It was 6:44 am.
We walked carefully but quickly over the wet, short grass.
We were headed to the far side of a random paddock we'd never been to before.
Despite knowing there would be a crowd, I was still shocked to see hundred of people excitedly talking and waiting.
We were in a country town in the middle of nowhere, a long drive south of Brisbane in the already-remote Queensland, Australia.
It was as if people from far and wide got a secret invite to "A party in a paddock. Be there by 7 am!"
I laughed to myself as I thought back to my nightclubbing days and said out loud to no one but myself, "This is my kind of party".
And indeed it was.
Instead of cramming nearly two hundred people into a dark, indoor room with flashing lights and dark corners we were outside as the sun was rising.
Instead of being fueled by alcohol we were fueled by water or breakfast.
Instead of the goal being to pick up a stranger on the dancefloor we were finding and hugging friends as we prepared for the goal of completing 5 km as fast as each of us could manage with our own two feet.
Once, our capable hosts (dressed in Star Wars themed clothes for May the Fourth ) got us set up, we were off and long conversations ensued between the huffing and puffing of running hard (not anything else ๐).
I ran alongside a local running friend I hadn't seen in ages and chatted about work, parenting and navigating life.
Fun interruptions came in the form of spotting kangaroos in a nearby field, and calling out to running mates who were also at this secret location to collect a "J". And eventually, our own partners swung back around to run us home.
With the hot, sweaty stuff done we headed to coffee. Along the way someone who I'd done university with more than 20 years ago spotted me and we roped him for coffee chats too.
By the time food and drinks were done, instead of "calling it a night", at 3 am, like I would have done in my clubbing days, we called it "a good start to the day" as we left the others around 9 am to explore the local town before heading home.
I left that party with wet feet from the very wet grass, instead of sore feet from stupid high heels.
I left that party feeling better in my body for the exercise, instead worse for all the alcohol.
And I left that party feeling good about all the connecting and conversations, instead feeling grossed out by my own actions and the actions of others.
Yep, a new parkrun in a new location is my kind of party. ๐
{All photos by @new.things. Used with his permission.}
Could have almost been classed as a hive meetup now I have got @vardatarmaion88 on board.
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That country grass is just that much more difficult to brush off the shoes. Iโm surprised you didnโt go barefoot on this one
It would have been a good one to go barefoot actually. You're right! Ah, next time. If I get fast enough again to run sub 23 minutes on a fast, flat course I might go back to a bunch of parkruns and get a new PB.
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โค๏ธ @bhattg suggested sagarkothari88 to upvote your post โค๏ธ
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