Chelmsford Park Run

Saturday saw me attend my 38th Park Run.
Since going to my first Park Run in 2014 I have really fallen head over hills in love with running but that love of running has seen me sign up to lots of events and that has seen me drop Park Run on Saturdays in favour of saving my legs for long runs on Sundays.

This week whilst in Essex my training plan allowed me a recovery run at Park Run. It's incredibly hard not to want to run fast and push for a PB but sometimes it's nice to take things a bit easier.

Although after seeing my time maybe I took things a bit too easy! My sister lives in Essex and is a bit slower than me and as I had run around 18 miles already that week I decided I would run with her and I would go for a nice easy run.

The weather was scorching and was already over 24'C in heat at 8am in the morning and the air felt thin. With a beast of a headache and sweat already forming I was greatful to be running slowly.

Me and My Sister At Chelmsford Park Run

As we started on the 5km route the crowds started to spread out. At the Chelmsford Park Run there are well over 500 hundreds each week that all turn up, run and dissappear as quickly as they arrive, It's fantastic.

After about half way the clear blue sky that was there when we started started to fill with clouds and the seccond half of the run was slightly cooler. I think I had wished for the cooler weather a bit too soon and before we knew it we were running to the sound of thunder crashing and lightening striking in the the sky.

A very hot and sweater 'After' Park Run Photo

Storm Passing over Chelmsford

The Lake at Central Park Chelmsford

The Storm Passing Over Chelmsford

I find Park Run fascinating. One minute there are hundreds of runners, spectators and marshalls and then the park is empty again. It's a brilliant event to be a part of and although I was 7 minutes slower than a previous PB at Chelmsford Park Run I had a wonderful run and a great social run and chat with my sister.

Although I do Park Runs few and far between I'm getting closer to getting my Park Run 50 T-shirt!!

I LOVE Running

It's impossible not to notice that this weekend hosted the 37th London marathon. Even if you are not a runner it was impossible to avoid the event and the stories that came pouring out of the event.

For people like me that love running, watching the event televised all day was absolutely amazing and was a complete and utter emotional roller coaster journey. There were stories how running had changed peoples lives. There were stories of wonderful people running to raise money for charities that fight to cure cancer or provide support for so many ailments. There were people that were running to save themselves and others that were running in memory of others. It was just one after another of incredible people who have trained for months and months to get to that race on Sunday.

What is probably the most moving aspect of the race this year was when one runner, David Wyeth from Chorlton Runners which is a Manchester based running club, was so close to the finish line when his body started to give up and didn't want to run any further. Several runners carried on running past him but Matthew Rees from a Welsh club the Swansea Harriers stopped and helped David Wyeth to finish his marathon.

It was such a selfless thing to do and Matthew Rees really won the hearts of so many and made me proud to be a runner and a part of the amazing running community.

When I was a teen at school I loved running. I ran for my school and then I ran for my county at the Chelmsford Athletics club based at the melbourne stadium in Chelmsford. I loved it then, I competed in the cross country, the 800 and the 1500 metres and It was all I was interested in. Training several times a week on the track and out and about on the local roads and competing at the weekends it was a major part of my young life.

But then as with most people growing up things change. Priorities change and suddenly I didn't want to dedicate my time to running and training and going out with friends and drinking soon became where I wanted my time spent.

Several years passed and I did less and less running. I moved away from Essex to Cornwall and my life was changing. After more than ten years had passed my sister invited me to attend a Park Run with her. My life changed at that one park run event!!!

It was my first run in years and I fell instantly in love with running again. Since that first Park Run in 2014 I've been addicted to running ever since and run a half marathon several 10km events and now joined a running club and I'm so proud to be a runner.

I'm so proud to be a member of the Newquay Road Runners who not only are the most friendly and encouraging bunch but are also the reason that I have achieved so many PB's. I look forward to my weekly runs with the club and feel privileged to be welcomed into the club.

Then seeing events on the television like Matthew Rees's selfless act of kindness it shows that running isn't just about getting fast times and running your own race it's about being part of a community and helping others to achieve their goals.

It's impossible to express how much running has changed my life in the last two years. I'm the fittest I've ever been. I have structure to my weeks around exercise and see so many friends out running. I look forward to running and don't drink as much alcohol that I used to knowing that it doesn't help with running hydration.

