Thunder Run round two

After the last time I took part in Thunder Run, I swore I’d never do it again. A horrific two-and-a-half hour 10km through the mud and through the woods in the dark, struggling (and failing at one point) to stay on my feet was quite enough of an experience, thank you very much.

So back in October 2019 when the bookings were made for what should have been the July 2020 event, I was still firmly in the ‘never again’ camp. But as time has progressed, my running has progressed and the memories of that awful lap faded somewhat, I started to feel a bit of FOMO around not running this time.

So naturally, when a spot became available a couple of weeks before the event, I jumped at the chance (after checking the long-range weather forecast, of course!)

As the event approached and the arrangements were made – who’d be in which team, how we’d be getting there and who would take pity on the camping novices and look after Des and I, the excitement definitely built. 

Here's how it all unfolded!

Friday evening

Due to clashing with other plans in previous years, me and Des have always arrived at the campsite on Saturday so it was really nice this year to be able to take in the whole weekend and enjoy the nice relaxed atmosphere of the Friday evening. Catching up with friends I’d not seen in a while (and those I see several times a week!) was lovely and there was a fantastic feel about the place.

This was made so much better when I was absolutely delighted to be named the DOrunning Female Runner of the Year for 2020 at our mini awards ceremony! It’s something I would never have expected and I’m really proud of myself for! It absolutely set the weekend up for me and gave me an excellent sense of confidence ready for the challenge ahead.

Team talk

All that was left before bed was to plan our method of attack! With 17 runners in total, we were in three teams – I’d found myself in a team of six along with Des, Ian, Dave, Barry and Craig. Still somewhat scarred from my awful experience two years ago and unashamedly afraid of the dark, we managed to draw up a schedule which would give me the last lap in the light at night and the first in the light in the morning.

My personal target at this point was to complete a minimum of three laps – and push to four if I felt alright and time allowed.

Lap one – 12:00hrs, Saturday

Taking on the first lap is always going to be exciting, but in the long absence of mass events, this year it felt extra special! Being penned in (socially distanced, of course) with the familiar hum of excited runners and the smell of deep heat felt brilliant and made me really keen to get going, plastering over any pre-race nerves I’d had building.

The clock ticked on to 12:00 and the crowd started to shuffle forwards, slowly at first with the pace picking up as our feet hit the timing mat to officially start lap one. Running through the tunnel of spectators felt amazing! I got a little emotional and settled into my run absolutely beaming.

I couldn’t remember the course perfectly, but I knew there was a nice flat start before heading up into the woods for a climb. Last time, I never even attempted to run the ascent but this year I really enjoyed jumping and diving around under the cool shade of the trees – it felt like an adventure!

In great spirits for the whole 10km route, I made bits of conversation with fellow runners, swapping small talk about how nice it was to be an event, how testing the hills were and how the tall grass was a bit tricky. Swept up in the fantastic atmosphere, the miles melted away. 

Before I knew it, I was doing the last few twists and turns and heading back into the race village to pass on the baton – in the very respectable time of around 1hr 3 minutes, I was absolutely buzzing!

Time for lunch and a nap ready for lap number two.

Lap two – 7.30pm, Saturday

By the time my second lap rolled around, I was ready and raring to go! More than seven hours into the challenge now, the atmosphere hadn’t faltered and everyone was still in great spirits. I knew I had plenty of time to complete my lap before it would be dark, which was a comfort, so I set off feeling good and looking forward to another spin around the scenic and undulating route.

As time goes on, you can really start to tell the difference between those of us working in teams and those battling through solo efforts. I think that’s part of what makes the 24 hour events so special – more so than in any other event. Everyone has their own challenges, game plans and reasons for being out there.

On the whole, it was quite an uneventful but enjoyable lap. I did walk a few little patches this time, conscious of saving my legs for future efforts as much as anything. By around 8km I was getting really hungry and this was starting to make my running feel a bit difficult – the thought of a nice curry waiting for me back at camp definitely spurred me on and got me over the finish line in comfortably under 1:10, another really pleasing time!

