Zombie Run!

Our original plan for the weekend had been to run Glow in the Park on Friday and then (having stayed at Heaton Park overnight) run Heaton parkrun on the Saturday morning. William however spotted Mad Bull Event's Zombie Run in my Facebook news feed. After a bit of a chat and realising it was only half an hour away from Heaton Park in the direction of home we signed up! An excellently themed run for Halloween!

We got to Horwich for 9am and collected our running numbers amid some very gory individuals with knives and axes through their heads! Quite a few of the other runners were also dressed up in costumes too. This was the first time this run has taken place we were told so there was a nice select number of runners taking part from William's age upwards. We headed to the start line just before 10am and got ready to run! Sam was going to run with Andy and I had William.

We set off down the lane, leaping over puddles and muddy patches. We were just going through a section of houses when a 'vampire zombie' jumped out at us! William was definitely startled, although he swears he wasn't! We carried on and found ourselves headed on a trail uphill. And then uphill a bit more. And just as we thought we couldn't get any higher, we turned onto a road and went uphill again! We were on the way to the spooky woods where we were sure to meet up with some more undead!

The zombies were really enjoying jumping out at runners in the woods I think and had found some good hiding places. William thought it was brilliant when he had to try and run round them. We'd gotten ahead of Andy and Sam at this point and I found myself wondering how Sam was finding them. Andy told me later that he stopped briefly to get a better look at them and gave them a grin!

William flew through the woods and when we started to descend we were careful not to fall over on the wet leaves and steps. We eventually came back out onto a lane again and had a bit of a jump when a zombie we had 'escaped' from earlier made another appearance over a stone wall!

Shortly after, Andy and Sam caught us up. This was mainly a combination of William slowing right down to try and avoid the mud and Sam speeding up and running straight through the mud with delight! We were on the home stretch back along the lane we came down originally when we got snapped by the very nice Mark Lysycia. I LOVE this family photo.

Photo taken by Mark Lysycia

We made a dash for the finish and got cheered in by the other participants which was lovely. We all got a medal and there were sweets for the boys and a bottle of wine for Andy and myself!

There was a really good atmosphere to this run. It was a challenging 5k but the trail element and the zombies made it a huge amount of fun. I loved the fact we were able to do it as a family too as most 5k runs are for older children or adults. I hope we'll be able to come and do this one again next year.

Burnley Fire 10k and Fun Run

It was with great trepidation that I registered for the Burnley Fire 10k, mainly because it had the words 'undulating' and 'hilly' in the course description. But it offered a children's fun run and the opportunity to catch up with my parents who live nearby so I registered myself and the boys and we headed to Burnley on the 4th October.

We arrived at the Community Fire Station to pick up our race numbers just after 10am. Parking was in the college just behind the fire station and well marshaled. The fire fighters had an engine or two on display and both boys had the opportunity to sit inside, William even tried on a helmet!

Just before 11am I went with the crowd to the back of the station for the start. I'd had a good look at the elevation map for the course when I registered so I knew where the hills were. Luckily we started on a slight slope downwards and then flat for a bit before starting to climb the first hill. I managed to run up this one, only pausing quickly to tie a shoelace that had come undone. Then between 3 and 4km we had a lovely bit of downhill. Fantastic!

I reached a village and the marshal was pointing up a road that was obscured until you turned onto it. Oh my. And there it was. I knew there was supposed to be a hill here, but hadn't quite grasped the gradient. It was steep, and everyone I could see in front of me was walking. So I didn't feel too bad when I started walking up it too. Once you reached what you thought was the top there were more houses and a left hand turn which revealed more climbing! I managed this bit a little better though with a mixture of running and walking.

The nice thing was that after 6km it was all downhill! I must have managed to pick up a good amount of speed to make up for the walking sections as I reached the finish in 1.05.30 so was extremely happy with that. Plus I earned another medal for the medal hanger!

Fifteen minutes after the 10k runners set off, the children's race started outside the park opposite the fire station. Sam ran with Andy and William took himself round. The distance ended up being about 2.7km. William ran really well, his first km was done in 6.09! I would have struggled to keep up I think. Sam ran really well too, averaging 7.33 minutes per km. Fantastic.

Photo from Pendleside Hospice Facebook page

 

The boys both received a medal and a certificate.