It's not always easy and some runs are hard, some runs are during gruelling weather in pouring rain and strong winds and sometimes I wonder why I am doing it. But then other runs I pass another runner and we smile at each other. The sun will break through the clouds on a lonely country road and I feel a huge sense of achievement being out on the roads seeing such beautiful scenery and realising that If I was just sitting at home watching TV or down the pub I would easily miss these special moments.

I'm a runner and I'm part of the running community and I'm proud to do so.

Mandi
Newquay Road Runner

Park Run number 19 for me, getting slower, walking and struggling on through.

This weekend saw me attend my 19th Park Run at Lanhydrock National Trust Estate near Bodmin in Cornwall and It wasn't one of my best. It wasn't horrendous and I wasn't the slowest but for myself I am annoyed.

Having started Park Run back in December and this really was my first introduction back into running for many years. I plodded, jogged and walked around the course in a respectable time of 35 minutes and 48 seconds and for a very gruelling 5km run with a large amount of up hill sections I was really pleased.

Move forwards 6 months and I've joined the local Newquay Road Runners group and I run with them most Tuesdays, I've entered two races now both 5 miles in distance. The first being the Wadebridge to Padstow 5 mile event for the lobster hatchery and the second being the much more serious Cubert 5 mile event. I have then decided to enter my first ever half marathon in October this year! From a complete couch potato to 10 months into my running, I'm going to attempt to run 13.1 miles!

My weekly visits to the road runners group and the weekly visits to Park Run help to push me to gain faster times, better fitness and push and compete a little against the other runners whereas my one other run per week is a slightly longer distance and this feels good each week. But the week just gone I failed to run at all since the last weekends Park Run event. The whole week I had been feeling knackered and although I had got out on my bike and accomplished a little 6 mile bike ride I hadn't managed anything in my runner shoes.

Waking up on Saturday morning for Park Run I felt tired, even though I hadn't done anything the night before and had had a reasonably early night. I walked to the start line yawning my head off. Usually I will jog to the start line but this week a walk was all I could manage. Not wanting to give up before I had even started I said to myself 'at least i was here' I think I would have been even more grumpy had I have missed that weekly run along side all the others that week.

Umbrellas at Lanhydrock drying out after the previous day's severe weather warning

The race director got things underway giving an introduction to newbies and tourists and the 117 runners were on the start line and ready to go. I put some music on, LOUD in my headphones and zoned into my pace of running and tried not to get carried away with the pace of the faster runners.

I picked off a few runners at the start and overtook a few more on the fast downhill section but as soon as the terrain turned and I had to work I had nothing in me. With a stitch on my right hand side and pretty breathless I was wondering why I had run quite so fast on the downhill section? and why didn't I warm up at all?

As I approached the first of the uphill sections I began to really struggle, mainly with the stitch and the breathlessness. I didn't want to give up just yet and managed to make it up the first two up hill sections but the third which is the biggest of the three I just had to walk. I tried power walking up the hill but even that was a struggle. People started to over take me, and I was struggling to even push on and walk up this horrible hill. A few regular Park Runners cheered me on and said well done to encourage me but I was already annoyed with myself. I had nothing in me at all, no amount of encouragement would get me through, I felt like I was running on empty.

At the top of the steep hill I turned onto the field which although Is still uphill it is very much more gradual and feels a lot less gruelling and managed to run across this but as the field reaches the woods and the steepness of the hill increased, yet again I was walking.

As I reached the gate I was getting over taken by even more people and I knew that this was the last section, it was a little bit more uphill before the downhill to the finish. I started to jog again and tried to keep up with the ladies that were in front of me. To little avail I couldn't keep up at all, I managed to maintain a steady ish (slow) jog up the hill and as the two ladies in front of me took off down the hill to the finish I was doing well to manage to keep my legs going one in front of the other and not collapse.

As I reached the finish line, I struggled for breath to muster the words to thank the volunteer for my finishing token. After a few minutes I had recovered enough to get my bar code scanned in and start the walk back up the hill I had just come down back to the car park.

I was utterly and thoroughly shattered and now I had to get my bum over to the Electric Beach Festival and dance my socks of for the rest of the day!!!

