Redbush Runner

 Crosby parkrun has been on my wish list for a long time.  I've been fascinated by Antony Gormley's 'Another Place', 100 iron sculptures dotted along the beach, looking out to sea and I couldn't wait to see them and photograph them.  The idea of also being able to run past them was incredibly cool, so we planned an overnight trip to Merseyside. After fueling up with a particularly fabulous Chinese meal on Friday night at the Nine Dragons in Aintree, and with the promise of glorious spring weather, I was really excited and couldn't wait for Saturday morning to come.  We drove the short distance from our Premier Inn to the Crosby Leisure Centre, allowing plenty of time because the traffic had been so heavy the day before.  We didn't want to take any chances and risk being late, but we arrived with plenty of time to spare.  The weather was lovely.  The sun was out and there was the gentlest of breezes.  This surprised me as I had expected to be batte...

 No more half marathons for me.  Okay, I know I've said this before but this time I really do mean it.  I have tackled enough of them now to know that I can actually do them in a not too shabby way, and I've done enough to know that regardless of how quick or slow they are, no matter whether I run alone or with other people, whatever the medal is like, however scenic or boring the route is, I just don't enjoy them.  (As for that vague plan I had to tackle a full marathon some day, what the heck was I thinking about?) Earlier this year I made up my mind that I would train for one last half marathon race, i.e. actually follow a structured training plan.  Recently it's been my habit to just rock up on the day and do my best and although I've always been quite happy with my times, I have often wondered if I could do better if I followed a proper plan.  So, I started one in the New Year.  As expected, there were the usual interruptions for bad weather, but ...

Yesterday I completed my goal of running 1000 miles in 2021.  In many ways this has been a stressful year for us and I've lost running days due to everything from post-vaccine fever, to building-related stress and toothache, so finally reaching my target felt like quite an achievement this year.  It's a reminder too of how running continues to be my rock during difficult times.  In many respects it has been a more 'normal' running year than 2020.  We have seen the return of parkrun, which has been wonderful.  I will never forget the emotion of that first post-lockdown parkrun when we returned to Huddersfield.  All those smiling faces and a feeling of optimism in the air!  It was really very special.  Later on, I remembered the excitement of how it feels to do a bit of parkrun 'tourism', trying out a new route for the first time.  We took on the challenging course at Frickley Country Park and conquered the dreaded zig-zag hill.  Races got...

Football may not have come home, but (in England at least) parkrun finally has.  Saturday 24th July was our first one since March 2020 and it felt like a momentous occasion.  I had been a little nervous in the days building up to it.  I think I've got so used to running alone that I seriously wondered if I would still enjoy running with loads of other people.  Would it seem invasive after those quiet Saturday mornings on the trail, which I had come to enjoy?  Everyone talks about getting back to normal but it's been so long that it didn't feel like normal anymore as I dug out my parkrun wristband and 100 T-shirt.  It did feel exciting though and I began to be aware of the 'Christmas Eve' feeling building up again on Friday night as I laid my kit out in the spare room and set my alarm. So, off we went to Greenhead Park in Huddersfield, which is where it all started for us back in 2016.  It may not strictly be our 'local' anymore but it feels like it, be...

I did it!  I've been dreaming of a sub 2 hour half marathon for a long time (in fact, that's exactly what I always thought it was, just a 'dream', something that I was maybe not being realistic about.)  I’m still having to pinch myself 24 hours after achieving it.  It's really bugged me that I've come so close on my previous attempts, always putting in a thoroughly decent performance - but no cigar.  People would always say “well done” and reassure me that I would get the sub-2 “next time.”  I tried to believe them.  The trouble is, it's not like running a 5K or 10K where, if you narrowly miss out on a PB, you can just rock up and have another go tomorrow, or the day after that.  A half marathon is always knackering and you need time to properly recover from one attempt before you embark on another. I don't think I've ever finished one without thinking, "I'm not going to do that again in a hurry."  Earlier this year I decided that I o...

 I've been feeling a bit flat, running-wise, just lately.  I've still been getting out there most days, but I feel like I'm just passing the time, waiting for parkrun to (hopefully) start again and for races to return in something like their traditional format.  I can't seem to find the motivation to do any more virtual challenges in the meantime.  Last year I absolutely loved them and, like many people, I found that virtual events gave me the motivation and focus I needed and helped keep running fun.  But the novelty has worn off for me now.  Don't get me wrong, I have days when I browse the virtual running sites and see lovely shiny medals that almost tempt me, but it only takes a moment for me to think of that overflowing, messy medal hanger in my bedroom and to think, "do I really need another one?"  There's the environmental aspect to it too.  Unless you're going down the eco-friendly route of 'medals' that are made of biodegradable pa...

January has proved to be a cold, icy and snowy month so far.  That's to be expected where I live, but we've got off quite lightly over the past couple of years, since I started running.  This is the first time I've had to contemplate indoor running, because the weather conditions here just aren't safe enough, especially for someone like me who has had more than her fair share of running falls during her short career to date.  If I can trip over my own feet in mid-summer, I dread to think what I can do in a hazardous winter. Of course, I am constantly being reminded by social media that there are people out there who are continuing to run in spite of the conditions - or even because of the conditions.  Many people think that 'snowy runs' are great experiences, something you have to do if you want to call yourself a 'real runner.'  The general view seems to be that freshly fallen snow is fine, but ice is a whole different ball game, although there are some...