13 December 2013

2013 What a corker

I've just read my end of year blog for 2012. It was nice to look

back and think about the things that happened in my life - the

new achievements, discovering more about myself, a little bit

of romance, a lot of running and a lot of reflection. So, here I

am again, a whole year has passed, 2013 has brought many many

highs, even more amazing and inspirational new friends and

lots of new experiences, including a house move, my first road

bike, a reunion, a duathlon, an ultra, some marathons,

travelling to some wonderful places and peppered with a few

lows, the end of a romance (see above) an unexpected

diagnosis.

2013 started with Tough Guy in January, this is the original

obstacle race, it's been running (pardon the pun) since 1987 and

after Survival of the Fittest the previous year I thought it

couldn't be too bad...how wrong was I! Two inches of ice on the

water we were to go in, mud, electric shock, fire, relentless

hills. On the plus side it brought a new and smiley friend into

my life who I admire greatly.

Throughout the early part of this year I began marathon

training even though I didn't have a marathon booked until

October, well everyone else was training so I just joined in.

Some of my favourite runs happened -including snowy laps of

Gra%am Water, off road Saturday morning runs, watching an

owl swoop in front of us, running through icy puddles without

care, feeling the sting on your legs as you hit mile 18 in sub zero

temperatures wearing shorts. Stuff like this makes you feel

alive!

In February was a trip to Madrid -not a running trip but a

weekend away based mainly around eating and drinking and

what a wonderful place it it, Grand Playas, beautiful parks,

amazing nightlife and stupendous tapas, churros, jamon and

wine.

March brought a move from my two bed flat in town to a two

bed house in a village. It took some time to get used to stairs

!1

No one looks good in Lycra, an

no one should care!

13 December 2013

after having lived in flats for quite a few years. I maintain that

this is the best move I've made in a few years and feel very

settled, maybe I'm just getting old?

In April I marshaled at the London Marathon with lots of

other Harriers and felt the electric atmosphere of this mass

participation event. I wanted some of that! Back home I

googled my heart out and managed to find a lady selling her

place in the Edinburgh Marathon in just six weeks time and

went for it, why not, I was trained, what could possibly go

wrong?

A week or so after London the romance ended, it was a shock

and not particularly well delivered (on the phone whilst I was

working in London) then I suppose it's never going to be a

good time.

A few days of feeling a bit like id been tasered followed by an

uprising of the 'cup half full' mentality I could see that this

meant more training time, and anyway it was costing a fortune

in petrol to travel to see the person in question, and his loss! It

was also about this time I booked a flight to Arizona to see my

big sister and her lovely hubby after a 15 year hiatus.

Soon I was on a train to Edinburgh and hooking up with some

buddies from Fetcheveryone. My pre race evening consisted of

prosecco and beer, not your usual nutrients but hey ho, still

managed a reasonable 4.15.

Two days after Edinburgh minus a few toenails and with a

hobble I boarded a plane to LA and took a connecting flight to

Arizona.

Ten days of talking, running, swimming, cycling, more talking

and even a 5k race followed. I discovered that you can cycle

quite far but only run short distances in 42 degree heat!

A calf injury kept me from running in June, my solution was to

invest in a road bike, with encouragement and advice from a

good friend I was soon hitting the roads with a passion, it was

about this time Larissa and I discovered we were equally

slightly bonkers and we became friends and started to train

together, 40k on the bike before work? No problem, ride 104

miles to Hunstanton and then run into the sea to cool off? Sure

thing!

!2

13 December 2013

I went to Glastonbury too, what a revelation that was, a crazy

insulated world of music, fun and total nuttiness, needless to

say I went in head first and came out quite dishevelled! Took a

week to recover.

As soon as the injury subsided I then had to fit running and

biking into my life, lots of early mornings followed and soon I

entered/was talked into my first duathlon.

Althorp Duathlon was a baptism of fire, and what fun, 10k run,

ok, fine, 40k bike, tough going, the 5k run that followed this

I'm sure was with someone else's legs!

Still racing every weekend I will often contact my friend

Eamon who provides me with a constant source of mutual

competition-Eamon likes to race me and pass with a big grin

on his face, having spent the early part of this year watching his

heels I'm now catching up and even beating his sorry ass on a

few occasions.

It was around now I discovered the LDWA-Long Distance

Walkers Assoc, they organise marathon and ultra distance

walks or runs, the first one Larissa and I did was in

Connington, Cambs. 26.2 miles of off road loveliness, no

pressure and wonderful views, followed by a 42k bike ride back

to Bedford (Larissa said it was about 30... Yeah, thanks for that)

The great thing about LDWA event is they cost about seven

pounds, there are amazing checkpoints-think cake and tea, and

!3

A typical checkpoint at a LDWA

event. Pure joy!

Eamon on the right. Beat him in

a five mile race shortly after this

photo, just saying.

13 December 2013

are perfect for training if

you prefer not to run

alone.

Thunder Run was another

highlight, 24 hours of epic

weather, a ten km hilly off

road loop and a ton of crazy

runners, tents flooded and rain pouring

Larissa sat in my car wide eyed planning our

strategy for the 2014 run! Truly an amazing

event, probably best for only the real

lunatics.

Race the train happened about here, I think this may have

been my favourite race of the year, on the side of a mountain in

driving rain running 14 miles after a narrow gauge train in

Wales, I mean what's not to like!?

The Round Norfolk Relay happened in Sept and I ran my leg

into Yarmouth and drove one of our coaches cars behind a

runner for the other 23 hours, wow that was a dodgy drive

home the following day.

