Adam Bird - My Personal Blog

On the 25th March 2023 I ran the Hackney Marshes parkrun which was the 593rd event held at the venue, my 123rd parkrun and 52nd different course I'd attended. When I was a kid, I had a t-shirt made by Nike, or Adidas - one of the two. It was black with distinct football pitch markings across it and other related football messaging. But it was the distinctive football pitch markings that would always prompt a question from people whenever I wore the t-shirt as to what they represented. I didn't think that they represented anything until someone answered the question for me. They were representing the football pitch markings at Hackney Marshes. Since then, I've been fascinated by the thought of an area of parkland devoted to over 80 football pitches and have read books, watched movies, documentaries and television programmes about football in this part of East London and its impact upon the culture of grassroots involvement in the national game. In the 1960's and 1970...

On the 18th March 2023 I ran the Raphael parkrun which was the 333rd event held at the venue, my 122nd parkrun and 51st different course I'd attended. Last week was a trip to Malling, a venue I'd ran at before and enjoyed revisiting a lovely course. But I missed the thrill of arriving at a new venue and experiencing something new and fresh. Which is why I wanted to hit the tourist trail again and start chipping away at the 50 I need to reach the magic 100 different parkrun venues. Raphael park in Romford was celebrating event 333 this week, which is another set of collectable numbers known as the Nelson challenge. These numbers are 111, 222, 333 etc and is named after Admiral Lord Nelson who allegedly had only 1 eye, 1 arm and 1 leg at the end of his life. Romford is also reasonably close to home and was one of the closest events for which I've not yet attended, despite being over the other side of the river. I was surprisingly joined by my mate Foordy who was home again f...

On the 11th March 2023 I ran the Malling parkrun which was the 296th event held at the venue, my 121st parkrun and 2nd time I'd attended the event. After a period of heavy touristing culminating in last week's 50th different event celebration in York, I found myself with a bit of a dilemma. I had planned to run at Alton Water , a scenic run around a lake near Ipswich which was celebrating its 71st event. But as usual the challenge of getting access to the car wasn't straightforward and so I was trying to decide between three events in London from which to choose from; Fulham Palace , Clapham Common or Burgess . So I put the question to the boys on our WhatsApp group and the answer from Mark was, have I done the one at Leybourne Lakes? Last April, I ran Malling parkrun, event number 249. I came 100th out of a field of 256 participants in a time of 28:17. I ran the event with Mum and haven't been able to pursuade her to join me on a parkrun ever since!  The course that...

On the 4th March 2023 I ran the York parkrun which was the 450th event held at the venue, my 120th parkrun and 50th different course I'd attended. Any UK based parkrunner with ambitions to tick off a parkrun beginning with each letter of the alphabet is likely to have a commute on their hands. Until very recently there was only one parkrun that began with Y. Pre-COVID, you had the option of Yeovil Montague or York, but the former fell by the wayside. In recent weeks Yarborough Leisure Centre has popped up doubling the opportunities available, but based In Lincolnshire it is still a sizeable effort to get there for many. My parkrun itinerary has been planned around reaching York in time to celebrate my 50th different parkrun venue. This was why, over the festive period I elected to run at events I'd already visited before as otherwise it would have meant falling out of sync. Looking at the football calendar, Gillingham were due to play Harrogate Town on March 4th. A ground I ha...

Back in the December of 2011, my eldest son Oliver was a mascot for Gillingham FC as a treat for his fifth birthday. Last weekend, history repeated itself as my youngest son Hayden experienced the same thing as a celebration of his eighth trip around the sun. Reading back through the blog I wrote after Oliver walked out on the hallowed turf of the Priestfield Stadium I was struck by the contrast between the circumstances of both boys mascot appearances. Oliver was very much living my dream for me and he was a vehicle for living out the things I wanted to do as a child but never did myself.  Oliver enjoys playing football and has had an incredible football experience growing up playing at academy level when he was younger and could have achieved huge things if his heart was in it. But he hasn't quite been bitten by the same football bug that Hayden and I have. Hayden has developed a passion for the Gills since we've been season ticket holders, culminating this season in our Le...

On the 25th February 2023 I ran the Southwark parkrun which was the 409th event held at the venue, my 119th parkrun and 49th different course I'd attended. I may well sound like a broken record, but I'm going to say it again anyway. I was going to be doing a particular parkrun this week, but couldn't due to car woes and that living in Gravesend we are incredibly lucky to have multiple routes into London via rail. It certainly feels like a rinse and repeat story of these parkrun encounters and so it was again this week when the in-laws car broke down rather than my own. As we are reliant upon borrowing their car on Saturday mornings it meant I was unable to travel to panshanger as planned and had to find an alternative via public transport. I could have just ran locally but I wanted to hit my goal of completing my 50th different venue at York next week and so had to find a plan B. Southwark parkrun ticked a few boxes, it was a prime number event (409) and it also ticked off...

