Why I do parkrun | News and events

Fiona O'Mahony is our Programme Manager for ICS Sustainability, she tells us why she takes part in parkrun as we come up to 'parkrun for the NHS' on 8 July.

"The big push was the stone and a half weight gain during Covid! I was determined not to buy new clothes. Both my parents have high cholesterol and  high blood pressure. The genes were not in my favour, as I reached and passed I though middle age.

"I started at the back of the pack when I started going to my local parkrun at Ferry Meadows in Peterborough. I dragged myself around but felt supported by many others; some people walked the route weekly. People with physical disabilities, cheerily plodded around. I was not alone. Little by little, my time improved. Moving to a job where I worked totally from home where I'm now sitting all day, I started to get out every morning before work for a short run or walk. I moved slowly up through the ranks. Slowly I realised that although I still felt awful after I finished (where was that adrenaline rush they all talk about?), I was getting better.  

"This is really helpful with the challenges of life: raising a teenager, worrying about  90 yr old parents, 12 years of menopause hot flushes) all of which contribute to the good old mid-life crisis!"

"Recently I completed my 50^th parkrun. Strangely I found myself at the local parkrun, in the field which backs onto my family home in Ireland. I had gone to help my parents. It was where my Dad (a sprinter) trained as a young man. My husband had come over to join me for the weekend.  My time was awful (tricky course) but I felt a sense of achievement and full circle."