Category Archives: Running

Lincoln 10k Road Race

After enjoying running the Lincoln 10k last year  I decided to enter it again this year.

Lincoln 10kThis would be my first real running event since my achilles injury.

What I didn’t expect was a stinking head cold on the day or Geoff to be home to drive me there cheer me on and take photo’s 🙂

Once again it was a fabulous day with well over 6000 runners, many  I knew from the Ryston Runners and  5 other Ladybirds. too.

The route was well supported , we had perfect weather conditions and some how I managed to get a P/B time of 56.14

Unfortunately I had told Geoff to expect me to finish in around an hour so he missed me at the finish line!

A Great start to this years running events 🙂

Start of the silly season!

February 21st saw the start of the Bike Sportive season for most of us, with the Wiggle No excuses sportive from Huntingdon race course and a huge group from my biking club turned out for this ride in cold windy conditions.

WNOEX08I wanted a nice chatty ride with my friend Gina and that is just what I got, but it was a toughie in the wind, all the running the week before did not help and at one point going up a hill I thought about just falling off to stop the pain … but i didn’t 🙂

As usual the feed stops and signage was excellent and I would always recommend these wiggle sportives…

The list of events now continue like this…

Lincoln 10k Run (March)

Count the Counties 95 mile bike sportive (April with Geoff)

Trowse 10k Run (Easter Sunday)

GEAR 10k run (May 3rd)

Pedal Norfolk 50 mile bike sportive (May4th)

Cycle Together Sandringham 100 mile bike sportive (June14th)

Then I think I may need a Holiday 🙂

The Big 50!!

No not my birthday,that was a few years ago!

February 14th was not only Valentines day but the day  I ran my 50th Parkrun.

50th parkrun

A huge achievement for me, as I was quite adamant that parkrun was something I never wanted to do,why would I ever want to set my alarm clock on a Saturday 🙂

Encouraged along by Geoff,  I finally  gave in and went along to see what all the fuss was about on 11th May 2013, I enjoyed the friendly atmosphere as much as I did the run but it was well over a month before I did another one.

Then I was hooked and I cannot imagine a weekend without a parkrun, when Geoff is away parkrun is what makes my weekends bearable! Its not really about the running its more about the friendly people and how they become like a family to you.

If we are visiting friends on a Saturday the first thing I do is look to see where the nearest parkrun is and I even got up early on Christmas day to go along to the Ferry Meadows Christmas day run and its been lovely to have Geoff encourage and support me.

50th parkrun flowersI was disappointed that Geoff was going to be away for my 50th run but I made cake for all my running friends and I knew we would have a fun time, the biggest surprise of all was getting beautiful flowers delivered to me at parkrun from Geoff, letting me know he was thinking about me.

I have done 36 parkrun’s at King Lynn, 10 at Milton, Cambridge, 1 at Colwick, 1 at Peterborough, 1 at Hanley, Staffs and 1 at Clumber Park, no matter where you go there is always a warm and welcoming atmosphere BUT nothing is quite as special as doing a home parkrun.

My current Personal Best time is 27.19 🙂

Another Year Over !!

After my disappointment of not being able to do the Peterborough half marathon in October due to an achilles injury, I hoped i would be fit enough to do the Ely News Years Eve 10km

Once I was able too, around the beginning of December,I started back at parkrun taking it nice and easy, my achilles still ached but I could manage the 5km.

Christmas Day I was up nice and early to go to Ferry Meadows Christmas day parkrun, over 300 other runners turned up too, a great way to start Christmas day and a really nice running route,lovely that Geoff came along to support and take photos too.

Christmas day park run

I decided not to run again then till New years Eve to give my achilles time to rest.

Then on a cold Icy  morning I met my friend Gina in Little Downham where Geoff surprised us both by turning up unexpected 🙂

Although Gina is a much faster runner than me she decided she wanted to run with me to make sure I was ok and much to my delight after not running that distance since September I managed it in just over an hour.

A fun way to end the year with a great friend for company too 🙂

Cold Icy Ely 10km 2014

That evening Geoff and I went out for a lovely dinner at d’Arry’s my surf and turf, steak and lobster was to die for and a perfect way to see the new year in 🙂

 

Hoping for a Miracle

This week should have been a really exciting week for me instead its turned into a nightmare 🙁

My big goal for this year was to run my first half marathon the Perkins Great Eastern Run

IMG_1696Earlier in the year I had doubts that I could run that far but encouraged along by my friends I started my training and found to my delight that not only could I do the distance but I actually enjoyed it too.