On the 18th February 2023 I ran the Lordship Recreation Ground parkrun which was the 17th event held at the venue, my 118th parkrun and 48th different course I'd attended. Lordship Recreation Ground was one of two events that started on the same day in the autumn of last year and offered me an opportunity to fill in some of the early event numbers that are missing from my 'wilson index'. Being event number 17 it was also another chance to complete a prime number event, another gap that needed filling in my parkrun numbers game. Being half-term and Saturday morning clubs being on half-term break it was also an opportunity to invite the family to join me in my latest parkrun adventure. Hayden and Oliver still had football practice as normal, so Phoebe was the unlucky beneficiary this time around as she was the only one who had an amended routine - what better way to spend the morning than with a Daddy and Daughter day? The high speed train service into London has revolutioni...

On the 11th February 2023 I ran the Peckham Rye parkrun which was the 391st event held at the venue, my 117th parkrun and 47th different course I'd attended. Saturday morning parkrun events are, as mentioned previously on these pages dictated by obscure challenges relating to some numeric sequence of some kind, or alphabetically connected to the name of the event. This week it was slightly different as it was linked to an invite. Since my project manager at work found out about my parkrun tourism exploits he has been urging me to join him in his part of London for a run and breakfast catch-up. Which is how I found myself getting up at the crack of dawn and heading up to South East London by train to run Peckham Rye parkrun. From Gravesend there are no direct trains to Peckham Rye, so I had the choice of changing at Dartford or Lewisham, with the former being the better option in terms of timings. I was met by Matt, whose arrival had coincided with mine demonstrating the efficiency...

On the 4th February 2023 I ran the Bromley parkrun which was the 607th event held at the venue, my 116th parkrun and 46th different course I'd attended. I had some good news this week with the repair of our car which saw a new battery installed and back to road worthy status. This meant that I would be able to continue as planned and drive to the new Stockley Country parkrun for event number 4, with the goal being to complete the gap in my Wilson index. I had drawn up a contingency plan in any case but was nervous about travelling by train the day after a train strike as the network suffers with teething issues the day after industrial action. However, late in the week I received a message from my friend Mark who was keen to participate again this week but had a time window in which he needed to be back home. It's always more enjoyable having someone to share the parkrun experience with than travelling on my own so I was more than happy to tweak.the plan accordingly. Via Whats...

On the 28th January 2023 I ran the Mile End parkrun which was the 499th event held at the venue, my 115th parkrun and 45th different course I'd attended. With a still striken bird mobile, I had to face the choice of running locally, or trying to attempt a parkrun by public transport. Fortunately from Gravesend we have easy access to London by train and where London is concerned there are an abundance of parkruns to choose from. I settled on Mile End, mainly because it was the closest event that had a Prime Number that I hadn't ran before and that it wasn't very difficult to get to. From Gravesend you can get the High Speed service to Stratford International, walk through the Westfield Shopping Centre and catch the Central Line from Stratford one stop on the Central Line to Mile End - all easy and straightforward which is exactly what I did. With public transport there is always the worry or concern around delays and cancellations, but as mentioned last week it's alway ...

On the 21st January 2023 I ran the Sutcliffe parkrun which was the 73rd event held at the venue, my 114th parkrun and 44th different course I'd attended. I've mentioned on these pages a number of times the benefits of a versatile plan. I'm also a believer in things happening for a reason. This week's parkrun was a combination of circumstances that validated both of those beliefs. The original plan stated Ifield Mill Pond in order to pick up an 'I' for another step on the alphabet challenge. But Stephanie reminded me that she and the other Bird family females were off to London for a boozy brunch to celebrate my sister's 40th birthday which meant I was needed to be home in time to pick up Hayden from football training and Phoebe from her performing arts class. No problem at all! Let's revert to a plan B - Sutcliffe parkrun which is only up the A2 and meant I'd be home in time to pick up the children. On the Thursday before parkrun day my friend Mark ...

On the 14th January 2023 I ran the Billericay parkrun which was the 222nd event held at the venue, my 113th parkrun and 43rd different course I'd attended. After visiting all of the parkruns in Kent and working my way through the parkrun alphabet there isn't any other goal in mind at the moment other than trying to run at different venues to keep enjoying blazing the parkrun tourist trail. So my next few planned runs have been designed around event numbers and ticking off events that are prime numbers, fibonacci numbers and those that are considered a Nelson . Which is how I found myself at Billericay parkrun in the wind and rain on a cold and miserable January morning, celebrating the 222nd event held at the venue. With the wind and rain came conditions that were a direct result of the weather. Crossing the park in order to reach the start I slipped and slid, nearly fell over and resented the idea of four laps around the park that comprised a section of grass and wondered why...

