Parkrun. A welcoming and friendly 5k walk/jog/run for mental and physical health

[seemly]

Those members among you may have seen my thread about health and mental well-being, asking for genuine feedback from people who have (in)direct experience of working with a psychiatrist and/or councillor.

Since I made that post, I have made a bunch of positive changes in my life, with which I will post updates in that thread.

In this post, I specifically wanted to highlight how good running can be for you, and how accessible parkrun can make that for newcomers and experienced runners alike. And best of all, it's a friendly environment for all.

Even though it's called parkrun, you don't have to run it. You can walk it, or even jeff it (jeffing is basically jog/walking).

The benefits of running/jogging/walking are huge, both physically and mentally.

If you have a parkrun local to you and you've never given it a go, just turn up one week and watch from afar, just to see what it's all about. When you have the courage to try it out, make sure to register and get your parkrun athlete ID, so upon completion of your run it can be credited to you.

 

[seemly]

On a related note, I'm pretty sure I saw Ryan Ewen at the Lee-on-the-Solent parkrun on Saturday.

I wanted to confirm by the results, but he either isn't registered, or forgot his barcode. This means his time would have been assigned as an 'unknown'.

I'm pretty sure that if it was him, he was either in position 148 or 175. You'll be pleased to hear he was working hard!

I only saw him finishing, as I often stand near the finish line cheering and clapping in the runners after I've finished. I didn't see him any at other time to speak to him.

So, well done Ryan!

 

[Jeff]

jeffing is basically jog/walking

Well I've never heard that before.

On a related note, I'm pretty sure I saw Ryan Ewen at the Lee-on-the-Solent parkrun on Saturday.

How did you recognise him? Was he wearing a gold cap, or being pursued by @Kaleido waving a libel writ?

But it would fit with this tweet on Thursday evening. I believe South Western Railway run a service from Waterloo to that neck of the woods.

Perhaps he was trying to burn off the last of the gin...

 

[KarlM]

Never done a park run, but i enjoy running and get out when i can.

Managed a 10k the other day was please with that, not going to win any races, but i like the feeling it clears my head.

 

[seemly]

Well I've never heard that before.


How did you recognise him? Was he wearing a gold cap, or being pursued by @Kaleido waving a libel writ?

But it would fit with this tweet on Thursday evening. I believe South Western Railway run a service from Waterloo to that neck of the woods.

Perhaps he was trying to burn off the last of the gin...

No gold hat, but it was specifically the white hair that made him stand out.

Nothing wrong with burning off the gin with a bit of running - makes the heart work harder than it would prefer to, though!

 

[seemly]

Never done a park run, but i enjoy running and get out when i can.

Managed a 10k the other day was please with that, not going to win any races, but i like the feeling it clears my head.

I don't do them often, but parkruns can be a nice way to see where you are with pace over a 5k distance if you're a capable runner.

It's a free "race-like" environment and atmosphere, that allows you to chase the person in front for 5k that you otherwise wouldn't get an opportunity to do unless you spend upwards of £25+ entering an official event.

Well done on the 10k! That's a more than decent distance to cover by foot. 5k and 10k are my preferred distances. Any longer and I start to hurt.

 

[KarlM]

I don't do them often, but parkruns can be a nice way to see where you are with pace over a 5k distance if you're a capable runner.

It's a free "race-like" environment and atmosphere, that allows you to chase the person in front for 5k that you otherwise wouldn't get an opportunity to do unless you spend upwards of £25+ entering an official event.

Well done on the 10k! That's a more than decent distance to cover by foot. 5k and 10k are my preferred distances. Any longer and I start to hurt.

I will give one a go, they have one round the corner from me. Yea tell me about it, got a big blister haha!

 

[seemly]

I will give one a go, they have one round the corner from me. Yea tell me about it, got a big blister haha!

Ooof! They're not fun.

I have the great south run in a few weeks, which is 10 miles. Last time I ran that far was in February (I think).

I try to do at least 1x 7+ mile run per week to keep the weekly mileage at around 20 miles, and the endurance reasonable. It also makes 10k's slightly easier, as I know I can run further comfortably.

 

[Aaron]

I did a (*my first) park run the weekend before last, was enjoyable, 22:49 I think it was.

Congratulations on completing your 1st parkrun and your 1st at Leicester Victoria parkrun today. You finished in 72nd place out of a field of 429 parkrunners. You were the 61st male and came 5th in your age category VM35-39.

 

[seemly]

I did a (*my first) park run the weekend before last, was enjoyable, 22:49 I think it was.

Very nice work! Decent time, too. Well done!

 

[seemly]

Even if parkrun is the only 'run' you do each week, it will be massively beneficial.

Running helps keep the clouds in my head to a bare minimum, and helps manage annoyances and frustrations that prevent me from boiling over.

Sometimes I don't feel like going for a run, but it's in those moments I know I need it most and force myself out. I always feel at least 100% better when it's done.

I highly recommend running to anyone that struggles with mental health. Yes it's hard work, and that can reduce the feeling of enjoyment surrounding it, but stick with it and you'll see progress.

parkrun is a great way to track progress by way of running that much further, or that much faster each week. Plus it's a social environment, giving you the opportunity to make new friends with at least one known common interest to talk about.

You could even get involved with parkrun tourism, and arrange weekend breaks away that includes a local parkrun. A great way to visit different places in the UK, or abroad.

 

[AlistairH]

I highly recommend running to anyone that struggles with mental health. Yes it's hard work, and that can reduce the feeling of enjoyment surrounding it, but stick with it and you'll see progress.

Glad it's working well for you.

Couldn't agree more, the same could be said for most exercises and the benefits on mental health. I used to do quite a bit of running but the issue I had is I didn't strecth enough afterwards and ended up with some longterm muscle tighness!