A very warm morning for a run

Already I'm thinking about the next one and hoping for a better time.... Park Run is addictive but I guess there are a lot worse things to be addicted to in life than exercise!

Park Run, My 18th Run at Lanhydrock House - Bodmin Cornwall.

After last weekends trip up to Essex and completing my fastest Park Run yet and gaining a time of 27:32 at Chelmsford Park Run I was full of confidence that returning to my regular Park Run at Lanhydrock In Cornwall that I was sure to gain a new PB.

Arriving to the Park it was a bright and sunny morning, there was a chilly wind but I was feeling strong and full of confidence that today was the day to get a faster time.

As the crowds arrived at the start line the sun was shining and the sky was blue and I couldn't wait to get going. I started off very strong on the downhill section as to be honest I normally do, I felt strong on the flat and then had the usual struggles up the hilly sections.

 I was really pleased when I finished, still feeling strong and had achieved a sub 30 minute time which is now always my goal if not to gain a new PB. When the official results came through later on in that day I had recieved a time of 29:14, I was pleased with that but it was still 34 seconds off that PB that I had somehow set 3 months ago!!!

It just keeps fueling the need to keep going week after week to compete against myself and try and achieve a faster time each week. Maybe the next one I will finally beat that pesky PB!

Park Run number 17 at Central Park Chelmsford

For anyone that has joined Park Run they will understand what a tourist is and this week I was super excited to be a tourist for the first time. I was going to be leaving the comfort of my regular ParkRun in Cornwall and head up country to attend my first ParkRun in Essex.

On Friday evening I jumped in the car and started the five hour journey to Essex to visit friends and family for the weekend and utilise the opitunity to attend a different ParkRun. Sadly over 7 hours in the car later and stuck in ridiculous amounts of traffic and being redirected all the way up to Oxford and back we were finally in Essex even if it was the very early hours of the morning!

With just a few hours sleep it was soon time to get up and head over to Central Park in Chelmsford for my first ParkRun as a tourist. Arriving at the event I was rather shocked at the scale and the size of the event. My regular ParkRun in deepest darkest Cornwall attracts between 100 - 150 regular runners. However this morning I was welcomed by twice that many runners and twice the usual amount of volunteers.

The volunteers were fantastic and so well organised as well, splitting the runners into two groups and two different starts. With below 25 minutes to complete the 5km course and over 25minutes so that the faster runners could get off to a quicker start and join up the route further around the course. With a loud mega phone the run briefing was completed and the race was underway. To a resounding beeping of GPS watches and mobile phones on armbands, we were off. It felt absolutely fantastic to be running in such a big friendly group, in the city centre early on a Saturday morning. Even though I was exhausted I was excited to be involved.

Sadly after the first mile I started to realise just how tired I was feeling after the previous days long journey and the lack of sleep and began to really struggle around the course. Even though it was a chilly morning the sun was shining and the course was beautiful. We ran out of Central Park and under the road and into Admirals Park. The course was relatively flat, however there was a little hill up and around a field that took my breath away. Heading back into the second half I was breathing heavily and wishing the course to be over. It was nothing like the gruelling up hill section at Lanhydrock and I didn't need to walk any of it, it was however, a shock on the completely flat faster paced course.

As I pushed on around the course to the finish I was feeling absolutely shattered and really glad to see the finishing funnel in the distance. As I went through the gate and received my bar code I was impressed again with the organisation of the bar code scanners all lined up behind rows of cones to filter the runners through. 

 

 

As quickly as everyone arrived in the park and ran the 5km course they had all finished and disappeared again. It is like a flash bomb of runners that all turn up in Lycra and run and disappear all within the hour. One minute you can be in the park full of hundreds of people, runners, volunteers and supporters and then just an hour later the park is empty. Blink and you'll miss ParkRun.

Just a few hours later I got my confirmation e-mail through from ParkRun with my time for the mornings 5km run. I was delighted when my time came through as it is now my fastest ParkRun result. I'm really pleased to have achieved my fastest ever 5km time of 27:32 however I need to be honest and point out that Chelmsford Park Run is VERY flat compared to the gruelling Lanhydrock ParkRun in Cornwall and i'm a long way off getting that time in Cornwall.