Soon after I felt ready for another marathon and entered the

Dunstable Marathon, off road with navigation, I ran this with

my friend Lee and we got impressively lost with some lovely

ladies from Leighton Fun Runners. So lost in fact we did 34

miles and ended up in the local paper and on the radio. I just

want to say that it wasn't my fault.

!4

Larissa and I on a rare occasion

not in Lycra

Noel and I before Steppingly

Step

Gatliffe ultra, super terrain, only

fell over twice.

13 December 2013

October saw my second road marathon attempt, Chester was

the location and this was renowned for being a cracking race

and good PB potential. I was hunting a sub four and was

delighted to achieve 3.57.

Steppingly Step, another off road LDWA happened next, run

with our club coach Noël. Event free and most enjoyable.

It was around this time I began to realise that quite often I was

struggling to hear people talking to me in a setting where there

was background noise. Being honest I could say it's been

happening for a long time but it was getting more noticeable of

late. I decided to consult other family member ps knowing that

my sisters high had some issues with hearing too. After much

discussion and a consultation with a specialist it does indeed

appear that I have hereditary hearing loss. There really isn't

anything that can be done and it will continuer to deteriorate.

It's been on my mind a fair bit but, you know what? It could

have been worse, could have been my eyes, or my legs. I had a

brain scan during the diagnosis period and all they found was a

Garmin and a pair of trainers.

A last minute decision in late November saw me running my

first Ultra in Kent (Gatliffe 50k) with Noël again, smiling and

chatting most of the way around it was quite enjoyable.

Looking back at my times I've made a steady improvement this

year on all race distances. Much of this is due to the

wonderful help and support I get from Bedford Harriers, I

rarely miss a training session and love being part of the club

and feel that there are huge benefits both socially and to my

fitness.

Other realisations this year include: I've made a ton of friends,

I still can't drink red wine, my kids make me very proud, i am

quite good at selling, not many really look good in Lycra, and

nobody should care, I am grateful to be able to visit new places,

to be able to do my sport and challenge myself.

And here we are in December, I'm lucky enough to be

travelling out to some sunshine in Tenerife for Christmas with

a lady I've known for years to enjoy some giggles, a few drinks

lots of hiking and yes some running too!

Just one more race this year on my birthday 31st Dec to round

of a truly amazing year, over 2000km run and another 2000km

biked.

!5

13 December 2013

2014?

Next year will bring lots more running (surprise) I don't want

to get into the race 'loop' doing the same races every year so

will be looking for new challenges in different locations. Berlin

marathon is booked, More ultra distances may happen. Some

cycling will occur too. Ooh and I've just heard Ive been lucky

in the club ballot and will be running the London Marathon,

wow!!

I'm not going to plan too much as I really love doing things off

the cuff.

Keep your cup half full!

Bop

!6

A first, a last and a pain in the ass

Dunstable Downs Marathon Challenge

 

I had booked the Dunstable Marathon as part of my 'longish races I haven't done’ idea
I was running with a friend, Lee, off we set, for the first few miles  stuck with the crowd, the 1/2 mara and the 20 miler peeled off later in the course. Can I just add at this point that the whole course is unmarked, you have a map, and some directions, most of which are left and right turns, mostly across fields and through nameless woods. There that's my defence sorted.

At around 15 miles we found ourselves running with a couple of lovely ladies from Leighton fun runners, they were about the same pace and were also struggling a bit with directions (and they had potatoes and malt loaf and they were really good fun!!) We got a little lost at this point, not a problem as we were happy to try to work it out. Then we met a chap coming from a completely different direction, he looked lost and tired and was low on fluids. He joined our merry gang and we were off over the hills and fields. We ended up quite a few miles from the Buddhist centre we were aiming for, after running round in circles a bit we finally got some help from a friendly farmer and headed off in the right direction. Unfortunately our new friend was not a seasoned runner - in fact we learned that the furthest he had run was 7 miles! With no water and now legs so tired he could only walk we couldn't leave him. So we trudged on for a good few miles running a bit and walking and waiting a bit. I got stung by a wasp, which made me leap about, not funny on tired legs, I may have discovered a few new dance moves though. Finally 5-6 miles from the finish we got hold of the organisers who picked up our stray and Lee  (We had done I think 28 miles at this point!) Us three remaining ladies were determined to finish the course and were happy we knew where we were going. I was also on track to see 50k pass by on my Garmin and I felt quite happy physically so 'bring it on' I thought.

The last five miles were pretty nippy compared to the rest of the race.

The first time ive run over 50k

The first time ive ever come last in a race – 8 hours!!!
A Day of firsts.
And met some really fun people

HUGE thank to the organisers for hanging on for us

I would like to say the directions were not clear at all, maybe if I had stayed with the pack it would have been a 26.2 mile run at a reasonable time in my report, but hey - this one is much more fun - isn't it?

The accidental marathon

It was a good plan, i had a free Sunday, as did my equally potty friend Larissa, i found an obscure and interesting run, well it was actually more of a walk, The Pathfinder Walk, Conington, Cambridge.
The event is named after the 2nd World War Pathfinder Squadrons which flew from airfields which surround the area. This was the 16th year of the walk.
We were dropped off with our road bikes so we could cycle home. (Thanks to Nick, Larissas hubby) Our intention was to run the 32km option, (there were four others 14/23/32 and 42)
After signing up we received a set of instructions and a checkpoint card, this got me thinking, it wasn't going to be a fast run, so why not just do the marathon distance? After a short discussion and almost no persuasion we were signed up (Noel from our club was already running the full distance)

Realising id only consumed one cup of coffee i quickly necked a Cliff bar (arent they yummy!) and we set off at 08.30 it was a lovely cool morning, we set a reasonable pace and the instructions were well written. The checkpoints were every 5 miles, you got your card marked and had limitless bourbons, custard cream and digestives - my kind of run, nice touch. The course was reasonably flat but the ground uneven, lots of edges of fields and through farms, very little road. Some lovely views too.