These days I swim mostly with lots of walking at weekends with my son and it definetely helps clear the head.

 

[Nigel]

Glad it's working well for you.

Couldn't agree more, the same could be said for most exercises and the benefits on mental health. I used to do quite a bit of running but the issue I had is I didn't strecth enough afterwards and ended up with some longterm muscle tighness!

These days I swim mostly with lots of walking at weekends with my son and it definetely helps clear the head.

I had the same problem with very tight calfs - I used to be able to go running no problem, without any stretching until my mid fifties - no not the mid fifties - then I started getting very bad cramps and tightness, which would stop me running for a while. It would be worse in Autumn and early Winter when days suddenly get cooler. But my son was doing all these stretches (before and after exercises), and had invested in a foam roller (to roll your calf muscles after the run) - so I took a bit of his advice and also invested in some long warm socks. Now these have made a real difference. In fact I've just been for a little jog with these socks on and no muscle tightness at all. They keep your calf muscles very warm even on the coldest days.

 

[seemly]

There's a lot to be said about muscular imbalances throughout the body causing what might seem like unrelated niggles and injuries. One of the most common muscle weaknesses that causes the majority of these issues is your glutes.

Injuries and niggles such as:

1. Lower Back Pain: Weak glutes can lead to over-reliance on the lower back muscles, causing strain and chronic pain. This is often due to insufficient support and stabilisation of the pelvis.
2. Hip Pain: Weak glutes can result in improper hip alignment and movement, leading to hip joint strain, bursitis, or hip impingement.
3. Knee Pain: The glutes play a crucial role in stabilising the knee. Weakness here can lead to poor knee alignment, increasing the risk of conditions like patellofemoral pain syndrome, IT band syndrome, and even ACL injuries.
4. Ankle and Foot Issues: Weak glutes can cause poor lower limb alignment, leading to excessive pronation or supination, contributing to conditions like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and shin splints.
5. Hamstring Strains: If the glutes aren’t firing properly, the hamstrings may overcompensate, leading to strains and injuries.
6. Piriformis Syndrome: The piriformis muscle can become tight and irritated due to weak glutes, potentially compressing the sciatic nerve and causing pain down the leg.
7. SI Joint Dysfunction: Weak glutes can contribute to instability in the sacroiliac joint, leading to pain in the lower back and buttocks.
8. Hip Flexor Tightness: Weak glutes often correlate with tight hip flexors, which can cause an anterior pelvic tilt, leading to further postural issues and discomfort.

I've suffered with hyperkyphosis (curvature of the thoracic spine) since I was a kid (take your calcium and vitamin D, kids), and this is one of the many things I am looking to improve over the long term (finally).

While not the root cause of my hyperkyphosis, weak glutes play a major part in the issue, contributing to anterior pelvic tilt (pelvis tilts forward) making the curvature of the spine worse.

Whenever you suffer a niggle/injury, the root cause is highly unlikely to be isolated to that area. You need to think about the major muscle groups, glutes and the entire posterior chain are the likely root cause.

I have a lot of work to do, and I've been reasonably fit most of my life. Especially over the last 8 years. I'm just investing even more attention, education, and time to it now I'm in my early 40's.

 

[AlistairH]

There's probably a lot of truth in all of that because any time I foam roll my glutes they are always the sorest part along with my calves and thighs.

I definitely do have an imblance as my right foot shoe soles always wear quicker than the left! and my knee and foot on that side are often niggling.

Also in my 40's and have always been relatively fit but recently I have been plagued with quite a few injuries that keep setting me back!

So do you reccomend working the glute muscles?

 

[seemly]

There's probably a lot of truth in all of that because any time I foam roll my glutes they are always the sorest part along with my calves and thighs.

I definitely do have an imblance as my right foot shoe soles always wear quicker than the left! and my knee and foot on that side are often niggling.

Also in my 40's and have always been relatively fit but recently I have been plagued with quite a few injuries that keep setting me back!

So do you reccomend working the glute muscles?

I definitely recommend concentrating on strengthening your core, which includes your glutes.

Your glutes are the biggest muscle group, and could do with additional focus. Glute maximus, glute medius (and glute min).

Another thing I have learned about more recently is 'mind muscle connection'. The muscle group of the exercise you are currently focussing on - pay special attention to whether you are actively engaging that muscle/group.

For instance, when I'm doing glute bridges, I almost always need to adjust my positioning to ensure it's my glutes that are firing, not my hamstrings and/or quads.

Exercises aren't just about doing the movement. It's a concentrated effort to get quality reps in the target muscle(s).

 

[Aaron]

@seemly you getting out for a park run at the weekend? I'll be doing my second this weekend.

 

[seemly]

@seemly you getting out for a park run at the weekend? I'll be doing my second this weekend.

The family is doing a little tour this weekend to Portsmouth's Great Salterns parkrun. This one will be a bit slippy and splodgy, and I have a 10k event on Sunday, and the Great South Run coming up, so being risk averse, I'm going to give it a miss this week!

Where are you doing yours? Be sure to let us know how you get on!

If you're on Strava, you're more than welcome to follow my journey (and I'll obviously follow back).

Chris Sparshott | Strava Runner Profile

Chris Sparshott is a runner using Strava. Join Strava to track your activities, analyze your performance, and follow friends. Strava members can plan routes, participate in motivating challenges, and join clubs. Get started by signing up for free.

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[Aaron]

I'll be doing the Leicester Victoria Park run this weekend same as last week, I've dropped you a follow on Strava.

 

[Aaron]

You finished in 52nd place out of a field of 483 parkrunners. You were the 49th male. Decent run today 21.45