I'm now looking forward to getting back to my home course in Cornwall and trying to get a new PB there and maybe one day I'll be able to get close to my personal 5km record that I set this weekend at Chelmsford!

Park Run Number 16

It's been a busy month of May for myself with Surf trips to Portugal and 30th birthday celebrations meaning that running has not been at the top of my priority of things to do. But with my body weight consumed in alcohol and 5 months until my first ever half marathon it's certainly time to put the trainers back on and start running again.

Last Saturday was to be my 16th Park Run at Lanhydrock and leaving the house it was a very gloomy grey start to the day with a thick heavy fog sitting over the whole of Cornwall. But as I arrived to the Lanhydrock National Park the sun was starting to break through the mist and cloud and you could feel the warmth of the sun coming through.

With this being the first run in nearly a month I was feeling a little bit nervous especially with the massive hill that I had not been missing whilst on holiday. As it was bank holiday weekend it was proving to be a popular morning for Park Run and with 177 runners on the start line I was feeling excited to get going.

I always go off too fast at the start of Park Run and get carried away with the crowds at the beginning and this week being the first one back after a few weeks off decided that I really did need to take it slightly easier and avoid going off too fast at the start and walking at the end.

As the crowds wound down the hill and up into the woods it felt good to be back running with a group of like minded people all up early on a Saturday morning. I plodded through the woods and down the massive steep section of hill and felt good, I felt like I was simply enjoying this run rather than pushing for a PB. As the second half of the course approached the hills got bigger and I started to feel the burn. Managing to get up the first two sections of up hill I upproached the main really steep hill and just had to walk up it but getting to the top proceeded to run.

My current Personal Best for Lanhydrock Park Run is 28:43 and after nearly a month off knew I wasn't going to be anywhere close to that but was hoping for around the 30 minute mark. As I pushed down hill to the finish line I was feeling very much out of breath and felt like I had nothing else to give.

Once home I recieved my time and was pleased that my first run in the new 30-34 age group came through at 30:20.

Tomorrow It's Park Run day again and this week I will be competing in my first ever Park Run as a tourist and will hopefully be plodding the tarmac of a much flatter Essec Park Run. I'm hoping to beat my current PB time of 28:43 and hope that a quicker Park Run time will encourage me that I can get around Park Run quicker and I've just got to do the same at my home turf when I return to Lanhydrock.

Fingers crossed for tomorrows Park Run and I'm looking forward to taking part in a much bigger event than what I'm used to in Cornwall. If you see me looking lost around the course in Chelmsford tomorrow give me a wave!

Park Run number 15

Saturday morning saw me attend my 15th Park Run at Lanhydrock and I can honestly say that they don't get any easier!

On Friday night straight from work I went for a surf and spent the evening paddling around in the ocean watching glimpses of the sun setting between the grey clouds. It was a lovely evening as the weather wasn't great and this had meant that the beach was quiet and as the waves were considerably smaller than the previous few days of EPIC conditions it was ideal for a learner surfer like myself.

Once I had used up every ounce of energy it was time to leave the beach, get showered, fed and watered and off to bed ready for Park Run the following morning.

The weather forecast for this Saturday was pretty grim to say the least and although the morning was supposed to stay dry for Park Run the afternoon was sounding pretty horrific with lots of heavy rain forecast as well as thunder and lightening thrown into the mix.

When I arrived at Park Run I said hello to the familiar faces that I am beginning to see each week and with the sun just about shining through the clouds it felt a lot warmer than the previous weeks standing on the start line shivering. I decided that this was the week that I would leave my long sleeve top behind and run in just the T-shirt and hope that it doesn't rain and I was so pleasantly surprised that I wasn't cold at all and set off down hill alongside all the other runners.

I didn't feel particularly strong this week, I felt like I was already struggling and the start of the course is the easy section of down hill and flat patches but already I was getting out of breath and suffering a stitch. I continued pushing along but by the time I had reached the second of the giant hills on the Lanhydrock course I was walking. With some words of encouragement from the volunteers I had picked up the pace again and was back into a jog rather than a walk but yet again as the path got steeper I was struggling for breath and back down to a walking pace.

