100th Parkrun

 Good morning, dear Blogger friends.  For those who have followed my blog for the past six years (since I moved to the Central Drakensberg) will know that in December 2016, Grant and I joined the newly formed Parkrun in Winterton. Grant became one of the regular tail walker volunteers.  I walked with our friend, Ant while we tried to better our time! 

After Grant's passing, I did three weeks of volunteering in his honor. In between I continued to walk my weekly 5km when work constraints permitted.(I was managing the Art Box for friends, Estelle and Steve at the time). During the winter of 2019, I was diagnosed with cancer. After successful surgery, I got back into Parkrun, reaching my 50th Parkrun in December 2019. During the ensuing months I reached 70 Parkruns. 

Lockdown April 2020 put paid to my job in retail as everything shut down. I was offered a position in the farm office, just across the lawn from my cottage. It also banned all sports and Parkrun was put on hold.

In October 2021 the Run Director asked me to join her and the two men who had been timing runners prior to Covid. We uploaded an app on our Smartphones and were ready to time parkrunners (and walkers) digitally from that weekend. 

I love numbers and statistics. In August 2022, I realized that I had reached 70 volunteering stints; I had stopped "Parkrunning/walking" at 70. My 70th birthday was approximately 30 weeks away.  With Skabby as my walking partner, I started on my quest to reach my 100th Parkrun milestone around the time of my 70th birthday, I started to walk the course again! 

At the Christmas eve walk, Skabby had developed a horrific hotspot ** so I stopped taking him along. The weather was terribly hot and even we humans were suffering out there. 

Training at the beginning of February, floods in mid-February, which caused Winterton Parkrun to be cancelled for the first time ever, and my Avon event at the beginning of March, meant I turned 70 but hadn't reached my 100th yet. 

Finally on Saturday 25th March, I was on the track and set out alone to do my hundredth Parkrun. Not far into the walk, I suddenly doubled over with severe chest pains. My friends Helen and Marelize were just behind me. Helen asked if she should accompany me back to the Waffle Hut. I shook my head, thinking IMAGINE having to turn back on this auspicious walk! 

As I stood up and relaxed, the chest pains subsided (turned out nothing serious, a rumbling ulcer😰) I started to walk with my two friends. On the last 400 meters, our photographer, Ann, was waiting to snap me

The ladies in blue and yellow. were instrumental in getting me to the finish line! 

Moi, after my 100th Parkrun achievement, with

Ezmarie, our Parkrun Director 

The two Run Directors congratulated me on my 100th and both said, "Now you can come back to volunteering! "

Don't miss the next post...

Note: ** Skabby is 100% healed. We will be going back to walking the Parkrun again during the cooler months.