Adam Bird - My Personal Blog

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 ...

On the 9th March 2024 I ran the Tilgate parkrun which was the 550th event held at the venue, my 173rd parkrun and 97th different course I'd attended. There are two parkruns in Crawley, Tilgate and Ifield Mill Pond . Like many alphabet chasers I visited the latter in search for a rare 'I' event and would have missed out on Tilgate had it not been for geography and the fact that Crawley isn't that far and quite accessible from home. I also had another reason for wanting to visit the event, which was to say hello and catch up with a former James Villa Holidays colleague who like me has taken up running since our time ended at the company. He is a regular runner at Tilgate and ahead of my visit I slid into his DMs to get the lowdown on what to expect. He reiterated advice which I'd already learnt in that the course was a beautiful one around a lake, but he warned me of 'chevron' hill, a short sharp beast that was somewhat of a nemesis to him. Tilgate parkrun ge...

On the 2nd March 2024 I ran the Heaton Park parkrun which was the 624th event held at the venue, my 172nd parkrun and 96th different course I'd attended. This parkrun touristing lark is hard work. Planning where to run each week and what number event is exhausting. Adding the challenge of combining it with football adds a whole new level of complexity, and budget! Stephanie had planned a trip to Portugal this weekend with my sister, my nieces and some of my female cousins to celebrate my cousin Bethany turning 30. I was due to pick up all Stephanie's parenting commitments on Saturday morning and so my usual parkrun trip was due to take a back seat. I'm very lucky to have Stephanie do the Saturday routine. Hayden and Phoebe have football and performing arts clubs that are reasonably close to one another and timings currently work quite nicely. I'm aware that if the situation was different or changes then my parkrunning ambitions will need to be scaled back accordingly. ...

On the 24th February 2024 I ran the Dover Waterfront parkrun which was the 24th event held at the venue, my 171st parkrun and 95th different course I'd attended. In December 2022 I ran the Margate parkrun , earning myself 'A total Kent' status which is given informally to anyone who runs all of the parkrun events in Kent. At the time this would have been a full set of 24, but on the 9th September 2023 a 25th event was added when Dover waterfront ran their inaugural event. I could of course visited Dover sooner and reclaimed my unofficial title already. But I've been saving my visit to coincide with an event number I'd not ran at yet to try and fill gaps in my 'Wilson Index' (another phrase/unofficial challenge from the parkrun tourist lexicon).  Once again I was joined by the two Andrew's who have unwittingly become parkrun tourists recently, albeit without wanting to self-identity with that label. I'll keep calling them my running companions until ...

On the 17th February 2024 I ran the Southend parkrun which was the 529th event held at the venue, my 170th parkrun and 94th different course I'd attended. All week leading up to parkrunday I'd planned to visit Oak Hill parkrun, for what feels like the fifth attempt. Everytime I add it to the planner something crops up and I don't end up making it and run elsewhere instead. This week was no exception. The message arrived on my phone Friday morning. 'Can we run Leigh-on-Sea or Southend?'. It was from my friend Foordy and it was too random a request to be random. I acquiesced and said that Southend wouldn't be a problem. But it wasn't until later in the day that I received a follow-up message explaining the reason behind it. Foordy needed a new pair of swimming goggles and unlike most normal people, avoided Amazon and wanted to hit the closest swimming Google shop to home... Which happened to be in Leigh-on-Sea. It could have been a lot further I suppose! And ...