I recently celebrated my 100th parkrun, and here are some things I've learnt and loved along the way:
100 parkruns also means 100 Saturday morning get ups - you may not feel like it when the alarm goes off but you'll love it when you're there (a post run treat is always the perfect incentive).
That being said, if its pouring with rain and you just want to hide under your duvet, this too is fine, nothing terrible will happen!
Not every week is a PB - since starting parkrun in 2016 my average times have got slower and I'm OK with that (see graph below proudly charting my decline in speed).
Park walk has recently been introduced and its a great way to experience the great parkrun atmosphere if you're not feeling up to a run or you're injured.
Likewise, volunteering is a great way to give back to the parkrun community (they recommend every 1 in 10 parkrun). Don't worry if you haven't done a role before, the Run Director will explain everything.
I've loved getting my friends involved in parkrun and we love the rituals of meeting up and catching up over coffee afterwards.
Its great to explore new places through parkrun - whether this is exploring the local area or travelling further afield.
Having your barcode on your watch is a total game changer - no need to remember any additional items when you're bleary eyed on a Saturday morning.
The '5K' app is brilliant for those who love digging in to their running data, you can track your locations, speed, attendance - most things you can think of really!
The atmosphere is unrivalled - I'd take a parkrun round of applause over a football match any day, so much so that I chose to have my hen do at parkrun!
parkrun is an incredible initiative that brings free weekly timed runs to thousands of people around the world which is pretty amazing to think about when you're next at your local event.
Here's to 100 more!
Lydia xx