Along the way we met a few people too, most notably a chap called Joe, on his 17th marathon and quite a character, called us the Bedford Babes and tried ot keep up but failed. As the day progressed the sun began to appear and it got quite warm, we arrived at some of the checkpoints pretty parched!

Larissa had a few knee issues so we walked a little and enjoyed the scenery. At 20 miles we did a little high five as its the furthest either of us had run in sometime.

About a mile from the endthere was a small oak tree, This is really aimed at walkers but a really nice training run or plod in the countryside, entry is from a very reasonable £4 and for a little more a nice mug
I'm not sure of our times, and it didn't really matter, but was around 5hours.
You can also camp on site for £2!
The cycle home was a little longer than first thought, around 70k... Not sure that's for everyone after a long run.
A great little event, recommended.

sheep, beer and more beer, camping and cool people and big hair

Forgive me because i havent blogged a while, ve been too busy/excited/tired/at work/forgetful - any of those or all of them....

So, last blog id dne a long run and was heavily into foraging. Wales has happened since then, and what a great time was had, I did do a race report (try to do these as i forget stuff about different races) Heres my report:

This races reputation preceded it, and I entered it on a whim after my first lap of Thunder Run a couple of weeks back. About Weds last week it dawned on me that I would be driving almost 400 miles to run 14 -ah well, in for a penny and all that.

Over 1000 runners on the start of this 14 mile race, the idea being that you try to beat the train running on the narrow gauge railway (the passengers are family and friends of the runners) the atmosphere was amazing, Tywyn is a small coastal town in North Wales and the arrival of a huge amount of runners filled the town. There were four races on, a three mile, five mile, 10k and the fourteen mile. The 14miler was the big event starting at 2.05pm. Weather was windy and warm, I say 'was' for a reason. The first few mile or so was on the road, a little congested due to the volume of runners but this soon sorted itself out as we ran onto the fields. Going out you could hear the train, and sometime see the steam above the treeline. As we progressed it began to rain a little, the marshals were amazing, all smiling and cheering us on whilst getting soggy. There were a few sharp hills, some uneven surfaces and some small streams to pass through, all the time the wind was behind us, by the turnaround point everyone was pretty soggy, and loving it! At 7 miles we turned boom! the wind was straight in our faces, pushing us back and it remained this way almost to the end, we then ran up the hill we had been running next to, it got very steep and narrow so walking and single file running was required. Some of the course was fairly technical, you really had to focus, the rain by this time was coming across sideways and very heavy, brilliant!! We passed through the bog of doom (I may have had a little incident here) and soon were out on to the open mountainside. The camber was just ridiculous, so difficult to run on, you really needed one leg shorter than the other! Soon we joined the original path we had run out on, seeing the same smiling soggy marshals and back on to more familiar territory. To beat the train you needed to be faster than 1.47 and a few did achieve this, about ten per cent I believe.

Personally I managed 2.13 which gave me 14th of 35 in my age category...but this race was not really about getting a time, it was about having a good time! Amazing medal, blingy t shirt, biggest race goody bag I've ever received, wonderful marshals, more water stations than you could imagine, with isotonic drinks and smiley faces, brilliant after race social, disco, hot pasties (£1) this is THE race to tick off, and what's more it's set in the most stunning North Welsh countryside, I almost stopped at about ten miles to admire a waterfall! The campsite I stayed on was great, clean and cheap with warm water and good wet room style showers. Nearby is Aberystwyth Parkrun and there's also the beach if you fancy it.

　

Thats the running angle of it, what i didnt really mention is that i met some really cool people too, James (previously met in a shower queue at Thunder Run) Cat, (James friend) and a few fetchies (see fetcheveryone.com) that i knew. I even had a Twitter moment - i was walking down he high st in Tywyn, as you do, out pops a fella with a wide angle lens fnar - 'are you Sarabop?' he asks 'whos asking' i reply (with Sarah written all over my club shirt - clever me) Turns out this chap - Dan, is the voice of 'Race The Train' on twitter and also the photographer (id been tweeting him and he recognised me) so we had a chat and he took a few snaps. Im beginning to realise that the mahoosive hair and yellow vest are making me stand out a bit - and this helps people to spot me at events, i was oblivious to this until RTT when people kept on coming up to me to say hi.

After the race i spent a bit of time with Cat and James discussing how marvellous it was and our plans for future fun and games in the running genre. Turns out these two are even more mental than me, think there's a couple of new friends right there - although i do fear they may lead me astray...and James has a positive twinkle in his eye if the subject is running - oh dear....

After mud removal there was much beer consumed, although not enough to give too much of a headache the next day -i said farewell to my friends, packed up the tent and then managed a nice walk along the beach, some crappy stone skimming and a few pics.

En route home i stopped at Welshpool for fish and chips for one and really enjoyed them.

Its been a bit of an anticlimax since Tywyn - but this has been helped by James and Cat sending my links to ultra marathon races - some not even in this country (!) and ive been seriously thinking about perhaps having a go at a long distance one day.

