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!

Yarrow River Splash 10k and Fun Run

The weekend after my half marathon debut we headed over to Chorley to take part in a trail run organised by Mad Bull Events. Andy signed up to the 10k (there was a 5k option too) and I had signed the boys up for the 1 mile fun run.

We arrived at Chorley in good time to collect running numbers from the HQ in the Flaming Grill pub. We had at least half an hour to wait before heading to the start area in the park down the road so we had a sit down in the pub and watched everyone else come through. William, as usual, managed to make friends with another little boy whilst we were waiting and they were happily chatting to one another.

We headed to the start a little before 9am as that was when the children's run set off. I was running with William and Andy ran with Sam. The run started and William flew down the path through the park. We reached a gate that we had to go around and that led us onto a section of grass. It was very wet and our feet were soaked in seconds. William kept running though, having been reassured that we had spare shoes and socks in the car! A sharp turn half way in saw us head back the way we came but through the woods this time. I just caught sight of Andy and Sam a little ways behind us and it looked like Sam was having a fab run.

William flew through the woods and loved it when we came across a huge fallen log that we had to climb over. He soon picked up the pace again and all of a sudden we were back out on the path and headed to the finish. He received his medal and immediately asked if we could go round again! We walked over to the path and cheered on Sam as he came in shortly afterwards. I think the trail element of the run must be very appealing to little boys!

Shortly after the children's run it was Andy's turn to set off.

He already had wet feet from the grass so wasn't too worried about the river crossings that were coming up! One ended up being only ankle deep but the other was up to his knees. He arrived back in 1hr 5min and collected his medal and tech t-shirt. He said it was a hard run but fun. The only possible drawback for him was that there was no water station (although from looking at the photos afterwards it's entirely possible that a few people had a mouthful of river water when they fell over at the crossing!).

Needless to say we all had a change of shoes when we got back to the car, feeling strangely satisfied peeling our socks off! We all agreed it was well worth the trip to Chorley, the run itself was great and the medal and tech t-shirt made it extremely good value for the registration fee. The boys absolutely loved the fun run so I can see us heading back for next year's run!

Wirral Half Marathon

Well, I managed it. I ran my first half marathon on the 13th of September! As the BTR Liverpool's Wirral Half Marathon was 2 hours away and started at 9.30am we had the pleasure of getting up at 4.30am to ensure I got to the start line on time! Porridge was eaten en route thanks to a handy porridge pot and a flask of hot water!

We were due to meet up with our WWC friends at Morrisons in New Brighton for 8am and after getting lost once we managed to get there about 5 minutes early. The group split up there, with myself and friends C and C headed for the start and Andy and the boys headed off with J and grandchildren to get some breakfast!

It was lightly raining at this point so I made sure I took my cap and hoody, and once parked up near Birkenhead Park my friend pulled out some very trendy disposable ponchos to save us getting wet. We took a little wander round with a loo stop (there was a plentiful number of portaloos) then dropped our things off on the baggage bus which would be waiting at the finish. I chose to keep my cap on as it was still raining very lightly and I like to be able to see out of my glasses!

We headed to the start funnel and stood by the 2 hour 15 minute corral. My ultimate goal was 2 hours and 30 minutes but you never know! Once we were set off it took 2 minutes for me to get to the start and I was quickly moved along by the sheer number of people taking part. We spent the first part of the run inside Birkenhead Park before heading out towards New Brighton. I went out too fast as per usual, but soon steadied my pace. As we headed out of the park I realised it had stopped raining and the sun was shining down on us. By the time I got onto the prom I had to take my cap off as I was getting too hot.

I managed the first 5km in about 31 minutes which I was really pleased with although slightly worried that I needed to take it a little easier if I wanted to get to the finish! I really liked that section on the prom though as the crowds of runners started to disperse and it became more roomy. I passed a fantastic art piece of a pirate ship made out of driftwood on the beach and made a mental note to tell Andy about that when I finished... little did I know he and the boys had already been playing on it!

I started getting nearer the 10k mark and where the 10k runners would break off to their finish. I was starting to tire here a little, but I managed 10k in 1.04 so was quite pleased with that. I started scanning the people along the sides here to see if Andy and the boys had come out to watch me pass by and they had! Not only was I able to get rid of my cap but seeing them gave me a real boost and I felt myself moving a little faster again. After a few minutes I passed over the half way marker (1.07) and kept going.

Not too much further on and I ended up on a slightly narrower section of prom, but with lovely views still. The 2 hour and 20 minute pacer overtook me just at the 8 mile marker, singing 'We're off to see the Wizard' as he went past with his followers.

I ran the first 10 miles in 1 hour 47 minutes (the same as my time for the Prudent Riverside 10 miler at Lancaster). I was thrilled with that time as it meant I had 43 minutes to get the last 5km done. 3 of those minutes I allowed myself to walk a little but I mostly managed to keep running. My motivation increased when I got back onto the prom and could see the finish line in the distance. As I got nearer I realised I was going to beat my goal plus I saw Andy and the kids on the way to the finish. Got a high five from William on my way in and finished my first half marathon in 2.26.29!

