First and last time running in Tymon Park alone

jcsmum

I ran in Tymon park for the first time on Sunday with Dotcomdolly and Rainbow Kirby, so I decided to go for a run there yesterday evening - I had decided to do 2 laps of the 3k loop which starts at the children's playground, goes around the playing fields, around the lake and back around more playing fields and ends back at the playground again.
So DH and DS went to one of the fields with a ball for a little kick around and I set off. Nice pleasant evening, slight breeze, lots of people walking & running. Was keeping a good pace, 16:30 for the first 3k lap. I begin my second lap. I am running over near the lake and I can sense somebody behind me on a bicycle, so I make sure to keep running in a straight line. Next thing 'whack'. Some little cretin, I'm rubbish at ages, probably 12 or 13 has slapped me on the ass and is cycling off into the distance. he is dressed in black with a hoodie pulled up over his head. :mad:

Man, do I wish then and there I could turn into Jamie Summers or even one of the experienced runners on here and leg it after him and reef him off that bike. But it was after 4 or 5k and I was puffing and panting and all I could manage was to roar some profanities after him.
But I do pride myself on the fact that I kept on running, I think i was so enraged that anger got me back to the finish point.

I was in two minds about telling the park wardens but due to some dented pride, I decided against. I just went home and accepted all the sympathy I could gather from DH.
Even writing this now, I'm getting angry and annoyed, so I better stop.

happy thoughts happy thoughts....... sub 40 next Saturday morning.....

Mick Rice

I really can imagine how that would be upsetting, but I hope it doesn't put you off running in the park. If you can at all, get back out there. I'm sorry to hear that you had to suffer that, but hopefully it was a one-off and you'll enjoy other runs in the Park.

TheRoadRunner

I wouldn't let a little prat like that put you off running in Tymon. Something like that could happy anywhere. If you search through the threads on here you will see similar stories of people getting stuff/abuse throw at them etc.

A few months back a guy on a bike whacked me on the back of the head. We managed to catch up with him half a mile later. The look of terror on the guys face made me feel a little better.

cwgatling

That's terrible. Cheeky little f*cker.

2nd Row Donkey

Hey JCSmum.

I use Tymon park all the time, I never heard of anything like that happening to anyone them before (the other half and her sister run there all the time too).

However, it’s probably best that you didn't catch him because once you put your hands on a juvenile , you probably wouldn’t have a leg to stand on if the parents/gardaí got involved.

Try to coax him into an ambush the next time your near those lakes... just as he's about to slap you, spin around and gently tip him in the direction of the waters!:D .. hopefully that'll scare him off ever doing it again.

jcsmum

Thanks for the nice posts but to be honest, there are other places for me to run. I usually run on the footpath or in Marlay. I've never had an incident there. Okay, you might have the odd eejit or eejits roar out a car window but nothing like being slapped.

Once slapped bitten twice shy.

Anyway I don't think DH will allow me to go over there on my own again!

W.B. Yeats

jcsmum wrote: »

Thanks for the nice posts but to be honest, there are other places for me to run. I usually run on the footpath or in Marlay. I've never had an incident there. Okay, you might have the odd eejit or eejits roar out a car window but nothing like being slapped.

Once slapped bitten twice shy.

Anyway I don't think DH will allow me to go over there on my own again!

I was running in Tymon last night- I did that 3k loop around by the lake 2.5 times.
There were a bunch of young lads around on bikes alright because I remember thinking that I had never seen young fellows on bikes in the park like that before.
I commiserate totally and you were really unlucky that he chanced upon you with nobody around because the place was jammed.
There were quite a few runners out and about- I'd still call the park wardens office in Tymon at this late stage because they seem very proactive about keeping law and order in the place, I'd say they'd love nothing more than helping a damsel in distress.
If there are regular groups running there perhaps we could set up a meet and run?

Dotcomdolly

Aw man, what a lousy thing to happen, you must have been shook :eek:

jcsmum

Yeah I saw the bunch of guys on bikes, but this guy was a loner. It wasn't one of them. Yeah, he was very brave alright, waiting til I was on a stretch where nobody was around, because the park was very busy last night.

I know I should have probably told the warden in case it happened to somebody else. But I think I was part embarassed, part upset and I really just wanted to get home and forget about it.

jcsmum

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

Aw man, what a lousy thing to happen, you must have been shook :eek:

Where was the Frank Duffy ninja to keep me safe!!!

tunguska

jcsmum wrote: »

Even writing this now, I'm getting angry and annoyed, so I better stop...

Im getting angry just reading this, can only imagine how furious you must be jcsmum. Bad experience and I can understand you never wanting to go back to Tymon park. I'm down there twice a day, every day and never had any problems. But I suppose Im a bloke and that kind of thing wouldnt happen to us anyway.
I think the problem is that all the kids are off school for the summer and the weather is fine at the moment so they'll hang out in the park. I mean during last summers washout I pretty much had the park to myself no matter what time of the day I went there at. So the good aimsir does have its drawbacks.
You probably shouldve reported it to the park rangers. I know those guys and they're top fellas. Trust me they would've went after and caught that little scumbag.
Anyway sorry to hear about the bad experience and hopefully nothing like that will ever happen to you again. Good luck on saturday.

average_runner

Dont let that put you off.


Running on the roads i had eggs thrown at my legs but missed, some water balloons but they were kids so thats ok, and hard boil egg from a ditch at a close distance, now that annoyed me.


Also had one car reverse at me and i hit it a smack!

2nd Row Donkey

W.B. Yeats wrote: »

I was running in Tymon last night- I did that 3k loop around by the lake 2.5 times.
There were a bunch of young lads around on bikes alright because I remember thinking that I had never seen young fellows on bikes in the park like that before.
I commiserate totally and you were really unlucky that he chanced upon you with nobody around because the place was jammed.
There were quite a few runners out and about- I'd still call the park wardens office in Tymon at this late stage because they seem very proactive about keeping law and order in the place, I'd say they'd love nothing more than helping a damsel in distress.
If there are regular groups running there perhaps we could set up a meet and run?

There certainly appears to be quite a few of us. We probably run by each other all the time. I'd be interest, although i have a newborn at home so its not always possible for me to commit to to times but keep me in the loop if anything develops!

2nd Row Donkey

average_runner wrote: »

Dont let that put you off.


Running on the roads i had eggs thrown at my legs but missed, some water balloons but they were kids so thats ok, and hard boil egg from a ditch at a close distance, now that annoyed me.


Also had one car reverse at me and i hit it a smack!

:eek: Really. I've been running for a few years, originally in the Blanchardstown area and now Tallaght and I've never had so much as a dirty look from anyone.

W.B. Yeats

2nd Row Donkey wrote: »

:eek: Really. I've been running for a few years, originally in the Blanchardstown area and now Tallaght and I've never had so much as a dirty look from anyone.

Is the clue in your username?

2nd Row Donkey

Ha.. Yeah probably. For full effect I should really change my nickname to "6ft tall, 15 stone 2nd Row donkey who has permanent scowl on his face"

rainbow kirby

jcsmum wrote: »

Where was the Frank Duffy ninja to keep me safe!!!

Still in bed :pac::)

As someone else mentioned - a meet and run sounds like quite a good idea.

geld

Sorry to hear about that Jcsmum.

I use Tymon and Marlay but thankfully haven't had an experience like that. Tymon is a big park and I use it for my LSR's but being a fella I never think about being attacked etc.

Two things to say to you - don't let some gobsh**te prevent you from going back.

Secondly I think you should in your own time report the incident to the Park Ranger and the Gardai if only to try and prevent it happening to someone else. I appreciate that you probably want to be shut of it but it is the right thing to do.

Go for that sub 40 next Saturday morning!

InTheTrees

Very sorry to hear this.

I think its certainly worth reporting just to be on the record. If the incidents increase something will eventually be done.