Bike training and running have happened every day since my return, both going well. Planning to do a short plod this Saturday with the lovely young chaps from work and then a little something called the Pathfinder Walk on Monday. After spending ages looking for something that would fulfill my LSR requirement this weekend i found this little gem - a choice of 14, 24, 32 or 42 km walk or run, theres a bit of a history too, something about aeroplanes and the war etc... will find out more and post after the event.

This week has consisted of, a wasp sting, a pyramid session, a nice countryside bike ride, a lovely off road run and some bike commuting. Tonight is a rest night, i know its a necessary thing to do and am trying hard to embrace it...except it means i have the time to do the boring stuff like hoovering, cleaning and admin, spose id better suck it up.

ION i purchased our clubs cycle jersey - eeek - the first step to perhaps doing a sportive at some point. #

Things i need to do:

Make a race calendar for the next year (ideas are stacking up but there will be a danger of double booking)

Facetime my older sister

Visit my younger sister

See my youngest son

Run a bit, cycle a bit

Forage a bit

Spend less time on the interweb and more time reading.

Get some more trail shoes (one wet and one dry - good plan)

Think about winter commuting on hybrid - if and how etc

Lose a few pounds

Find some kind of core work that you will actually do

Lets see if i have achieved any of this by next blog.....

Bop

Cheesy plums....

Am aware i havent blogged for a bit - a whole week actually! not been in the correct frame of mind really, but, back at work, its quiet as so many are on annual leave, what better than a spot of bloggage??

Last week passed uneventfully, although i do recall a really good run on Weds evening, you know when everything goes perfectly (apart from falling over due to exposed roots) How is it that i run 45k at Thunder Run without a fall, and do an 8 mile club run and topple twice? Bizarre. Wednesdays run was a totally brilliant off road around Harrold, (not the person from neighbours) but the stunning local village. I saw brooks, mills, horses, a sky that looked on fire, stunning rolling hills and the company wasnt half bad either! I finished with legs ripped to shreds by corn and other sharp grasses, smiling like a lunatic.

This weekend brought challenges new, Larissa - my equal in lunatic challenges, and i decided to do a 50 miler on the bikes, this is new territory for me but we needed to get some miles in before the lunacy of the Hunstanton ride later in the month. We headed off at around noon on Saturday, ensuring we had empty boxes for a spot of foraging en route. We set off at a pretty good pace, a few eyeball popping hills ensued and some nice chatter along the way. Larissa was quite adept at spotting good forage opportunities which unlike me - i need my eyeballs to keep on the bike. Soon we had plums and a small amount of blackberries, we concluded that we were a week or two early for bumper crops and decided another ride out should happen soon. Stopping at Emberton Park for a cuppa we then headed home. A total of just under 48 miles, good enough for me - i now have an idea of what we are up against on the 30th ...eek

Sunday was case of 'up and out' before i had time to figure out what was going on i was half way around the lovely Grafham Water with some good runner pals - see cheesy picture below:

　

We completed two laps and it was a fairly pleasant 17,5 miles with most of the discussions about running (Marc being particularly keen) Most enjoyable. Home and a quick bath, compression wear on i collected youngest son and we re created a Nandos type dinner of chicken and corn, how yummy! By 5pm i was yawning, by 830 in bed - what an old lady i am. A lovely weekend of self propelled fun.

Crash - I'm back at my desk, back to reality. I've been mulling over how lucky i am to be able to do what i do, and also how many lovely people running has brought into my life, I'm making a pact with myself not to moan too much in future!

This week will mean a few brisk lunchtime walks, a bike ride, a run, and planning for the trip to Wales on Saturday, tents running, a train and maybe some beer will be involved. First things first,i have to negotiate my way there, thats the hard bit.

Right, off for a stroll, theres some rather large blackberries up the road with my name on them!

Bop

Park Running Banshees and Vipers

　

This weekend started pretty well, a thirty mile ride out on bikes with some Harriers chums on Friday evening - the first of our pre Hunstanton training rides. We kept a reasonable pace although legs felt heavy and i complained a bit - ok more than bit, nice few chats along the way too.

Saturday morning i decided to can a planned paced run and go shopping for a few things ive been needing/wanting for a while - a hydration bag, some trail shoes, some compression wear and a leakproof tent. I decided on Milton Keynes Snowdome as my destination, up good and early - decided a little Parkrun en route wouldnt hurt theres one in MK. Trainers on i ran round Campbell Park for 24 mins and some seconds feeling ok, huge turnout to this run and a bit windy with occasional little inclines. Bagged 2nd lady in my age cat, cant grumble at that. A quick wipedown with some babywipes (getting good at that - thought- i bet you can get 'runners wipes' somewhere in the world, probably America, and then off to the Snowdome.

After some perusal i settle on an Osprey Viper 9 Hydration backpack, its easy to use with or without the bladder and not as pricey as the Camelbacks - tho still quite pricey. Curiosity found me in a climbing shop where i spied some Skins (compression wear) at 25% off so am now the proud owner of some long tights, not sexy but oh so comfy, especially after a long run. Bored now, had enough of shopping so off home for food and then down to the river where the Glastonbury crew were fishing. Happily i managed to get four cans of John Smiths and a bag of pistachios into my Osprey - although not its intended use a bonus all the same. Scooted down the river on my bike and met up with daughter and granddaughter too. Whilst 'chilling' we bumped into a very old friend from school days who was on the river with his lady in their very nice boat, he offered us a mini cruise which Millie loved (as did i) after a few beers and a nice time i was off home.

