I love Germany. Every time I go there, I go home thinking that I should have been born German and that it was a travesty that I was born in bloody England. Germany is tidy, efficient and has rules which people follow. Germans wait for the green man at road crossing even when there is … Continue reading Georgengarten parkrun
These days Leyton Orient are in League One, which means that they no longer have to play teams whose grounds are just big wet fields in the middle of nowhere with a bus shelter at one end. Now we get to go to proper stadiums in the middle of nowhere. They have roofs and flushing … Continue reading Barnsley parkrun
One of the things I like about parkrun tourism is the way it prompts you to explore holiday destinations that you never would have considered otherwise simply because the parkrun there fits the criteria for someone's particular challenge. Left to my own devices I would simply go to Greece every year (which doesn't even have … Continue reading Zuiderpark parkrun
A state of frenzied anticipation broke out amongst my rather easily excited friends with the announcement of a new parkrun that is local and meets all the suitability requirements (toilets, no grass or other major trip hazards, nearby pub, no fuckwits). The only downside is the fact it has a comma in its name which … Continue reading Thames Path, Woolwich parkrun
(This entry has been sitting on my computer half finished since the world cup started - sorry!) Most people seem to get The Corona when they're at their fittest. I, however, was already in the depths of injury-related unfitness at the point when I succumbed, which made me wonder if I would actually sink to … Continue reading York parkrun
On 2nd October 2004, the first ever parkrun took place in Bushy Park. At the time, it was known rather less invitingly as "Bushy Park Time Trial" and there were a total of thirteen runners, none of whom took more than 30 minutes to complete the 5k course. There were no tourists, no milestones and … Continue reading Bushy parkrun
A couple of months ago I had a sudden burst of inspiration and decided to start a mission to run all the parkruns in Essex. Several of my friends are aiming for "Lon-done" but this doesn't appeal to be because there are a lot of parkruns in London which follow my strongly non preferred format … Continue reading Burnham on Crouch parkrun
For many compulsive parkrun tourists, becoming an "alphabeteer" (visiting a parkrun beginning with every letter of the alphabet, except X, because there isn't one starting with X... yet) is a top priority. It's an enjoyable challenge which requires one to be a little creative. Some letters are easy (I've lost count of my Bs, Hs … Continue reading Jesmond Dene parkrun
There is, allegedly, more to life than running, and for the first time since the pandemic I packed my bags for a weekend away supporting my atrocious football team, Leyton Orient, in that underrated Northern beach resort, Hartlepool. I also managed to drag Rob along for his first live Orient Experience. Although I love running, … Continue reading Hartlepool parkrun
I believe 7th August 2021 was the fourth date I set for my 100th parkrun. I can't be sure of this because like with everything in the last year, the endless cancellations and postponements got the better of me and I lost all grip on how many times things had changed and any faith in … Continue reading Brockwell parkrun
First of all it was going to be October. Then early June. Then late June. Then July. At first I missed going to parkrun desperately, but then I missed everything and everyone desperately. When things started to reopen I started enjoying the freedom of not having to get up and run 5k every Saturday morning. … Continue reading The Day parkrun Came Home
If I were still writing my work blog, I would have given you an insightful piece about the thrills of working for the ambulance service during a pandemic, how the reaction of the public, press and government is doing far more damage than the disease itself, how at least twenty people who have no relevant … Continue reading Chalkwell Beach parkrun
NOTE TO FUTURE SELF: Do not EVER plan anything that involves leaving London during the month of February EVER again. Better still, do not plan anything that involves leaving the house for the month of February ever again. This weekend, Leyton Orient were scheduled to play Forest Green Rovers, the league's only all-vegan football team, … Continue reading Stratford Park parkrun (Stroud)
Having been confined to Sarf London for the last two months, it was finally time to break free of my shackles and head to the bright lights of Castle Park for the World parkrun Tourists meet up. Castle Park is in Bishops Stortford which is a place I know precisely nothing about quite close to … Continue reading Castle Park parkrun
