Let the countdown begin!

I am writing this post from the comfort of the sofa, wrapped up in a blanket, feeling rather under the weather (but feeling better following an afternoon nap). It’s been an extremely busy few months and now I’ve finally handed in the keys to my flat in Leeds and truly began to unwind, my adrenaline has plummeted and I am feeling it. This is not something new to me but it is at a rather inconvenient time; I am going on holiday with my boyfriend next week and it’s just over 4 weeks until the Great North Run.

I feel the urge to blog today because my NETA t-shirt arrived this morning. It reminded me of one of the reasons why I am running the Great North Run; to raise money for a very worthy cause. Every step I run is a step closer to covering the half marathon on 11^th September. The t-shirt is a lovely blue tech top and I can’t wait to try it out for one of my training runs in the coming weeks.

Posing in my new t-shirt

I’ve done a bit of running over the last week or so and I’m starting to feel well prepared for the Great North Run. I’m also really looking forward to it because I am sharing the experience with my boyfriend. We did a long run on Sunday (9 miles) and although largely difficult, we enjoyed getting out in the fresh air and covering the miles together. We (foolishly) thought it would be a good idea to have a few drinks on Saturday evening to celebrate successfully moving all my stuff back from Leeds over the previous few days. On Sunday morning when the alarm went off, I realised it was not a good idea at all. Why didn’t we celebrate with a nice ice cold glass of water, or some ice-cream, rather than prosecco?! That said, we still had a 9 mile run to do, so although we set off later than planned we still covered the distance. I could really feel in my legs that I had not had enough water in the previous 24 hours and it was a hot day. We tried to remain upbeat and chatted our way round; pointing out pretty scenery or counting lampposts. I was glad I wasn’t running alone as it was a tough route and I was so pleased when we made it the end. I feel better about the GNR knowing that we covered 9 miles on Sunday (in less than ideal conditions).

Tone and me on our long run

Last week my niece Toni came to stay and I told her I wanted to run the next morning. I asked her if she wanted to join me as she is training for the Junior North Run on 10^th September. I was excited by her enthusiasm to run with me (and she didn’t argue when I told her we’d need to get up quite early too!). My Parkrun 50 t-shirt arrived the night before and I was keen to run wearing it! After breakfast, my dad took some photos of us, then we were ready to go. We were aiming for 4K (the distance Toni will be running) and left my parent’s house and headed to the lake at QEII Park. Toni did brilliantly and was keen to do some faster bursts of running in between steady pace and run walking. We didn’t quite do 4K as when we were back home we’d only reached 3.6k and she didn’t want to run round the block to make it up (she’s obviously not as obsessed about rounding up running numbers as I am!) I left Toni in the house with a glass of water (and my dad) and repeated the route again myself (coming home a slightly different way which made it 4k). I enjoyed the second lap and ran more (but not all) of it though I preferred the first lap with Toni. I love that she enjoys running and that we got to share a training run together. I am really looking forward to going to cheer her (and my cousins children) at the Junior GNR. They are all raising funds for Diabetes UK as one of my cousin’s daughters was diagnosed with Diabetes when she was 6 years old. If you’d like to support in their fundraising you can do so here.

Toni and me :)

Even though I wasn’t feeling well yesterday I still went to running club last night. I decided not to go to the efforts session but enjoyed a nice 5K with Tone and the rest of the club at the first session. I felt better having run and the weather was perfect, slightly cool and drizzling. It was 100% better than the run on Sunday and I am glad I went out. Tone and me have a run planned tomorrow night and South Shields 10 miles on Sunday. I am going to wait and see how I am feeling over the next couple of days as I don’t want to push myself too hard.

I’m looking forward to going to Amsterdam next week and Tone has already been researching possible running routes. We are excited to be packing our trainers and training in another country! As it is getting closer, I am now really looking forward to the Great North Run (and will hopefully fit in another few longer runs before the big day!) If you’d like to help me support NETA I’d really appreciate it. Every penny counts (here’s the link to my page).

I am.

I am back in Leeds packing up my flat once and for all as I’ve officially moved back to the North East. This is a time of mixed emotions as I love Leeds but I’m glad to be home.