I received my medal and goody bag and walked like a little old lady over to the t-shirt tent to collect my shirt. After that it seemed to take an age to get over to the group, mainly because I had to have a sit down partway there. It's amazing how you really don't feel it until you stop! I was so proud of myself, and proud of my lovely friend who completed her first 10k event.

What a wonderful day.

 

Ulverston Charter 5k and the Boys PB Week!

This last week's running got off to a great start at the weekend with Barrow parkrun PBs for both boys! It was pacers week so we decided to use it as an opportunity to see if William could beat his PB of 35.37 from May. He smashed it and got a new PB of 34.55. Sam has been doing really well with his running for the last few weeks now and he managed to go sub 40 minutes for the first time which is a huge achievement for him. His new PB is 39.51!

Still on a runner's high from parkrun, we ventured out to the Ulverston Charter 5k run on Wednesday evening. Andy signed up to do the main event and both boys were registered for the 1 mile fun run. I would be running with William again and Sam with Andy.

Well, it felt like William and I were just jogging along, but the nearer we got to the finish I realised that with a bit of sprinting William might just make it a course PB. He was amazing and finished in 10.16, knocking 9 seconds off his previous best time.

Sam was still in his element with running and ran really well. He managed to knock a few minutes off his best course time and finished in 12.20. I was thrilled for him. Both boys received a new medal for their brilliant efforts.

Andy took on the 5k again. The boys and I watched him head off at the start then went back to the playground for a bit until the first runners started coming back.

 

He completed the run in 25.57 which was only about 30 seconds slower than his previous time from last year. He's not done a massive amount of solo running recently for training so I think he did really well.

Summer 2015

Well, we've nearly made it through the summer holidays and in one piece too! We've done some good running over the last few months. Andy took part in the Windmill Half Marathon in Lytham. He's pretty good at running that distance now, and the medal was a whopper!

He also took part in Total Warrior in the Lake District. He had a thoroughly enjoyable time, although he did come back with bruised ribs!

I ran my furthest distance to date at the Prudent Riverside 10 Mile run at Lancaster. I had to have a sit down straight afterwards but I was so pleased and proud of myself. Plus it was great practice for the Wirral Half Marathon which I have in just over a week!

We also slipped in another 10k race and fun run at the Ulverston Summer 10k. The boys did really well, William managed to smash his PB for the course, finishing in 10.24! He was also extremely excited to discover that the children were receiving the same medal as the adults were getting and he loved it. I did the 10k run and finished in 1.04.03 which is a full 4 minutes faster than my previous time from last year's run. I was really pleased with that, especially as it was a VERY warm evening and I'd already run a mile with William!

We took a break from our usual running over the August bank holiday weekend and went away to the Calvert Trust in Keswick. They specialise in outdoor activity breaks for people with disabilities. This particular break was specially funded for families with a veteran or serving member of the armed forces and a family member with a disability. So that would be Andy, who spent many years in the army, and Sam who has autism.

We headed up to Keswick on the Friday and arrived a little early and had a good look around the centre before checking in. They have great facilities there, a games room, sports hall, sensory room and a fantastic swimming/hydrotherapy pool. We had a dip in the pool on the Friday night after dinner and the boys loved it. We were paired up into a group with another family who had 3 boys which was ideal.

The following morning, we were driven to the bottom of Lattrigg and as promised the day before we got to 'climb a mountain'! At least that's what it felt like to us all when we got to the top. The views were spectacular of Keswick and Derwent Water as well as all the surrounding fells including Skiddaw. All William's running up and down the amphitheatre on a Thursday morning with the WWC cubs paid off as he shot up ahead of us!

 

After lunch we headed out for some horse riding and archery (not done at the same time, I should add!). William loved trying out the bow and arrow and Sam found pressing the trigger on the mounted crossbow hilarious once he worked out what the contraption did and what the targets were for!

On the Sunday we spent the morning at Mirehouse, a local house and gardens where there was a steeplechase course set into the woods. William flew around this one several times so I think it was a hit. He's asked to go back some day! Sam wasn't as keen on the steeplechase, although he did enjoy the big tyre swing at the little park there too. We headed back to the centre and did a little orienteering in the grounds before lunch.

In the afternoon we went canoeing on Bassenthwaite Lake which was probably my favourite activity. Sam enjoyed dipping his hands in the water as we paddled along and William loved the team games we competed in with the other family. He even made friends with the canoe instuctor's dog who came with us.

After another evening spent in the swimming pool we were worn out and ready for coming home the following morning. I would recommend any family with a child or adult with a disability to try out the Calvert Trust for an outdoor activity holiday, they were excellent.