Almost two years ago yesterday, on 8 March 2014, I did my very first parkrun in Green Point, Cape Town while on holiday there. J Bear was 11 weeks old at the time, so I was still easing back into running after his C-section, but, with the encouragement of the lovely Philippa from Run Cape Town, I huffed and puffed my way around the beautiful 5 km course - and loved every minute.
 |
| Miss K, me and Philippa after completing Green Point parkrun. |
We lived in Bloem back then, so upon our return home I immediately started looking for a local parkrun to join. Sadly, Bloem still didn't have one, but I was delighted to learn that Naval Hill parkrun would kick off on 3 May 2014. And of course, two parkrun-less months later, I found myself at the inaugural Naval Hill parkrun with 70 or so fellow parkrunners on a cold winter's morning, thrilled to hear - during Bruce Fordyce's pre-run briefing - that parkrunners who complete 50 parkruns become a member of Club 50 and get a free technical t-shirt to celebrate the occasion. Free running gear? I was hooked.
 |
| The pre-run briefing that changed my life. |
For the next four months Naval Hill parkrun was my happy place. I rarely missed an event, teeth-chattering -6 degree mornings notwithstanding. Until, sadly, in September 2014 came the news that Will was being transferred to a parkrun-less Kimberley...
So what do you do when you move to a town that doesn't (yet) have a parkrun? You help get one in place, of course! And so, six months, many meetings, and a few sleepless nights later, Kimberley parkrun finally saw the light on 21 March 2015 - my new happy place!
 |
| Results processing after the inaugural Kimberley parkrun. [Photo by Andreas Pretorius.] |
And this weekend, almost two years after my first parkrun in the beautiful Mother City, I finally earned my technical t-shirt: I clocked my 50th parkrun. It was perfect: A cool, cloudy, windstill morning; my two favourite running compadres in the double stroller with me; bestie Tanya there to share the moment; and high fives and congratulations from so many new parkrun friends.
 |
| parkrun #50 with my two favourite running buddies and bestie, Tanya. [Photo by Stanley Harvey.] |
 |
| Best gift (and friend!) ever! |
Onwards now to Club 100!
awesome! well done! what do you get if you get to a 100?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Meg! The Club 50 shirt is a red tech t-shirt (from adidas at the moment - might change soon) with the Club 50 logo on it; the Club 100 shirt is a black tech t-shirt with the Club 100 logon on it; and the Club 250 shirt is also black, I think, with a gold logo on. I want them all! :)
DeleteGood on you for started up a new parkrun and congratulations for reaching 50.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! A life-changing fifty weeks for sure :) .
DeleteThat's really interesting and I've heard a lot about the Park Runs. I wish they were closer because it seems like such an awesome idea. Congrats on reaching 50 and cheers to reaching 100!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Hollie! It's such a simple concept, but somehow it just WORKS - and it's highly addictive too! :)
DeleteCongrats on your 50th parkrun! That's awesome! All your pictures look so warm.. I am so ready to run in shorts again!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Christy!
DeleteShame, yes, I don't think us South Africans really have any idea what a seriously cold run is (-4 degrees Celcius is about our coldest) - hats off to you!!