On Saturday, my boyfriend Tone and I did Temple Newsam Parkrun with 2 of my friends from my old job in Leeds. We then went for breakfast after and it was a lovely morning. I made a conscious decision before I left the flat on Saturday morning that I was going to enjoy the run. I don’t know when I will next get the opportunity to do a Parkrun in Leeds so I wanted to make the most of it. This conscious thinking begun on Friday when I ensured that I was drinking plenty water all day long. I usually only have a banana before a Parkrun but I didn’t have any in my flat on Saturday morning so I opted for a bowl of cereal instead. I usually feel hungry on my way around but on Saturday I didn’t so I think I need to start eating a better breakfast! Tone and I really enjoyed the Parkrun and I liked being back at Temple Newsam sharing in Tony’s first experience of this route.

Me, Tony, Maria and Laura before it began!

Tone and me

Cooling off with an ice lolly before breakfast number 2!

My running has been a bit inconsistent of late and I am determined to get more training in for the Great North Run (and indeed for South Shields 10 miles next month!) On Monday morning I text Tony to ask if he fancied doing York 10 miles in October and when he said yes I went ahead and booked 2 places – I’m not sure what’s happened to me but I am making the most of my renewed enthusiasm for running. We’ve also just booked a trip to Amsterdam and are planning to take our trainers as it’s only 3 weeks before the Great North Run!

I decided to go for a run yesterday morning. I wasn’t sure how far I would go but I knew I needed to get out and get some miles in my legs. My Facebook memories told me that 2 years ago yesterday I ran 8 miles in 1 hour 44 minutes. While I was out running yesterday I was actually quite enjoying it and decided I would try and match this (distance or time, whichever I got to first). At 1 hour 44 I was at 7.2 miles and wasn’t too far from home so decided this would be long enough. I did 7.6 miles altogether and I was incredibly proud of myself. I took time to enjoy my surroundings and really appreciate that I was running in Leeds. Sometimes, in fact, most of the time, I don’t enjoy running solo. But sometimes if I have the right mind set I get a lot from it. My aim yesterday was to enjoy it and I knew it was one run closer to the Great North Run.

Yesterday’s run is proof that running is as much in the mind as it is in the legs. Whenever I felt tired or had a niggling pain I tried to find something pretty to focus my attention on. This ranged from looking at the clouds, to spotting 2 magpies (2 for joy!), or seeing an aeroplane overhead. These are all such simple things that are around us each and every day but sometimes I appreciate them so much more when I’m running. I walked a few times, sometimes to stretch out my legs and sometimes to take a photo. It’s so easy for me to beat myself up about walking or going too slow but yesterday I chose to look for the good. It wasn’t bad that I was walking, it was good that I wasn’t still in bed. I had my trainers on and I was out in the fresh air. It’s so easy to be defined by the self-talk we do and that’s why I chose to try and make it as positive as possible. I’d be lying if I said it was an easy run or that I enjoyed every second, but I made the most of the experience and looked for as many positives as I could find.

I am going to focus on positive thoughts and being less critical of myself when I run in all my future runs. I’ve been putting too much pressure on myself again recently and that’s when I stop enjoying it. Running has had such a massive positive impact on my life, physically, emotionally and socially, and I don’t want to fall out of love with it completely.

I believe a lot in the thoughts we have influencing what we become. Recently I’ve told myself I didn’t like running and therefore as a consequence each run was getting tougher. I’ve been doing lots of stretches and trying to tell myself that I like running, and I am actually looking forward the GNR!

When I was running yesterday I thought a lot about my thoughts. One of my favourite quotes is from Henry Ford: If you think you can or you think you can’t you’re right. I totally agree with this. From now on I am focusing on what I can do and who I am. I am a runner. This means I run. It doesn’t matter how fast or how slow. I run. Lots of things make me who I am and running is only one part of the puzzle. But it’s a very important piece, not least because of the people it has brought into my life. I am a runner. I am going to enjoy my training. I am going to enjoy the Great North Run!

(I am also going to raise lots of much needed funds for the North Easy Trust for Aphasia. If you can help in any way please do so here. I am truly grateful for all the support!)

The Big 5-0!

I think my running mojo has returned and I am really looking forward to continuing my training for the Great North Run.

A few Saturdays ago saw me reach my 50^th Parkrun and I had a lovely morning running and celebrating. My dad and two of my friends, Rachael and Katie, came to cheer me on and celebrate after. My sister Joanne also completed the Parkrun with my nephew and niece (their first time!).

