Volunteering at Park Run

There are not many things which will drag me out of bed at 7:30am on a drizzly Saturday morning but this weekend I found myself heading out to Park Run. Unlike the other, shamefully few, times that I have headed to Park Run I wasn't running it but instead volunteering.

Park Run relies on volunteers to make sure that it goes ahead each week and remains free for its runners. When I saw an appeal from Mile End Park Run on Facebook for volunteers this weekend I decided to put my name down. My role was Marshal and I was looking forward to seeing another side of the Park Run experience.

I was paranoid about being late and overestimated the run there so arrived 15mins early which resulted in a cold and wet wait in the park. However, another of the volunteers was also early and it was great to chat to someone who had not only been to the Mile End Park Run a number of times but was a bit of a Park Run tourist as well having tried a few others out.

I was shown to my marshalling point and left to get on with, well, being a marshal. The only problem is I wasn't sure exactly what I should be doing. Having only been to Park Run twice I wasn't sure whether I should woop and cheer people up the hill or whether I should just act as a marker to show people the correct route. Wanting to be a crowd pleaser I opted for polite clapping and a smile... but must admit to feeling extremely awkward throughout.

It was a great experience, watching people take on the Park Run and to see the reaction of other park users as a group of runners hurtle round the course. I was asked by a couple of people about what we were all doing, one runner and the rest just curious park goers. A family walking their dog paused and cheered for a bit and then carried on with their Saturday morning.

Despite feeling awkward I am glad that I had the chance to volunteer and it certainly made me realise the amount of people and the dedication of the coordinators it takes to make sure Park Run happens every week.

Have you visited your local Park Run? Ever thought about volunteering?

Fit not thin

For years I have been obsessed with the what the scales have to tell me, sweating over a pound, always aiming for a new target. I even had an app on my phone that let me chart my weight loss only adding to my obsessive weighing.

I have never been skinny but equally I have never been overweight. But it didn't hit me until I started to run miles a week and physically see that my body was toning up that I realised maybe what I weighed wasn't the most important factor. My weight hasn't dropped drastically but my body shape has changed hugely.

Which is when I started to look into other ways to measure my changing shape and stumbled across the Body Fat Percentage Calculator. I used the measurement method putting my height, waist, neck and hip measurements into a calculator online and was given a percentage which then fitted into one of the below categories:

Women

10-12% Essential Fat
14-20% Athletes
21-24% Fitness
25-31% Acceptable
32%+ Overweight/Obese

Men

2-4% Essential Fat
6-13% Athletes
14-17% Fitness
18-25% Acceptable
26%+ Overweight/Obese

I was pleasantly surprised to see that I fell almost smack bang in the middle of the "Fitness" category. Now for a girl who loves cake and big dinners it really did show that what I am doing is right. I don't have to live off salad leaves and steer clear of carbs. I can eat healthily and heartily as long as I am willing to focus on exercise rather than starvation. It seems obvious but this was a big realisation for me having opted for diets over exercise terrified of looking unfeminine and "ripped".

So now that I have had my epiphany and am determined to be fit not thin I won't be so terrified of the extra helping of pasta after a particularly gruelling run.

How do you chart your progress?

Review: YFumble

After years in the Brownies I have learnt to prepare for every eventuality which results in my handbag being full of everything from a pack of bobby pins to nail varnish to a magnet (don't ask why!) This is fine when matching an oversized bag to your outfit... not such a great quality when heading out on a run...

When the weather was cooler I could fill the pockets up on my Sweaty Betty Running Jacket (probably the best running item I have ever bought) but since the temperatures have started to climb I have been hunting for an alternative for carrying my:

• Oyster Card
• Bank Card
• Asthma Inhaler
• Mobile Phone
• Keys

After sending out a request on twitter a surprising amount of people suggested the YFumble and after spying the pink camo version I could not wait for it to arrive.

The YFumble passed the first test - my obnoxiously large phone (Samsung Galaxy Note) can fit into it along with everything else... yes everything!

Second test - it looked great - I love the pink camo.

Unfortunately, the third test didn't go so well. Running with the YFumble is fine, it is comfortable and takes up hardly any space when chucked in my gym bag. But, as I run with an app on my phone I often want to take a glance at the screen or pause it to do some strength exercises which is where the issue lies. Taking my phone in and out of the YFumble when on my arm and when having got my sweat on becomes trickier than taking off a sports bra. Then putting it back on is another ordeal.

I really wanted to like this product and was desperate for it to be a solution to my problem but, after several runs with it, I am finding it more of a frustration than a help.

Anyone got any other solutions?

My Brighton Marathon team needs YOU!

So I am running the 2014 Brighton Marathon... and this is only just starting to sink in. Since September 2011 I have been working as a fundraiser for the Bromley by Bow Centre, a community organisation based in Tower Hamlets... and that's where this whole "running a marathon" idea began...

I can remember the moment I first decided to try running – I was cheering on a group of five 2012 Brighton Marathon runners who had spent months training and fundraising on behalf of the Centre. The atmosphere of everyone cheering, the positivity and camaraderie of all of the runners really captured my imagination. That evening, despite having never gone for a run and not owning a pair of trainers, I bought a place on my first ever half marathon taking place that autumn.

I was excited about getting out there for my first run, pulled on my plimsolls and went for an ambitious 3 mile run. Less than 10 minutes into the run I was exhausted, out of breath and panicking about the task I had set myself. But, I persevered and completed my half marathon, and another a few months later. Running for me has become more than just training for a race, it is how I unwind after a day at work and having moved to a new area recently it has given me the opportunity to explore where I live. Friends from school who remember me in PE lessons regularly comment on their surprise at my new found love of running – they can remember me hiding in the changing rooms when Cross Country was on the cards!

Running the Brighton Marathon in 2014 will mean a huge amount for me – not only because it is the race that inspired me to try running but also because I will be raising money for the Centre. The Centre is an incredibly special place and somewhere I regularly feel privileged to work. Walking through the park is guaranteed to brighten even the gloomiest Monday morning as you bump into Francis and Maria tending the plants in the flower garden or pass a classroom full of learners talking excitedly to one another. I regularly get talking to someone in the café and hear just a snippet of what the Centre means to them and it is that which will keep me going for 26.2 miles.

Which brings me onto the second part of my challenge – I am looking for five enthusiastic fundraisers to join my Brighton Marathon team for 2014! As a team we will support each other through the training, share our top tips and keep each other motivated. It is going to be fun, we will explore London together, our neighbourhoods and discover new places. We will put our mental and physical strength to the test and we will realise that we can do so much more than we thought possible.

A marathon is more than 26.2miles – it is a bringing together of people of different backgrounds, abilities and ages. It is sharing an experience with 1000's of people you have never met and who are undertaking the same challenge for all different reasons. This is what makes a marathon amazing!

Together we will take on the Brighton Marathon on behalf of the Bromley by Bow Centre!

If you are interested in joining my Brighton Marathon team let me know by commenting below or emailing me on:Jasmine.Morris@bbbc.org.uk