Sunday morning meant the first of my weekly LSR's (long slow runs) in prep for the impending marathon. Met up with Mark and Ben from work and Bex and Tom from running at 8am for a run to a cafe and back, great as this means i dont need to carry water. On reaching the cafe we had a nice lolly and some water before running back, the last couple of miles were tiring but glad its done all the same, got to get used to this as its going to be a regular Sunday thing until October.

 

 

 

Once home and bathed i applied my Skins, it was like begin cuddled, i love them, despite how they look. Off to buy a tent in the afternoon and returned with a Vango Banshee, apparently guaranteed not to leak, we shall see, although i think the main reasons i got it are due to the fact that its a) Red and b) Called Banshee.

Spent that afternoon relaxing and watched a Mickey Flanagan DVD - he is rude and funny, i sat there like a mad woman laughing out loud in my Skins eating melon last night, certainly can think of worse ways to spend a Sunday evening.

A more subdued weekend than last, spose its good for me really. Looking forward to more adventures soon.

Bop

Sexy socks in a sea of yellow

Should i race? Oh go on then

Post Thunder Run my legs were sore, the foam roller was both enemy and best buddy, the blisters and tingly legs were a constant and strangely pleasant reminder of the weekends antics. Oh yes, and after TR lap one i was so delirious with the whole running thing i booked Race The Train in three weeks time - its a fell race, it requires camping and a long drive, i must be tapped! Of course im tapped, a gentle few miles on Tuesday night confirmed that legs were indeed filled with concrete, still cycling to work and back has been a good stretch and the weather is ok too.

This week i was due to race the Harriers Doug Anderson 5k - its on our Parkrun route so very familiar. After concrete leg run i was dubious as to whether it was a good idea, giving myself the best possible chance i slept and spent all day in my uber sexy compression socks, stretched loads and took it easy. Waking yesterday things were a whole lot better. Still a little sore but not as bad as the previous day.

Talking to my fellow Thunder Runners it seemed most of them would be running the DA so i decided to go for it. I cycled there, helped set up and saw loads of people ive not seen in a while, lovely, then we were called to the start - oh yes, we were here to race. It was a sea of yellow - over 100 Harriers (go Harriers!!) One of our fast chaps, Ian who also did TR24 was on for a self imposed challenge and managed a club record time of 17.01 - so pleased for him, hes only been running a year and told me his story between laps at TR24, thoroughly nice chap too which makes it all the better.

The first km was truly painful 4.43 (note that i didnt check my Garmin for the whole run as i was too sore to expect a good time) second km a slightly better 4.29 and then i really began to struggle, noticed a few people passing me, and specifically a friend who i used to beat often, i made the decision to get my head down and just get it over. As i approached the 4km sign i knew it was about 5 mins to go, i was also overtaken by two senior males i knew i could beat - so i ramped it up a little, it took everything i had, stomach feeling sick too, i took both of them and then the end was in sight, this they both saw as a challenge and also upped their speed, so the three of us finished within seconds of each other, me being third in. Watch said 23.57 - my PB is 23.27 so not too bad considering my condition. Happy with that!

Now resting until tomorrows first proper training cycle in preparation for our girlie Bedford to Hunstanton ride in about four weeks (eek) And there's also the matter of a date with 14 miles or marathon training running early on Sunday morning....

ION weight is still going down steadily, 148lbs this morning, 8 to go. Juicing as often as i can and determined too.

I also have a shopping list which includes a hydration pack, tent, trail shoes, and some compression wear for the coming season of marathon and mud madness. Thunder Run made me realise how much better equipped i could be.

Hasta la Vista

S

Thunder Fun!

Thunder Run 2013 - Race Report
The Harriers (just about) had two teams of seven runners and our favourite solo nutter Carla Jenkins. Some of us arrived at camp on Friday and were greeted by a wonderful sight, huge masses of colourful tents and feather flags of running clubs from all over Great Britain. The weather was scorching and the course nice and dry.
A BBQ and a few drinks set the evening ...off nicely with much tactical team talk over the flames, followed by a reasonably early night.
Race day morning arrived, it was clear and sunny, the runners in good spirits. So what better than a little local Parkrun to get our legs in the mood? Conkers Parkrun (8 miles from TR24) hosted so well and great marshalling. A not so surprising massive turnout of just under 400 runners! A nice gentle plod around was just what wee needed.
At the 11am pre race briefing this point we were warned that bad weather would be closing in later on in the evening. I think the words were something like ' during the storm we cant advise you to keep on running, ultimately its up to you' which made us chuckle! At noon our first runners went out - it was very warm indeed.

The first part of the course is nice and flat, then a sharp turn into the woods at about half a km leads into a sharp ascent which then comes out into some grass before returning to woods. At this point you find yourself running past the campsite - really good support so a nice little boost.
Its a bit undulating from here util about 5.5 km where you have aother hill climb before hitting 'Conti Hill' which is a sharp hill emblazoned with Continental Tyres advertising, apparently the fastest runner up this hill wins running shoes for his/her whole team. Around here there was also a water station.
Once you have run (hopefully) this hill you are lead into a very twisty technical trail through the woods, exposed tree trunks are the order of the day and you need your wits about you.
At about 8km you leave the woods and arrive on a lovely ridge which is a good photo opp spot, then a fast downhill and back through more campsite leading you too a very sharp hill at 9.5km, fine the first time round, not so amusing in subsequent laps.Coming into the finish on any lap was an emotional feeling, whether in the sun or in deep dark night.