Lap three – 4.42am, Sunday

Getting started was always going to be the hardest part of this lap, for a couple of reasons: I don’t do dark and I don’t do lack of sleep.

In the weeks leading up to the event, I’d made it clear to everyone that running in the dark was going to be a hard no for me – I just knew it wasn’t worth the worrying I’d spend doing about it all weekend. 

We had our plan which meant I'd be doing the last light lap and the first light lap, but as Saturday went on, everyone on the team really smashed their laps and we ended up running over an hour ahead of our scheduled times.

Luckily, the rest of my team weren’t too worried about having someone on the course at all times and put absolutely no pressure on me, but I wanted to do my very best (the Girl Guide in me!) and I knew that if there was going to be any chance of fitting a fourth lap in, I couldn’t let too much time lapse before I went back out to get number three in.

I compromised with myself. Get to the start line in the last of the dark, knowing it would be light enough to not be scary by the time I reached the thick wooded section of the route. So off I went for a third time, crossing the start line and heading off again. 

As the kilometres ticked by this time everything started to hurt. Muscles fatigued from the two previous laps, body feeling the effects of two nights (well a night and a half) on an airbed, it took some serious will-power to keep running through the grass and tracks. I willed myself on, stopping to walk on the up-hills but churning as best I could the rest of the time.

I don’t think it would be a full Kay running story without tears at some point, and these came just after the half way point on this lap. As I passed through the water station, one of the volunteers asked if this was my last lap – he must have been able to see how knackered I was! I told him I’d squeeze a fourth in if my turn came around in time to which he responded “That’s it, team player I love it!”. Naturally the vague compliment from a stranger made me burst into tears as I dragged myself up the hill reflecting on how proud I was of myself!

At the top of the final big hill my legs were really aching but I still managed a smile for the couple of selfies I took to send to my Mum. I’d all but decided by now that this would be my last trip around the course and the thought of a can of dark fruits and a shower when I got back to camp really spurred my on to complete it. I crossed the line in 1:18 which I was absolutely fine with.

The rest of the morning

True to my promise to myself, I enjoyed a 6am can of slightly warm cider while I decided what to do next. I knew that if I really pushed, I could squeeze another lap in. But that would have meant putting pressure on my team to get their next laps done and it would have risked tarnishing my really nice experience with what was likely to be a really uncomfortable 10km and probably extra time after the event to recover.

Time for a shower it was then! Followed by a couple more breakfast cans and a couple of sausage cobs – what a way to spend Sunday morning!

It’s tradition at Thunder Run for every member of the team to run the final few hundred metres with their teammate completing the last lap. Wearing our new souvenir t-shirts and with the DOrunning flag flying between us, we marched over the line all smiles and pride – it really is a fantastic feeling all coming over the line together!

We managed 19 laps between the six of us, beating one of our fellow DOrunning teams by exactly one second. Of course where all friends and not competitive at all, but when you put runners in teams we’re always going to want the bragging rights!

My second experience of Thunder Run was something I swore would never happen! At the time of writing (it’s taken me almost two months to get this post finished!) the organisers have announced the dates for next year’s race. Will there be a Thunder Run round three? Let’s wait and see!

Near the end of lap 2, some excellent views from the top!

Starting lap 3 in the actual dark!

Shattered but happy, me and Des at the end!

Being presented with my Female Runner of the Year trophy!

How all good events end - with a medal and a pint!

The DOrunning army!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The four F's of the Big Track

After last week’s challenging half marathon (I’m still not over the Carlton Hill and Porchester Road double – putting that half way through 13.2 miles was a ridiculous idea!!), this week it seemed like a great idea to schedule a flat 10 miler for the weekend long one. Less distance and less of a challenge but still a decent run, especially on a consecutive weekend to the half last Sunday.

Living where I do, it’s quite surprising that I’ve never tackled the Big Track from start to finish. For those who don’t know, this is a 10 mile loop in Nottingham, taking in the canal path, Beeston fields and River Trent. It’s a running and cycling favourite because it boats the three F’s – flat, fast and free from traffic.

