A Freedom parkrun is a parkrun run at your own convenience.
Freedom runs could be run on a non event day (i.e. not a Saturday) or at a different time, the point is that its not an organised parkrun event, but it is run on any parkrun course.
Freedom runs can be run on your own or with others. As long as its run on a parkrun course and is timed it can be recorded as a Freedom run on the parkrun website.
Freedom runs can be treated as training, fun or whatever you like. I often find it hard not to set myself some kind of target when doing a freedom run, but that's just me. I urge every parkrunner to get out there and do a few freedom runs, especially if a Saturday parkrun event is your only weekly run. I'm sure serious runners don't need parkrun to get them out running, but most of the rest of us probably do. I have found that an extra run or two a week (particularly freedom runs) have helped improve my parkrun PB significantly.
One thing that I have found with parkrun is that it is far, far harder to do a fast time when doing a freedom run. Having other runners with and around you at a Saturday parkrun event makes it much easier (relatively speaking) to push yourself towards a PB. I have never managed to get closer than 40 seconds away from my parkrun PB on a Freedom run.
Personally, I have now run 20 freedom parkruns. I have run them both on my own and with my brother Andy. Both are fun, but running with someone else tends to make it just a little bit easier if you decide to push the pace, as I tend to!
So that's what a Freedom parkrun is. I was getting it confused with parcour ('free running').
ReplyDeleteI'm actually quite relieved - I had images of you and Andy in hoodies, vaulting bins, somersaulting over benches, terrifying old ladies and earning yourselves a couple of Asbos into the bargain.