PARK RUN 5K -- LOCKDOWN FEATURE #8 - WEEK EIGHT [Well Done you made it]

Continuing with the simple eight week guide to successfully completing a 5k walk. You can walk at the same pace throughout or, if you want, you can alter the pace that you walk as indicated below. Remember that any plan is only a guide, so please do go at your own comfortable pace. Go on you can keep it going we heading into the home stretch now...

WEEK EIGHT

The final week of park walk

Eight weeks ago we launched a really simple and easy walking plan to help anyone build up to walking a 5k 🙌

Here we are the end of the feature, you should be able to get out and complete a 5k run/walk. Well Done ! Celebrate your efforts and achievement. Enjoy life.

Struggling to get your 5 a day?

Our friends at @coopuk are here to help with their Green Goddess Shakshuka recipe packed full of veg goodness! Join @Jennifalconer for Cook with Co-op as she whips up this one pan wonder perfect for the whole family.

PARK RUN 5K -- LOCKDOWN FEATURE #7 - WEEK SEVEN [Get some eggs in]

Continuing with the simple eight week guide to successfully completing a 5k walk. You can walk at the same pace throughout or, if you want, you can alter the pace that you walk as indicated below. Remember that any plan is only a guide, so please do go at your own comfortable pace. Go on you can keep it going we heading into the home stretch now...

WEEK SEVEN

17 Minutes of walking every other day 

(this doesn't have to be done in one go)

+ a 50 minute or approx 4k walk (Alternating 10 minutes faster paced walking and a 5 minute easy) once a week. 

We may be physically apart from each other but we are part of a strong and positive community 🤗 

We’re in this together. We are with you. Keep going.

There will be highs and lows, ups and downs, times when we have a little more confidence and days when we are riddled with self-doubt. This is totally normal, and understandable.

Whilst there is no quick fix, here are a few things that might help you overcome any little bumps in the road:

• It is often really handy to be able to have people to lean on who can support and motivate you, so perhaps you can think about who that person or group of people might be. Or offer to be that supportive shoulder for someone else. Sharing the journey can help with accountability too, in that it gives you someone to report back to and might make you a little bit more likely to stick to a plan.
• If you are doing some form of exercise, have any kit you need ready and accessible, to minimise any prep time before you start (which can often lead to procrastination in getting out of the door!).
• Maybe you could download some uplifting, energising music to listen to before or during a walk or a run – or even choose to dance to that music as a way of injecting some movement into your day. We promise not to tell anyone what your choice of tune might be!
• It can be useful to read true stories or watch videos about those who have overcome adversity and gone on to achieve their goals. It’s easy to think that we are the only ones experiencing challenges, but the truth is that everyone, no matter who they are, has encountered setbacks. You are not alone.
• Have a look at your weekly schedule and try to identify one/two slots where you might regularly have a little time to dedicate to you and your goal, even if it is just a few minutes  – something is always better than nothing. Having a plan, and one that you are likely to stick to, can help to provide structure and help make implementing small changes a little easier.

Did you know that with Happy Egg it is really easy to up your Vitamin D intake through your diet? 🥚🥚🍳

Just two large Happy Eggs include 4.74 micrograms compared to the 3.72 micrograms in 2 average large eggs*, which makes Happy Egg a delicious way to brighten your day!

Vitamin D is great because;

1. It helps us absorb calcium.

2. Strong bones help protect hard-working legs.

3. It can help boost the immune system.

4. It’s been linked to serotonin, the mood-stabilising chemical.

5. It can stimulate the nerves in (busy!) muscles.

*2 large Happy Eggs provide 4.74UG.

Refuelling is important too and Park Run have a partnership with Co-op, get yourself down there for important supplies and why no whip up a quick ham, mushroom and Worcestershire sauce omelette. Yum, always my go to food to use up any 'left overs' in the fridge too, eggs are a great stand by as I maintain that ALL dishes are improved by the addition of a poached egg on top. 

PARK RUN 5k - LOCKDOWN FEATURE #6 - WEEK SIX (Covid Update)

Continuing with the simple eight week guide to successfully completing a 5k walk. You can walk at the same pace throughout or, if you want, you can alter the pace that you walk as indicated below. Remember that any plan is only a guide, so please do go at your own comfortable pace. Go on you can keep it going we heading into the home stretch now...

WEEK SIX

Welcome to week 6️⃣ of #Parkwalk 🎉 
Not started your strive for five journey yet?
Absolutely no problem 💪 

* 15 Minutes of walking every other day
(Still doesn't have to be done in one go)

* + A 40 minute or approx 3k of continuous walking (Alternating 7 mins of faster paced walking and 3 minutes easy pace) once a week.

Just for fun

A seahorse moves at an average of 0.015km per hour. Moving at this speed, it would take the seahorse 333 hours, 20 mins to complete a 5k parkrun 

 -- > 🤣Also known as my lockdown PB !! 💓

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) update February

The coming weeks and months are likely to prove critical as the world strives to overcome the continued challenges presented by COVID-19.

 

Unfortunately, whilst Australia and New Zealand have so far successfully prevented significant levels of infection, both countries are currently experiencing regional lockdowns in response to localised outbreaks. In South Africa, thankfully, cases are dropping rapidly, however the country is still under a significant level of restrictions. And in the northern hemisphere countries that host parkrun events, whilst the vaccine roll-out is progressing, the point at which large public gatherings may resume is far from clear.

 

Next week, the UK Prime Minister will set out his road map for the gradual easing of restrictions and a return to normal life. Clearly, this announcement will have significant implications for the reopening of parkrun across our 1,100 UK locations, and we very much hope that there will be a place for outdoor physical activity events as the country gets back on its feet.