Before we began!

I was excited before the run, especially because Joanne and Katie had made cake (at my not so subtle hint/request!) I ran with Tone and once we crossed the finish line we turned back and went to run/walk the rest of the route with Joanne, Darius and Toni. I was so proud to reach 50 Parkrun’s and of Darius and Toni completing their first ever!

Running with Darius to the finish!

After we finished running we got the cake from the cars and Katie tried lighting the 50 candle. It was quite windy so no sooner had we lit it the flame blew out. We decided to take the cakes inside and have a cuppa and I thoroughly enjoyed eating more calories than I’d ran off, with some of the most important people in my life.

Celebration Cake!

The following Monday I went for a run after work with Tone and we covered more than 7 and a half miles. We stopped for me to stretch my calves a few times as they are still niggling. I enjoyed running and then walking when I felt like I needed to (and stopping to eat the jellies Tone had thoughtfully packed in his arm band).

I always love it when our runs incorporate a view of the sea and we started on the prom in Newbiggin. There were moments I found difficult but with Tone’s company and encouragement it was largely an enjoyable run. My focus was to enjoy being out in the fresh air and not on distance (though we did have a distance in mind before we set off).

The following Thursday I went to Ashington Hirst Running Club beginner’s session and completed 5k. I complained most of the way round as it was so hot and my legs felt heavy and tight. Towards the end of the run I settled into it a bit more and my legs were feeling better so instead of running straight back to my house Tone and I decided to run round the lake at the QE2, taking the total distance up to more than 7 miles. The Great North Run is definitely feeling achievable now and I am looking forward to increasing my distance even further!

Thanks for reading!

No more excuses...

My training feels slow at the moment and I am beginning to wonder why I thought training for a half marathon again was a good idea…

Last week saw my return to the North East and the start of my new job. It still feels a bit surreal that I am actually back living and working in the North East and I wasted no time in joining Ashington Hirst Running Club last Tuesday. I decided to go to the effort session as I was feeling guilty that I’d not done much running in my final weeks in Leeds. I really enjoyed the session (400m relays) but I think I found it difficult and struggled with the gentle run back at the end of the session due to overdoing it in the efforts themselves. Everyone was so friendly and I am excited to have a joined a club! Looking forward to future sessions!

On Saturday I ran my 49^th parkrun at South Shields. It’s been a while since I ran here and decided it would be nice to do it again before I hit the big 5-0! (number of Parkruns completed…not my age!!) I love running near the sea, there’s something about breathing in the sea air that makes me feel truly alive.

South Shields

I love the route at South Shields but it’s not the easiest, with a hill near the beginning and undulating the rest of the way round. There was also a head wind on the final stretch which added an extra element of difficulty. The sun was shining and I had good company so I was determined to keep going until the end. My calves have begun to feel tight again and I could feel them getting heavier as the run progressed. When the finish line was almost in sight, my brother in law came and joined us for the final bit which was just the final push I needed to get across the finish line. After the run, Craig, Tone and I went for a cup of tea and I enjoyed taking in the view of the sea from the window. I missed the coast so much when I was in Leeds and I appreciate it so much more now I’m home J As we finished our cuppa we saw Tony the Fridge outside the window and I shouted well done as we were leaving. He had just completed day 29 of his 100 Great North Runs in 100 day – what an inspiration!!

Tone, me, Craig before we ran

Sunday saw the arrival of the Great North 10K once again and having not ran much recently I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been. The music at the start of the route made me feel excited and I was determined to enjoy the day with great company. As the run progressed my legs felt heavy and tight and my feet began to tingle – it’s been a while since I experienced this and I think I need to re-lace my new trainers. We stopped a few times on route so I could stretch my calves and make my legs a little more comfortable. It was pretty warm on Sunday too… I always find running in the heat extremely uncomfortable and my struggle on Sunday was no different. Tone really tried to keep me motivated throughout and I couldn’t have kept going without him. At points I was close to tears, with the tightness in my calves and the heat. I loved running into the stadium, partly as I knew how close the finish line was, but also because the music and cheering really increased my motivation! Tone and I often have a bit of ‘finish line competition’ which is often my favourite part of our runs but I knew my legs couldn’t carry me any faster than they were already so we kept a steady (possibly ever-so-slightly-faster) pace.