Both races were well organised and really well marshaled. In fact the marshals were the most cheery marshals I've seen at a race recently. After the run we headed over to the park for a picnic lunch and the boys had a play at the playground! Fantastic day!

Catching Up

Sorry for not having posted anything recently! It's been a strange and busy month for running. I will attempt to fill you in.

The first weekend in July was taken up with runs for both Andy and myself. Andy took part in the Whinlatter 5 on the Saturday evening and I took part in the Bentham Beagles 10k Bash on the Sunday.

Both Andy and I took part in the Whinlatter 5 last year and it was a very challenging route to say the least. Andy wanted to take it on again and I was quite happy volunteering to watch the boys whilst he ran it. We took them up again to cheer him in but also to have a play!

We didn't see Andy set off but managed to get down to the finish area shortly before the first runners started coming in. Andy got back in a very respectable 56.29 which was about 20 minutes faster than our times from last year.

He received a medal and William managed to con him out of his post run watermelon treat. If you are considering doing this run though then I would suggest you bring and dowse yourself in insect repellent as the midges were out in force! Andy really enjoyed it again though.

The day after Whinlatter I took part in the Bentham Beagles 10k Bash. I had a lift up with some lovely cheetah friends so that Andy could take the boys to the Sunday morning WWC run. I'd been informed it was hilly, but that didn't bother me too much to be honest, having done several hilly run already. I had been having a niggly issue with my left shin, but was hoping that wouldn't be a problem on the day.

Well, it was certainly hilly, and very warm. As soon as you set off you head up the first hill towards the main road and I was super pleased to have made it up this one with the rest of the group. The main road was relatively flat but once you turned off, oh my. Between my leg, the heat and the hills I really struggled on this one, physically and mentally. It was undulating upwards if that makes sense until about 8k when it became more or less downhill all the way back. It was a lovely feeling on the legs with gravity helping to do its part. The speed picked up quite a bit and I made it back to the finish in 1.12.05. We might come back as a family for this one next year (with Andy running the 10k!) as they are adding in a children's fun run to the day!  Not only did we get a medal, but the local pub gave out a free drink if you came in with your medal so we had a post-run cheetah drink before coming home.

In other news this month, William and I both received our parkrun club 50 t-shirts! Just waiting on Andy and Sam's now, hopefully won't be long. 

I have upped my distance a bit in training for the Wirral Half Marathon in September and managed 14km last week. I have now booked myself onto the Prudent Riverside 10 Mile run in Lancaster for this coming Sunday to help with the training. Andy is taking part in Total Warrior on the Saturday so it will be a busy weekend!

Speaking of half marathons, Andy also completed the Windmill Half Marathon the other weekend but I will write about that in another post.

Grasmere Gallop 2015

Should have blogged this one last week but haven't had a chance! 

This was our second time at the Grasmere Gallop, we ran the 5.7k fun run last year and got thoroughly soaked. But we still enjoyed the run, and having decided the weather couldn't be any worse for this year, we booked camping at Ambleside again and the fun run. Well, the rain held off this time, but someone turned up the wind. It was very hard to believe it was June, just look at that sky!

A very large contingent of Walney Wind Cheetahs attended this time. We had runners in the fun run, 10k run and the 17k run. Just before 11am we all met up at the muster point and were piped to the start line in the village. I was running with William and Andy was running with Sam. We all set off together, headed for Red Bank. William did a brilliant job of getting up the hill and I was pleasantly suprised to find that the wind had died down quite a bit on the route. 

When we were partway up Red Bank, we dropped off on a trail down to the lake shore and had a quick drink at the water station. Then we carried on along the path till we reached the road again then it was pretty much all downhill from there. 

William was flying down and unfortunately had a fall, grazing his knee and hurting his elbow and hands. After a few minutes of crying and limping, he managed to regain his running feet and carried on down the hill, through part of the village and onto a path which led to the finishing field where he managed a sprint finish just ahead of me. 

As last year, we got a nice chunky medal and a traybake! William finished in 48 minutes which was 7 minutes off his time from last year, even with his fall. 

We headed back out to the finish and waited for the others to come in. Sam and Andy came back in about 59 minutes, which was slower than last year, but sometimes that's the way it goes with Sam! 

Unfortunately it was too windy and cold to enjoy the group picnic we'd had planned so we headed back to our campsite and spent a bit of time by Lake Windemere. 

