Redbush Runner

 At the start of November I reached my target of 1000 miles in a year.  It's something I have never achieved before, haven't even got close.  If it hadn't been for lockdown, I don't think it would have occurred to me that I should even try.  With my husband working from home for the foreseeable, we got into the habit of going for a run every day.  Usually we only get to run together at weekends.  I am used to running alone during the week, but it's so much more enjoyable with a companion. What I like about yearly mileage challenges is they give you something to keep working for and that has been particularly important during this strange year when so many running events have been cancelled. It's so easy to become obsessed with personal bests and to feel negative and aimless when you complete another bog standard run.  There's often a tendency to think, "what's the point if I'm not getting faster?" or "If I'm still not going further...

The Corona virus isn't going away any time soon and, although we have seen many restrictions lifted since my last post, the running world is by no means back to normal.  Although some races are resuming, conditions are very different with limited numbers,staggered start times and no pre-race/post-race mingling, so it's bound to be a very different experience. Parkruns don't look set to resume any time in the immediate future and right now it's difficult to see how they could operate safely. It saddens me that I won't be running the Sheffield 10K this September.  It's very special to me as it was my first 10K and I was looking forward to doing it for the fourth time.  But I understand totally why it can't happen and frankly, I would rather wait for races to return in something approaching their traditional format than rush to sign up for socially distanced races which feel a bit weird.  For me personally, if you can't mingle freely before and after a race...

It's been a strange time, whether you're a runner or not.  For those of us who are runners, the cancellation of all parkruns and organised running events and races has brought a massive change to our routines.  We are fortunate in the UK because at the time of writing, we can still go out to exercise once a day, but many of us are missing our running buddies and our favourite running venues. I suppose I'm lucky in that I'm quite a solitary runner anyway.  I don't belong to a club and I either run alone or with my husband.  During isolation we have managed to have a short, local run every day.  What we really miss is not being able to go to a cafe for a post-run coffee or snack afterwards, especially on Saturdays when the parkrun breakfast was always as much an event as the run. Running in isolation has required a few changes in attitude and expectation.  In some ways, that's a good thing.  It can be too easy to fall into the trap of thinking runnin...

Extreme weather - there's nothing like it for bringing the show offs out of the woodwork.  If you're part of an online running community, your newsfeed will feature some smug posts from people informing you how they smashed their morning run in torrential rain or an Arctic blizzard and how totally amazing it was.  Before you know it, everybody else seems to be doing it, just to prove that they are  'real' runners, not the sort who worry about wet feet or wimp out on the treadmill. There are many things about the running community that I truly love.  On the whole, it's a nice, supportive community to be part of.  One of the things I don't like though is there's a fair bit of keeping up with the Joneses.  As much as we all tell each other that we're on our own journey, only competing against ourselves, that it's about finishing lines, not finishing times etc, etc,, we just can't help comparing ourselves to others.  We also like to feel like one o...

I didn't enter this year's London Marathon ballot.  I have decided that there is enough rejection in life in general, without adding to it in your running life.  After all, isn't running supposed to be the safe haven, the place where we go to escape from negative thoughts? Despite my non-participation, I do find myself feeling a bit peeved on behalf of others who are experiencing rejection this week, especially those who have been trying for a decade or more without success.  It just isn't fair, is it?  Yes, it's random but that's not the same as being fair.  To be fair, they would have to give those who have had the most rejections a go, but that's not how it works.  Of course, social media is awash with threads on this topic, the usual mixture of elation, despair and "what the hell have I done?"  I've been giving Facebook a fairly wide berth, but I've seen enough to know that it is just like it is every year. Here are 10 things you ar...

This year it's been a case of less is more, as far as entering races is concerned.  I've found that by just doing a handful of races, I really do look forward to them.  I couldn't be doing one every weekend, like some people do.  It's not the actual running - I think I would be fine with that - but all the pinning on race numbers, standing around waiting for the off, queuing for loos etc. can get a bit tedious. This weekend we headed to Blackpool, the undisputed 'Vegas of the North', to take part in a 10K night race called Run the Lights.  (There is a 5K option too)  Forget 'Colour Dashes'.  This annual event, organised by Fylde Coast Runners, is the most colourful race you're likely to find anywhere - a bracing run along a traffic-free promenade combined with a spectacular light show.  It doesn't get better than that!  Far more enjoyable than having people stand on the sidelines chucking powder paint in your face.  I don't remember ever be...

Sunday April 7 th brought our first race of the year.   We had unfinished business with the City of Lincoln 10K.   Last year the Beast from the East stuck its oar in and the race was postponed until summer, which was no good for us as Rory was in Hong Kong.   So, we were really hoping that everything would run smoothly this year and we would get to tick this particular race off our list. We were feeling rather unprepared for a 10K race however.   Since my injury just before Christmas I have been sticking mainly to 5Ks.   I’ve only run one 10k in the past five months and that was on the treadmill, so I really hoped I would be able to cope on the day.   Typically, as often seems to be the case in the few days before a race, my legs were giving me all kinds of niggles, which worried me.   You wonder how much is your imagination or you being over-sensitive, but  I still live in fear of my calf ‘going’ when I’m in the middle of a race.   ...