Rosedawn Ramblings

There have lots of moments in the last few weeks when life felt like it was back to normal, making it seem like starting again has become a real possibility. The sun has been shining, There has been time for catching up with friends in real life (no screens involved), Mr T got a haircut, coffee and cake at a cafe, watching the newly-hatched ducklings swimming along the canal, blossoms on the trees, answering parkrun emails about barcodes, buying a new front door, even booking a few days away for a holiday .  Back to normal. Almost. Probably the most normal thing of all has been the return of club runs with the Potters Trotters.  For an hour or so at a time each time we meet, we have returned to our old routines - lots of chatter as everyone arrives, tentative questions as we set off about how far we are running and how many hills are likely to be involved, conversations as we run about what races we might do, what's happening in Line of Duty, or what is for tea wh...

‘How do you run 33 miles?’ That's a question I've been asked a lot recently (along with the more obvious, why?) and my answer is always the same... One step at a time, one mile at a time. As I stood on the start line of the D33 Ultra Marathon on a damp and drizzly morning in Duthie Park in Aberdeen, I tried to think about the challenge ahead in small manageable segments, one step at a time, one mile at a time, one snack at a time, one checkpoint at a time. My goal, to do my best (inspired by a quote from Cheryl Strayed, one of my favourite writers). With a final good luck of encouragement from Liz S, very sadly unable to run due to injury, I was underway and following a trail of runners out of the park and up onto the Deeside Way - a old rail trail running inland from Aberdeen. There was a temptation to start off too quickly - the terrain was easy underfoot, the rain not too heavy and everyone around me seemed to be speeding up as we left the park - but I resisted and tr...

Relaxing before the Start! When you follow a training plan and execute your race strategy as planned, it feels great. That's what happened with my first marathon in Manchester  just six weeks ago. Everything came together on the day - weather, crowd support, pacing, fitness, hydration - and I ran the best race I could and delivered the fastest possible time. Yesterday I took on the hills of the Potters 'Arf - the local half marathon where I can walk to the start and then hobble home again after the race. It was sunny and warm, which was not so great for me, but brilliant for bringing out the spectators. The crowds were amazing and there was an endless supply of jelly babies around the course. But the race? Did the plan come together? Since the marathon, I've continued to race on a fairly regular basis, including three races in the North Staffs Road Runners, and taken part in the Bupa 10k in Manchester and parkrun events in Hanley, Leeds and Manchester. B...

A Half Marathon? In Blackpool? In February? Are you sure that's a good idea? Hoping for Calm Seas! Stormy seas, freezing temperatures, biting winds, driving rain.... just some of the images conjured up when you think about Blackpool in the winter - not really appealing for my first half marathon since the Potters 'Arf last June . But I was persuaded to sign up for the Great North West Half Marathon by the promise of a flat-ish course and a fun day out with my Potters Trotters running buddies Liz and Bobbie... Designer Sunglasses! As it turned out, the sea was calm, the rain stayed away, the wind was cold but manageable (at least when running south) and the sun even came out for a little while to give me the opportunity to try out my new Blaze running sunglasses (won in a competition from Women's Running Magazine ). The course was flat-ish as promised and all the signs were good for a fast time and hopefully a new PB. The race started...

"I'm not a waiter!" So said my niece Isabelle when she was just 3. She wasn't trying to be cheeky or rude. She just simply didn't like waiting. So she told us. "I'm not a waiter!" This week, I know how she feels. The days to my half marathon in Stafford are going so slowly. The last week has seemed incredibly long. Now, there are just two more days to go. Its all about the wait. I've read my half marathon training guide from start to finish, concentrating this week on the chapter on "race week". There's nothing left to read. I've picked out my outfit - pink running top, black running tights, pink socks. I've even got hot weather and wet weather contingency plans. I've got a box of safety pins ready, so there'll be no excuse for my race number not staying attached. I've stocked the house with good carbs, so I can carb load for the next few days. I've even planned our menu for Friday and ...