Episode 258 - Richard McChesney
2021-10-28
— open the full-size coverHostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake
Roving reporterCameron Drake
GuestRichard McChesney
Show notes
Septober reacheZ itZ crescZendo as Mel recalls adventurers in Oofos and Olly makes it around the block a couple of times. Founding ED of Lower Hutt (opens in a new tab) parkrun and walker extraordinaire, Richard McChesney talks about his ultra-walking experiences, some NZ parkrun history and parkrun highlights. Cam checks in from Homestead (opens in a new tab) parkrun, we hear your reports from Dazza’s and catch up on all the latest from The Informant. Oh, and a little announcement…
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Enhanced transcript
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Read the transcriptGuest
Richard McChesney
Ultra-walking and parkrun history: giving up running for walking after a 2012 ankle injury and now walking sub-30-minute parkruns; the 253-mile Holyhead-to-Cardiff Welsh ultra finished in 90 hours 5 minutes on two hours' sleep; becoming the first person to walk to all 270 London tube stations non-stop (525km in five days 20 hours); discovering parkrun at Richmond in 2008 and attending Bushy's fourth birthday; meeting Paul Sinton-Hewitt on New Year's Day 2012 and founding Lower Hutt parkrun in New Zealand later that year; tourism highlights (Torrens in Adelaide, Portrush in Northern Ireland); and his "You Know You Are A Runner" cartoon book series, with 25% of Amazon Australia royalties through to Christmas going to parkrun Australia.
Roving reports
In this episode
Welcome starts at 0:22
Ollie Spake with Melissa Ellis, who is bringing her Ellis Palace themed not-parkrun out of retirement for a one-off Z theme on the 30th, with her son's partner Leah keen to join. Victoria's eased lockdown let two of Mel's daughters visit on Saturday, and on Sunday she bush-bashed down an embankment with friend Cheryl (in toe socks and Oofos, having forgotten her runners) and Bubble Bird to find the Eynesbury waterfall. Ollie has measured out a new 11-lap Waprom not-parkrun on freshly opened streets across the road from home, though he says it is still not nearly enough not-parkrunning.
Septober starts at 8:57
Ongoing listener challenge running through September into October: log an alphabet of "not parkruns", one per letter, finishing at Zillmere on the 30th. Mel reports completing T (Tamworth Wetlands), U (Underwood Park), V (Varsity Lakes) and W (Woy Woy), and admits piking on X; Ollie has only reached O and quotes Lyndell's offer for listeners to donate theirparkruns to his streak. Referenced again throughout the Emails and Dazza's segments.
Emails starts at 43:11
Ollie: "Mel, I believe we've got mail." Correspondence from Bruce on the final stretch of Septober, encouraging everyone to log aparkrun for Zillmere on the 30th or come to Dazza's Cafe and "show us your Z's".
Dazza's starts at 44:53
Waterfall-themed week at the cafe. Posts read from Mandy Oliver (Surfers Paradise), Greg Garner (100 parkruns at Victory Heights Trail), Louise Minty (Homestead), Cameron Drake, Tracy Wood (Kedron), Pippa White (Henley-on-Thames), Val Warwick (Devonport), Phil Olson, Claire Stutchbury (Mudgeeraba's eighth birthday), Will Barlow, Rebecca Bailey, Brett and Tanya Bailey (Queenstown), Alison King, Ingrid Botha, Bernadette Bennett, Sonja Pohlman, Peter Pohlman (with an explainer on sticker-slapping street art), Andrew Turner (Footscray), Simon Mackley (Greenway), Abigail's mum, Sam Schroder, Tony O'Connell, and a Septober update from Michael Scott.
Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 55:24
Cam reports from Homestead parkrun (event number two) on the theme of being pipped at the post. He interviews Kevin the car park marshal, a group of three (Ashley, Michael and Blake), a serial finish-line sprinter named Alan, listener Louise, and finishes with first-time Run Director Clint. Running gag: he pointedly does not interview Rodney Glossop.
the Informant starts at 1:03:20
Unofficial stats in character. A record post-COVID week: 211 events in Australia out of 1,440 worldwide across 18 countries; nine launches including Anstey Hill Recreation Park in South Australia; Aussie attendance 20,858 of 174,751 worldwide; 1,974 PBs; 755 first-timers; 98 fifty-milestones, 61 hundreds, 18 two-fifties. Eight people called bingo, one new statesperson (Robert Gilroy, NT), Neil Scott now 19th outright, Graham Tutte biggest overall mover, Alison Jones biggest Wilson Index mover.
Consolidated Club Report starts at 1:07:12
Adventurers parkrun Club up one to 57 members, 20 on the Consolidated Club Report this week and 23 members logging not parkruns. Australian not parkrun tallies: Wyndham Vale 44, Coonwara 43, Campbelltown 38, Shellharbour 13, Toolern Creek 5. New Zealand: Hamilton Lake 64, Whangarei 42, Anderson 30.
Sign-off starts at 1:12:31
Mel said that was it for the week and asked whether they had forgotten anything; Ollie thought they had covered it, and Mel gave the Facebook and parkrunadventures@gmail.com contacts and signed off with "that's it for another week".