Adam Bird - My Personal Blog

On the 27th July 2024 I ran the Kingston parkrun which was the 672nd event held at the venue, my 194th parkrun and 116th different course I'd attended. This week's parkrun experience was a slightly different one to normal. I had the family with me and was joined by my niece, River who actually wanted to take part as well. The last time the family were in tow was in May during our Dutch double and River was with us once again, full of enthusiasm which I mighty refreshing when you compare her attitude to my own kids! Originally I'd planned Kingston on the basis that it was by the river, in a lovely part of town and it would be a way of celebrating my birthday (which was the day before). Rather than having a heavy takeaway on the Friday night we'd all go to parkrun. I'd run, whilst the wife and kids watched and then we'd find somewhere nice for some breakfast. In the end Oliver was unable to mr ake it as he had a driving lesson booked and we'd not be back in t...

On the 20th July 2024 I ran the Northala Fields parkrun which was the 455th event held at the venue, my 193rd parkrun and 115th different course I'd attended. One of the parkrun courses I've been looking forward to visiting has been Northala Fields. The reason might surprise you. When the old Wembley stadium was demolished in the early 2000's, rubble from the ground was taken west and buried in wasteland just off the A40 in Northolt. 4 hills were made of various sizes and it became part of a new parkland for the London Borough of Ealing and opened in 2008. 6 years later in 2014, it became home to Northala Fields parkrun. Driving to Northala Fields, I was once again taken by sat-nav via the A12 and around the north circular. I've done this trip now on several occasions and despite a couple of pinch points have never had a bad trip. That said, now I've made this declaration my next trip is going to be a shocker. I guess there are other routes that could be taken invo...

On the 13th July 2024 I ran the Westmill parkrun which was the 297th event held at the venue, my 192nd parkrun and 114th different course I'd attended. Not all parkruns are born equal. Inevitably after you've run more than one course you'll ask yourself which one you preferred. After you have completed ten or so, a league table begins to form in your mind about which one was better than another. Even though it feels terrible for entertaining the idea in the first place. Parkrun is a 5k run, hosted by teams of amazing volunteers. They all glow with community spirit and pride and so each one therefore is as good as the other. But, a three lap loop around a recreation ground is not the same as a lap around a forest which is not the same as as an out and back on a coastal promenade. Why am I even talking about this anyway? What's having favourites got to do with Westmill parkrun? Well, after my visit on Saturday I have a new entry in the upper echelons of my favourite park...

On the 6th July 2024 I ran the Walthamstow parkrun which was the 509th event held at the venue, my 191st parkrun and 113th different course I'd attended. The last few weeks have been events of contrasts. The week before last was Hadleigh and it's hills followed by the flat route of Brooklands which was accompanied by baking hot weather. This week couldn't have have been any more different. Standing under a tree with rain coming in, fat drops horizontally towards my face blown by a freezing cold wind I questioned the sanity of my life choices. It was July for goodness sakes and if I didn't know otherwise you could have fooled me for October. Walthamstow wasn't supposed to be like this. I'd saved it purposely for the summer months. An event all on grass which can get rather muddy during the winter. It was supposed to be green and vibrant, baked hard under a summer sun. But no, it rained biblically and reminded me why I'd saved it for a supposedly summers day....

On the 29th June 2024 I ran the Brooklands parkrun which was the 198th event held at the venue, my 190th parkrun and 112th different course I'd attended. In 2006 I started working for a company called RMG Connect in London and was responsible for updating the Shell Motorsport website with race reports from Ferrari and Ducati detailing their achievements in Formula One, MotoGP and World Superbikes. Whilst on duty awaiting the race report I'd watch the formula one races and somn became a fan of the sport. It's for this reason that the appeal of running Brooklands parkrun has always been there, since the event takess place on a former racing circuit and where the formulative years of motorsport took place. When not racing, and after the circuit fell into decline, the venue in Weybridge, Surrey became home to an aviation facility and further established itself in local history. Whilst the Motorsport and aviation histories sadly declined much still remains of both heritages -  ...

On the 22nd June 2024 I ran the Hadleigh parkrun which was the 319th event held at the venue, my 189th parkrun and 111th different course I'd attended. Hadleigh has been my nearest parkrun event that I hadn't done yet for a while. Partly because I'd been saving it for a time when I needed to be back home early but mainly because of it's reputation. The course description kind of gives it away when it says that the park was used for the Olympic Mountain Bike events in 2012.  Yup, it was going to be a hilly one! In the week leading up to parkrun day (formerly known as Saturday) I had managed to find a convenient excuse to wimp out. I'd been suffering from a rotten cold all week, so much so that I took Friday afternoon off of work just to try and get some extra rest. I'd heard plenty of previous advise about running with a sore chest and how you should avoid it. But with the number of last minute changes of plans so far this year I've been keen to keep to a sc...