Despite rave reviews from many, I’m somewhat disappointed to say I’d give it another ‘F’ – ‘effing boring! Yes the canal is nice, and yes I always like running by the Trent – but by mile five I was almost wishing for the up-hill climb of a brutal hill to shake things up a bit! At least there was a shocking head-wind to keep things just about interesting for a massive chunk of the route!

I won’t knock it completely and I do understand why many enjoy it so much. It was nice not to worry about timing traffic lights right and I’m sure in nicer weather it’s probably more enjoyable. But for me, I need variety to keep me keen and make the miles melt away. And if that means hellish hills and tricky turns, then that’s what I’ll have to do.

Scoring

This is a new feature I’m planning to use for all my route/race reviews!

Difficulty – 3/10 – 10 miles is always going to bring a certain level of challenge

Navigation – 8/10 – almost impossible to go wrong as long as you’ve got a good grasp of the area

Mental stimulation – 3/10 – just not a great deal going on once you’re over looking at water and saying hello to other runners

PB potential – 9/10 – flat as you like and no annoying traffic light stops, just a couple of points where social distancing causes a bit of slowing down if it’s busy

Average score – 5.75/10

Would I do it again?

To be honest, probably yes. I’d do it the other way round to see if it’s any more exciting and I’d definitely use a really good podcast or something similar, rather than my same old long running playlist. It’s a useful way of getting some good miles in and, if I get half way round and I’m really not feeling it, I can peel off and change things up if I want to.

All in all, it was a morning well spent and some good solid miles under my belt. I ran a 10 mile PB (1:37:04) which I’m obviously delighted with and it’s topped me up to another 25 mile week which is becoming the norm in 2021.

The River Trent, shortly after turning back towards home in Beeston

The blog post that never was...here it finally is!

One of my new year’s resolutions for 2021 was to keep my running blog up to date. Clearly, 20 days into March, that’s not quite gone to plan!

I have started writing this post a couple of times. At the start of January, it was going to be a long and reflective post about how everything clicked for me and running in 2020 and just like that I was enjoying it and felt like I was getting good at it again.

At the start of February, it was going to be a very excited post about how I’d signed up for the Manchester Marathon due to take place in October and how I couldn’t wait to throw myself into the training and really see what I can do this time around. Half way though February it was almost about how proud I was of running a solo half marathon at PB pace on a cold and miserable day.

Now we’re a fair chunk through March, there’s nothing in particular I want to write about. But I’ve been complaining about being bored for the last couple of hours, so I gave myself a talking to and here I am finally putting some thoughts down and getting this post written at long last!

Way back in 2015 when I started running, I started this blog as a way to document my training. It’s always been as much for me as for anyone else really, at first it was weekly, then write ups for every event written on the day, then write ups for most events written at some point in the months afterwards.

I’m going to really make a point of getting some words down on a regular basis now. It gives me something to think about while I’m out on the long runs, it’s something nice to look back on (I never anticipated back at the start that I’d still be running six years later) and above all else, I really do love writing stuff for the sake of writing!

Weekly might be asking a bit much, so I’m going to aim for two posts a month. I’m always better at keeping to targets when I write them down, so there it is. At least twice a month, I will be setting aside an hour or so to write about running and share my progress as I prepare myself for marathon number two.

If I can finally get my running on form after being stuck for a couple of years, the writing about it should be a doddle!

Snapped by Des at the very end of my solo half marathon a few weeks ago, delighted to be crossing the line in less than 2:20! 

Virtual Robin Hood Half Marathon

In a year of cancelled plans and postponed events, one which to many would seem fairly insignificant, but to me was one of the biggest disappointments, was the cancellation of the Robin Hood Half Marathon.

Ever since my first one in 2016, my running calendar has kind of gravitated around my ‘home race’. It’s an absolute highlight of the year and one we all look forward to at DOrunning (and SBRC before that). The event is special for me and Des too as we see that as being where our relationship became serious back in 2017 – so for several reasons it seems to mark the end of one year and the start of another.