Tone and me at GN10K

Receiving my medal and (tech!) t-shirt made the run worthwhile and I was glad I had done it. I’m also glad because it reminded me that I need to start training properly again and remember to do all the other parts of my training in between running that have just completely slipped due to how busy I have been over recent weeks and months. I have no one to blame other than myself but I know I need to stop making excuses and just get on with it. I’ve been resting, stretching, foam rolling and using ice over the last few days and I missed running club last night in an effort to get my niggles sorted.

 

 

I think I’ll do a gentle run tomorrow as they are feeling much better now. I am looking forward to my 50^th Parkrun on Saturday at Druridge Bay Parkrun (it would be lovely to see you there!). I still can’t believe I’ve made it to 50 as I used to say I didn’t have time to Parkrun at all…funny how priorities change and what you can achieve when I stop making excuses and just get on and do it…

Now that I’ve had a few days to recover I am feeling more positive about the Great North Run again though I still think I underestimated how much time I need to find for training (even though I’ve done it before). But I’m determined that there’s going to be no more excuses…

If you would like to help me on my fundraising journey you can sponsor me here. Any support is greatly appreciated and will mean a lot to the members of the North East Trust for Aphasia.

...Plan C

On Saturday morning I planned to do Temple Newsam Parkrun with my friend Maria. It would have been my 48^th Parkrun… so close to number 50! I planned to meet Maria there at 8.45am on Saturday morning. When I got there, I realised that it was the Race for Life so Parkrun had been cancelled (the one time I don’t keep an eye on social media!) I rang Maria and we agreed a plan B - to just go for a run - so we met at my house (not far from Temple Newsam). Then we decided really last minute to share a car and try and get to a different Parkrun. At 9am we were still a couple of miles away from the Parkrun we were aiming for so we decided on a Plan C. Maria used google maps to find a random park and we ended up at Chapeltown at Potternewton park.

It isn’t a very big park and neither of us had any technology to record it so we don’t know how far we ran. After a few minutes we found some gym equipment and had quite a giggle whilst realising I have no upper body strength and Maria has lots!

We then went running again (a little sprint to the nearest park bench – up a hill too!) until we found another piece of equipment. This called for another stop and photo opportunity. This was the pattern for the next 15 minutes (with fast bursts of running in between). After we were safe in the knowledge we’d tried all the equipment and had taken sufficient photos to remember our trip we ran round the park all the way without stopping.  

Maria and me

 

I’ve no idea how far we ran but I do know it was a lot of fun! Initially I was disappointed when I realised Parkrun was cancelled…but sometimes the unexpected runs make for the most memorable :) xxx

 

 

Where there's a will there's a way!

I’ve done quite a lot of running since I last wrote here. I’ve possibly not ran as much as I should have done but at least I’ve got out there a few times and that’s what counts.

Last Saturday I did a different Parkrun in Leeds. I met my friends at Woodhouse Moor ready for my 45^th Parkrun. I’m enjoying experiencing different Parkrun’s in Leeds and I think this one was the busiest I’ve been to. It was a 3 lap course which initially put me off as I thought it would be psychologically more difficult but it wasn’t as bad as I thought and I actually quite enjoyed it.

Me, Judith, Maria and Kim

I’ve had an extremely busy week with something planned each night after work so I didn’t know when I would fit in a run. I’m determined not to make excuses as I want to ensure I train well for the Great North Run. On Tuesday night I set my alarm early and was determined I would get up early  to run. I knew it wouldn’t be far or fast, but it would be better than nothing! When my alarm went off on Wednesday morning I really wanted to go back to sleep but before I could process what I was doing, I ate my banana got dressed and went out. I didn’t know how far I was going to go but I knew I’d need to be back to get ready for work. A few minutes after I started to run I was glad that I’d got up to experience a part of the day I don’t normally see. I ran about 10 minutes away from my house before turning round and running back. I was glad I went out, it was grey and drizzly outside but by the time I got home I felt sunny and happy on the inside. I’m not sure I will be motivated enough to make it a regular early morning thing but I’m glad that I did it this week.

Pretty Cherry Blossom on my early morning run

I’ve been home this weekend and yesterday morning did Druridge Bay Parkrun (my 46^th Parkrun!) It was a bright and sunny morning and I enjoyed the route, I saw a few people I knew and enjoyed catching up with them before the run. It was quite a warm morning but Tony and I still had enough in our legs for a sprint finish!