Dalton 10k and Fun Run 2015

We've had a brilliant weekend of running, so I'll start with the first one on Friday evening, the Dalton Charter 10k and fun run. I took part in this last year and seeing as I had a run on the Sunday afterwards it was only fair that Andy had a turn! So the idea was that Andy would do the 10k and I would run with the boys.

We got to Dalton Cricket Club in record time (handy living just round the corner!) and got the boys registered for the fun run and picked Andy's number up. The weather was a bit of a mix, no rain, but the sun was trying to work out whether to come out or not. It was a bit chillier than last year as well I thought.

Andy got into the start line and they all set off. The route takes you around the cricket field and through Dalton, up Mill Brow and then round the undulating lanes until you get back to the cricket club from the opposite end of Dalton than you run out of.

Once the 10k runners had left the field, the children were called over to the start line. I had hold of Sam's hand and was meant to have William's as well but he suddenly decided to get very stubborn and not listen as five-year-olds do. I was hoping to have caught up with him by the time we left the field and onto the road but he just stayed that little bit too far ahead. Luckily there was a fantastic marshall who stayed with him and couple of the other little boys who were running on their own. I managed to keep him in my sights until he turned at Tudor Square (where a contingent of Hoad Hill Harriers were cheering, thank you!) to go back to the cricket field.

Sam was fantastic holding my hand until we reached the cricket field and I let him go. He continued to run until the finish, where we found William was already getting stuck into his goody bag and attempting to put on his t-shirt reward. I had my garmin on during the run and later discovered Sam had run that first kilometre in 6.37! Goodness knows what William ran it in then!

We waited on the field then for Andy to come running back in. William found some children to play with and Sam set himself up by the finishing funnel, very happy watching the runners sprinting in.
Andy came in at a brilliant 54.35 which was about 20 seconds off his 10k PB and considering his 10k PB was done on the flat I think that's fantastic to be so close to it.

After the last runner came back in, we headed back home to get the boys to bed as it was getting late for them (and we had parkrun in the morning of course!). Another Dalton 10k done and dusted!

St George's 10k at Great Langdale

This was the first run of last weekend!  We had to forego our beloved parkrun in order to drive up to Great Langdale in time as there was also a children's run which started at 11am.

The weather was sunny and warm on Saturday, and felt like a summer's day. We arrived at Great Langdale to the same stunning backdrop we saw when I took part in the Herdwick 10k last July. In fact the course was the same, apart from a few changes in the start/finish lines. We parked up in the nearby National Trust car park and discovered my friend from Lakes Single Mum had already arrived. After saying our hellos we headed to the registration gazebo. I picked up my running number and registered and paid for the boys to enter the children's run, a bargain at £3 each I thought. A small gathering of Walney Wind Cheetahs started forming as more from our running group arrived!

Nearing 11am, the children all gathered at their starting line on the road. The website didn't specify a distance for the children's run, only that it went to the next hotel and back but I figured it wouldn't be very long. Andy ran with Sam and I ran with William seeing as it was on the road and the road was still open to traffic.

Oh my, I slightly underestimated the distance (Andy later measured it at about 2.5k) but William ran brilliantly. Once we reached the field with the finish line in I let him get on with it. Shortly after, Sam ran in with Andy and both boys received a new medal to hang on their medal holders.

Half an hour later, I headed out to the start line for the 10k. I was a bit nervous even though I had run the course before. I was really hoping to beat my previous course time of 1hr 14mins. I didn't get off to an overly good start as my shoelace became untied as soon as we set off! I had to step aside and get it tied as there was no way I would have managed the entire 10k with a loose shoe!

Anyway, once I'd set off properly, I started remembering all the bits I found tough about the course last year. Mainly the hills. And also the heat. But mainly the hills!  Even in shorts and vest I was boiling in the April sunshine! I reached the 5k point at the Langdale Hotel in just under 32 minutes, and grabbed some jelly sweets from the water station on the other side. I did my best to run as much as I could on the way back but the climb upon leaving Chapel Stile but tough and I did have to start walking a bit. As tough as I found it, it's a gorgeous course and the stunning scenery makes the challenge worthwhile.

I reached the finish in 1.10.32, so was really pleased to have knocked 4.5 minutes off my previous course time. After having a drink I slowly made my way over to the t-shirt tent to pick up my reward! A well organised event I thought, in a lovely part of the Lake District.