Despite my excitement for the event each year, it’s been a while since I’ve really put time in to specifically training for this one. In 2016 and 2017, my running efforts centered around it and I’d spend months building up to the half marathon distance specifically for that day. Things were different, however, in 2018 and 2019. My love of running was seriously lacking and long runs only really happened on race days, which led to a some really disheartening events and quite a few tears afterwards. It’s daft looking back, of course I wasn’t going to enjoy the day if I’d not put the training in before!

This year, everything has been different! As I’ve written in previous posts, as the year has progressed, my running has gone from strength to strength. This really started in February with a running streak and the decision not to put myself through another miserable half marathon and stick to the 10km distance. Then, during lockdown, I found myself with no commuting and a more flexible working pattern – not to mention the pubs being shut and not much to do other than run!

So, when emails started dropping saying race after race was cancelled and my parkrun barcode sat neglected on the side, I couldn’t help being disappointed. I decided, especially having committed to running this year’s Robin Hood in aid of a fantastic local charity, that I’d still channel my efforts into completing a half marathon on the date in September, whether it was going ahead  officially or not. When the event was cancelled, DOrunning stepped up to arrange a virtual option which gave another boost of motivation to get the job done.

Instead of the detailed training plan I often create myself for events, I just carried on running as often as I could without needing to beat myself up if I didn’t stick to what was written down. Without a doubt, one of the biggest influences on my training was the DOdaily Wednesday Workout Challenge. Before I knew it, I was heading out two or three times on a Wednesday, regularly covering double digit miles throughout the day, something I’d never consistently done mid-week before.

After a great summer of running, I went to bed the night before the half marathon feeling excited and looking forward to seeing what I could do the next day. I had arranged to run with my friend who I’d been doing a lot of training with and we had a time in our heads which was challenging yet achievable…and we were ready!

We knew it was going to be a very different day compared to what we’re used to. But, a few of us gathering in a small corner of Victoria Embankment as daylight broke, it still very much felt like event day and there was a great sense of occasion. I must admit it was quite nice to start when we were ready without being stood shivering and nervous in a pen for half an hour! With no real crowds to run through, I still couldn’t help but smile thinking of the years before and how excited I am already am for next year’s race when, hopefully, the spectators will be back again!

Settling in nicely, before we knew it we’d ticked one mile off the thirteen-long list and were heading up the first incline into the infamous Park section of the course. We were both more prepared for this than we ever have been, having practised it several times on our Wednesday morning runs in the weeks leading up to the event. As tricky as ever, we climbed through the tree-lined streets keeping a decent pace and still full of smiles, gradually working our way up until we finally tipped over onto the long and welcome down-hill of Derby Road.

The next section usually passes by nicely looking out for my (much quicker) running mates who are approaching mile nine as I’m just passing mile four. Obviously, this year, we didn’t have this welcome distraction. Undeterred, we carried on crossing the traffic lights at Crown Island and on towards Wollaton Park and into the part myself and Rachel both find the toughest of this course. For some reason, the long stretch before you get to the park is always a struggle. I think it’s the combination of not having much scenery and the gradual but definite hill ahead of the park gates, mentally bracing yourself for the big tough hill approaching the hall.

After a bit of a mishap with a misplaced water station in the park and a couple of obligatory Wollaton Hall selfies, we settled into pace again back toward the ringroad…and having past the half-way point, starting to feel like we were on our way back.

Half way!

The next few miles were fairly uneventful. This point of the run is always a case of getting the next few miles ticked off and getting inside that magic “less than a parkrun to go” marker. We ran, we chatted and we probably moaned a bit, and the miles melted away in front of us until before we knew it, we were in the last couple of mile – and well ahead of our target time!

I might be looking on it with rose tinted glasses (it has taken me three months to write this!) but I’m sure I remember feeling better and stronger than I’ve ever felt turning back into the Embankment and onto the final stretch – even without the crowd support and big grandstand finish to look forward to!