 

Sprint Finish! (Thanks to Druridge Bay Parkrun for the photo)

My niece Toni completed the Gregg's Children's Cancer run this morning (3 miles) and she really enjoyed it . I think it's lovely she has the running bug too and she was so proud of her medal! :-)

Toni with her medal looking proud

I’d already planned to go for a longer run this morning but then also decided to go for cocktails last night as it’s my birthday tomorrow. I didn’t have too many cocktails and it wasn’t a late night so I knew I’d be ok to run this morning. As I’m doing the Great North Run with Tony we plan to do as many training runs as possible together. We didn’t know how far we’d do this morning (mainly in case I was hungover!) but we decided to just see how our legs felt. I knew I wanted to see the beach (as always when I’m home) so after running around the lake at the QE2 we headed to Newbiggin. It was a beautiful morning, albeit slightly too hot to run. We covered 8 miles in total which is more than I was expecting. We walked some of it partly due to the heat and partly due to my knee/leg hurting. Although I didn’t feel hungover this morning I probably hadn’t had enough water yesterday.

I never tire of this view

 This afternoon I also went for a walk around the lake with Rachael which was lovely. I'm surprised my legs feel ok...hopefully they'll still feel ok tomorrow!

Rach and me on our walk

I’m finally beginning to feel that the Great North Run is achievable. I know I’ve done it before but it still felt out of reach until recently. I surprised myself covering 8 miles this morning and it made me realise that running is as much a psychological battle as it is physical.

 

44, friends and counting!

Last Saturday I introduced one of my friend’s, Kim, to Parkrun. I’ve done a few Parkrun’s in Leeds with my friend Maria and we’ve been encouraging Kim to join us. We were all free last Saturday so decided to try a route which was new to us all. I am counting down to my 50^th Parkrun and Saturday marked 44 – not long to go now!

We met nice and early at Oakwell Hall Parkrun and as the sun was shining I’d chosen a t-shirt and shorts. The sun was deceiving. It was cold. Much colder than it looked. But at least it wasn’t snowing! I spent the time before we started, jumping up and down on the spot trying to keep warm. I’d told Kim I would run with her as it was her first time and she was feeling nervous. I always enjoy doing Parkrun with other people as it’s a much more sociable and happy experience!

Oakwell Hall

Just before we set off we saw our other friend Laura who was also new to Oakwell Hall Parkrun last week. The route was pretty and is a 2 lap course. The marshall’s were super friendly and we were made to feel both welcomed and encouraged. There were lots of lovely printed signs of encouragement and I stopped to take a photo of this one (it made me smile!!).

 

 We felt like it was lying to us the first time round but more encouraging on passing it on the 2^nd lap. The course was challenging with zig zags, mud and trail paths.  We run walked the course and as I still didn’t have my Garmin, I just enjoyed chatting to Kim and Maria and taking in the new surroundings.

Kim and I crossed the finish line together and Maria, Laura and her friend were waiting to cheer us on. Kim enjoyed her first Parkrun and says she’ll be returning for another – she also got a 5K pb! Well done Kim! It was an enjoyable morning and we had some chocolate before heading our separate ways to enjoy the rest of our Saturday (which for me may have involved some wine tasting!!)

Me, Maria, Kim

 My Great North Run training has not been productive at all this week. I had a brilliant week last week, 2 bootcamp sessions and 2 runs but I’ve not done anything since Saturday (oops!). This week has been spent celebrating some good news and preparing for our Speech and Language Therapy pantomime.

Tomorrow I am doing Sunderland 10K for the third year running. I am looking forward to seeing the new start and experiencing a new route.  Two years ago, Sunderland 10K was the first 10K race I ever entered and it was only the second time I’d even ran that distance. Hopefully the next few weeks will see me regaining some motivation and training a bit harder.

I’m off to sort my things for tomorrow. I know I can cover the distance tomorrow as it wasn’t too long since I last ran 10K. I look forward* to increasing my distance over the coming months towards my journey to the Great North Run.

*I am trying to remain positive, I use the term ‘look forward’ quite loosely but I’m not dreading it which is progress on a couple of weeks ago (and indeed the last 18 months since the last time I thought it would be a good idea to subject myself to running a Half Marathon!)