On the last of the 5km route at Lanhydrock the course goes downhill so with every ounce of strength I stopped the walk and started jogging to the finish really feeling the burn on this one today. Once I had had my bar code scanned in and got my breath back I headed back to the car, stretched and headed home. The sun was starting to disappear and the clouds and the rain were coming over and I felt proud that I had made it out of bed and enjoying the only good part of the day.

A few hours later my time for the course came through and I was pleasantly surprised that I had still managed to achieve a sub 30 minute 5km..... just! With a time of 29:18 it wasn't as bad as I thought even though I had walked rather more of the course than usual.

Park Run number 14

At the end of March I attended a Park Run where everything hurt. It started with a little groin niggle to a painful knee to a painful calf but the 5km course was harder and more painful then ever to get around.

With three weeks off running, lots of stretching and a trip to Brighton and Essex later I'm back in Cornwall and back to my local Park Run.

As I hadn't run for three weeks, and was worried about doing more damage to my knee I decided that I would go to Park Run but would take it easy.

I started off gentle and plodded through the down hill section of the course and so far things were good, no twinges, no pain, so I carried on. Getting to the horrible hill, anybody that has taken part in the Lanhydrock Park Run will know about the grueling last mile which is a solid up hill climb away from the river and it just gets worse every week.

Struggling to the top of the hill a fellow Newquay Road Runner was cheering me on and willing me not to stop. I did slow right down due to barely being able to catch my breath but as we raced towards the finish line I was pleased to receive a time of 30:19. Only 2 minutes off my PB and having not run for three weeks felt really pleased with my effort.

Onwards and upwards to hopefully get another PB soon.

Park Run number 13, unlucky for some, Very unlucky for me!

Last weekend when the weather was glorious and the sun was shining I couldn't attend park run. I was pretty gutted and getting the e-mail of results later on that day I realised that it was a good run for a lot of people with loads of PB's so this weekend I was adamant I wanted to do it.

Checking the weather during the week it wasn't looking good, with the forecast suggesting that the whole weekend would be filled with gale force winds and lots of rain I still wasn't put off and wanted to run.

Heading to the pub on Friday night I made the decision that I would stay too long and wouldn't drink so that I could get up in time to attend park run in the morning. By 1am I was finally leaving the pub, although sober a lot later then I had wanted. I checked the forecast again and it was suggesting a dry morning followed by torrential rain around 10.00am.

I got up, ignored the wind howling outside grabbed the rain mack and headed to Lanhydrock park. Arriving there were lots of others who were also not put off by the wind and rain and everyone was warming up and although it was a little drizzly it wasn't all that bad. I lightly jogged to the start line and stood there yawning my head off. Maybe staying up so late was not such a good idea, I'm a girl of routine and a late night really messes with my body clock but I was proud I had got out of bed in such potentially horrible weather and was doing some morning exercise.

The run began and we were off and I was still half asleep and yawning and not wanting to be running but as we entered into the woods the flowers and the beautiful scenery took my mind off running and as we headed down into the steep down hill woody section that was it, I did some weird slipping, skidding nearly falling over but saved it moment. I didn't even think about it and kept running but I had immediate pain in my left calf. I continued to jog but it hurt a lot and I walked large sections.

By this time the drizzle had turned to heavy rain, my leg was really hurting and I was soaked through and not really enjoying this weeks park run. I'm pleased I took part and didn't miss another run but I think I might be on volunteer duty for a few weeks now whilst I rest my calf!

Moral of the story is..... If you have a late night at the pub and it's raining outside, STAY IN BED, exercise is not good for you!!!!

Park Run number 12 at Lanhydrock house Bodmin. Shaving 7 minutes of my time in 3 months.

Last week it was time for my twelfth Park Run at Lanhydrock House in Bodmin and I wasn't really feeling it. I had been out the night before only for a quiet one with a few pints but I was knackered and had had a terrible nights sleep and was wide awake watching the minutes tick over from 5.00am.

I eventually got out of bed at 6.30am and had my breakfast and thought to myself I might as well do Park Run as I was awake early but I felt shattered. Arriving at Lanhydrock house in Bodmin I was feeling wiped out, sleepy and yawning my head off. I warmed up by jogging to the start line and that hurt! My knees ached and I really did feel like I couldn't even achieve getting around the whole course today.

