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I found this to be true, and that it perfectly dovetailed with TFA. When I was at my absolute depth (so far…) back in 2013, I would see my counsellor at 1130 o

by darrenf 8mo ago

I found this to be true, and that it perfectly dovetailed with TFA. When I was at my absolute depth (so far…) back in 2013, I would see my counsellor at 1130 on a Saturday. I’d be able to recount the darkness of the previous 7 days in stark vivid detail, yet cheerfully and not feeling at all depressed in the moment. The counsellor asked what I did on Saturday morning except the session and my answer was, well I do Parkrun[0] of course. I always do Parkrun. It’s in my calendar, it’s not really negotiable. It might have been the only time I managed to get out of bed all week, but, I mean, how can I possibly skip Parkrun? I never actually linked the exercise to the boost in my mental health until I had it pointed out to me at that moment. I go for a run and I feel better because of the run. I would spend the whole 5km stewing and ruminating and maybe in tears but half hour after getting home I could function! it’s stuck with me ever since, and I’ve never (yet) been so down again. Tomorrow will be my 429th Parkrun :) [0] https://www.parkrun.com/ https://www.parkrun.com/

cheald 8mo ago
That's amazing! I'm so glad for you that you found something that works and which can keep you going!
bmicraft 8mo ago
This reads like an ad. Why would you capitalize it like a product name and then even link to the website? I still have no idea what it really is. From the name I'd think you're going for a run at a local park. The website calls it a "5k and 2k community event", what that's supposed to mean I have no clue. It insists you either "join" or "volunteer", all while being as non-specific as possible why I should even care 2/5k what? people? distance? currency? number of events? It almost reads like in-group speak of a cult I don't partake in. -- Rant over --
- Jtsummers 8mo ago
  5k is a common distance for runs. 2k would be a shorter run/walk event, it's more common when you have kids participating. It's not confusing, just normal language. No cults involved unless you think running is a cult. The "k" is for "kilometer" in case you're still confused.
  - bmicraft 8mo ago
    5k is not a distance. 5km, 5 thousand feet or yards are. I've never heard of this weird and unnecessary "abbreviation"
    - Jtsummers 8mo ago
      > 5k is not a distance. 5km, 5 thousand feet or yards are. I answered that question already, try reading my earlier comment. And if you think it's weird, take it up with people from last century when they started using that abbreviation.
      - synecdoche 8mo ago
        For an international audience it's ambiguous. 5 k of what could one reasonably wonder.
        jimnotgym 8mo ago
        Even with context? Even with a link? I mean I feel annoyed every time I see a new technology on hn, only to find it is another js framework after clicking the link, finding it says nothing useful, then typing it into Wikipedia. I don't typically come on and complain about it.
        roryirvine 8mo ago
        It's in relation to a run, though - what else could it mean but distance? Steps? Maybe, but I've genuinely never heard of that being used as a goal when running. Seconds? Again, it's a possibility, but it'd be more usual to say something like "1h23-ish" - and, besides, that'd be a really odd time to pick. And even in the UK, where many people still measure longer distances in miles, I've never heard anyone talk about a run being however many thousand feet or yards or chains or whatever. All of the first page results for a USA-based google search for "5k" are running-related too, so it can't really be all that ambiguous there either.
    - SecondHandTofu 8mo ago
- darrenf 8mo ago
  I’m advocating not advertising. I capitalise it out of muscle memory. That’s all. FWIW Wikipedia capitalises it as well. I called it out with a link because I expect many folk to be unfamiliar with it, but the nature of parkrun itself — rather than simply going for a 5k[m] run — is intrinsic to the point I was trying to make. 5k is perfectly well understood to be a distance, especially in context, in British English and I’m a Brit. My bad I guess for not adding “m” for (some of) the HN readership. [EDIT: actually, I said 5km! Not my fault if parkrun says 5k, but they are a British organisation) Regardless of that, you were correct that parkrun is indeed a run around a park. I won’t explain any further nor link anywhere lest it be misconstrued as advertising (something that’s proudly free, mind you). Besides which I need to get to and get my running kit on.

by darrenf 8mo ago

cheald 8mo ago

That's amazing! I'm so glad for you that you found something that works and which can keep you going!

bmicraft 8mo ago

This reads like an ad. Why would you capitalize it like a product name and then even link to the website? I still have no idea what it really is. From the name I'd think you're going for a run at a local park. The website calls it a "5k and 2k community event", what that's supposed to mean I have no clue. It insists you either "join" or "volunteer", all while being as non-specific as possible why I should even care 2/5k what? people? distance? currency? number of events? It almost reads like in-group speak of a cult I don't partake in. -- Rant over --

Jtsummers 8mo ago
5k is a common distance for runs. 2k would be a shorter run/walk event, it's more common when you have kids participating. It's not confusing, just normal language. No cults involved unless you think running is a cult. The "k" is for "kilometer" in case you're still confused.
- bmicraft 8mo ago
  5k is not a distance. 5km, 5 thousand feet or yards are. I've never heard of this weird and unnecessary "abbreviation"
  - Jtsummers 8mo ago
    > 5k is not a distance. 5km, 5 thousand feet or yards are. I answered that question already, try reading my earlier comment. And if you think it's weird, take it up with people from last century when they started using that abbreviation.
    - synecdoche 8mo ago
      For an international audience it's ambiguous. 5 k of what could one reasonably wonder.
      - jimnotgym 8mo ago
        Even with context? Even with a link? I mean I feel annoyed every time I see a new technology on hn, only to find it is another js framework after clicking the link, finding it says nothing useful, then typing it into Wikipedia. I don't typically come on and complain about it.
      - roryirvine 8mo ago
        It's in relation to a run, though - what else could it mean but distance? Steps? Maybe, but I've genuinely never heard of that being used as a goal when running. Seconds? Again, it's a possibility, but it'd be more usual to say something like "1h23-ish" - and, besides, that'd be a really odd time to pick. And even in the UK, where many people still measure longer distances in miles, I've never heard anyone talk about a run being however many thousand feet or yards or chains or whatever. All of the first page results for a USA-based google search for "5k" are running-related too, so it can't really be all that ambiguous there either.
  - SecondHandTofu 8mo ago
darrenf 8mo ago
I’m advocating not advertising. I capitalise it out of muscle memory. That’s all. FWIW Wikipedia capitalises it as well. I called it out with a link because I expect many folk to be unfamiliar with it, but the nature of parkrun itself — rather than simply going for a 5k[m] run — is intrinsic to the point I was trying to make. 5k is perfectly well understood to be a distance, especially in context, in British English and I’m a Brit. My bad I guess for not adding “m” for (some of) the HN readership. [EDIT: actually, I said 5km! Not my fault if parkrun says 5k, but they are a British organisation) Regardless of that, you were correct that parkrun is indeed a run around a park. I won’t explain any further nor link anywhere lest it be misconstrued as advertising (something that’s proudly free, mind you). Besides which I need to get to and get my running kit on.