2009 cont

Wow didn't realise how time consuming this would be just to get up to date. Now where was I?

The next race was another in the Black Sheep Series, 10k at Kirkby Malzeard, mainly road, undulating with a grass finish.

Time 57 min 44 sec, WAHAY I did it, 10k in under an hour.

One Thursday night we travelled to Richmond for another league race. Multi terrain, Undulating, 5.6 miles with the biggest , steepest hill I had ever tackled, as i approached it i could see better runners than me bent almost double walking up it so i judged that it was ok to walk it.

Time 53min 59 sec.

Staveley Stampede, 10 miles multi terrain, undulating. This one was hot and I went off too fast and struggled from the start.

Time 1 hour 46 min 7 sec

A nice mid-week 5k, the Race for Life at Harrogate, on the Yorkshire Show ground. A charity race for Cancer. It was warm, busy, mixed terrain & undulating.

Time 27 min 18 sec

Rainton 10k, Black Sheep Series again, warm, undulating, multi terrain.

Time 58 min 51 sec.

4th July, The Burn Valley half marathon, what a toughy. middle of the day start on a Sunday in the Yorkshire Dales, beautiful views and some serious hills. I set myself a target of running the first 3 miles to the first steep hill and from then on walk the steep hills and run the downs and flats. this was a hard race.

Time 2 hours 20 min 20 sec.

The Great North 10k in Sunderland was a nice one, A there and back race I remember running over the bridge once but on the telly it shows that the race went over the bridge twice, I must have been totally focused, lol, as I can only remember it once.

Time 57min 42 sec.

The League races finished at Ripon with a 5 mile handicap race, all your points from the previous races were added up and runners are set off slowest firs fastest last, with an aim of everyone finishing within 5 mins. It was awful, all the way I was listening for it, about half a mile before the finish when there was a thundering of feet as the fast runners caught up and passed me, I found it quite scary and intimidating. Next time i will marshal.

Time 57min 42 sec.

Burton Leonard, the village where I did most of my growing up was the next 10k in the Black Sheep Series, multi terrain, undulating, on tracks i remember as exhausting to walk up as a child. A 2 pm start on a summer day meant it was pretty warm. When I finished I was pleased to hear and see my Mum and nephew cheering me in. When I had got my t-shirt and a drink I went over to her, and she said "oh, I thought you weren't doing it, its taken you so long." Cheeky. most other runners were about 5 mins slower than there pb's so I was`happy with my time.

Time 1 hour 3 min 1 sec.

I woke up feeling sick the morning of the Harrogate 10k, a road race of 2 undulating laps. I struggled to eat a banana and couldn't face porridge. I honestly thought i was going to throw up in the car on the journey there.

I set off ad just thought that if i could do the first lap without being lapped, then I could walk if I needed as long as my running partner was in view.

Time 59 min 49 sec.

Darlington 10k seemed the ideal race for a pb, road, flattish, 2 laps. Unfortunately I was struggling within the first 2 miles, I couldn't get my breath. ( I had had asthma, but I hadn't used an inhaler in nearly a year and it was classified as dormant.) but it felt like it was back. For the first time ever I was considering dropping out, but then about 50 yards from the start of the 2nd lap I was lapped, I couldn't drop out now, people would think that it was because i had got lapped, so I struggled on, when I walked other competitors said, "Come on Ripon" it kept me going. After i had finally dragged myself across the finish line, a man approached my friends and I. His attention had been drawn by my tattooed legs but realised that i was wearing Brooks trainers and that so were my 3 friends, he worked for Brooks and wanted a photo of us. so we had our pis taken.

Time 1 hour 3 min 1 sec, same as Burton Leonard.

The first half of a year of running

In January 2009, 2 new girls joined the club, we hit it off instantly, we were all quite new to running. I entered a local race series called the Black Sheep Series http://www.blacksheepraceseries.co.uk/ so they did too. we also started entering most local races.

On 13th January, whilst out running with Ripon runners, I fell over a tree root in the dark and blooded both knees , my right elbow and broke the little finger on my left hand. I didn't run for 6 days then got back to it

The first race we entered was a local 10k called St. Wilfred's Muddy boots http://www.ukresults.net/09feb.html on 8th Feb, a multi terrain race. The title would normally say it all but on this occasion there was snow and frost instead of mud. I had the strapping removed from my finger the Friday before the race.

Time 71 minutes and 48 seconds.

On that morning I stood on the scales at 14 stone 5 lb and decided that enough was enough, I was running miles and still getting heavier I was going on a diet

Next was Arkendale 10k http://www.musttriharder.net/, 29th March, mixed terrain. Time 63 minutes 18 seconds.

Next was the first race in the Black Sheep Series, the Fountains 10k http://www.fountains10k.co.uk/ again mixed terrain an undulating (hilly). This clashed with a weekend in Carlisle at a tattoo convention, so after 2 late nights and copious amounts of alcohol and an early start to get back to Ripon I did brilliant.

Time 62 minutes 46 seconds.

For the May day bank holiday, my husband and i went to Kendal for the long weekend. On the Sunday he drove me to Keswick, where I entered on the day for a 1/2 marathon. http://www.keswickhalfmarathon.co.uk/I'd never tried this distance before, but no-one except my husband knew I was doing it so if I did badly no-one need know. It was very hilly but I set myself the target of doing 8 miles without stopping. It was hard. Up up up and all the way behind me there was a woman with a buggy, I couldn't shake her.