Meeting up with some friends on the start line we were chatting away and through yawning my head off my eyes were streaming with water and all off a sudden everyone started running. I was half asleep and hadn't even heard them shout go! I started running and thought to myself how hard it felt today, the first bit of the run is a quick down hill before a slight up hill and that first little section of uphill really did feel like a battle!

I wanted to get this finished, as I know the course I slowed down my pace on the flat section along the river in the hope of saving some energy for the long uphill slog. I am still yet to run the whole course and this weeks attempt was no exception. As I hit the steep muddy section through the woods, on the last of the uphill sections before the finish I could barely catch my breath and had to slow down to a walk. As I reached the gate I knew I only had a slight incline uphill to go before a dash downhill to the finish. Forcing myself to pick the pace back up I continued running very slowly up the hill to the brow of the hill and gave it everything to get to the end.

I crossed the finish line absolutely exhausted and got myself scanned in to receive my time and started walking back up the hill to the car park. At least after my run I was feeling slightly more awake now but definitely more exhausted.

Then to my surprise the results came through and I received my notification of my time and to my absolute astonishment and shock I had achieved a new PB!!! Yes a new personal best, clearly lack of sleep and cider has had a positive effect on my running. My quickest time up until now had been 29:11 and this was 4 weeks ago and I was proud of this time, I was sub 30minutes on a hard 5km course and that, I was happy with. After all I have only been running for 3 months now. Last week I had felt stronger, faster and a lot more confident yet I was 6 seconds off beating that time. This week I felt rubbish and smashed through knocking 28 seconds off my time and this week received a time of 28:43.

I'm so pleased that in just 12 Park Run attempts I have gone from achieving a time of 35:48 on my first attempt to now receiving a time of 28:43 shaving a whole 7 minutes of my 5km time since I began.

Massive thank you's go out to Park Run for turning my fitness around in just 3 months and to all the volunteers at Lanhydrock Park run who put on the event. See you all on Saturday for the next one.

Park Run number 11 at Lanhydrock

Another Saturday morning, another Park Run. For me this was Park Run number eleven, I was feeling confident. The weather was a lot warmer then it has been recently, ok so it was still in single figures but a balmy 9'C rather than the 1-2'C and frosty starts that we have been previously used to. 

Arriving to Lanhydrock the morning was fairly overcast but the forecast for the day was meant to be amazing and sunny and I was confident we wouldn't be seeing any rain so I left one layer of clothing behind for this weeks run. 

Walking over to the start I was feeling a bit chilly and wondered if leaving the extra layer behind was such a good idea as the wind blew it felt rather nippy. Saying hello to a few friends and having the run brief from the run director it was time to begin the run and we were off. This week it seemed a lot busier than previous weeks and running through the woods there was quite a number of runners steadily plodding through the trees. 

Feeling confident around the course I arrived at the down hill section towards the finish line and gave it everything I had to cross the line. It felt good, I felt confident and was sure that I would achieve a personal best. After a few hours the times were in and I was gutted I had missed getting a personal best by 6 seconds!!! I had increased my time for the last three weeks running and was sure that this week I had broken my fastest time but sadly not this week. That sub 3o minute personal best 4 weeks ago was seeming impossible to beat. 

Rather than getting deflated missing out by just a few seconds this has made me even more determined and I already can't wait for the next week for another attempt at beating myself. Park Run is really addictive and I never would have thought that getting faster and fitter was that important to me. Just three months ago I attended my first park run and was proud of myself for getting up and out of bed on a Saturday morning and at least attempting park run. I was so pleased to have even covered 5km even if I walked large chunks of it I was really pleased with the effort and didn't really care about the time. I can't believe the difference Park Run has made to my weekends and I'm already looking forward to completing my twelfth run.

Park Run Bodmins 1st birthday

For the last 12 months people from all over Cornwall have been meeting at Lanhydrock country park in Bodmin to take part in Park Run. This morning they celebrated their first year of successfully holding the timed 5km event each week and celebrated in style with lots of cake!

I only joined Park Run a few weeks ago and this was my 5th attempt at the 5km course. This morning the temperatures were freezing, quite literally with temperatures in low single figures. Driving to Bodmin I drove through rain and could see snow up on the hills of Bodmin moor and really did begin to wonder why on earth I was doing this so early on a freezing cold Saturday morning.