On the 7th January 2023 I ran the Victoria Dock parkrun which was the 156th event held at the venue, my 112th parkrun and 42nd different course I'd attended. One of my running goals this year is to complete the parkrun Alphabet and run at the remaining letters, I, V, Y and Z. The challenge being that both Y and Z require significant planning, effort and in the case of Z overseas travel. With that in mind what better way to start the new year of parkrun tourism than by ticking off one of the attainable letters? Irrespective of whether I needed the letter or not, the Victoria Dock parkrun would have been one of those on my 'want to do' list anyway. Running around the Victoria Dock in East London out alongside the dockside hotels and the ExCel centre with views of the O2 arena, docklands and the Emirates airline cable car the event is one of the more unique venues in the parkrun portfolio. According to various parkrun groups any visitor who attends the event and shows a parkr...

On the 1st January 2023 I ran the Shorne Woods parkrun which was the 435th event held at the venue, my 111th parkrun and a repeat of one of 41 different courses I've attended. After I'd completed the Margate parkrun on December 17th I decided to enjoy the Christmas period without touring and repeating my local events at Cyclopark, Great Lines and for the first time since New Years Eve 2020 Shorne Country Park. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were spent at Cyclopark and Great Lines respectively and I enjoyed the pleasure of setting new PBs at both events. I wasn't quite so fortunate yesterday on New Years Eve where I ran slightly slower at Cyclopark, but I still managed to set my fifth fastest time at the event. I've wanted to return to Shorne Woods for a while, in the knowledge that my previous times were set during the beginning of my parkun story and I'd improved a little since I last ran a competitive attempt at the event. My last visit was on New Years Day 202...

On the 17th December 2022 I ran the Margate parkrun which was the 439th event held at the venue, my 107th parkrun and 41st different course I'd attended. Multiple events had been called off around the country in the days leading up to the weekend, and as I lay in bed on Friday night refreshing the Margate parkruns facebook page for news I was secretly hoping for a cancellation too. I'd been feeling rough all weekend and I had a sneezing, coughing Stephanie lying next to me who had gone through the same dramas. But schedules are schedules and as part of the plan I was due to complete the Kent parkrun set at Margate which ordinarily I could have shifted. However, I had volunteered to mark the occasion by writing the run report for the events website and didn't want to let anyone down by not attending. So after a final check on the morning of the event for further news on facebook, I ventured out at minus something degrees and de-iced the car with a cough and sniffle and wond...

On the 10th December 2022 I ran the Tonbridge parkrun which was the 391st event held at the venue, my 106th parkrun and 40th different course I'd attended. Last week at Whitstable was the moment where it felt like the seasons had changed. Out had gone the autumn and winter had taken it's place. Yesterday morning we woke up to thick frost and icy conditions, winter had certainly arrived alright. But was parkrun going to survive the conditions? That was the million dollar question. I'd not been affected by cancellations before, as in the sense that ordinarily if an event was called off, I'd shrug and stay at home in bed. But as a new tourist devotee with plans and schedules cancellation can cause allsorts of replanning conundrums. It is of course part of the game and one shouldn't expect too much of events, particularly as safety is paramount. Winter becomes a game of roulette and so far it seems, so good. No pre-planned cancellation at Tonbridge and no updates via ...

On the 3rd December 2022 I ran the Whitstable parkrun which was the 571st event held at the venue, my 105th parkrun and 39th different course I'd attended. For some bizarre, masochistic reason I cannot understand I've wanted to run a parkrun on the seafront with big wind, dramatic waves and plummeting temperatures. It sounds romantic to me, madness to others, but is the reason why I had two coastal events planned for December. First up? Whitstable! Up until very recently, I had never been to Whitstable which I found strange considering in forty plus years as Kentish man I'd been to virtually every other seaside resort in Kent and arguably Whitstable is one of the finest and most popular of all. Nevertheless, I found myself driving down Thanet Way a little over a month from my first ever visit with the weather very different than before. Upon arrival at Marine Parade, the road that runs along the top of Tankerton beach, separated by Tankerton slopes I was comforted by the w...

On the 26th November 2022 I ran the Royal Tunbridge Wells parkrun which was the 359th event held at the venue, my 104th parkrun and 38th different course I'd attended. As Tonbridge parkrun was called off again for the second week in a row due to localised flooding I was able to regig my planner once more, opting instead to run at Tonbridge's near neighbour - Royal Tunbridge Wells. I had originally planned to run here a few weeks back but issues with my foot and a gout diagnosis put pay to that, but I'd been looking forward to this one, not just for ticking off another Kent parkrun venue but to finally tick off 'R' from the parkrun Alphabet. The event is one of those that are fairly well covered on social media with YouTube videos of the course so I had a pretty good sense of what to expect. I'd also been to Dunorlan Park as a child and could remember it for its beauty. It's located on a valley with a lake at the bottom, there are formal garden areas, a play...