Rosedawn Ramblings

My big goal for 2020 is the 100km ultramarathon Race to the Castle in June. My training plan is geared around building up my miles over the next five months to be able to complete distance. It's not about time, it's about getting to the finish in however long it takes. But alongside that big, very scary goal, I've got a few more manageable bitesize challenges to help me get there. Some are about long runs or weekly mileage targets. Some relate to races or race strategy. Some relate to how I want to feel mid-run or at the end when it's only over. Today was one of those days, the Essar Four Villages Half Marathon. I wanted it to be more than just a training run. I wanted to test my speed, my endurance, my racing strategy and my mental strength. I've been working hard in training with interval sessions, hill reps and tempo runs. So I set mini goals (just for me) for the time I wanted to reach the half way point, my average mile pace, the consistency of my...

A few weeks before our travels to New Zealand , I signed up for a race. I filled in all the boxes on the entry form, pressed submit, put the date in my diary, created a rough training plan and then got on with normal life. It's not until June next year... that's ages away! But it's not just any race. It's a race that ticks all my boxes ...  It's going to test me to the limit and be harder than anything I've ever done before. It's 100km or 63 miles and the goal is to complete non-stop.  It's definitely got the wow factor , with a route description promising stretching moorland, winding rivers, ancient woodlands and sandy trails and a finish at the incredibly spectacular Bamburgh Castle. It's going to need dedication in training and I'll need to use every motivational trick I know to get me out of the front door and out running whatever the weather. But it's something I really want to do. And now it's...

The things you do for a medal, a chocolate bar and a tiny bag of haribo…. A couple of weeks ago, my running buddy Liz mentioned a possible race for us to do... so I signed up without really investigating all that much. I knew the date, the location, and the distance. I did enough research to know that trail shoes would be a good idea and I probably would get a bit muddy. The weather forecast wasn't great, so I was expecting to get a bit wet too. And then the alarm went off this morning and, after heavy rain overnight, the likelihood of getting wet and very muddy increased even more. We journeyed down the M6, arrived in plenty of time for a pre-race cuppa, and then the fun began! There wasn't just mud, there was deep, squelchy, suck-the-shoes-off-your-feet mud. And lots of it. Fortunately, we all kept our shoes on and only had a couple of dodgy moments. Our technique improved as we went along, working out the required amount of momentum to get through each boggy fi...

I did it! On Saturday 13th July, I completed my 250th parkrun. It's been quite a journey... I completed my first parkrun on 12th November 2011 - it was Hanley parkrun's 8th event and there were 39 runners taking part, quite a few of whom were there yesterday too, either running or volunteering. I was a volunteer for the first time on the 14th January 2012. My first parkrun tourism was to Pollock parkrun in Glasgow on 28th January 2012 - it was a freezing cold day and we ran through icy puddles on their alternative cross country course.  It didn't deter me. In fact, it's fair to say I was hooked... parkrun has been an ever present part of life since then.  I reached the milestone of 50 parkruns in April 2013 and proudly received my 50 t-shirt from Hanley parkrun's originator Tommy Hill. I started run directing at roughly the same time. Mr T started his parkrunning adventures later that year (coinciding with a Doctor Who-themed fancy dre...

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...