I plucked up enough courage this morning to go to the Shrewsbury parkrun. I had been holding back because I imagined there being hundreds of athletic fitness fanatics in shorts and vests and expensive running shoes. There were plenty of these people at the bandstand in the Quarry at 9 o’clock but also some less serious runners and I spotted some fat people who I thought I could beat and would therefore not be last (which wold be humiliating).
I had decided to walk mostly because I can’t remember the last time I moved at running pace and also because my ribs are still hurting after my altercation with my wheelie bin. I met a nice woman called Ann who had blue high-vis jacket with the word ‘parkwalk’ on and she the job of walking with the walkers. So I walked with her. As she was 67 I thought she would keep a reasonably steady pace but she was a veteran parkwalker and had a target to meet – under 60 minutes – so I found myself powering along, up hill and downhill and under Kingsland Bridge and along the river.
Halfway around and we were on 25 minutes. Ann seemed happy with the pace and so powered on, Ann talking about her ailments and her house in Spain and me listening and wondering whether I could keep the pace up for another 2.5km.
The river was busy with rowing teams from Pengwern Boat House with instructions coming from the riverbank via a man on a bicycle with a loudhailer. Thankfully the morning was dry and not too cold and before the timer had reached 54 minutes we were at the finishing post, me coming in 686th – not last but near the back of the pack.
Parkrun is a really sociable activity and there was a lot of waving and greeting people. Volunteers marked the route, signs were erected, marshalls made sure you didn’t bump into runners and all along the route volunteers encouraged you with ‘well done’, ‘keep going’. It was a very positive experience and I might consider going again.