On the 15th June 2024 I ran the University of Northampton parkrun which was the 42nd event held at the venue, my 188th parkrun and 110th different course I'd attended. This weekend was a rare one. A weekend without football tournaments, Gillingham games or anything else planned. It was also a weekend without Foordy choosing which parkrun we did next so the world was my oyster. With a new car added to the family after too long I decided to answer that age old question, 'how far is too far to travel just for a 5k run?' In reviewing my options for this weekend there were three events all hosting their 42nd event. 42 is one of those early parkrun numbers that I've not ran at yet, and if you've been paying attention you'll know that'll be missing from my Wilson Index.  The three events in question were Wisbech, Wolford Wood and the University of Northampton, all with fairly comparable travel times (just under two hours) Which feels like a long way to travel just...

On the 8th June 2024 I ran the Lloyd parkrun which was the 658th event held at the venue, my 187th parkrun and 109th different course I'd attended. There was no blog post last week as I repeated a fairly recent event. I headed back to Thames Path, Woolwich with both Andrews and had another great run on what is a wonderfully quirky course. I also managed to set a new event PB and was also 4 seconds shy of a new parkrun PB (again!) This week was just another one of those weeks where planning evolved, decisions got made and got changed all over again. At one point we were heading to Bushy park, home of parkrun. But Foordy was travelling during the week and couldn't stomach another part rotation of the M25 so we set ourselves up for Maldon Prom over in Essex for what looks to be an enjoyable event with some lovely estuary views. But I woke up to a text message on Saturday morning from Foordy who had made himself unavailable for the morning. With Hayden at a football tournament in ...

On the 25th May 2024 I ran the Lee-on-the-Solent parkrun which was the 405th event held at the venue, my 185th parkrun and 108th different course I'd attended. After completing my alphabet of parkrun challenge I am now relatively unburdened by where I visit now on a Saturday morning. There are opportunities if I wanted to chasing multiple alphabet's but this is probably a step too far. I mean it would be amazing to visit Japan, Australia and New Zealand in a hunt for parkruns beginning with Y, but not sure my bank balance or long suffering wife would agree. So my alternative goals now remain as completion of particular geographic areas, Greater London and South East are the first two and cover off majority of the events that I have visited. So when Foordy tells me he wants to run at another parkrun event by the sea I had to weigh up my options. I wanted to avoid Essex and anywhere via the M25 as I'm using Mum and Dad's car still and have probably racked up a fair bill ...

On the 20th May 2024 I ran the Karpendonkse Plas parkrun which was the 145th event held at the venue, my 184th parkrun and 107th different course I'd attended. The sole purpose of our visit to the Netherlands was to tick off the Z and to complete the parkrun alphabet. The fact that there was an opportunity to run another parkrun on the same weekend was a complete bonus. So therefore I wasn't actually that fussed which event we headed to on the Monday. All I knew was that we were staying near Efteling and we needed to head south at some point after the event to make our way home. Our choice was made somewhat easier with the declarations made by the events themselves. Just because events are able to host special days, doesn't mean that all of them do. It depends on the permissions provided by the land owner, or volunteer appetite. As it was, there were closer events to our accommodation, but neither of them were running on the Monday. The nearest and most practical event was...

On the 18th May 2024 I ran the Zuiderpark parkrun which was the 130th event held at the venue, my 183rd parkrun and 106th different course I'd attended. Last March I ran the York parkrun which marked the completion of the UK parkrun alphabet. There are no parkruns beginning with X anywhere in the world and none starting with a Z here in the UK. So to complete the (non)official parkrun alphabet I'd need to travel overseas to collect the full set. Every country that hosts a parkrun event is allowed to host a special day event which takes place outside of the standard Saturday morning routine. Here in the UK our special day is New Years Day, whilst Poland for example hosts theirs on Boxing Day. Holland, which has three events beginning with Z holds theirs in May on the Whitsun Bank Holiday. Which is why I found myself onboard a Calais bound ferry enroute to The Hague to tick off, at long last the final letter missing from my parkrun alphabet and enjoy the unique privilege of runn...

On the 11th May 2024 I ran the Wickford Memorial parkrun which was the 150th event held at the venue, my 182nd parkrun and 105th different course I'd attended. Another weekend and another adaptation to the parkrun schedule. I had planned to attend South Oxley near Watford to eat away at the wider list of events inside the M25. But Foordy had to be back for 10:30 and so I had to pick an event a little closer to home. Without doing a revisit that challenge is a little easier said than done, but Wickford Memorial was second closest on the list of Nearest Events Not Done Yet and with the course offering a flatter option Vs Hadleigh in first place, a decision was made. In the lead up to any parkrun event I subscribe to the event Facebook page to keep an eye out on any up and coming potential cancellations or news. On Thursday evening the event posted that this week would be packets week and that all positions had been filled. The pages of this blog are littered with tales of me Vs a pa...

On the 4th May 2024 I ran the Crystal Palace parkrun which was the 619th event held at the venue, my 181st parkrun and 104th different course I'd attended. My 2024 parkrun goal was to complete all of the parkruns inside the M25, but having Foordy home and enjoying touristing with me I've had to change plans slightly to accommodate venues he wishes to visit alongside those of my own. Previous week's visits to Seaford Beach and The Leas were Foordys picks in an attempt to break his PB record which he managed to do both times. But45 this week was listed as Crystal Palace in the diary and so that's where we headed for event number 46 out of the listed 76 that I've got written down as located inside the M25. There is a slightly shorter list of 62 events, which are allocated in Greater London and will officially give you a LonDone status, but all of the events inside the M25 feels more complete and aesthetically pleasing when viewed on a map. It's also worth a remind...

