what happened in October

I got parkrun of the month for September which meant that i got a free pair of trainers from sweatshop but i didn't know this until middle of October because it didn't go to my priority email. I got for improving over the month and for doing PB every week and I was enthusiastic about Northallerton parkrun.

Cateran challenge

I joined the we love a challenge and the aim was to run or walk 55 miles over 4 weeks for the Cateran challenge it made easy to complete the challenge as Ken was away and I could get in a few more miles in as I couldn't get down to the club it didn't help that I had sickness bug and felt rubbish but still managed to go running when I should of have been resting instead of running but I completed the challenged

Parkrun/Neon night

I enjoyed doing the parkrun on Saturday morning around the leisure centre field I have now done 15 parkruns at Northallerton and done the trail running twice which I enjoyed doing and gave me a rest from races, which gives you a chance to encourage people to improve on their running. I also enjoyed getting out for a few miles after the parkrun to meet up with my running buddies from being night

Club training

All I can say is the core session on Monday and Wednesday night are getting harder or am I getting fitter. We also had a training session at Linton on Ouse which was 45min long and the only rest you got was when you were running around or doing shuttles run but by the end of the session my legs were aching

The PB at Tholthorpe

The weekend started with me doing the Park run on Saturday morning in Northallerton it was only 5k flat run with a few twists and turns to keep you on your toes. I always take it steady if I have a race the next day as I like to try and get a PB but I also used the Parkrun as a good estimate to where I should be at 5k when I am running a 10k race which is around 27min.

I got picked up by Marian from Thirsk we got to Tholthorpe in good time about 45 min before the race started. I had gone already dressed as there was no changing rooms just toilets. We had a chat with some of the other harriers that were there before the race started. I started as close to the line as I could, I set of very strong and fast, Christine passed me but I thought I will catch her it was only the start of the race don’t want to go too fast then Paul Adam came up along side me and then that was when the race started for me as I wasn't letting him pass me and beat me there was only one time where Paul got in front of me which was just before the first water station but I kept to my plan and caught him up again as he started to slow down he managed to keep with me until 6k before I started to pull away I did start to slow down between 7-8k but I still pushed on in the last 2k just so I could get finished within 55 min and I a managed to get a new faster PB for a 10k race, it only taken 9 years to get to this stage something must be paying off. It took Faith and Martyn 0.65miles before they passed me. At the end of the race Faith asked me what I was doing different I just said eating more healthy going to Gym and going out for run with Amanda’s group on Thursday and doing the park run on Saturday

Sessay Swift

I got to the race early as Ken was marshalling and Marian wanted all the marshals there by 6.30pm so I had an hour and I left until to 15min before I got changed and missed harriers photo like I always do. I started as close to the line as possible and started of very strong, then who came up and kept me company for most of the race only Paul Adam and we had a bit of a cat and mouse for a few km or until Paul got tired and I start to get ahead of him, but he would come up and scare me as if he was going to pass me and I was going to have to work hard to catch him up but he never passed me and because I done this race before I knew where to up the pace which was in the last 1k. I also had a plan that if I could get to 5km by 27min I knew I would be on for a Pb and I managed to do the race 1.12 sec faster than 2 years ago. Some comments from club members you were on fire I could see you but couldn't catch you (Andrea Almack) and it took me until 3k to catch you (Chris Wordsworth)

Amanda Thursday group

I was tired from Wednesday’s race and was undecided if I was going to run tonight and I made a decision at 6pm, once I had come back from the allotment and I went down and met the rest of the Neon night at Hambleton Leisure Centre and we went Mowbray Rd. Over flood defence. Bullamoor to Fox Hounds. Across tops and lane to Sandy Bank. Down back. It was around 7 miles my first time of going up Bullamoor which I enjoyed. I struggled with the run along the top to sandy back and I then found some energy from somewhere and went fast down sandy bank Crosby road and to Hambleton Leisure Centre my calves were in a bit of pain and couldn't walk again and then on Friday I was that tired and struggling to walk around and I decided to have rest instead of going to the gym

Parkrun Saturday

I got up in good time this morning and was in two minds if to run or rest as my legs were still in bits from two hard runs this week but thought I would go as I could take it easy if I felt too tired. I started on the line for a change and as I started running my legs felt so heavy and thought todays run was going to be a slow run but I managed to pull back on the last lap and did a sprint finish made a few runners around me work harder. I didn't do a PB this week but have done all 5 park runs so far

Darlington 10k

I got picked up in Northallerton by Marian, Ian and Brian was in the car as well we got to the race in plenty of time had a chat with a few runners, went and got changed and then started to get nervous just before race. It was very warm and muggy before the race started. I was half way down in the pack but it didn't take me long to get over the line. I started off very strong but struggled in the heat and when the sun came out it was far too warm for me. I did the first lap in around 30min so I knew I was on for around 60min but I found it tough going I did a better time than 2 years ago maybe if I had done more training and I hadn’t had a busy year with all that over time and been injured last year I might of done a better time there is always next year.

