Rosedawn Ramblings

Where running and music meet... Seven years ago in January 2012,  I had my first taste of parkrun tourism, completing Pollok parkrun on a very cold and icy morning in Glasgow. The bus ride from the city centre out to Pollok Country Park was an adventure and we were really pleased to find ourselves in the right place at the right time (9.30am starts in Scotland thankfully). The ice on the normal parkrun route meant an alternative route, which essentially involved running through icy puddles round a muddy rugby field, but that didn't stop me enjoying the experience, We were in Glasgow to see Snow Patrol at the SECC and it was an amazing night. Seven years later, almost to the day, we were down in Birmingham to see Snow Patrol on their comeback tour at the Birmingham Arena. Still amazing, it was a fantastic gig and there was something infectiously joyful about the big smile on lead singer Gary Lightbody's face - it looked like they were glad to be back and the crowd certain

On Friday, soaking wet, cold, a bit grumpy after a walking home from work (twice) in the sleet and with my nieces arriving later, I opted for a hot chocolate, fluffy blanket and my arm chair; it turns out I'm not always brave enough to get out there and run. On Saturday, my day started early, with an inspection of Hanley Park to check all the snow and ice had melted and we were safe to run. Run director responsibilities meant a lot of walking but not much running. Saturday afternoon, my favourite time for a long run, was instead devoted to shopping; my nieces wanted Primark, Starbucks, Claire's Accessories, the Stoke Shop. More walking, lots of chatting, a few purchases and plenty of silliness,... but still no long run. So now it's Sunday, I've just waved goodbye to our visitors, the house is quiet and there are about 4 hours of daylight left in which to get myself out of the front door and complete my long run challenge for the week... I've left it late! But

Did anyone else run on Thursday evening in the mist that descended over Stoke-on-Trent? If I'd had my headtorch and was running on trails or through the woods, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. I love a headtorch run and the night laps at Thunder Run are always my favourite. But somehow, as I set off after work at about 5.30pm on Thursday, it was an incredibly eerie experience - even on well lit streets, visibility was minimal and pedestrians and vehicles seemed to appear out of nowhere, along with cyclists riding on the pavement with no lights (but that's a rant for another time). I wouldn't say I was scared but I was definitely uneasy... and then I began to enjoy myself. Searching as I am for my next big challenge , not being able to see where I was going began to feel comforting. I decided to turn left at every junction for a while then changed direction and turned right. My tiredness faded. I made pretty patterns for Strava. left, left, left.... ri

My running career started with the simple goal of completing the Cancer Research Race for Life. My motivation came from my family, to show support for my Dad who was being treated for cancer at the time. I downloaded the NHS Couch to 5k app and ticked off each run on the print-out on my office wall  (it's still pinned up for extra motivation too). I was supported and encouraged by Mr T, sometimes with words, sometimes by running along side me. It was a realistic goal and I had the time to run 3 timers a week; Everything mostly went to plan and I achieved my goal. First Race, First Medal The longer I've been running, the more goals I've set, training to run half marathons, night races, relay events, marathons and eventually ultra marathons. The plans get more complicated (involving spreadsheets and a Garmin) and there have been a few more setbacks on the way, including overcoming injuries, illness and fear itself , but I usually get there in the end. Quote from B