Raphael parkrun

The usual Friday night messaging between me and Other Dan. Barking parkrun was considered but Other Dan said it was cancelled this week. Beckton parkrun was next on our list but then Other Dan realised that the local roads would be closed due to the London Triathlon. We both thought of Pymmes parkrun but I plumped for Raphael parkrun. It’s further away and more awkward to get to but we both had time available so better to tackle one of the distant Lon-Done set.

We weren’t the only visitors as we once again bumped into fellow Eagle parkrun tourists Simon, Alf, and Catherine. We’re not stalking each other, honest! If we plan out a schedule in advance then invariably one group can’t make it. If we don’t talk to each other then invariably we end up at the same event.

Other Dan drove as The Son accompanied us in a non-running capacity He’s still getting over jet lag from his recent visit to Japan so didn’t fancy the run. We left him wandering the park to find food & drink as we ran the 3 lap course (2 large laps and 1 much small loop). Not a great run for me this week as I’m suffering from some sort of bug. Stomach problems last week and now headaches, lack of sleep, and a high temperature. I shouldn’t really have run but the Lon-Done set isn’t going to get completed if I’m stuck at home.

Raphael Park (pronounced “ray-fel” by the locals) is a lovely location for a parkrun with a bunch of enthusiastic volunteers. It’s a flat course with a few ‘bumps’ to keep things interesting. We didn’t have time to stay for a coffee afterwards but the event team do head to the local cafe once the event is wound down. If you’re after more information then I recommend the ever excellent blog7t post about his visit to the event.