I didn't do a blog for November or December as my memory seems to be getting worse as to what actually happened at the parkruns I did these months. I did manage all 4 available in November and did 4/6 in December. One week I missed due to dodgy weather where it looked like conditions may have developed during parkrun where freezing rain would fall meaning widespread ice. I was more concerned with traveling across icy roads on the way home so just left it. Then the following week I was ill for the first time in ages so that was the reason I took that week off.
But the second half of 2018 I had an amazing run in terms of turning up to parkrun. In fact those 2 parkruns I missed as per above were the only parkruns I missed since August. Meaning a 4 and half month streak. I did pick up that injury achilies injury in July which put me out for 3 weeks but have had no problems with it since. The first half of the year it took me a while to get that elusive sub 30 but I did manage it at Catterick in April. Then I had a sprinkling of sub 30s throughout the year. One aim was to get a sub 30 at Pollok which was made harder with a change to the course half way through the year. I only managed this once out of 22 attempts.
I took part in one challenge this year which was the 10 for 10 challenge. Celebrating 10 years of parkrun in Scotland. The challenge was to complete/volunteer at 10 different parkruns and the quicker you did it the better your medal. I managed gold, completing 8 different parkruns running and volunteering at the 2 junior parkruns. Looking back I feel I cheated myself a bit on this one as I only did one course I hadn't done before and all the parkruns I did were easy to get to. But still challenge completed.
One of the goals I had for this year was to complete every parkrun in Glasgow area 5 times. I did this plus a bit more as I have now completed every parkrun in the Glasgow area 6 times. Midway through the year I found out about the p index which is where you run x amount of parkruns x times and your p index is x. So this is basically what I have been doing so my p index is currently 6 and I am not too far away from 7.
Another goal was to run 41 parkruns as part of a 3 year plan to get my 250 shirt by 2020. This was a target I easily achieved having run 46 parkruns this year and I have now run 175 runs total.
Here is some more stats:
Parkrun break down (no of runs at each event)
Pollok - 22
Linwood - 4
Ruchill - 4
Drumchapel - 3
Springburn - 2
Victoria - 2
Tollcross - 1
Greenock - 1
Falkirk - 1
New parkruns done this year - Troon, Catterick, Plean, Lanark Moor, Camperdown and Rising Sun
Times:
27-28 mins - 2
28-29 mins - 2
29-30 mins - 6
30 + mins - 35
Average parkrun time = 31.52
I did not hit any of my target times set out at the start of the year and I know for a fact that in terms of over 30 minute runs this was my worst ever. This is something I need to improve on for next year and I have a few ideas on how to achieve this. Out of the 46 parkruns I did I should note that only 12 I would deem to have done on flat courses. And out of the 10 sub 30s I did do 8 came on flat courses and 2 hilly. That means I did 34 runs in what I would deem hilly courses which is quite a high percentage. So I certainly dont make it easy for myself to actually get good times.
But overall I have really enjoyed this year. From volunteering and hanging out with folk more down at Rouken Glen juniors, to gatecrashing parkruns that the Runbetweeners happen to be doing at the same time ;-), to venturing further a field with family to do different parkruns during holidays, to hanging with Campbell and Mico on my visits to both Falkirk and Plean and then of course coming home to Pollok more where it all started for me.
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