Arriving at the car park and seeing everyone walking down to the course in their florescent clothes I realised that the course was also pretty frozen. What looked like a hail storm over night had turned the area white and the pavements and pathways from the car park to the start of the course were wet and icy.

Arriving at the start line the volunteers presented awards to those with the highest points and thanked the volunteers and tail runner for their time and dedication to put on this free event. With the arrival of Spider Man and Super man we were off running the course. I've only done the course 4 times previously and quite like the first section of running, starting off downhill on a paved path, but this morning this paved path was a sheet of ice so had to begin on squidgy, soggy, bogs of mud.

Once I had warmed up I started to enjoy the run, the sun was beaming through the trees and the tree's were dripping water that glistened in the sun light. Running past the river takes your mind off the pain of running and gives you a bit of rest on the flat river bed. Having only completed a few park runs and not having done any running for many years I still haven't managed to run the full 5km circuit but each week i manage to run further and further before walking and also managed a new PB today.

I'm loving taking part in Park Run and love the competitiveness of beating your own time each week, once I've done my first 10 park runs I want to volunteer to do the photography at one of the sessions, but for now I want to work towards running the whole course and getting a time below 30 minutes.

Thank you to the Volunteers that donate their time to put on the event and Happy Birthday to Bodmin's Lanhydrock Park Run.

Park Run number two.

Last week I wrote about my family tempting me to take part in the Park Run in Bodmin at Lanhydrock house. This week with the family gone and frost on the ground outside I dragged myself out of bed into the freezing conditions to do another 5km run.

Park run is really good because it's free and hosted through volunteers but the best bit is the support on the website. Online you have a constant score board and stats on your event as well as loads of other events and you can see for yourself if your times and fitness is improving.

The first week after not running for a very long time I achieved a time of 35:48 yet this week I have already set a new PB of 33:38. I would like to keep attending park run each week to get fitter during the winter months until I return back to surfing in the summer which will take priority over running but for now I want to set myself a personal challenge of running the whole course and not walking up the big hill towards the end of the course and getting under 30 minutes to complete the course.

Image from http://www.parkrun.org.uk/lanhydrock/photos/

Park Run in Cornwall

When I was at school I was keen on running, I used to train at the melbourne athletics stadium in Chelmsford and compete in 800 and 1500metre races for the county. I also used to heavily compete in cross country running for my school. But once I moved to Cornwall my surfing took over and so did my cycling and I barely used to go out running at all.

When some of my family started doing Park Run in Essex I was intrigued by the event, each week I would see pictures on their facebook pages and times and new PB's and at the back of my mind thought maybe this could be good fun?

When the family came to visit this weekend they wanted to keep up with their Park Runs and not miss a week so decided to attend the organised Park Run in Cornwall as tourist runners. I thought when better to give this a go than with some of my family. I was already thinking that I would be slow and that I wasn't particularly fit and I would certainly struggle against my family who run every week.

Arriving to Lanhydrock and having read the course is down hill to the river then back up hill to the finish I was slightly nervous to say the least when I saw just how steep the valley was. I haven't been running in years so thought I would start off gently at my own pace and just try to enjoy my first run. Within seconds all the runners had disappeared off into the distance and I was left at the back of the group trailing along behind.

At the end of each Park Run you are able to achieve a time for your circuit and was pleasantly surprised that my first ever 5km run with absolutely no prior training I managed to achieve a time of 35 minutes and 48 seconds. Admittedly I was only 4 people off being the last to complete the course and the other runners in front of me were serious runners completing the course in 16 minutes but for my first one I was pleased.

Once my legs stop aching I'll decide if I am brave enough to run the course again without the support of my family by my side and try to improve on my time and get fitter by taking part in the free Park Run events.

For those that haven't heard of Park Run here's some more details. There are over 300 locations across the UK where you can take part in timed 5km runs. Anything from 50 to 500 runners often take place in each race and all races are put on by local volunteers and are completely free to enter. If your not running one week you can volunteer as a race marshall and support the events in other ways. For more information visit http://www.parkrun.org.uk/