Soooooo, this weekend in the Weekend Experiences Community Galen offered several prompts. The one that immediately jumped out at me was this:
Weekend collection
Do you collect anything and if so what is it, why and when did you begin the collection?
Aaaah, yes. Glad you asked.
Heard of a little thing called parkrun? I'm kind of obsessed.
parkrun (all lowercase, all one word) is a free, weekly, timed community event run every Saturday morning in at least 20 countries around the world 🌎 in something like 2000+ locations.
I started my parkrun journey in August 2018 and have gone to a parkrun somewhere almost every single Saturday since.
{Of course, there was an unexpected break for many months in 2020 for some inconvenient pandemic thingy. But once the peak of the threat had passed it was back to business as usual.}
Why am I obsessively collecting parkruns?
Probably, if I'm honest, for a few reasons.
1. I really like running.
Every parkrun is a measured 5km course so it's a great distance when I'm feeling great and it's still a manageable distance for me (who has been running basically my whole life) when I'm feeling... less than great.
2. I really like travelling.
While some people go to the same parkrun location every single Saturday some of us travel around and collect different locations. For example, we are currently in Melbourne and tomorrow is Saturday so we'll be going to Albert Park parkrun. While I have already collected this one, Brad hasn't and since he gets me what I want so often we're going to get him something he wants.
3. I really like inclusively.
parkrun as an organisation (and a movement) has a really inclusive nature about it. I've seen parkrunners as young as 4 and as old as 90 something at parkrun. I've seen visually impaired walkers and runners and people with intellectual disabilities. I've been many a very lean, very fit, very fast runner as well as many very overweight adults struggling to complete the 5km. All of them amaze me. All of them inspire me. I love that parkrun is a space where all of these differences are included along with all ethnic background, all professional backgrounds, all income levels and all genders can come together.
4. (Pandemic notwithstanding) parkrun is always there but I don't have to be.
I love that I can turn up and that I don't have to. I love that I can hang my otherwise, every changing week around it but I don't have to commit to being there. There's freedom and opportunity for me there without an obligation and that suits me really well.
5. I met my adventure-buddy-life-partner at parkrun.
Not only is it something he was collecting before we even met, it's something we continue to do, and love doing, together. We plan out trips and travel around collecting new parkruns and it makes our holiday planning easier as it narrows down the choices.
So, now you've seen my why's, my reasons for collecting parkruns. You've learned what parkrun is and, by now, probably have a sense of what it's actually like.
But I can hear you ask:
"How many do you actuallyhave* of this thing you're collecting, Caroline?"*
Oh well, I'm so glad you asked!
Right now, on this Friday night in Australia, before going to parkrun tomorrow morning, I have run or walked 198 parkruns in total and I've done those parkruns over 132 locations including ones in (Australia in the following States & Territories:) Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the North & South Islands of New Zealand.
And since every event is run by volunteers, I also "vollie" regularly. I've collected 75 parkrun days of volunteering at something like 32 different locations across 22 different roles.
So that's what I collect. What do you collect?
You can tell me in the comments below or write your own post in the Weekend Experiences Community this weekend and participate in this fun initiative.
{Photo 1 was taken by 
Photo 2 was taken by me, at Sirromet parkrun - a rare parkrun that's held on private land; a winery! - while I was being Tailwalker.
Photo 3 was taken by a parkrun volunteer whose job was to photograph the morning. That's the back of me while I was briefing all the first timers to that parkrun course. I love this photo, so I had to include it!}
Still reading? Tell me what you collect in the comments, right? 😉