As promised the weather turned dramatically in the late afternoon - from brilliant sunshine to apocalyptic thunder, lightening and rain, we carried on running getting soaked and the course was soon a quagmire of mud, hidden tree roots and slippery ascents.
The whole course is on trail, no tarmac and a few bricks on one part! It did change from a dusty leafy track into a muddy slippery watery mess and then into a sticky dirty nightmare where your shoes carried so much mud it was difficult to run and turning a corner took all the power you had not to go speeding into the nearest tree!

There was a small event village where you could get food (reasonably priced and good quality/selection) a massage (excellent service and cheap) Buffs, and other promo were available - pricey as expected.

Some of out tents flooded and were consigned to the skip. Noels large tent was the place to be for many of us through the night and im not sure that anybody slept at all on Saturday night, not that they really minded. Every runner came off the course smiling, day or night, rain or sun. The last laps at about 11am were fantastic as the finish line was full of spectators ans as Noel came in we all joined him over the finish line.
A wonderful weekend where teamwork was paramount and came naturally to all involved. Well done to all the Harriers involved in running and supporting.
Next year anyone?

Running in the heat

Last night was my first night back at 'club' and it was great to see everyone again after my rest period. We were all sweating before we started as it was officially the hottest day since records began, ever, or around 33 degrees. We set off at a steady pace, legs like lead and having a bit of a moan. I soon went into chatter mode catching up with everyones news which helped to distract me from the matter in hand. Sweat pouring off us we ran a very pretty route through Bromham and towards Clapham, after running through a field we appeared at a ford, we were straight in, the river up to mid thigh was invitingly cool. One of our club runners who was unable to run met us on the other side with cold water and sweets, it was love at first sight! (shes in the pale yellow top and her name is Caroline and shes my favourite person ever)

After the run i popped into Sainsburys for some veggies  - yup am still juicing and its great in this hot weather. Home and a reasonably early night, a good job really as i was rudely awoken by storms at 430am alike many others - i think there will be a large number of too-warm-grumpy-Brits today.
Wet out today but still very warm, i applied the 'man up' rule and got on my bike to commute despite weather warnings etc (get me!) I also forgot to pack a bra so am in my work clothes trying to hide a luminous pink sports bra today, rock n roll!
Tonight im doing a run with some newbies, looking forward to it and hope my enthusiasm for running doesnt put them off....
I also need to pack camping type stuff for this weekends adventure in Derbyshire.
Body is a bit grumpy due to onset of running, but nothing too bad just some general aching.

Call me Judy the Olympian

The weekend plans were already good,  but on Saturday afternoon they rocketed from good to EPIC, a brief chat with friend and fellow runner Eamon transpired that he was participating in the National Lottery Olympic Park Run on Sunday, immediately i went on the interweb and looked to see if there were any places up for grabs, the Runners World forum came good and a lady called Mary informed me that her mum Judy was not going to be running and offered her race number. Delighted i accepted and agreed to meet Mary at the event - as name transfers were not allowed i would run in the name of Judy and the time would not be on record for me, but no matter, i was more interested in running in the actual Olympic Stadium!

I met Eamon at Toddington Services at 630am on Sunday morning, off we zoomed to London. At this point i had read a bit about the event and discovered that the organisers wanted everyone to wear the blue t shirt with the National Lottery logo on if - bugger that! I was dressed in my running clubs yellow and black vest and wearing long red and white striped socks - i was in it to get noticed. On arrival and after a little bit of a kerfuffle i met Mary and the exchange was completed. It wanst long before the race had started, what a spectacle, 12500 runners chasing each other down on the 5 mile route, to be honest it was a bit like running round a building site but the last half mile made it all worth it, Chariots of Fire were playing, famous people were there (think Chris Hoy, Sporty Spice, Paula Radcliffe etc) i bounced along the track feeling quite emotional. All in all a great day, i think Judy will like her time (she is older than me ) and possible her pictures.

http://www6.marathon-photos.com/scripts/photo.py?event=Sports/GRUK/2013/National%20Lottery%20Anniversary%20Run&photo=NATJ2908&bib=13661

Lots of white wine and a big salad when i got home, and back on juice today to cancel the wine out!

This juicing lark is taking over Bedford, little did i know when i started that there was a marketing campaign about to start - now there are no juicers available anywhere! (There's me thinking i was a trendsetter n all)

　

Other activities included two reasonably long cycle rides and a nice 5 mile early run on Saturday morning. The really nice parts of the weekend involved a long walk and visit to Harrold Country park and another to Marston Vale Park. Oh and another wonderful sports massage, mustn't forget that.

 

This week will involve two club runs, Mon and Weds, a possible visit for tea from youngest child and an event called the Stevenage Relays on Thursday before i bounce along to Thunder Run on Friday

BOING thats what i say!

 

Slowly slowy frogs and bikes

Today i am full of beans a) ITs Friday b)Its sunny c) 149.2lbs this morn, am finally in the 140s - total loss around 16lbs. only 9 to go - although really could do with a 'meal' im bossing these juices. This time next week I will be heading to Derbyshire for the Thunder Run event, this will be great fun and I cant wait, im giving a lift to my tri friend (not in a sexual way) so a girlie road trip! Shes a bit of a nutter too, also I will be nice and slim for ex to see me looking fab *in your face (insert ex boyfriends name here) look what you coulda had* The downside is there will be beer and bad food.  Any coping mechanisms/food I can take to help me suggestions welcome. Naturally I cant take the juicer, how odd would that be? Standing in the middle of a cross country course making vegetable juices - nah, better not.
This weekend is panning out nicely with cycling swimming and running planned, yes running, I need to say it again running, ah that's better - and another fab massage tomorrow afternoon. 