On the 27th April 2024 I ran the Seaford Beach parkrun which was the 186th event held at the venue, my 180th parkrun and 103rd different course I'd attended. Although parkrun isn't about setting the fastest time and trying to be competitive. It's only natural that you keep a keen eye on your finish times even if it's used as a barometer of your progress. This year I've ran a sub 27 five times out of 17 parkrun events - which is one short of half of the 12 total that I've recorded under 27 minutes. I've come a long way since those days where I ran week after week, desperately trying to break the 30 minutes milestone at Cyclopark. But everyone I've set a sub-27 this year I've been disappointed that I've not managed to lower that all time PB which was set last autumn in Dulwich. This week at Seaford Beach parkrun I had another opportunity to set a quick time knowing that the course was a flat out-and-back along the Seaford promenade, and with favou...

On the 20th April 2024 I ran the Sherwood Pines parkrun which was the 360th event held at the venue, my 179th parkrun and 102nd different course I'd attended. Last week I went back to the Isle of Sheppey and ran The Leas parkrun for the second time. Foordy had requested a visit to a flat parkrun and it was the closest one to home that matched his criteria. I managed to get a new course PB and was a few seconds shy of a new parkrun PB. Has happened a few times this year, so I must be doing something right. It was back to the tourist trail this week with a trip to Sherwood Pines and doubling up the day with a football trip following the Gills on another away day. Reaso and I had a conversation about whether or not we'd be going to Mansfield Town for the last away game of the season. I'd never visited Field Mill, home of Mansfield Town before and so I was quite keen. I suggested an early start and taking in a parkrun on the way. The suggestion went down well, except Reaso wan...

On the 6th April 2024 I ran the Pendle parkrun which was the 441st event held at the venue, my 177th parkrun and 101st different course I'd attended. In between parkrun days are normal days that make up a normal week and are usually a rinse and repeat of work, eat and sleep. Mostly weeks go by with nothing much happening and occasionally something interesting might happen to make the week a little less dull. Even rarer than a less dull week are weeks when an event occurs that rocks you to your core and parkrun becomes a necessity as opposed to something nice to do on a Saturday morning. Sadly last week was one of those rare weeks. We received news on Tuesday that Hayden's football coach had passed away and had taken his own life. Explaining that to a nine year old child was quite easily the hardest thing I've ever had to do as a parent. I've always said running has been a tonic for my mental health and nothing could be closer to the truth last week when I went out for ...

On the 30th March 2024 I ran the Gunpowder parkrun which was the 573rd event held at the venue, my 176th parkrun and 100th different course I'd attended. If you'd have said to me in 2014 after my first parkrun that I'd do it again another 175 times, and that I'd run at 100 different parkrun venues I would have laughed at you. The truth was, I didn't like running and I still can't say that I do all these runs later! There's a secret sauce in the parkrun enterprise that keeps me coming back and whatever it is, whether it's the accessible nature of the event - that irrespective of ability everyone is welcome, or the fact that the volunteers are so helpful and supportive. For my 100th different parkrun venue I wanted to celebrate by running at an iconic venue and/or running with as many friends and family as possible. Due to the Easter Weekend and other plans coming up we wasn't able to get to an iconic venue, think Severn Bridge, Woolacombe Dunes or Fo...

On the 23rd March 2024 I ran the Pymmes parkrun which was the 604th event held at the venue, my 175th parkrun and 99th different course I'd attended. There are 62 parkruns in the Greater London area, and visiting them all is arbitrarily known as LonDone. If you widen that out a little bit further to include all parkrun events inside the M25 you'd need to attend 76 parkrun events and you'll get to rightfully claim LonDone+ status. Which is why I found myself in North London, a stones throw from Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and their impressive new stadium at White Hart Lane. In nearby Pymmes park to tick off my 36th Greater London event, and 44ti picked h out of 76 inside the M25. Foordy said that he wanted to visit somewhere quick and fast. I checked my planner and ruled out the scheduled event at Lloyd on the basis of previous research and the 'challenging' reputation of the course. And once I'd read the Pymmes course description which used words such as ...

On the 16th March 2024 I ran the Beckton parkrun which was the 548th event held at the venue, my 174th parkrun and 98th different course I'd attended. The beauty of parkrun tourism is seeing places that you'd never normally see by any other means. By visiting and trying to visit all of the parkruns inside the M25 you are guaranteed to see parts of London you'd never normally visit outside of the key tourist areas. Like Beckton for example, just a stones throw from the London ExCel centre. London has a rich variety of parkrun events, some vastly more popular than others.The two closest events to Beckton are Victoria Dock and Thames Path Woolwich which average 200 and 250 participants each week respectively where as Beckton is a much smaller event with and average of only 64. It's nice to visit a smaller event as there is much more of an intimate, community feel about it. The first timers meeting and race brief at Beckton were taken at the same time for example, and the ...