Then 2 weeks ago disaster struck and my Achilles started hurting, which I made  worse by running at parkrun on my birthday.

Drastic action was needed so I booked myself in for a sports massage with Carolyn Western who worked wonders on my legs and took most of the pain away.

I have had total rest this week not even walking to work,and I have been heating icing stretching and massaging and hoping that I will be able to run on Sunday

One thing I know for sure ……. there will be tears, either of joy pain or disappointment !!!!

My Birthday Weekend

As my birthday fell on a weekend it was easy to decide what I wanted to do, Kings Lynn Parkrun and SWNC club ride, two things that have become very important to me.

My lovely friends Gina and Jayne were going to come over from Norwich and join me for parkrun and lunch and with Geoff having returned from his travels it was going to be a lovely day but even I never expected the surprise Geoff had in store for me.

Geoff gave me an unexpected parcel which when opened was a Belkin WeMo Switch, now as we are into gadgets I thought great something else to play with !!

After a few minutes Geoff said are you not going to open the box…..  I was thinking my friends will be here in half an hour maybe I should open it later…   but I opened it and almost died with shock when inside I found another box……

Which was a Garmin Edge 1000 !!!!!!!!

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When Gina and Jayne arrived at 8am I was in a dizzy excited mood to say the least but we managed to get ourselves and the cakes I had baked to parkrun on time. Where we enjoyed a lovely chatty run and much to my delight everyone enjoyed the carrot cake I had made.

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In the afternoon we enjoyed a lovely lunch at Marriotts Warehouse then I hobbled home as my achilles was very sore by this time 🙁

Gina and Jayne left around 5pm and I spent the evening playing with my Garmin and setting it up ready for Sunday’s club ride.

Earlier on in the week SWNC had asked me where I wanted to ride too, I knew straight away that I wanted to go to the Bedlingfeld Arms, a club ride I had always missed before.

We woke to a cold still morning so wrapped up well and set off at 8.30 I was so excited about trying my new Garmin out which had the route on ready to follow

We had a fantastic ride out to the Bedlingfeld arms in brilliant Autumn sunshine, the landlady laid on lovely tea/coffee and cake for us and my Garmin worked so well I was shouting out the directions at most junctions, when not too busy chatting !

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A great weekend shared with lovely people 🙂 and I am so lucky not to just have a Garmin but the Garmin 1000 which is totally amazing

GEAR 10k

Another fabulous GEAR 10km Run, made more fun by the great atmosphere,sunny weather and the support/encouragement of all the lovely ladybirds.

I had no plans for this run as I was happy with my P/B from Lincoln, which I thought I would find hard to beat.

53178501-BG10K14A02333On the morning of the run it was lovely to see so many people, all wishing me good luck and extra special for me was having Geoff here with me, adding his support, so the excitement just grew and grew…..

The start of the run soon came round and it was far busier than usual, taking a good 2 mins for me to cross the start line, then it was very congested taking a while to find some space and get into a running rhythm

Half way point and the clock said 29.33 and I thought I best speed up a little, forgetting it was the gun time not my chip time…

Three quarters of the way round and I thought I was dying it had become very warm and I knew I was pushing myself hard because suddenly I wanted that P/B time.

Then Geoff appeared cheering me along, giving me the lift I needed and some how I managed to find the energy for a speedy finish

Totally delighted with my time of 56.45 and a new P/B.

Interestingly my times for running GEAR are…

2012… 1 hr 03     2013… 1hr 02      2014…. 56.45,   quite an improvement I think 🙂

Lincoln 10K Road Race

After doing the Rutland Alps then the Daffodil Dawdle my next day out was going to be a running one, The Lincoln 10K Road Race.

photo (34)I don’t do running events very often because I get so nervous but when my number arrived and I discovered that it was Purple I just knew I was meant to do this run.

Doing it with 2 friends who had tons of confidence in me certainly helped the nerves too.

5000 runners entered the Lincoln 10k and it was totally amazing, the whole route was lined with people cheering you on and the finish was spectacular even though the cobbles were hard to run over.

I did this run to experience the crowds, running with 5000 other people and the medal, which is pure bling, what I never expected, was getting a P/B time of 57.31, as I ran up towards the castle I could see the finishing clock and thought they must have the time wrong !!!

The Lincoln 10K will be a hard run to beat for the crowds,atmosphere,organisation and the pure joy of getting a P/B, but this weekend I am doing the Kings Lynn GEAR 10k another fabulous run with record entries of 2000

and yes I am just as nervous as always 🙁