Gone are the days when New Year's Day was a hungover write off, sacrificed unto the cause of downing multiple tequilas in a dubious establishment to toast the first hours of the oncoming year. New Year's Day is now the day of The Double, the only day of the year when one can record two … Continue reading Greenwich and Bexley parkruns
It has done nothing but rain for months and I am sick of it. I can't even remember the last time I went out for a run and came back with dry feet. Even last week's 100% tarmac parkrun venue, Peckham Rye, included an unexpected water feature. The soft sarf-landaners of Peckham weren't as hardy … Continue reading Mud Glorious Mud
It's hilly, but it's not in a field! Hilly Fields parkrun (near Lewisham) has been bothering my to-do list for some time, and an opportunity to visit finally presented itself this freezing Saturday. With many parkruns cancelled due to Weather (of the slippery ice variety) I was very lucky that other than suffering from Loss … Continue reading Hilly Fields parkrun
With my half marathon looming, I decided to do the sensible thing and not run today. Instead I volunteered my services to Hackney Marshes parkrun, where I was placed in the rather nervewracking role of timekeeper for the second time. I know how disappointing it is when you get a great parkrun time and your … Continue reading The Hackney Marshes Massacre
One of the many good things about parkrun is that it gives you an excuse to hop on a train and visit friends in far flung glamorous locations (like Derby) whom you have not seen for far too long. You shouldn't need an excuse, of course, but as we get older, busier and less prone … Continue reading Alvaston parkrun
After five years of running, I think I might have finally got the hang of running at a consistent pace! I was extremely proud of my first Long Slow Run of the winter in which I managed to run for 14km with every kilometre between 7:48 and 8:00. Normally it doesn't matter whether I start … Continue reading Pacing
I parkrun in all the most glamorous locations. Paris, Devon, Milton Keynes. The latter was the doing of my friend Sam, who organises the Veteran Runners UK group - she set it up on a whim (I think because everyone was getting fed up with Single Pringles and wanted a less sleazy place to bore … Continue reading Milton Keynes parkrun
This weekend saw my first parkrun/football combo of the 2019/20 season, and what better way to start than with a sunny weekend and a visit to the Devon coast? Teignmouth Promenade appealed for two reasons: one, the lovely seaside location, and two, it starts with a T. Yes, I could have gone to Tooting or … Continue reading Teignmouth Promenade parkrun
I was "accidentally" passing through Paris this weekend, on the way back from my uncle's house (a mere 480km away), so grasped the opportunity to take part in the second Paris parkrun, Montsouris. Parc Montsouris is an urban, landscaped park in the south of the city; the name (kind of) translates as Mouse Mountain which … Continue reading parkrun de Montsouris
I've found it hard to get back into the swing of training after the cancelled triathlon. I had the rest of this month earmarked for relaxation and self congratulation but now I find myself with another six weeks of triathlon training with no spare time, no budget for open water swimming and an increasingly fraying … Continue reading Weekend in Belfast
All the triathlon prep and stress has meant I've got a bit behind with my parkrun write ups so I am just going to write a quick paragraph on each of the above. I will probably have to revisit them all and give them a proper review when I have time! Southwark This parkrun would … Continue reading Southwark/Osterley/Shorne Woods parkruns
Friday 5th July 2019 To think that three years ago I thought going to Chelmsford for the sake of a parkrun was excessive! This week I packed my bags and headed to sunny Poland to visit the parkrun tourist Mecca of Zielona Gora, one of only four parkruns to start with the letter Z. Since … Continue reading Zielona Gora parkrun
As scenic parkrun locations go, you can't do much better than a Surrey vineyard in the shadows of Box Hill. Mole Valley lies a mile from Dorking station, in the midst of Denbies Wine Estate, the largest vineyard in England, 265 sprawling acres amongst the leafy Surrey Hills, adjacent to the North Downs Way. It … Continue reading Mole Valley parkrun
