Rosedawn Ramblings

For Grandad: Bushy parkrun pilgrimage It's been a while since my last races in the North Staffs Road Runners - Cheadle 4 and Berryhill 10k back at the start of July. Since then, I've run in the Olympic Stadium ; made a pilgrimage to the home of parkrun at Bushy parkrun, where we met up with the Holmes family and had a lovely run with over 800 other parkrunners, and also made a return visit to the Olympic Park for the anniversary games (and what an experience that was)! Over the last few weeks my running mojo has been returning slowly - kickstarted by the Olympic Park Run. I've gradually been building up my weekly mileage, adopted a new training geared towards a half marathon at the end of October and decided to run two NSRRA races 4 days apart - the Staffs Knot 5 on Wednesday evening and the Leek Half Marathon on Sunday morning... I'm not sure this was a wise plan but the comeback trail has to start somewhere. I set myself two very different targets for ...

On Sunday, I ran in the Olympic Park and finished the 5 mile route with a lap of the Olympic Stadium.... like it says on the back on my medal: "I followed in the footsteps of legends". And it was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience, a perfect reminder that running for me is so much more about where and who with than how far and how fast. Before the Start with Mavis and Janet The day started early... along with my mum, I arrived in Olympic Park at around 8am, which gave us plenty of time to find a good viewing place in the stadium for my mum before I went off to the start to meet up with my friend Mavis. I used to work with Mavis and if anyone had suggested that I'd running with her, never mind in Olympic Park, I would never have laughed long and hard. But times change and we're both regular runnners now (and also share a parkrun addiction too). Moving up to the Start! We took part in the energetic warm up and then slowly shuffled fo...

The temperature was top of the list of topics of conversation as I arrived in Cheadle for the latest in my series of NSRRA races - this was to be race number 9 of the 12 I need to complete to be included in the annual competition. The sun was out and even at 10am, it was already hot and getting hotter. It was a relief to know that at least this race was one of the shortest on the calender - just 4 miles, although with a challenging climb after the first mile (or so I'd been told). Milling around before the start, I spotted many of familiar faces from previous NSRRA races, including plenty of other runners from Potters Trotters, Hanley parkrun and also the other members of Group W. In general, runners from the same club tend to hang around together before the start, but there's always a bit of conversation with runners from other clubs too. The race itself was pretty much as expected (thanks to the advice from those who had run previously) - a fast slightly downhill st...

Another week, another NSRRA race. The races have been coming thick and fast since the beginning of June and I've been feeling the pressure of my 7-race winning streak in Group W and the impact on my legs! My last few races have been tough and I've had to rely on my inner Pollyanna to find some bright spots. View from the Kitchen! As race day dawned for the Berryhill 10k, my enthusiasm for another race was distinctly lacking. The rain was back and conditions did not look favourable. But I'd arranged a lift with Liz and Mr T was coming to support me too. In the end, we were pretty lucky with the conditions - the rain disappeared, the wind eased quite considerably and over 160 runners lined up for the start of the main race, which involved one small lap and two larger laps around Berryhill Fields - which I see from my kitchen window every day. Despite my best efforts at organisation - I remembered safety pins to attach my race number - I forget my Garmin and so woul...

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...

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...

Why do you run? That's a question I've been asked a lot over recent weeks and I've had plenty of time to come up with some answers, as I've actually not been running very much at all. Since my last race, the Clayton 10k , the tiredness, aches and twinges that I'd been feeling for a while caught up with me fully and I knew it was time for a rest. So instead of doing lots of running, I've been pondering about why I started running and why I continue to run, even when it hurts. I have managed a few memorable runs in the last couple of weeks though and they get a mention too. Running = Change I started running in February 2011 with the Coach to 5k podcasts. I'd been consciously working hard to lose weight and gain fitness after my weight reached an uncomfortable peak in 2010 - a combination of sedentary work-from-home life in my new home, very little exercise and lots of large but tasty dinners prepared with Mr T. Dramatic lifestyle changes were needed a...