Without the luxury of a professionally measured course, the final mile was a bit of a random one, running backwards and forward, towards the finish line then away from it for a loop or two until finally, our watched clicked over that magic 13.1 miles as finally passed under the balloon arch, full of smiles and delight. I really couldn’t believe it when I looked at my watch properly to find I’d ran an unofficial (owing pausing to cross roads out on course!) of 02:20:32 – so much better than I’d dared to hope for!

So, that’s what happens when you spend the summer training properly for an event, building up your milage gradually and getting your head in the right place for it. As I mentioned, it’s now been three months since that day and I’m still do delighted with the result! I now really can’t wait for the return of the full event next year to see what a bit of crowd support and racing fellow runners does!

All smiles through the finish

Five years in the making...the sub 60 5km!!

The elusive sub 60 5km had been my target for lots of races in the early days but I never quite got there. There were tears and tantrums about it. Then it got further and further away until I saw it as something I just didn't have in me. And I was fine with that, I thought.

Then came a global pandemic which turned everything we all thought we knew on its head.

In a year that's been anything but, running had been a well needed consistency for me. I honestly don't know if I'd have completely fallen back in love with running the way I have,  if this year had been more 'normal'.

I've enjoyed running so I've done more of it so I've got better at it, so I've enjoyed it so I've done more of it...the cycle goes on!

From the fantastic DOrunning Solidarity Sessions to pushing myself in the Wednesday Challenges and of course the weekly run and chat with Rachel, it's been a great year for running.

And as that year went on, I started to think maybe, just maybe I did have that sub 60 in me. After being so delighted with my half marathon PB in September, I knew the next job was to concentrate on the shorter distances.

By the end of November, I was determined it would be happening before 2020 was out.

I wasn't particularly expecting much from today's run in all honesty. This weekend has definitely kicked off the Christmas food and drink so I'd felt a bit groggy all day and even contemplated not going. But my weekly mileage target lingered in the back of my mind so I had a word with myself and off I went.

The first mile felt good, my legs were nice and loose from a couple of days off and the slightly warmer weather made breathing a bit easier than it has been recently.

When the first mile and then the second clocked in at low 9min mile pace, I decided I'd go for it.

Just after mile three ticked over, I got an awful attack of stitch which took some serious determination to get through, but at this point I just stayed focused on how happy I'd be to hit that target.

By the fourth mile I felt decent again and by the time mile five flashed on the screen I knew it was all but in the bag.

That's not to say I wasn't shattered. I've never ran at that pace for that long and I could seriously feel it. I pushed on through the last mile doing my normal countdown each 0.1 of a mile.

Finally I was in to that last bit where you've done 6 miles and "just" have 0.2 to go, time to push and get it done!

I couldn't quite believe it when I pressed the stop button and checked the time...00:58:37!!! Done with plenty of time to spare!

In true Kay Knowles style I had tears in my eyes as I shouted "yes" and punched the air...even the two chaps sat on a wall drinking cans of cheap larger looked at me strangely!

This has been a huge target of mine for so long and I'm so so happy to have done it!

So heading in to 2021 I need a new set of targets, which I'll be thinking about over the next week or two. One of those targets will definitely be to write entries into this blog more frequently!!

Thoresby 10km 2020

After months and months of cancellations and making the best of what we were able to do, as the date for Thoresby 10 got closer and it still looked likely to go ahead, it’s safe to say we were very excited!

Every year, me and Des like to do an event ‘just us two’. It normally involves travelling to somewhere nice for the weekend but in true 2020 spirit, we set off on the relatively short journey up the a614 on the 18^th October counting our blessings and glad to be finally on our way to an actual event.

In the weeks leading up to it, we received lots of really helpful information from the organisers, telling us what to expect and advising us of the rules in place to keep us all safe on the day. With this in mind, we parked up and headed to the rolling start area, face coverings in place, at the carefully planned time for my 10km start.