Some of my friends are obsessed with The Cure in the same way that I am obsessed with parkrun. They spend thousands of pounds visiting weird and wonderful locations, hours on Facebook discussing the peaks and pitfalls of various sets, and spend time outdoors getting sunburnt or soaked. One friend, Gary, even keeps a spreadsheet … Continue reading Malahide parkrun
Clair - in Haywards Heath - is a parkrun that rarely seems to get much attention from parkrun tourists, perhaps it's because it's so close to Brighton that people think if they've gone all that way, they might as well go to the seaside. Or perhaps it's because it has four and a half laps. … Continue reading Clair parkrun
There are four parkruns that I can do on a workday without being late: Mile End, Victoria Dock, Barking and Beckton. I have already done the first three, so finally it was time to tick off Beckton, and so I boarded the Docklands Light Snailway (ha ha ha) on one of the most horrible grey, … Continue reading Beckton parkrun
The highlight of my childhood visits to my grandparents' house in Kettering was always a trip to Wicksteed Park. Sailing down the bumpy slide in the children's playground, losing your lunch on the lurching Pirate Ship and of course the terrifyingly precarious Pinfari rollercoaster. In the interim years, I've visited much bigger and fancier rides, … Continue reading Kettering parkrun
(Or, more posts about the weather.) Friday was the two year anniversary of my first RunThrough race! I started going to RunThrough events around the same time I started going to parkrun and for the same reason - I wanted some races to look forward to, but didn't want to risk spending large amounts of … Continue reading RunThrough Victoria Park and Catford parkrun
It's now becoming an annual tradition for me to head down to Brighton in the middle of April for marathon weekend. Since I no longer have any stupid ideas about actually running said marathon, my head had filled with altogether more pleasant notions about drinking on the beach, swimming in the sea and having a … Continue reading Eastbourne parkrun
I said I'd never run Victoria Dock parkrun again. I still have a scar on my left shoulder from my last visit there, when I stacked it on the cobblestones and spent a minute flailing on the floor before limping in second from last. I am always quite sardonic when someone opines that Victoria Dock … Continue reading A Return to Victoria Dock
I guess Barking has inadvertantly become my bogey parkrun. It's a fast, flat, smooth tarmac, uncrowded course with a downhill start and finish and very PB friendly, but despite this, my first run there has remained my fastest, a not-terribly-impressive 36:50. I've not minded too much, because it is such a pleasure to run there, but it's … Continue reading Barking parkrun (part 4)
It is the night before London Landmarks. I am nervous and am posting too much to Facebook, carb loading with vegan millionnaire shortbread, listening to stompy music and lining my kit up neatly. I have not had a lot of time for training in the last week since work decided to lumber me with six … Continue reading One Day To Go
I wasn't supposed to go to parkrun yesterday, but when the Resource Centre said I could change my shift from a 7am start to an 11am start, it was an opportunity not to be missed, and off to Mile End in the continuing gales I went. It probably wasn't the best of ideas as I … Continue reading Technology Breakdown
This weekend parkrun tourism took me all the way to the glamorous suburb of Romford (it's not actually glamorous) to meet my long standing internet crush, the lovely Victoria, and her equally lovely friend Sarah. This is another parkrun that has been hovering near the top of my to-do list for a while. Raphael Park … Continue reading Raphael parkrun
Ally Pally parkrun has been staring me in the face for some time. If I look to my left right now, I can see it from the end of my garden. (Actually I am a bit short so I would have to stand on my chair to do so. But some of my friends can.) … Continue reading Ally Pally parkrun
It's official. I have made all the way through my half marathon training without sustaining a single injury! (Unless I get hit by a bus on the way to the race.) Other than the time I signed up for the Hackney Half with ten days to go, this is the first time I have ever … Continue reading One Day To Go
For many years I was a regular attender of the Whitby Goth Weekend, which is an opportunity for goths to convene by the seaside with a huge suitcase full of footwear, drink too much beer, meet people from far away that they only previously knew on the internet and pay little or no attention to … Continue reading National Running Show and Cannon Hill parkrun
