Rosedawn Ramblings

Sometimes the unexpected happens... This morning I pinned my race number to my t-shirt, did a very gentle warm-up amongst the crowds around Media City in Salford Quays, waited an age to cross the start line in a very narrow funnel and then... I ran my fastest 10k in over 3 years! How did that happen?  I've been trying to work that out all day. Perhaps it was being back in Manchester - the location of my first marathon and a race that couldn't really have gone any better. Today's route took in some of the same streets and it was a really positive reminder of a special run. I managed a negative split that day as well. Perhaps it was getting a good night's sleep and not having to get up too early - we stayed in the Premier Inn just 5 minutes from the start line. I'm never good with really early starts so that suited me perfectly. We could see Salford Quays from our window and didn't have to leave the hotel until just before 10 for the 10.15am...

I finished last week's post with a challenge to myself, setting my alarm for an early morning run along the sea front in Brighton. Did I get up and run? Yes!  It was a lovely but warm start to the day and I managed four miles out and back along the promenade... it was good to run in a totally new place, without a route in mind, although keeping the sea in view made it quite simple to avoid getting lost.  I didn't worry about how fast I was running, stopping to take photos then run along the stony beach for a while (meaning I could tick off another one of the challenges in our Potters Trotters Summer Challenge 2019 too). I also scoped out the location of the Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf course.... where I managed two holes in one later in the day. It felt good just to run.... And so it has continued this week.  My runs have been relatively short and certainly not fast. But I've just enjoyed running. On Tuesday, it was up to Apedal...

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...