One of the appeals of the Thoresby 10 is the choice of distance. Having done this event before as one of my very first in the early days, I was vaguely familiar with the route and decided to give the 10km another go, knowing I’d probably be resting from longer distances in the shadow of the Virtual Half a few weeks before. Des went for the 10 mile option, which follows the same route with an extra loop added on. There’s also a half marathon, family 5km, canicross and Nordic walking events all ran throughout the morning making it a truly inclusive event which, in ‘normal’ years has a buzzing event village and support at the start and finish area.

As we entered the extended race village area, it was an excellent balance Covid measures while still retaining some of the race atmosphere we’ve all missed so much. Instead of a crowded pen to wait for the start, there was a long line of people scattered between clear signage showing approximate paces. Then steadily, with our face coverings on (my brilliant new DOrunning neck tube had arrived just in time), we made our way towards and eventually over the start line, clicking our watch into action before uncovering our face to start the run.

It’s a nice start to the route because you go down a very gentle slope and past a lake with some lovely views. Helped in part by the staggered start, I found it easy to get myself some space and settle into a nice pace without the awkward shifting around trying to pass people you often experience at events.

From what I could remember from the first time around, this wasn’t going to be a fast and flat course, so I did my best to pace myself nicely and safe some energy for the ups and downs. The puddles and mud acted as good speedbumps too – making sure I was concentrating on where my feet were going was a decent distraction and the first couple of miles went by fairly quickly.

As the half-way point came into sight, I was getting uncomfortably warm and starting to find running more difficult than I should be less than 5km in. When I’d put my outfit together a few hours earlier, the weather forecast had been quite dire, so I’d layered up accordingly. In reality, it was very mild for an autumnal October day, and I was feeling it.

As I ran on, not looking forward to feeling warm and uncomfortable for another three miles, I noticed some huge stacks of hay beside me, separating the path from the farmer’s fields. Before I had time to talk myself out of it, I did something I’ve never done on a run before... I nipped around the back and de-layered as quickly as I could – partly to make sure nobody other than cows saw me and partly because I was aware of the seconds ticking by!

Feeling much better as I tied my now redundant base-layer around my waist and made my way back onto the track, I had a new sense of energy and excitement at being part of an actual event. Deciding I was going to enjoy this race and make the best of it, I picked up the pace and continued on through the woodland paths, even embracing the ups and downs of the course. Before I knew it, my watch told me I had just over a mile to go – and I was making great time for the best 10km I’d ran in a good few years. Feeling happy and determined, I trotted along with my socially distanced fellow runners, taking in the scenery and snapping a few quick photos until the finish line was in sight and the buzz of the small event village took over once more.

I gave Des a big smile and a wave as I crossed that magic 10km mark before pulling my face covering back up as per the reminder signage to head on to the most exciting part – medal collection! Laid out in rows rather than handed to us, I picked up my lovely and very fitting for the event wooden medal. An actual medal for doing an actual event!

I must admit, shortly after I finished my run and Des set off for his 10-miler, I was so relieved I’d gone for the shorter distance. I’m capable of doing 10 miles, but I loved the 10km! I had looked forward to it, enjoyed almost every second of it and felt great afterwards. Clapping other runners in while I waited for Des felt so special after all the months of fairly isolated running – it reminded me that we’re part of a huge and very special community that spans all ages, and all types of people (and dogs too!).

The organisers, SBR Events, did an absolutely fantastic job of allowing us to enjoy an event again, while putting in place measures to keep everyone safe without letting Covid have an overbearing feel. The signage had a great tone to it, the information beforehand was brilliant and I was particularly impressed with attendants wiping down the portaloos after every visit. If you’ve ever used a portaloo you’ll know how much of a luxury clean ones are!

The whole morning made me really really look forward to what will inevitably be coming in the (hopefully) not too distant future. Bring it on!

 

First race bling in a long time! 

Face covered ready for the start

Lovely location and a great event!