My Other Hobby is genealogy, and during a rather bored moment the other week I decided to combine the two and come up with a parkrun Family Tree, that is, a tree comprised of the nearest parkrun to the birthplaces of me, my parents, my grandparents and my great grandparents. It looked like this: The … Continue reading South Norwood parkrun
50 today! No, not 50 years old, I just look it. It was my 50th parkrun! The venue I chose for this momentous occasion was Northala Fields, which is somewhere nestled in the outskirts of North West London. I chose this one because a) it always sounds quite nice when people talk about it on … Continue reading Northala Fields parkrun
Last New Year, I decided to give the New Year's Day parkrun a swerve entirely, figuring that New Year's Eve was a night sacred to drinking and that New Year's Day was a perpetual right-off. I ended up in some shit 80s club standing around with a load of bored, grumpy people and a Star … Continue reading New Year’s doubleparkrun: Grovelands and Oak Hill
The relentless search for a sub 36 parkrun finish to end the year continued this week with a trip to Dulwich. I was going to do something entirely different, but when I found out that the London Vegan Runners were visiting this lovely, off-flat, corner free, immaculately tarmacked and picturesque parkrun I felt my ship … Continue reading PB Chasing: South London Tour
I will start with the good news, which is that on Wednesday I got myself a new overall 10k PB on the running track. I set myself a target of 1:10 (previous PB being 1:10:54) and employed a tactic which was basically running just a little bit off flat out and trying to hold it … Continue reading PB or not PB?
The Christmas Cow Fest (a convention of Cow Cowl clad tourists) took place this weekend at the relatively new Wendover Woods parkrun in Buckinghamshire. As I was at work on Friday, I could only take part in the parkrun section of the festivities and not the drinks the night before, which by the look of … Continue reading Wendover Woods parkrun
This weekend a rare and wondrous thing occurred, in that I asked Work to change my day shifts to late shifts and they actually said yes, which meant I could slip in a sneaky unplanned parkrun before work. I toyed with the idea of trying out Clapham Common but after a stressful week I decided … Continue reading Burgess parkrun (again)
"I'm absolutely sick of getting parkrun times that start with thirty-six!" I proclaimed. "I know I can do sub-35!" And to prove this to myself, I stormed off to the running track and bashed out 33:09. "Right, Barking parkrun! Let's be having you!" I said. Armed with my Cow Cowl, new Vegan Runners vest, Samuel … Continue reading Barking parkrun (again)
The places you end up supporting a non league football team. Blackpool, for instance. What a place. It reminds me of those video games I used to play before I started spending all my time running, where you roam a town filled with non-playable characters, simulated humans who slowly and purposelessly roam the streets with … Continue reading Fleetwood Promenade parkrun
Mile End is the tenth closest parkrun from where I live and one I have been saving up for when it gets too cold to be getting on trains to Darkest Essex. That time has definitely come: in fact the average temperature as per my Garmin dropped from 22c to 6c between my last parkrun … Continue reading Mile End parkrun
I was egg-scused (sorry) from parkrun this morning as I had to go to work. Meanwhile, the Unhappy Eggs parkrun drama raged on. Despite over a thousand comments mostly denouncing the partnership on the original post, parkrun HQ had no intention of backing down. They sent an email out to some concerned core team members … Continue reading parkrun egg-gate continues…
The unprecedented heatwave of 2018 (ie. 47 consecutive days where I didn't have to use a hot water bottle) is now officially over and we are sliding into winter. This means the "I'll just Jeff it, I don't want to get too hot and get heatstroke and die" excuse is firmly in the bin and … Continue reading Winter Training
Southend parkrun comes under the heading of "parkruns I have been meaning to go to for ages but keep getting thwarted by engineering works on the Gospel Oak to Barking line". This weekend was my last real opportunity to do it before it gets too cold for this nonsense, so I was relieved to see … Continue reading Southend parkrun
I am now a multinational parkrun tourist! Last weekend I was in Berlin to see my favourite band, mesh. You will recall that this is the same band that I followed to Bradford, so at least they've upped their game on the glamorous locations. Berlin is home to the new-ish parkrun of Hasenheide, in the … Continue reading Hasenheide parkrun
