Redbush Runner

The last Sunday in October sees the Worksop Halloween Half, an event established in 1982 which seems to have found its way onto just about every runner's wish list. It's undoubtedly scenic, with the route going through Clumber Park, which is particularly attractive at this time of year. As I scrolled through posts on my running group forums, I tried to get some idea of how hilly it was likely to be.  One person, to my amazement, said they had heard it was "fairly flat."  I can only assume they were mistaking it for a different race.  Others spoke of a biggish hill in the first mile but then implied it wasn't too bad.  The general term being used was that slightly mysterious runners' adjective, 'undulating.'  Now, I love words and to me 'undulating' is a nice word.  It trips easily off the tongue and it suggests gentle ups and downs rather than steep, back-breaking climbs.  It suggests that the route will be a little bit winding and country ro...

Today we took on the Yorkshire Wildlife 5K in support of the Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation.  Organised by Curly's Athletes, this event won a gold award for best national 5K at the 2018 Running Awards.  I'd heard great reports of it from friends who had taken part in the previous event in the spring and I'd been looking forward to it for months. In fact, it was a belated birthday treat for me. I wasn't going to let anything dampen my excitement, if you pardon the pun, especially not a little thing like the weather.  Runners don't mind a bit of rain.  We all know that.  In fact, runners love rain.  It keeps them cool, makes them feel a bit hardcore.  Unfortunately, what we had today couldn't really be described as a 'bit of' rain.  It was one of the wettest days I can remember, a complete deluge.  The rain was absolutely bouncing off the ground.  I noticed a pond of ducks at the park and my husband jokingly remarked that they didn't...

It's that time of year again when magazines depicting famous London landmarks start popping through letterboxes, breaking hearts and making dreams come true.  I got a 'no.'  It didn't faze me much.  I signed up for the London marathon ballot because I had a vague aim to run a marathon in 2019.  London seemed the logical place to start.  But I wasn't holding my breath.  In all honesty, I wasn't sure whether I was hoping to get in or not.  However, I was adamant that if I did get a place in the ballot I would take it as a sign that it was meant to be, I was ready and I would give it my all.  If I didn't get in, perhaps that would be for the best also. Some people, however, are distraught to have been unsuccessful in the ballot, particularly those who have been applying for years with no joy.  I suppose it's a bit like trying for a baby.  Some people try and try for many painful years and others hit the jackpot straightaway, often the one...

It's surprising how many people within the running community don't understand what a virtual run is.  Basically, a virtual run is a race that you sign up for online, which you can run at a time, date and location convenient to you (although there is usually a deadline.)  You submit 'evidence' of your run by uploading a Strava screenshot or similar and then, when it's been approved, you'll receive a medal in the mail.  Many virtual running sites compile a leader board so that you can compare how you did and they have social media pages where you can chat about events, share photographs and basically encourage each other.  In many cases a percentage of the entrance fee is donated to charity. I read somewhere that virtual runs grew out of the practice of high school runners in the U.S., posting their times in for a national competition.  So, although many 'purists' would try to say otherwise, virtual runs are not only for beginners and people who lack the...