So what been happening over the last month

I have been so busy over the last month with the new park run starting up on the 1^st August going to the club and trying to get to the gym at least twice a week and try to sort my allotment out and running on Thursday night with Amanda

Gym session

I found out my Maxes for my gym workout that Paul Goacher gave me after I got told off for doing my workout wrong for about 2 months. The reason being not understanding how to find my max and what I need to do when I just carry on with the amount weight I had been doing before in the gym. So now all I am waiting for is Paul to do my new workout once his daughter Claire gets married this month. So hopefully I will be able to start in September so I can put my cardio to bed for a while

The Parkrun

I did the Test park run the Monday before the official park run was due to start on the 1^st Aug and I enjoyed the run so much I turned up on the Saturday morning and ran the 3 laps with a little hill on the course. I ended up running a fast time on the mostly grass course which was faster than the test run and Fountain Abbey run back in Jan. I went back the second week to do a better time and then realised I had Darlington 10k day after so I did the 5k 2 min slower than the week before so hopefully I could do a PB at Darlington, I must be hooked because I went back for the third week and did a better time than the week before but it wasn't a PB and I will back this Saturday for my forth Northallerton park run and 5^th park run so far this year

Running Club

I have been managing 2 days a week for the last month Monday night session are taken by Sonja and Rob Lickley, with exercise and some running and the Wednesday night session taken by Rob Burn. Rob has been on hand do a bit helping me to keep my head up on training night so when I do a race I run with my head up and not with my head down and hopefully I will use less energy and get more PB

Thursday night running with Amanda

I was looking to change my routine do a bit more running so when the park run started in Northallerton that was a good start and I wanted to try one more day running so I left Saturday for the park run and either Friday or Sunday for another day running and Tuesday And Thursday for my gym session but the extra day running never took off as I would make a excuse to why I couldn't be bothered to go out either too tired or busy doing something, that was until I found out about Amanda running group that ran on a Tuesday, Thursday night at 6.30 and Saturday morning so I opted for Thursday night run which we do at a fast pace around at between 8-10 min pace. so after I messaged Amanda on Facebook I joined them for my first run last Thursday at Hambleton Leisure Centre and we did 6.54 miles in just over hour at fast pace around Romanby. Warlaby X rd. Dolly Lane. Yafforth. Castle Hills n back thru Applegarth nothing like been chucked in at the deep end on my first Thursday run but I did enjoy the run and company. Yes I bloody did and I manage to hangout at back and keep up for most of the run there was a few hill along the route. I will be back for this Thursday.

2 Race in 2 day

The first race was Harrogate which was a 10k race, now my only problem was with my busy life and finding it hard to train for the last 7 months and with only the gym work and few evening league races under my belt I didn't know how the race was going to go. We got there in plenty of time and i picked up my number went and got changed back at of the car. The race started on a narrow road and everyone was trying to get by and we had to contend with a hill at the start and Ian passed me but I thought I may or may not catch him up. There was a few more tough hills and to make matters worse we had to do 2 laps I did catch Ian up and overtook him and kept him at a good distance in front and pushing very hard in the last part of the race I got overtook by a few people just near the finish I just didn't have anything left in my legs and I also got a PB on this course by 3 min.

My second race was the handicap race at Otley where I was told I was starting 7:33:30 but when I got there the timekeeper said it was 7.32.30 and not 7.33.30 so I was going to argue and I set off with the rest of the group so tonight race was 1 lap with the exception of doing the field twice I quite enjoyed the race a part from the field bit and I managed to overtake people that I don’t normally overtake in a handicap race so I must be improving, I came 8^th and we got a bottle of beer at the end of the race the food was lovely and very well marashalled

Wetherby Evening League

I already made arrangements to get a lift to the Wetherby race a few day earlier but when it came to the night I couldn't get motivated to go because they have changed my hours at work from 10-6 to 6-2pm so I felt rather tired in the afternoon. I couldn't think of any excuse to give to Andrew so I motivated myself at the last minute to get ready and walk down to the Mencap to get picked up. I went already changed knowing there wasn't any change facilities. I also missed the group photo because I went to the toilet but got on few other photos. I got near to the front of the race and then we were off I nearly got tripped up and there was few runners trying to push through but I made them wait, knowing what was coming I got myself into a good pace, managed at the start but then I had to up my game as a few runners on the second half where trying to catching me up so I upped the pace, I also managed to run up every hill, by the end of the race my legs where zapped and ready for some food . My time was 50min and my calves where tight the day after and I found it hard to walk

New gym workout

So far so good with my gym workout I haven’t quit yet, I am getting into the gym twice a week and continue up the reps each week by one if I can. I am starting to notice a difference in running I am less likely to give up now, I just need to try and fit a bit more running in now but everything else gets in the way like work or other stuff I do