PARK RUN 5K -- LOCKDOWN FEATURE #5 - WEEK FIVE

Continuing with the simple eight week guide to successfully completing a 5k walk. You can walk at the same pace throughout or, if you want, you can alter the pace that you walk as indicated below. Remember that any plan is only a guide, so please do go at your own comfortable pace. Go on you can keep it going we heading into the home stretch now...

WEEK FIVE

• 15 minutes of walking every other day.
  (this doesn’t have to be done in one go)
  
  
• Also try for a 30 minute or approx 2.5k continuous walk once a week. 
  (maybe alternating 5 minutes of faster paced walking and 2 minute steady)

We've reached week 5 of our really simple and easy walking plan 👣 

How are you getting on?

The cold doesn't help I know but trying to keep moving and warm up, wrap up well, then try to vary the route if you can. 

Refuelling is important too and Park Run have a partnership with Co-op, get yourself down there for important supplies and why no whip up a quick ham, mushroom and Worcestershire sauce omelette. Yum, always my go to food to use up any 'left overs' in the fridge too, eggs are a great stand by as I maintain that ALL dishes are improved by the addition of a poached egg on top. 

PARK RUN 5K -- LOCKDOWN FEATURE #4 - WEEK FOUR; Half Way There

You can walk at the same pace throughout or, if you want, you can alter the pace that you walk as indicated below. Remember that any plan is only a guide, so please do go at your own pace and do as much or as little as you can or want, celebrating your progress along the way.

Week four

• 15 minutes of walking every other day at a steady pace (this doesn’t have to be done in one go)
  
  
• If you can, add in a 15 minute or approx 1.5k / 1 mile continuous walk (alternating 3 minutes of faster pace walking and 2 minutes easy) once a week.

Despite the snow and rain, been good to keep getting out there for a good walk, takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to walk into town for either shopping, lunch or as I did last week the first of my two Covid-19 vaccine jabs. Bit sore in the arm after that but otherwise no side effects showing. 

Well done - You’re half way there!

PARK RUN 5K -- LOCKDOWN FEATURE #3 - WEEK THREE

Park Run have launched a really simple and easy walking plan for anyone who wants to build up to completing a 5k. Park Walk is something I have been doing for a while now as someone who is too unfit to contemplate running !! ✊

You can walk at the same pace throughout or, if you want, you can alter the pace that you walk as indicated below. Remember that any plan is only a guide, so please do go at your own pace and do as much or as little as you can or want, celebrating your progress along the way.

Week three

• 15 minutes of walking every other day at a steady pace (this doesn’t have to be done in one go)
• Also try to do a 10-12 minute or approx 1k continuous walk (also try alternating 2 minutes of faster pace walking and 1 minute of easy walking) once a week.

Keep walking 🚶‍♂️ Keep jogging 🏃‍♀️ Keep running 🏃‍♂️

Keep being you 🙌 Keep smiling 😁 Keep going 💪

Keep checking in on each other 🤗

We will get through this together !

PARK RUN 5K -- LOCKDOWN FEATURE #2 - WEEK TWO

You can walk at the same pace throughout or, if you want, you can alter the pace that you walk as indicated below. Remember that any plan is only a guide, so please do go at your own pace and do as much or as little as you can or want, celebrating your progress along the way.

Week Two

Continue with the 15 minutes of walking every other day at an easy pace as we did during week one. (remember, this doesn’t have to be done in one go). Try to add in a 5 minute or 500m continuous walk (you could consider doing 1 minute of faster paced walking and 1 minute of easy walking) once a week.

Regular exercise is good for both body and mind, get moving, even in this wintry weather (be careful of the snow and ice though) as someone who has suffered with his mental health for some years it's good to keep trying to over come the daily battle within. 

The four key components of mental toughness have become known as the 4 C’s:

• Confidence where you believe in yourself and your abilities so that you can achieve success.
• Challenge where your embrace change or new opportunities instead of resistance.
• Control where you believe that you have the power to shape your own destiny.
• Commitment where you set goals and work towards achieving them.

PARK RUN 5K - AN EIGHT WEEK PLAN FOR US TO FOLLOW DURING THIS LOCKDOWN. WEEK #1

Hopefully the start of a two month (or more) program to follow, I have some great friends who have been regular parkrun attendee's for many years. A few years ago I also took to the country park 5k course at Bedfont Lakes and although it was well attended and they provide excellent support I was never going to be a regular and felt somewhat embarrassed being lapped by the regulars ... it was taking me about 45-50 mins to complete, mainly cos I walked it. However I was still a fan of this amazing free activity and it's a truly global phenomenon. You can find out more about this here https://www.parkrun.org.uk/.

So having only been a part time attendee and often doing so once all the regular runners have completed it has not had the impact on my health that I hope it continues to have on so many others. Thankfully the lockdown has made us all think more about exercise, though only so many Joe Wicks sessions I can watch, nice to see Bez (Mark Berry) the former Happy Mondays dancer getting in on this too find out more by searching 'Get Buzzin’ With Bez' on YouTube. Parkrun have also begun another 5k plan but this time aimed at non runners like myself. Parkwalk - Strive For Five, an eight week plan to get us up and moving towards a 5k walk/jog.

Even through all the lockdowns we have experienced the Government has encouraged us to get out and take our exercise and this sort of plan is most welcome for me personally. As someone who is fortunate enough to have been able to work from home my highlight of the week has been the trip to the supermarket for shopping, not seen any friends or family outside of regular Zoom/Teams video calls. 

Week one

15 minutes of walking every other day at an easy pace.
(this doesn’t have to be done in one go, take breaks as you need to)

A nice simple start, gets us up and out and although says every other day will do each day this week as I really need to get away from my 'home office' for a little while.