Katherine Janney
A cold wet windy day in Hobart and I wander up to the local parkrun. After my run I meet up with Katherine Janney, a local dentist, who today is a volunteer marshal.
A: My first question is why do you run?
K: I’m not a good runner. But I do just enjoy being outside. To run is a good way to do that.
A: So how long have you been running for?
K: I started Parkrun at the end of 2016 when I went to Renmark in SA to visit a dental friend and she was an avid Parkrunner.
A: Is she still doing Parkrun?
K: Absolutely. She’s done close to 300. She said you’ve got to do Parkrun. And I said I can’t run five kays and she said it doesn’t matter you can run you can walk you just have to make five kays and that was the start of it all.
A: I think she did you a favour.
K: Absolutely.
A: So you didn’t run when you were at Uni.
K: We had a running group in fifth year. One of the tutors took a group of us out running. So I probably ran once a week. But generally no.
A: So what do you think of the weather today?
K: Typical Tasmanian winter. Probably a bit colder than normal. Snow on the mountain.
A: I think it is actually due to be snow here tonight. Down right where we are at the moment.
K: Yeah it would be good to do a Parkrun in snow.
A: Uhm.
K: You don’t think so.
A: I actually did one in Oslo in winter. That was interesting. Ha Ha.
Oslo parkrun is memorable. Many of the locals wore stops over their shoes to prevent slipping on the ice. A lady left a cake by the finish line to celebrate a milestone. The cake froze solid and was eaten and enjoyed.
K: That is the good thing about Parkrun. You can do it all over the world.
A: That is one thing I love about running. You can do it anywhere. And it doesn’t discriminate against anyone. Everybody is welcome.
K: You don’t need any equipment.
A: Well minimal equipment.
K: Shorts and a t-shirt.
A: And everybody wins. You are not competing against anyone else.
K: Its non-competitive. All ages and abilities can do it. Its lovely to come along and see grandparents and grandkids. We come along as a family. We come along do our own thing but we do it together.
A: That’s exactly right.
A: So do you run apart from Parkrun?
K: Not enough.
K: Sometimes run home from work.
A: Really. Take your running shoes to work. So do you look forward to that during the day?
K: If I finish on time. If I’m running late then I feel no I’m too tired to run.
A: Another thing about Parkrun is you are physically fitter and that helps you when you are working.
K: Yes and you feel better. Saturday morning you’ve run five kays and you feel much better if you’ve done some exercise.
A: I’m thinking today is not ideal. It is wet and cold. But we are still going to do it. Occasionally you have to fill the distal of the 27 on someone gagging with a new nurse and you think difficult but got to do it. That being professional. We’re professionals. Even though it’s wet and cold we turn up.
K: We’re committed. We turn up.
A: Another about Parkrun is it’s social. Do you ever see your patients up here?
K: I do see a few patients up here and they come in and we have a little Parkrun talk and that’s really nice.
A: Your practice did the Point to Pinnacle.
K: Four or five of us walked it.
A: You could talk to patients who had done it.
K: It’s good to be able to talk about something else. It is a good community event.
A: Today is cold. Is this the worse conditions you’ve ever had?
K: Probable not. Once you get moving you warm up. I like running in the cooler climates.
A: I’ve done the parkrun In Darwin and being cold is much nicer than being hot.
K: I did Cottesloe and it was a hot 35 early in the morning.
No offence to the people in Darwin and Cottesloe. We love you both.
I then asked about the runner’s high. We both agreed it was not relevant for us.
K: I do feel good at the end. That I’ve done something. Sometimes I feel like not going and after Parkrun I’m glad I came. I feel better.
A: Felt a bit like that this morning.
K: You feel better now.
A: Yes. I feel fantastic now. Ready for a good cup of coffee.
A: My first question is why do you run?
K: I’m not a good runner. But I do just enjoy being outside. To run is a good way to do that.
A: So how long have you been running for?
K: I started Parkrun at the end of 2016 when I went to Renmark in SA to visit a dental friend and she was an avid Parkrunner.
A: Is she still doing Parkrun?
K: Absolutely. She’s done close to 300. She said you’ve got to do Parkrun. And I said I can’t run five kays and she said it doesn’t matter you can run you can walk you just have to make five kays and that was the start of it all.
A: I think she did you a favour.
K: Absolutely.
A: So you didn’t run when you were at Uni.
K: We had a running group in fifth year. One of the tutors took a group of us out running. So I probably ran once a week. But generally no.
A: So what do you think of the weather today?
K: Typical Tasmanian winter. Probably a bit colder than normal. Snow on the mountain.
A: I think it is actually due to be snow here tonight. Down right where we are at the moment.
K: Yeah it would be good to do a Parkrun in snow.
A: Uhm.
K: You don’t think so.
A: I actually did one in Oslo in winter. That was interesting. Ha Ha.
Oslo parkrun is memorable. Many of the locals wore stops over their shoes to prevent slipping on the ice. A lady left a cake by the finish line to celebrate a milestone. The cake froze solid and was eaten and enjoyed.
K: That is the good thing about Parkrun. You can do it all over the world.
A: That is one thing I love about running. You can do it anywhere. And it doesn’t discriminate against anyone. Everybody is welcome.
K: You don’t need any equipment.
A: Well minimal equipment.
K: Shorts and a t-shirt.
A: And everybody wins. You are not competing against anyone else.
K: Its non-competitive. All ages and abilities can do it. Its lovely to come along and see grandparents and grandkids. We come along as a family. We come along do our own thing but we do it together.
A: That’s exactly right.
A: So do you run apart from Parkrun?
K: Not enough.
K: Sometimes run home from work.
A: Really. Take your running shoes to work. So do you look forward to that during the day?
K: If I finish on time. If I’m running late then I feel no I’m too tired to run.
A: Another thing about Parkrun is you are physically fitter and that helps you when you are working.
K: Yes and you feel better. Saturday morning you’ve run five kays and you feel much better if you’ve done some exercise.
A: I’m thinking today is not ideal. It is wet and cold. But we are still going to do it. Occasionally you have to fill the distal of the 27 on someone gagging with a new nurse and you think difficult but got to do it. That being professional. We’re professionals. Even though it’s wet and cold we turn up.
K: We’re committed. We turn up.
A: Another about Parkrun is it’s social. Do you ever see your patients up here?
K: I do see a few patients up here and they come in and we have a little Parkrun talk and that’s really nice.
A: Your practice did the Point to Pinnacle.
K: Four or five of us walked it.
A: You could talk to patients who had done it.
K: It’s good to be able to talk about something else. It is a good community event.
A: Today is cold. Is this the worse conditions you’ve ever had?
K: Probable not. Once you get moving you warm up. I like running in the cooler climates.
A: I’ve done the parkrun In Darwin and being cold is much nicer than being hot.
K: I did Cottesloe and it was a hot 35 early in the morning.
No offence to the people in Darwin and Cottesloe. We love you both.
I then asked about the runner’s high. We both agreed it was not relevant for us.
K: I do feel good at the end. That I’ve done something. Sometimes I feel like not going and after Parkrun I’m glad I came. I feel better.
A: Felt a bit like that this morning.
K: You feel better now.
A: Yes. I feel fantastic now. Ready for a good cup of coffee.