Skip to main content

Keep Going, You'll Get There!

Week 1 of my training plan for the Race to the Castle has proved to be a hectic one.... mostly involving Christmas trees and Brussels sprouts!


I've created a Christmas Tree around Penkhull with the Potters Trotters...


And then tried to find as many Christmas Trees as we could on Thursday night's club run... stopping for a photo with every one we found definitely slowed us down but there were plenty of smiles with every mile we completed.



On Saturday morning, it should have been time for more Christmas fun with Hanley parkrun's Christmas fancy dress run. But my fancy dress was accidentally forgotten, so I decided to run "serious" and completed my fastest Hanley parkrun since 2013! I love my "game face" photo taken by Mick Hall - thanks Mick!


By Saturday night, I was beginning to wilt, especially as a visit from my nieces meant unexpected extra "time on my feet" - also known as the nightmare that is Primark at Christmas.
But I still had one more run to complete before the weekend was over.

Up early this morning, I ran a few miles with friends before heading back for just two more miles to meet my goal for the week.

Not the longest run, but it's been a long week.

I'm feeling tired and running out of steam.

And then an unexpected voice of encouragement from someone standing on their doorstep...

"Keep Going, You'll Get There"

And that was enough... last mile done, goals for the week completed.

And even enough energy for a bit more shopping with my nieces... and Christmas Trees of a different kind!


And now I'm ready for week 2.

However long the run ahead of me, I'll try and remember that little piece of encouragement.

If I just keep going, I'll get there.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Run

This latest blogpost is all about parkrun , which is an organisation which arranges free, weekly, 5km timed runs around the world. They have been taking place around the UK for several years and in Stoke-on-Trent since September 2011, when Hanley parkrun was held for the first time. Every Saturday morning, between 30 and 50 runners, plus volunteers and supporters gather in Hanley Park by the lake. When the fountains are turned on at 9am, the countdown to the start begins. The course takes us from the bottom of the park to the top and back (twice) and finishes by the bandstand just above the canal - it parkrun terminology, its a net uphill course. I love parkrun. I love the challenge of trying to improve my own time each week. So far this year, I've knocked about 2 minutes off my personal best and I'm really pleased about that. Each week, I feel like I can control my pace a lot better and the hills are not too big an obstacle to climb. The speedwork and hill trainin...
1 comment
Read more

Well, that's a long way!

Race day was finally here.  After a difficult couple of weeks, I woke up on Saturday morning with a certain amount of trepidation after a very restless night's sleep and a couple of weeks of niggles, aches and tiredness. I reminded myself of the three goals I'd set for the race - start with confidence, enjoy the adventure and finish with a smile - and was boosted by some encouraging messages from friends and family. After a quick breakfast and a short bus ride, I arrived in Marlow for the start of the race. I wasn't sure what to expect and actually had no idea how many runners were taking part. My start time was 9.15am and it seemed like there were a couple of hundred of us setting off in the "competitive" wave covering marathon and ultra marathon distances. The ultra marathon route was approximately 33 miles involved an extra loop around Hambledon but we all started off in the same direction. My first race goal was accomplished as I started with...
2 comments
Read more

Pollyanna

During the first half of 2013, I've really enjoyed taking part in races as part of the annual competition by the  North Staffs Road Runners Association . There was the first race of the season in Alsager where I learnt about the importance of spotting the other "Ws", two hilly 10k races in Newcastle and Clayton , my accidental half marathon in Uttoxeter . Even the tough races at Westbridge and the Potters 'Arf  had moments of enjoyment, where I felt like I was accomplishing something as a runner. And my first season in NSRRA Group W has gone better than I could have hoped - six races, six wins. Last weekend, it was time for my seventh race - the Stone St Michaels 10k.  I didn't wake up on Sunday morning feeling enthusiastic about running - the weather was not inspiring and if I hadn't pre-entered and arranged a lift, I might have been tempted to give it a miss and have an extra couple of hours of sleep. But I did run - two laps ro...
Post a Comment
Read more