I have spent the last week on holiday in France. Last Thursday I did my hilliest 5k ever in the mountains of the Cantal region of France where my uncle lives. My route consisted of 2km of rocky trail and 3km of roads. The first 2km were extremely wet and uneven - it rained heavily … Continue reading parkrun du Bois de Boulogne
This time five years ago, I was in a park in Walthamstow holding a granny bike with the pedals removed, trying again and again to coast down a small slope without falling over, and invariably landing in a heap at the bottom. I was covered from head to toe in bruises and convinced that bicycles … Continue reading Bike Ride to Broxbourne (and Gunpowder parkrun)
When I heard my favourite band, mesh, were playing the Infest festival in Bradford, my first thought was "I wonder if I can combine this with a parkrun?" Bradford, you see, hosts a rather infamous parkrun with a "Teeny Tiny Hill", complete with sign, that you have to run up three times. I have never … Continue reading Bradford parkrun
Last time I went to Hampstead Heath parkrun, I spotted on their page that the nearest alternative parkrun was one I'd never heard of, Gladstone parkrun. The parkrun website informed me that this park is situated in Dollis Hill, a part of London that I have never set foot in, despite it being only ten … Continue reading Gladstone parkrun
As I mentioned yesterday, Victoria Dock was my 20th parkrun venue and I am now an official parkrun Tourist. My first parkrun was Finsbury Park on 4th March 2017 and I did it twice before thinking that I might like to try one that was slightly less challenging on the hill front - so off … Continue reading parkrun Tourism parts 1-20
Today was a special milestone in my parkrunning career: my 20th different venue. Doing 20 different venues makes you appear on the Most Events page which in turn entitles you to join the UK parkrun tourists Facebook group where you get the top secret link to purchase a black, white and yellow cow print cowl which … Continue reading Victoria Dock parkrun
Seven months ago, I said: and I must admit that this bold statement was at the forefront of my mind as I struggled around Richmond Desert, sorry, I mean Richmond Park this morning. With the temperature hitting 33 degrees, my body informed me that running was unavailable and walking was the only available substitute. Therefore … Continue reading Richmond parkrun
I have recently had a change of rota at work, with my nightshifts being replaced with 11am-11pm shifts. This has the very exciting side effect of enabling me to do an extra parkrun every month, so long as it is within 30 minutes travel of work. There are three parkruns that fulfil this criteria, and … Continue reading Burgess parkrun
Inspired by the wonderful day I had nearly killing myself at Hadleigh, this weekend I went off in search of more hills. I didn't fancy another 4am start and I had somewhere to be in the afternoon, so Hampstead Heath seemed like a good bet. Also I seem to be accidentally on a mission to … Continue reading Hampstead Heath parkrun
I have been wanting to visit this Hadleigh parkrun ever since I went on a history walk up to the castle last summer. It looked like a mountainous beast of a parkrun, with a hill to put Finsbury Park to shame (the course boasts double the elevation overall, and an 18% gradient in several places). … Continue reading Hadleigh parkrun
This weekend I did a lot of running related stuff but not a lot of actual running. Most of this centred round the Hackney Festival of Fitness. But first of all, there was Wanstead Flats' seventh anniversary. I didn't want to run because a) I was doing the Hackney 5k later b) it's a trail … Continue reading Hackney Festival of Fitness
I have still done fuck all running since the marathon. I went out for a trial run round the block (less than 1km) on Wednesday and it felt fine at the time, but the second I stopped I felt like I'd been kicked in the shin and the pain didn't go until the next morning. … Continue reading My Time on the Injury Bench
I'm conceding defeat, putting myself on the injury bench and taking a break from running for the next couple of weeks. I thought my legs were just knackered from the marathon at first but now I think it's something more than that, the distinct feeling of "shin splints" in both calves (but thankfully not the … Continue reading Newcastle parkrun
Feeling about 75% recovered from my cough and cold today, so made a triumphant (ish) return to parkrun. I decided head to Grovelands, a parkrun that I wanted to visit because a) it's not far from home b) it has hills. The hill probably wasn't the best idea in my weakened state but I was also … Continue reading Grovelands parkrun
