Alice's Adventures in Running Land
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

My 50th parkrun

6/26/2017

2 Comments

 
‘It is good seeing you in your happy place’

My friend sent me the above message recently; the happy place she was referring to was Lincoln parkrun. I had never really thought of parkrun in that way before, which is quite strange considering it does bring me no end of happiness. I realised she was very right though. No matter what is going on in my life parkrun is always there. If I am having a good week, parkrun makes it better; if things are not so great, then the thought of parkrun motivates me to keep going. I can run well at parkrun with things feeling effortless, or I can feel like I am forcing my legs around in a bit of a struggle, and yet I am still happy. I do not even need to run at parkrun to feel good, since volunteering brings me equal levels of joy.

This Saturday morning I ran my 50th parkrun. It has been a long time coming, however having completed the vast majority of my parkruns at my home event in Lincoln, I wanted my 50th to be here. I also wanted to be able to share reaching this milestone with my friend and running buddy. Careful planning for months in advance had therefore led to this particular Saturday morning, which shows just how important it was to us both.

When parkrun first started in Lincoln I could not make most Saturday mornings. When I did get to go it was a treat, something I really looked forward to and an enjoyable morning with friends. Now I get this boost of happiness on weekly basis. I never imagined reaching 50 parkruns; the first time I ever visited a parkrun, Lincoln on Valentines Day 2015, I was too scared to even print a barcode and had to be heavily encouraged by my friends to join them. I definitely do not need encouraging now! My 50 parkruns have created a lot of memories, there are too many to even begin to list, and I equally love seeing the pleasure and reward it brings to so many others.

For our 50th parkrun my friend and I decided to make some special cakes to share our milestone celebration with our fellow parkrunners (see image). These took us many hours on Friday evening; my friend agonising over whether she had enough icing leaves on her parkrun cake, whilst I stared in disbelief as I iced the parkrun logo onto a seemingly never-ending line of 90 cupcakes. It was all worth it of course, and it was lovely to be able to stand at the finish chatting and handing cakes out to both new and familiar faces; the social and community element is equally what parkrun is about after all.
Picture
Picture
Cakes aside, running my 50th parkrun felt special too. Obviously it was still the same three loops of Boultham Park I have completed many times before, but it just felt extra meaningful. I didn’t set out for a PB in particular, but I just ran as hard as I could. Lap one was quick and lap two began to hurt, but the volunteer marshals really spurred me on and by lap three I was determined not to slow. The call of ‘there’s only half a mile to cake’ from one marshal on the third loop most definitely gave me an extra boost! By the time I made an attempted sprint for the finish funnel my legs were weary, but I stopped the clock at 21.24, my second fastest time on record - I’ll take that! Stood catching my breath I glanced back at the funnel hoping to see a familiar figure crossing the line; and there indeed was my friend. I knew it had to be a PB for her and it was - an extra success for the morning.
​
parkrun is a special thing to be a part of regardless of whether you have completed your first parkrun, 50 parkruns or 200 parkruns. I am also biased into thinking that Lincoln parkrun in particular is simply a wonderful community to belong to. Lincoln parkrun has been there when I needed it, and I am extremely thankful for the volunteers who continue to make Lincoln and other parkrun events possible, not just for me, but for the thousands of other parkrunners worldwide. Thank you for giving us all a happy place. ​
2 Comments
Keith
6/29/2017 10:04:35 am

Congratulations to you and your 'friend' and thank you for helping to make parkrun a happy place to be in Lincoln. Great cakes!

Reply
Alice
6/30/2017 08:04:42 am

Thanks Keith - thank you for all your hard work in making Lincoln parkrun happen in the first place!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Alice's Adventures In Running Land

    Read about my adventures in running land...


    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    Categories

    All
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2021
    Ashby 20 2019
    Bassingham Bash 2015
    Bassingham Bash 2016
    Bassingham Bash 2017
    Bassingham Bash 2020
    Berlin Marathon 2016
    Berlin Marathon 2017
    Boston Marathon 2017
    Brighton 10k 2015
    Brighton Marathon 2019
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2018
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2019
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2020
    Chicago Marathon 2019
    Clumber Park Half Marathon
    Doncaster 10k 2017
    Doncaster 10k 2018
    Doncaster 10k 2019
    Finsbury Park 10k 2015
    General Running
    Great Newham Run 10k 2016
    Great North Run 2015
    Harewood House Half Marathon 2017
    Hedgehog Half Marathon 2018
    I Am Team GB
    Leicestershire Half Marathon 2018
    Leicestershire Half Marathon 2019
    Lincoln 10k 2015
    Lincoln 10k 2016
    Lincoln 10k 2017
    Lincoln 10k 2018
    Lincoln 10k 2019
    Lincoln Colour Dash 2015
    Lincoln Half Marathon 2016
    Lincoln Half Marathon 2017
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2015
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2016
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2017
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Marathon 2018
    London Marathon 2015
    London Marathon 2016
    London Marathon 2017
    London Marathon 2018
    London Marathon 2020
    Manchester Marathon 2016
    Milton Keynes 20 Mile Race 2018
    Newark Half Marathon 2017
    Newark Half Marathon 2018
    Newark Half Marathon 2019
    Newton's Fraction Half Marathon 2019
    Normanby 10k 2020
    North Lincolnshire Half Marathon 2018
    North Lincolnshire Half Marathon 2019
    Nottingham 10k 2016
    Oxford Half Marathon 2015
    Parkrun
    Park Run
    Robin Hood Trail 10k
    Round Sheffield Run 2016
    Round Sheffield Run 2017
    Round Sheffield Run 2018
    Round Sheffield Run 2019
    Royal Parks Half 2016
    Santa Run 2014
    Santa Run 2015
    Santa Run 2018
    Santa Run 2019
    Sleaford 10k 2019
    Stamford 30k
    Sydney Marathon 2018
    The 401 Challenge
    The Royal Parks Half Marathon 2016
    Thoresby Half Marathon
    Winter Run 10k Liverpool
    Woodhall Spa 10k 2018
    Woodhall Spa 10k 2019
    X Runner 2015

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo used under Creative Commons from marksteelenz