Right, juice to make, work clothes to sort and hair to mess up. Laters taters xx

Powered by Juice

Been fairly busy since last i blogged lots of cycling, juicing, work and stuff.

Ive been doing this juicing lark for a couple of weeks now, its good stuff but not sure how sustainable it is. The idea is that you don't eat any solid food for a week - the only thing you consume is juiced fruit and vegetables, in fairly large quantities and herbal tea/water. A kind of detox/weight loss/pure raw vitamin injection idea. There is no alcohol, caffeine, sugar, carb, meat fish etc. Protein/fat is derived from avocado and there some live yogurt thrown in for a bit of calcium. As its only for a week at a time i thought it couldn't do any harm and i could do with shifting a few lbs - good for running and biking, and especially good in the summer when you spend most of your time walking around in less clothing. Its good to be less offensive to the eyeballs anyway. There's a ton of stuff on the internet about it, generally showing good results.

A week later im 12,8lbs lighter and a juicing diva/ I have it down to a fine art now, all ingredients prepped the night before, juicing and swift cleaning of the machine happens pre work and off i cycle to the office. I would like a T-shirt - Bop - Powered by juice.

At the end of week one i felt amazing, skin good, energy levels great and just generally feeling good about myself. On day 8 which happened to be a Wednesday i began juicing for breakfast and lunch with 'solid' food for tea each night - being fish or lean meat and salad or veg, food tasted soo good, any food and the key now is to remain healthy with my eating - that's the hard part.

Last night i cycled 30 miles with a friend, we sped through some beautiful south Bedfordshire villages chatting and laughing, it was wonderful and i cant wait to do it again. But can someone please tell me why its acceptable for a 50 something obese man to wear tight fitting lycra *eyeball bleach please* Im not exactly Nell McAndrew but there were a couple of shockers on the road last night.

Tomorrow i am going to attempt that running thing in around a local marina, this makes me both nervous and elated, the calf is officially on test. Three miles is the aim, if all ok this will be repeated on Friday and increased slightly on Sunday - perhaps 4-5. Only just over a week to the Thunder Run event and i am determined to run - at least one lap anyway.

Keep smiling

Bop

Ponds, Parks, Pools and painting

That's was officially a stonkingly good weekend for many reasons but the main ones are, spending some time with my granddaughter, hearing some promising news from my daughter, a bloody good sports massage, a fantastic bike ride and a pretty good 'food' weekend - meaning I didn't go overboard.
Millie (3 1/2) came over on Friday evening, by the time we had popped to the shop, had some tea and a bath the evening was over, my attempt at a bedtime story was so bad I thik I bored the poor child to sleep, but hey, don't knock it! gap in the market right there.
Saturday morning we were up bright and early and went off to wave at the Parkrunners before heading off to the local beach pool for  swim....well not exactly a swim, more of a play, but it was fun, after that I planned a small adventure - purely by accident I found, whilst surfing one evening that Biddenham has a village pond, its a little hidden but well looked after
http://biddenhamvillagepond.wordpress.com/
I got hold of a net and bucket and we were off, it took us a while to find it but we eventually got there and what a stunningly beautiful place it was;

After a while a lady with a King Charles spaniel arrived, she sat with us and we chatted, she was called Nikki and was very interesting...I told her about Parkrun, reckon she might turn up there one day. We left the secret pond and will definitely go back again.
After a damn good sports massage I had a quick spin on the bike to the LBS to sort some stuff out only to have m'lady knocked over by a fellow cyclist!! It physically hurt me to see her scratched, I was less angry and more upset. It was however an accident and I like to think myself a reasonable person, plus the chap was pretty apologetic - we ended up chatting about running!
Saturday night was spent chatting online to a friend who is currently going through some stuff and needs a little support, hes doing really well and im very proud of his progress so far.
Sunday morning was a bike ride with some people from running club, most of whom I knew vaguely. A great bunch and we did a nice paced 27 miles with a stop in the middle for drinks:

Then off home to paint the fence panels in the garden, such glamour!
A pretty good weekend, and the weather has been stunning.
This is more of a diary entry than a blog today but I did a few nice things and wanted to get them down.
My thought today is:
Don't go home from work and sit on a piece of furniture and stare at the tv till bedtime.
Remember, theres a world out there, go for a walk, go for a run, find your old bike in the garage and fix it up, call a friend, or just dance like a loon to a song you like on the radio. I promise you it will make you feel good. Money back guarantee.
Bop

massage and dippy eggs...

That's three days commuting on my bike to work in a row now, and because im an ever so slightly competitive person im now racing against myself every day - how daft, but i cant help it - 40 seconds off my best time this morning but i did arrive looking like some kind of sweating Medusa. And dont even get me started on Strava. The new steed has now been christened Merlot. - name chosen by my big sis - and very apt too but thats a whole nother story.

Friday always makes me feel excited, sort of a little 'tummy flutter' type thing happens, even if ive got nothing planned for the weekend, this has always been the case - am perfectly happy in my job and everything.... I suppose its just the freedom the weekend brings.