Never give up

This time three years ago my running was coming along nicely. No longer a 'new' runner, I was training for my second half marathon, I'd recently become a regular at a running club and PBs were a nicely common occurrence.

This time two years ago things weren't looking quite as good. I'd not long since completed the London Marathon which was brilliant but my average pace had seen a gradual decline - due to a combination of injury, weight gain and general runner's fatigue I think. Instead of breezing around our summer 5km loop, if I bothered at all then it would be a slow slog, often cut short in favour of the 1mile version of the route.

This time last year I all but hated running. I'd been stuck in a rut for what seemed like forever. While I did enjoy the group runs I went on, looking back I could barely manage a mile without stopping to walk and solo running just didn't happen. 

There are so many times over the last couple of years that I've felt like giving up. When everyone else seems to graciously speed off with ease while I'm stuck feeling like I'm running through mud, never making and progress and having no hope of seeing the little bronze, silver and gold "personal record" medals on Strava again.

But I kept going like I always do, partly out of determination and partly because I couldn't bear the thought of people saying "bless her she couldn't do it". As someone who is not only really stubborn but also worries about what other people will think and say, giving up, whether it be at a race, a training run or at running completely, has never truly been an option. It's just not a Kay Knowles thing to do, no matter how much I would like to!

Six months ago, things started to change. With the DOrunning February Challenge set to run at least a mile on as many days as you could, I set my mind to running every day. It was achievable but would need decidication, so it seemed like a great idea. I'd hoped to see progress but never imagined just how much of a boost it would give me! In pace, in motivation and in enjoyment! It was like I'd found a magic switch and all of a sudden I liked running, I was getting better at it and it felt good. 

Today. 

For me, the sub 30 5km has always been significant. Right from the start, it's been a goal and my ability to achieve it (or how far away from it I am) has been a marker of how my running is going at that point. 

After seeing my 5km times drop over the last few months and settle consistently between 31 and 33 minutes, it's felt so near yet so far for a little while now. 

My running is perhaps more consistent than it has ever been. A combination of some great challenges and solidarity runs set by DOrunning, the light nights and nice weather and extra time from having no commutes and none of my normal weekly commitments has meant that I've seen my weekly mileage hit at least 15 almost every week, and often quite a bit more.

I've remembered that I don't need a reason or a running buddy (even though they help!). I can and do enjoy running on my own and without it being planned and part of a schedule. 

This afternoon I decided I fancied it. The sun was out, I didn't run too much last week so my legs are nice and fresh and my new headphones arrived at the weekend and I was keen to try them out. 

I set off for a blast around the river. By far my most common route. I know it inside out, back to front and inside out so I dodnt need to think about anything other than moving my feet and breathing. And today, each of those came with ease. I quickly settled in to a comfortably uncomfortable pace, enjoying the light breeze while feeling the sunshine on my face. 

My watch buzzed to say I'd done one mile in an excellent time. Now I had to hold my nerve. Often, when I do a good first mile during a 5km I panic for the second and slow down so that I don't wear myself out. I told myself that wasn't going to be the case today.

Mile two announced it was done even quicker. I was tired but I had some left. Concentrating on my breathing and trying not to obsessively check my watch too much, I carried on moving my legs as fast as they'd take me. 

I got to a point where I knew I was going to do it, it became all about the bonus time now! Willing myself on down the path I've ran on so many times before, two miles turned into three and I just had that final .1 to go. By now I let myself watch the numbers melt away until finally I'd done it! Finally, after more than two and a half years I had ran a continuous 5km in less than 30 minutes. YES!!!! 

So that's why this post is all about never giving up. It's about not giving up in the moment, but also not giving up on the long term stuff either. To be honest, I'm not sure if I thought I'd ever get back to where I am now with running, but I know there's no way I'd ever have stopped trying!

So what's next? I think the next milestone for me is the (virtual) Robin Hood Half Marathon at the end of September. It's such an important event for me for so many reasons and I'm in pretty much the best place I've at this point of training for it, so there's no way I'm going to let having no spectators and no medal stop me giving it my all this year!