great atmosphere - partly due to the fact that it was associated with Operation Transformation, I was immediately put in a good mood by the positive vibe coming from the other participants.

I knew the focus was more on competing than on speed, but I checked the previous results to see the pace. I was delighted to see that the leader in 50-54 male group was someone I already knew. The atmosphere of the race encouraged me to ran faster than normal. I was timed at 28 minutes and 32 seconds. My normal is between 30 and 35 minutes for 5km.

It may be my first ParkRun, but it definitely won't be my last.