Last night on the cycle home it was warm and sunny so i made the decision to go for a swim (i know, lovely and sunny outside, lets go inside - strange woman) so a sped home, grabbed my cossie and a towel and dashed to the pool. I haven't been in our local pool for years and it hadn't change a bit, in which way i mean the whole place was in need of an overhaul, it was tired and grubby looking (a bit like me after Glastonbury, again thats a nother whole nother story) anyway, i had a job to do so in i went, 10 lengths passed ok, not fast as i only 'do' breaststroke, 10-20 were actually quite boring and 20-30 were as dull as dishwater, even the people spotting isnt all that because you can only see bobbing heads and the occasionally person making a dash for the changing areas. Not sure i want to repeat this exercise, not at Robinson anyway - are the other pools in Bedford any better? I suppose i could go to Oasis and hurl myself down the slide but its not exactly exercise per se. Dull dull dull,  its up there with going to the gym, but worse.

I shall be nanny tonight and some of tomorrow, spending time with my granddaughter Millie, I don't have her overnight very often so am looking forward to it. On the menu are a spot of pond dipping, perhaps a swim and some dippy eggs and soldiers.

The rest of the weekend will be spent hopefully mainly outside but i do have a few chores to do which involve using the car grr and my first 'sports' massage at a place in town, should help my injury and loosen me up a bit.

I could go on all day but im sneaking this blog in at work as i wont have time later on.

Time for a juice (and thats a nother nother nother story for another day)

Bop

Being disgusting and going native

On running, bike and living alone

I can't run, running is my life, i haven't run since Weds 3rd July and that was after 2 weeks of abstinence, this is all my own fault for getting completely carried away with the running thing (middle name is 'all or nothing') I was warned not to overtrain/over race and chose to ignore and so i broke my damn stupid calf (dsc)

Therefore phasers are now set to BIKE, Bike is good, bike is fast - however bike is much more expensive/dangerous/less sociable than RUN. Its a complicated life isnt it?

I have noticed that bike is a much more solitary sport, whereas running is a great way to connect with friends and have a good natter. As a result i am now feeling a little lonely, often i can get in from work and not speak to another human being until the next day...i need a plan to remedy this. Perhaps i can go and chat to the checkout staff at Sainsburys? No? Facetime is another option. My thoughts go out to the elderly people who live alone, crikey it must be days sometimes before they talk to anyone, this makes me sad. Last night i popped in and saw my sister, we had a natter, it was nice. Perhaps i should join some kind of bike club thing... im rambling again arent i?

Living alone is also ace, i will tell you why:

You put something down and its still there when you go back for it *note this also applies to mess

You can eat strange things at strange times

You can be disgusting - think cutting toenails in living room, not washing till lunchtime, not washing up, not hoovering.

You can sing loudly, and dance a bit without fear of being locked up

You can sleep star shaped

There are more upsides but i need to remember them.

In other news i have a running event on the weekend of 27th July, its called the Adidas Thunder Run and its a 24 hour 10k course you run in teams, there's camping and beer etc, theres lots of people that like running there - obviously. I am saving myself for this and hope that dsc will be at least well enough to do one lap - maybe more. This could be the big comeback providing the dsc behaves.

Good things

Todays good things are

Weight is best its been in a while

Ive decided to let my hair go native for a change, it works well with cycle commute and colleagues have been complimentary, its liberating and i feel a little hippyish.

Energy levels are good following recent juice diet (google Jason Vale)

Since Glastonbury im refreshing my love of music, old and new.

Todays not so good things

Im a bit lonely (see above) in the evenings sometimes

Have a lovely day - and i mean that, not like the Americans when they say 'Have a nice day'

Bop

On lycra and nuts

Today was my first commute, this means I needed to be organised, no mean feat for me - have you seen my house/hair/handbag?
Despite the above I was ready to roll at 8am, thought id leave nice and early because a) - not sure how long it would take b) - didn't want to bump into too many colleagues in the office dressed in not a lot of that lycra stuff sweating like a madwoman. So, off I zoomed on my new love, rucksack not too heavy, I totally bossed the downhill stretch of Bromham Road and grinning like a woman on some kind of mad juice diet or something.
Wow, its mad out there, cars and transits battling each other for space with cyclists hanging on in there. I stayed on the main roads today, although I will look at a friendlier route tomorrow. It does seem quite dangerous and you certainly need to have your wits about you.
Im liking it so far, a faint 'glow' by the time I got to work, soon remedied with babywipes and a roll on. Not sure it will be so favourable in the rain though.
In other news im back on solids after a week long juice diet, in a nutshell* a fair amount of weight lost and feeling pretty good.
Right, im off back out for a cycle
*this environment is not nut free

Its wheely gweat

This weekend was the first one in a while with nothing on the agenda. Due to damn stupid calf (dsc) I am currently on the injury bench. The good news was that my new speedy road bike was ready to collect from the local bike shop.  I bounced out of bed early on Saturday morning with the plan of walking to town, collecting bike and riding her home - fully aware that this would be my first ever 'clipped in' experience (Youtube was researched thoroughly on Friday for tips, except it was more fun to watch the fails than the successes) The very lovely chaps at the lbs were very helpful and fitted me to the frame, not literally you understand. Clumsily I leaned against a telegraph pole and clipped one foot in, in a few seconds I was off - scared wasn't the word, its like being padlocked in - theres a sense of loss of control and fear. And then I rode her, shes was like a machine, a sleek aluminium and carbon goddess gliding me down the A428, I was totally in love. Suffice to say I managed to get home without falling off.  Later in the afternoon I took a ride out to Kempston  happy to receive knowing nods from other road bikers - felt a bit special  - until I got to some traffic lights, forgot to unclip and totally stacked it into the kerb, once I checked the steed was ok I then had a good old laugh at myself (very important this bit) and off I went.
First day done and feeling quite pleased with myself.