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King George V Playing Field parkrun is a bit of a mouthful. I was always going to see my Grandma today, and I spotted this parkrun last night (having only just been added to the website!) when I finally got around to making my mind up about where to go. It is a 5 minute jog from her house and therefore fitted into my plans perfectly.

On paper/on the map it's a dull affair. In reality it's a multi-surface parkrun in a tiered playing field, featuring 3 levels and you climb the banks on the ascent of each lap. It's wiggly and turny, interesting and very communal.

But least expected were the stunning views out to the hills beyond Cheltenham. Totally unexpected beauty and it really was the cherry on the cake.

Went back to Lancing Beach Green, my usual. Had some problems with my hip being stiff for a few days prior so left my "lucky" shirt at home, not wanting to waste it on a failed run. It was a nice cool day, slight breeze, and I fell into a good pace early on, staying close enough to a holistic pacer* to give it the beans on the final 300m and get my 6th PB in the last three months!

Any insinuation that this was all about showing off to my wife, who came along to volunteer yesterday, is completely unfounded.

*Lancing is too narrow to have proper pacers so, like Dirk Gently's navigation, I pace myself holistically - I find someone who's going at a pace I want to run at, and stick behind them

tractakid wrote: ↑14 Sep 2019, 22:45 In reality it's a multi-surface parkrun in a tiered playing field, featuring 3 levels and you climb the banks on the ascent of each lap.

Yes I saw this had started but was a little too far to divert on way down to Exeter - the course banking sound very much like East Brighton and will have this one on the agenda when Exeter play Cheltenham away

Weekly Update 14/09/19

Thanks to scrxisi for keeping the sheet up to date whilst I was in Croatia, and for making some nice changes to the "Course Wars" which now include an age graded medal table

I will just focus on this weeks highlights rather than all 3 weeks that I was away.

13 Runners this week
3 New Courses (Cardiff, King George V Playing Field and Ross-On-Wye)

Hats off to Going Underground on achieving his 300th run, with an outing to The Old Showfield.
jamesthegill sets a new PB at Lancing Beach Green in 26:23, in an attempt to impress his wife!
crypto ran a SB of 22:30 at Cardiff

Medals Update:
The Old Showfield is now included, the first medals are, Andi (Gold), Das (Silver) and Going Underground (Bronze)
Mole Valley, Geofftech claims (Silver), Andi slips into (Bronze) and Going Underground is out of the medals.

Full Details https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

Feeling pretty good at the moment. Set another post-op PB at Gladstone and now I'm only 1:26 off my previous pace.

I felt a sharp shot like pain in my hamstring a bit like Derek Redmond so jogged walked last thing I need is an injury near half marathon of Bournemouth. I did try to enigineer a bingo time but like most things it's hard if u got a timer with clicky fingers.

Another differant one then met up with the board at catford spoons

Weekly Update 21/09/19

A bumper crop of 16 runners this week (8 running at Catford)
No new courses

Crypto set a SB at Gladstone with a time of 21:47
Soup Dragon gets the only Top Ten this week, with 8th place at East Grinstead
Matthewcook18 is now officially a parkrun tourist, with his 20th different event at Catford.

Lots of action in the medals:
At Beckenham Place, Andi misses out on GOLD by 1 second, he claims SILVER, so Nozza drops to BRONZE and GU is out of the medals.
At East Grinstaed, Soup Dragon claims GOLD, Das therefore loses his only GOLD and is now in SILVER, Iain drops to BRONZE and Andi is out.
At Gladstone, Crypton claims GOLD, so Andi drops to SILVER, Nozza now has BRONZE and Geoff is out of the medals.
At Catford, Mattcook takes SILVER and xcooler takes BRONZE, leaving Iain and Geoff now out of the medals.
At Lancing Beach Green, Geoff takes BRONZE from James.

Here is the full details: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

I have just noticed that dudey achieved the "Groundhog Day" badge whilst I was away on holiday.
This was for two runs at Whitstable of 22:42, but with a gap of ten weeks between (22nd June, 31st August).
I thought that it had to be the following week to get the badge but it appears that you get it even with such a large gap.
If dudey had run at Sittingbourne between these two runs I assume that he wouldn't get the badge?

Makes me wonder what is the longest gap ever for someone to get this badge?

Soup Dragon wrote: ↑26 Sep 2019, 14:00 I have just noticed that dudey achieved the "Groundhog Day" badge whilst I was away on holiday.
This was for two runs at Whitstable of 22:42, but with a gap of ten weeks between (22nd June, 31st August).
I thought that it had to be the following week to get the badge but it appears that you get it even with such a large gap.
If dudey had run at Sittingbourne between these two runs I assume that he wouldn't get the badge?

Makes me wonder what is the longest gap ever for someone to get this badge?

Was chatting to one of the volunteers when tailwalking recently and they had exactly the same tine at Brooklands 2 weeks on the trot and in the identical finishing position both weeks
Now it is REAL groundhog

As I was in the area visiting friends, I managed to tick of Uckfield. A great course all on trail through Buxted Park starting with a lap around the rugby club. Pretty muddy after the rain this week but good fun and I'm pretty happy with the time of 26:22.

We were at the 7th Anniversary of Plym Valley. To celebrate they laid on the parkrun express from Marsh mills to Plym Bridge. Which I think is the first train to be specially laid on for parkrun.

Well as common now trying to find differant ones and people willing to go along is getting more difficult a strange one today a person whom doesn't know his west from east wanted a parkrun on way from Bournemouth to great Yarmouth.


Curly wurly is not on the way lol so the decision was made by me for black park a massive amount of people and some people who are far too slow at start they should do a staggered start here I think.

I had a bus challenge of sorts yesterday - going to the third running of Squerryes Winery, just outside the M25. Three buses and a tram, which all went smoothly apart from a broken down bus. A lovely run on a mix of grass and mud, quite slippery in places after this week's rain. It has a great cafe too, so all in all very much recommended.

dstock17 wrote: ↑28 Sep 2019, 21:44 Well as common now trying to find differant ones and people willing to go along is getting more difficult so the decision was made by me for black park

I would have met you there if I had known, have done Black Park with several people before as is only 25 mins journey for me

Weekly Update 28/09/19

14 Runners this week (still very impressive, given the horrible weather)
2 new courses (Gloucester North & Squerrys Winery)

Sam had a PB finish of exactly 100th at Gloucester North, in a SB time of 43:49
Crunchy Saviour ran a SB of 21:31 at Rushmere
Soup Dragon claimed a CB at Peacehaven in 21:12

A few medals changed hands in course wars:
At Black Park, Andi now claims GOLD, tractakid slips to SILVER and Geoff to Bronze, leaving GU out of the medals.
At Peacehaven, Soup Dragon and Andi switch places, Soup now with GOLD and Andi with SILVER.
At Dartford Heath, Geoff claims SILVER, so Iain is now BRONZE, and GU loses another medal.

That's all for this week, I'm at Upton House on Saturday, ahead of the Bournemouth HM on Sunday

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing