parkrun, lap two

Great news, its mainly a British thing from what i can see, loads of saddos flooding events chasing number sequences

parkrun hq now take the names from Google Maps pretty much although I'm sure the Y name did cross their minds!

Kilcock is practically flat out and back on the canal.

Naas is pretty flat, gentle hill you hit twice but a nice decline 3 times for the finish

Corkagh pretty flat too

Goosed in all of the above if anyway windy though

Get the dart to shanganagh parkrun

Thanks Guerilla. That’s very do able. There were only 4 people under 20 at the last Donabate event. Hence why I thought Malahide might be easier (bigger field to follow/ be pulled by!)

Fantastic! when I don’t get many chances at running parkruns in Ireland, I obsess a little over the choices. The dirt paths of Malahide I am curious about - given rain over next days, if they’ll be a mess/ ok.

Thanks py! I scratched Fairview because I read it is hilly (3 x inclines) and on grass (wet would be slow). Do you disagree?

Ringsend? Do you mean poolbeg? I did that once during a storm and i have nightmares of that 180 turn around at the top of the hill :-)

Thanks so much! I hated having to turn so sharply. My experiences are coloured by Storm Deirdre - i do not know what possessed me to go when the weather was that bad hah

yep - you're right - the course looks great and flat. But so few running around 20 min mark - hence why i ruled it out!

It is a mental illness. One which many of us seem to have. I recall being nearly bent double running into the wind on one parkrun. Don't recall which but it was probably St Annes. Another time in Sligo the rain was torrential with a puddle at the start finish area that was nearly up to my knees. That was my first top 10 finish tbf as only 8 other people were lunatic enough to attend 🤣

It can be windy down in the valley in Waterstown at times, but not that often. You're far more likely to hit a headwind in the last 400m as you climb back towards the top.

Went to malahide. Absolutely awful weather for July. Not a storm but chucking it down. Reminded me of your comment on the lunacy 🙂

thought the course was fantastic overall. I got confused as I expected to be able to follow someone and it was a little more spare self attended. My advice to anyone doing it for the first time and maybe a bit towards the front - do have a look at the route properly first :-)

I wasn’t sure where some of the turns were and the person ahead of me was just a bit too far ahead and I couldn’t see where he’d gone.

re the grass: it’s not much. Even in the pouring rain, it was the slightest thing to deal with. Rest of the surface is super. Route in my view is as flat as you need.

and I got my sub 20 so now I love the course 😆

I have been on some course without marshalls or signage where the leader needs to turn and ask which way to go. Waterstown would be a good example. Luckily they have a resident fast guy who can lead the way. Your brain working harder doesn't help when you don't know whether to turn or go straight.🤣

Been meaning to visit that one, if nothing else but to get a selfie with the excellent chalk art they do every week.