Swapshop

Growing up, Saturday morning's were for Children's TV. It started out with Swapshop (or Tiswas if you were allowed to watch ITV), then morphed into Saturday Superstore, followed by Going Live! As a teenager, TV watching was replaced by work with a Saturday job at a bookshop. By the time I got to University, Saturday mornings were most definitely for lie-ins and continued that way for the next twenty years!

However, since 2011, Saturday has been replaced by #parkrunday. If we're at home, it's Hanley parkrun and I'm usually in the park not much after 8. If we're away for the weekend, there's a mad scramble to discover if it's possible to get to the nearest parkrun for some parkrun tourism and what time we'll have to get up to get there.

Getting my 50 club shirt

Most of my parkrunning though is done in Hanley Park. Even though it is the same course at the same place at the same time every week, every parkrun is most definitely not the same, and I think it's that variety that keeps me going back. I've been looking back over the last few months of parkrun and I've tried to categorise my different parkrun experiences:

• The turn-up and just run parkrun - this is my default parkrun, just seeing what happens after the run director says 3,2,1 Go! I might decide to follow a particular runner for a while and see if I can keep pace with them. If I'm awake and full of energy, I might end up with a good time and sometimes even a PB by default. Alternatively, I might slow dramatically and the run morphs into a chatty parkrun, particularly if I find myself alongside a friend on the first lap.
• The chatty parkrun - I'm not sure this is something that many of those fast runners at the front ever experience, but I'd definitely recommend it and it works perfectly for those weekends with a big race planned for Sunday morning. Running much slower than normal, parkrun evolves around you very differently. Runners pass you at different places, you might get overtaken, you get to encourage other runners and you get to spend 30+ minutes catching up with friends.

Posing for the camera on a chatty parkrun

• The PB parkrun - going flat out for a new parkrun PB is something I used to do every week but now limit myself to occasional challenges. The trick for me is picking the week to go all in... fitness, conditions and training schedules all play a part in my decision-making. For Hanley parkrun at the moment, the muddiness of the bottom field is probably the deciding factor! My favourite ever PB parkrun was last October, when a mystery unknown athlete stuck with me, encouraging me all the way round and pushing me to sprint for the line.
• The pacing parkrun - it can be stressful but rewarding when a friend asks you to pace them at parkrun. They're looking for a new PB, you're hoping to run at a consistent pace and offer sufficient motivation and encouragement to help them achieve it. I've only done this a few times - the stress is a bit much for me - although if the PB is achieved, the celebrations are worth the effort.
• The new runner parkrun - a bit like the pacing parkrun, but the emphasis is on completing the course rather than time taken. The hills of Hanley can take their toll on most new runners, so this usually involves a run/walk strategy. If you're used to flying round without a pause, it is a good reminder of how hard running is when you first get started. I really enjoy seeing the sense of pride and satisfaction on the faces of new parkrunners as they complete 5km for the first time. As they progress from run/walk to running all the way, that sense of satisfaction is even more infectious. 
• The celebration parkrun - we've had a run recently on parkrunners reaching significant parkrun milestones, meaning lots of post-run cake! It's great when members of our parkrun family are celebrating, the whole day feels that little bit more special and your own run/time can be irrelevant. parkrun anniversaries have a similar vibe. I also really enjoyed my 50th parkrun - I've got no idea of the time I ran but I remember checking the results page waiting for it to be updated so I could see that little 50 picture next to my name for the first time! With a little bit of luck, I'll make it to 100 parkruns by the end of 2014. Our parkrun birthday is fun too - another opportunity to dress up (see the fancy dress parkrun below) as well as celebrate the achievements of the year just gone.



Presenting Adri Hartveld with his
award for best age grade

• The recovery parkrun - after a period of injury, or during training for other events, my times at parkrun can be a lot slower than my best. It can be frustrating, but if you're recovering from injury then every week can involve a comeback PB, so there is always a bright side. Running at a slower pace on your own can give lots of thinking time, but also provides an opportunity to take in your surroundings a bit more. There are always things to see in the park if you look for them.
• The first parkrun with your husband parkrun - Mr T started running last Autumn and built up to his first parkrun in November 2013. It was fun to finally parkrun with him - he'd volunteered a few times before running but I never expected him to actually get the running bug himself, to the point where he now gets round the course much faster than me. I was a little bit grumpy when his new PB turned out to be faster than my PB, although I am still faster on age grade!
• The weather-affected parkrun - puddles, mud, rain, wind, icy patches can all affect your parkrunday. For the last few weeks at Hanley, the weather fairies have generally been working their parkrunday magic and parkrun has been completed in the dry, even if the ground has been wet and very muddy. Weather usually has more of an effect on post-run chatting - we're lucky at Hanley to have the bandstand for some shelter but that doesn't keep out the horizontal rain! The worst kind of parkrunday though is when parkrun has to be cancelled!
• The fancy dress parkrun - I don't really go all-out crazy for my fancy dress costumes - if I can get some cheap and cheerful leggings which go with the theme then that's usually enough for me. My union flag leggings worked for all 2012-related fancy dress (Jubilee, Olympics etc). My space leggings worked for Star Wars Day (May the 4th obviously). I even found some Mickey Mouse in a Santa Hat leggings for Christmas 2012 and by Christmas 2013, I found the perfect Christmas onesie for volunteer duty at the Christmas fancy dress parkrun. At Hanley parkrun, we do have some superstars of fancy dress - Phil Thomas is probably at the head of the pack and is famed for his mid-run costume changes. But is Dalek costume to celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who was probably my favourite of all.

Running with a Dalek!

Christmas Onesie - perfect
for the not-running parkrun

• The not-running parkrun - volunteering is an essential part of parkrun for me. As part of the core team at Hanley, that usually means taking on the role of run director about once a month, as well as some behinds the scenes tasks, like updating the volunteer roster, producing the run report, shopping for megaphones and responding to emails in the week - every day can be parkrunday. If I'm run directing, I find the run itself goes by in a blur. There's an opportunity to cheer the runners as they pass after the first small lap, then it's time to make sure everyone is in position for the first finishers. If everything is working smoothly, there's a chance to chat with regulars, parkrun tourists and first timers, and cheer every runner over the finish line (my favourite part). Sometimes, there are a few problems, but it is definitely worth the effort.

How do you parkrun?

Happy Running

Liz T