Rosedawn Ramblings

It's the London Marathon this weekend and I think I'm suffering from a few pre-race nerves... I've been lethargic all week; struggling with a sore throat and bad cough; I couldn't get to sleep last with plans for Sunday running though my head; I was up early again this morning checking the weather forecast and trying to decide what to wear on race day.. lots to do, lots to plan before I catch the train down to London on Saturday afternoon. And I'm just spectating! I'm excited - it's a special race and a fantastic experience. Greenwich, Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, The Embankment...  finally reaching Buckingham Palace and turning on to the Mall. London Marathon Cards by Rosedawn Designs I love to talk to anyone who will listen about my experiences in 2014... tears, hugs, sunburn and celebratory prosecco; it was the most memorable of race days and I hope one day to get another chance to run. London Marathon support from my nieces ...

I don't do that well in the heat and I can get sunburnt on a cloudy day in Manchester... so when the weather forecast for Easter Weekend predicted " the hottest Easter on record " I wasn't really doing a happy dance when I thought about my running my weekend running plans. With just three weeks until my ultramarathon, this was scheduled to be another big weekend of running (after 50km last weekend). But then the sun came out and I started sneezing... not really a good combination. Time for me to make some adjustments to my plans. I've still got close to 40 miles for the week (with another run planned for Easter Monday) but I've run slower, walked more, taken extra breaks in the shade and done everything possible to make sure I stay well-hydrated and avoid the dreaded sunburn. I've not worried about what my watch said about mile pace or split time; slow down, smile and breathe. And whilst running in the sun can be tough, it does have some p...

In four weeks time, I will be taking part in the Dulux London Revolution Trails event aiming for ultramarathon distance on a route that starts in Marlow, loops around the Chilterns and then follows the River Thames down to Windsor. The route is described by race organisers as "a diverse mix of hilly trails, historic woodland paths and flat riverside running past Thameside towns"... sounds idyllic apart from the distance! I entered a few weeks ago and have gradually been getting my mind and body prepared for the challenge; building up my weekly mileage and adding in hills, trails and solo runs to my weekly schedule of running... I knew that this week was a crucial one in my training to give me a bit more confidence for the challenge ahead. Having struggled through a 3-mile solo run after work on Wednesday, Thursday's run was designated as "fun hills" with the Potters Trotters - a good combination of hills and trails making use of the University'...

An early start this week for a very significant Sunday run with the Potters Trotters... a few weeks ago, one of our club members sadly passed away. We decided as a club to dedicate April 7th as our day to run for Kate; to celebrate her life and inspire us as runners to keep on running.  There were little groups of runners from the club out and about everywhere; I joined a group meeting early to run their last long training run before the London Marathon.  Ready to Run Our plan was to run for an about an hour then join up with another group of runners training for their first half marathon... and the plan worked. We followed the Caldon Canal for a while then looped around Etruria before meeting the second group and heading out on the Trent and Mersey Canal towards Barlaston. Getting Together Everyone had their own personal challenges for the day; some were hoping to run further than ever before; I was hoping to continue my training momentum of the last ...