Happy New Year!

Some of our regulars enjoying their first runs of the New Year

We here at River Valley parkrun would like to wish you all a very happy New Year. 2020 is behind us and while we are in Level 5 again, there is a lot to look forward to already this year, so let's focus on the positives and make the most of what we can. 

 A bit of Exploration

Okay, let's be honest, level 5 is not the best way to start the year but there are undoubtedly some positives to it. In the last week, we have seen lots of people back out exploring their local environments and taking in both familiar and unfamiliar routes. Pictured above is the estuary which is gorgeous throughout the year but on a clear, bright day it really is a special place. Many people are taking the opportunity to run and walk around this gorgeous area. 

Staying even closer to home, people are exploring our park again and are quickly realising how different it is in the winter in comparison to the summer. Little tip everyone, wear boots with a good grip or you may end up like poor Zoe. On a recent walk with Pete down by Usher's Lake, they quickly realised that things can get pretty precarious quickly, as you can see from this photo below. Thankfully Zoe saw the funny side of things but please do be careful if you are out and about in the park. 

Be Careful Out There

While we do think it is great to get out and explore, we also want to caution people about the dangers of running and walking in the wintry conditions. Zoe was clearly unhurt in the picture above but there is a distinct possibility of slipping on ice at the moment. The Whatsapp group has been full of people advising each other to be extra careful this week as the paths freeze over. 

If you are getting out, there are some steps that you can take to keep safe. 

1. Head out later in the day. The frost and ice will melt so if you don't have to get out too early, wait until it is a bit clearer. 

2. Make sure that you can see the paths clearly. If needed, bring a torch to see in the darker conditions. Also, make sure to wear reflective clothes so that cars and other pedestrians can see you. 

3. Carry a phone or some sort of identification with you. I personally hate running with my phone but I would not like to be in a position where I cannot get in touch with someone if I do experience some misfortune. The parkrun bands that can be bought on the website have a place for personal information on them and may be worth investing in at the moment. It is a good idea to let people know your route as well before you head out.

4. Run loops instead of further distances. Bryan went out for a long run on Saturday. While only half way around, the paths began to freeze. This meant that the last 8 to 10 kilometres were more like ice skating than running. Instead of choosing a big loop or an out and back route, try and run multiple short laps. That way, if the paths do freeze, you will not be too far from home.

5. Finally, be wary. Keep looking ahead of you to see if there are any patches of ice. You will not always be able to see the ice so be prepared to run on the grass if necessary. Always choose the safest route possible.

While we do not get the worst conditions in comparison to other places, there are some other helpful hints in this article for running on snow and ice. 

https://www.runtothefinish.com/running-on-ice-tips/

Even the ducks of Ushers Lake are struggling with the conditions.

Challenge Yourself

While things are closed due to lockdown, we have the opportunity to get outside and engage in more running and walking. This was very evident in the first lockdown as many people took up running for the first time. Now that we are in our third lockdown, it may be time to set yourself a challenge. This ties in perfectly with a few initiatives that are happening at the moment. 

Firstly, we have parkrun Resolution. We mentioned this last week. It is an 8-week initiative in which parkrun are asking you to choose something that you hope to achieve over the next few weeks. What would you like to achieve? Two runs a week? Run your first 10km? Maybe even push for a half marathon? This will be unique to everyone but try and choose something that is attainable but that will give you a sense of achievement after completion. 

We know that there are quite a few of you who have signed up for Ray Darcy's Marathon a Week Challenge for Laura Lynn foundation. It is a bit of a Ronseal challenge, it is exactly as it sounds. Run the distance of a marathon each week for the whole year. This equates to about 6km a day every day for the year. While this may not be for everyone, we think it is a great challenge to set and applaud everyone who is giving it a go.   

For those of you that feel this is a bit much, why not look at the Strava group. Strava has monthly challenges that may give you a focus such as 5km, 10km, half marathon, 100km a month, run climbing challenges and more. For each activity that you complete, you get a digital finishers badge to add to your virtual trophy case. Of course, there are other running apps that offer challenges, the point is that they may give you something to reach for over the next couple of months. 

The Strava Group

Speaking of Strava, here are the stats for the last week. 

Furthest distance this week goes to David Gargan with 76.3km, followed closely by another Gargan, Ann Marie with 68.9km. Stephen Reid completes the top 3 with 48.9km. Stephen is aiming to complete the Laura Lynn challenge and is already well on his way. Well done Stephen. 

Longest run this week goes to Bryan with 21.2km. Stephen is just behind him with 21.1km. Bryan also takes fastest average pace with 4:49 minutes a kilometre. 

David Gargan takes the highest elevation gain as well with 437 metres with Ross just behind him on 420 metres. Ross is busy training for a couple of Iron Mans that he has signed up for this year. His training seems to be going particularly well as he was out cycling up Howth Hill this week and followed it up with an 11km run afterwards.

(Not) parkrun

Look at how close these results are!

At the time of writing, the results are very, very close! Clonbur Woods and St Anne's are battling it out at the top once again and are currently level on the number of parkrunners. Never mind that though, we are level with Erris at the moment! Have you logged your runs this week? If you haven't, don't forget to do it before 12 o' clock tonight. There is still time to get out for a run this week (but remember our tips above if you are). Hopefully we can get that fourth place this week! We are currently beating Erris on the number of runs completed but remember, it is the number of parkrunners that decides the table. 

This week we have only one first timer on our results board but he is not really a first timer at all as he is a regular at River Valley. Well done Cesar Garcia, hopefully we will see your name on the board again next week. We had four Personal Bests this week, congratulations to Linda Leonard, Fergal Beirne, Claire McCarville and Fiona Dowling. 

First finisher this week is Mo McCrohan. We had tipped Mo to top that table a couple of weeks ago, great running Mo. Philip Elliott is in second place with last week's first finisher Francesco Petroni rounding out the top three. First female finisher is Sigita Zonberga, while Imelda Kavanagh and Teresa Carroll were second and third female finishers respectively. Great running ladies. 

We think that our harping on about the Junior Runners being shown up by some of our, em, more mature runners, may have sunk in as we had no less than 6 Juniors on our results board this week. Well done to Sean McCarthy, Caoimhe McCarthy, Sadhbh Beirne, Aaron Beirne, Luke Beirne and Rachel McCarthy. 

Until Next Week

That's it for this week folks. Hopefully you all have a good, safe week. #loveparkrun #staysafe