Today was my 20th parkrun and my 13th different event. Beckenham Place Park had ade it to my to-do list despite being flat, grassy and devoid of hills because it happens to be a ten minute walk from the house where I grew up and where my mother still lives. When I was a teenager, … Continue reading Beckenham Place parkrun
Thanks to the thoroughly shitty service on the Gospel Oak to Barking line, my trip to Barking has been put off at least a billion times. I had begun to think that I would never get there, and was fully expecting to divert to Finsbury Park this morning. But amazingly, the train obliged, and I … Continue reading Barking parkrun
This week the UK was hit by the "Beast from the East", an outbreak of unseasonably cold weather featuring high winds at thick snow. This, sadly, put paid to my plans to visit Folkestone parkrun. I decided to go it local instead. The parkrun cancellations came in thick and fast. Finsbury Park was one of … Continue reading Wanstead Flats parkrun
I am beginning to think I will never get to Barking parkrun! Yesterday evening I was all set for my trip there, but a last minute check of the train times revealed engineering works on the Gospel Oak to Barking line which meant I would need to get up at 5am and catch a hundred … Continue reading Hackney Marshes parkrun
You will be spared the feature length parkrun entry today as I was back at Finsbury Park, and it hasn't changed since I was last there just over a month ago. The hill has not got any less hilly but it remains my favourite parkrun venue. The most notable thing about today's parkrun was that … Continue reading Finsbury parkrun (again)
Shortly after my first parkrun (last March), I happened to be in Chelmsford for my Other Hobby and took a walk through Central Park. I was struck by what a lovely park is was and was very jealous of the people of Chelmsford having it as their home run. I wondered if it would be … Continue reading Chelmsford Central parkrun
This weekend's parkrun marked a return to my usual form of A Bit Slow rather than Completely Useless. I picked Dulwich this week because a) descriptions of the course on the parkrun Facebook group made it sound appealing b) I was staying at my mother's house in Beckenham, and she offered to drive me there. … Continue reading Dulwich parkrun
2017 started very badly with my withdrawal from the Barcelona Half with two weeks to go. Having missed so much training through injury, I knew there was no way I could run it within the time limit, and I decided to cut my losses and defer until 2018. I write this post with six weeks … Continue reading 2017 in Running
My first mistake was the schoolgirl error of missing a few days' running and then trying to cram all my weekly mileage into 24 hours. It doesn't work. A short, fast session followed by a long, slow run the next morning is just about doable, the other way round does not work at all. I … Continue reading Highbury Fields parkrun
I have been ill and had nightshifts all week. I can just about cope with running when ill, or running between nightshifts, but I can't cope with running when ill and on nightshifts, so I didn't run for three days (or do anything much else). Today I was just ill and didn't have a nightshift … Continue reading Last runs of the year!
Christmas in my world always entails a visit to my hometown of Bromley to visit my mother. I'm not really a great fan of Bromley, it's a characterless suburb that isn't quite London and isn't quite the countryside and is home to lots of families and people who wear beige. However, it is home to … Continue reading Bromley parkrun
As is traditional for the "festive" season, I have come down with a hacking cough that has hampered my marathon training a bit over the last week. I have carefully researched whether you should run if you are ill, and the answer seems to be that a little bit of running makes you feel better … Continue reading Maidstone parkrun
Today was my tenth parkrun! I had originally planned to go to Barking parkrun today, but there were engineering works on the Barking to Gospel Oak line. So I looked at parkruns I could get to on the tube. And then I checked the weather forecast and decided I wanted to be outdoors for as … Continue reading Finsbury parkrun
I'll start by saying a little bit about parkrun. parkrun is an wonderful institution which began in 2004 as a bunch of friends having a little organised time trial in Bushy Park, and which has grown and grown until it reached nearly a thousand different events in eighteen different countries. People get very obsessive about … Continue reading Valentine’s parkrun
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