At around 8 miles i was flagging when a man outside a pub shouted "Come on Ripon".( I had my Ripon Runners vest on). that spurred me on a bit longer, but as we were climbing this hill that felt like it was going on for ever, a car reversed right in front of me stopping me in my tracks, I couldn't get going again so I walked the rest of that hill and the woman with the buggy passed me. The next few miles saw wind rain, hailstones and bright sunshine, me and buggy woman kept passing each other, until at 12 miles I was done I let her go and just ran my own race, behind a woman with a Buggy.

Time 2 hours 18 minutes 9 seconds happy with that. so I told everyone about it.

The local running clubs have a league and they have races mid week, so I took part in those. the first was at Thirsk 4.6 miles.

Time 46 minutes 05 seconds.

Ripon 10 mile, another Black Sheep race was next, multi terrain and undulating.

Time 1 hour 43 minutes 18 seconds.

Next my 2 friends and I went to Newby Hall near Ripon to run a 10k for cystic fibrosis. multi terrain.

Time 60 minutes 43 seconds. Getting close to under the hour now.

Another league race at Wetherby was next, 5.4 miles on a flat cycle path.

Time 52 minutes 26 seconds.

Melmerby 10k, fast and flat was the description of this Black Sheep race, so on a very sunny bank holiday weekend I went out to get my 10k time to under an hour. It was unusually warm and not particularly flat.

Time 60 minutes 02 seconds, so close but so far.

By now i had got my weight down to 12 stone 7 lb, through running and watching what I ate.

Another league race at Harrogate this time, 5.8 miles, seriously hilly.

Time 57minutes 21 seconds

Happy with that

So at the begining of October 2008, I plucked up the courage to go down to my local running club, Ripon Runners. When I got there one group was just leaving, but I recognised a woman in another group, she said that I could go with them. If i had thought that I could run i was about to be brought back to earth with a bump, these guys made me look like a right tortoise, but they took it in turns to stay with me and encourage me, and we regrouped every mile or so. We did 5 miles that night. after the run they introduced me to some of the slower group, people of a similar level to me. The next time I went, I went with the slower group, I was much more comrtable with this group. Everone in the club were really friendly. I learnt that its ok to walk a bit in training, and so didnt feel like I was having a rubbish run if I needed a little walk occasionally. Some of the club were doing the Thirsk 10 mile at the end of November and persuaded me to enter, they let me tag along on their Sunday training runs and were very patient waiting for me all of the time. I was improving slowly. I could do 10 miles in 2 and a bit hours. The Race day came and I set myself 3 goals, Not to be last, to run it all and to do it in less than 2 hours. This was a different atmosphere to the large charity runs that I had previously done, no crowds to cheer you on, but it was a race, I set off with some of the girls from the club but after a mile I let them slip away, I couldn't keep up their pace, I just tried to keep them in sight and keep running, which I did, It was tough but finally Thirsk Racecourse came back into sight and I could still see one Ripon Runner ahead and I knew that there was one behind me. I could not believe it, as I turned into the Racecourse, the finish line and clock were 30 feet away, the clock said 1 hr 45 min 47 sec. I couldn't speak, I felt sick but I was ecstatic, I had achieved all three goals and what a time. Now I was hooked I just wanted to enter more races.

Life's too short

The pressure was off, I'd done a race and raised some money for Cancer research, my mother in law was fighting breast cancer at this time and both my mother and sister had successfully got through thyroid cancer. I was really proud of myself.

I kept up my morning jaunts, sometimes I'd even do 4 miles but I could never replicate my time for the race for Life, but I was happy trotting along seeing the way the world changed as the seasons passed, before I went to work as a supervisor in a local supermarket.

Later that summer (2007), whilst we were on holiday we received some mixed news, we had a new nephew, my mother in law was in remission, but my father in law had terminal bowel cancer.

In Feb 2008, on my mother in laws birthday, my father in law died. It was a hard time for us, we'd never had a close family member die, running helped me cope, it got me out and I found that I could really sort my head out when I ran, working out rotas and orders even what was for tea, all before I got the kids out of bed.

We had taken up camping after the dog got put down which we loved it but it didn't do my husbands bad back much good sleeping so close to the ground, so when in Feb 2008 we saw a campervan for sale, we blew our savings and bought it, Life is too short for ifs and buts My father in law had once told my husband that if my mother in law didn't survive her cancer then he would sell the house and buy a motorhome and travel.

We spent Easter at Filey, I love the seaside, It snowed and was frosty but we were warm and toastie in our little van. A few weeks later we went to Pateley Bridge for the weekend, this time the weather was lovely, the sun was shining the opposite of Filey. I'll always remember the Sunday that we came home. On the way home we saw signs for Fountains 10k I thought I'd check that out when I got home. When we got home we checked the phone and there was a message from my mum, my dad had died of a heart attack.

I was devastated, there was no warning, I found the next few weeks difficult, so to focus my mind on something positive I entered the Race for life at Harrogate.

I dont know if the course was tougher or just because it was raining but I was slower at 5km this time 34 min 30 sec, but I loved the atmosphere and the thrill of racing.

A few days later a colleague asked if I fancied doing the Great North Run, with my new life's too short attitude I said "Why not?" I looked it up on the internet but it was full and we would have to raise about £350.00 each to get a charity place, but on the BUPA website I spotted the Great Yorkshire Run, a 10k race in Sheffield in September. There were places available so I entered us.

10Km thats 6.2 miles now I had something to work towards again, I decided to raise money for 3 local charities, St Wilfreds Parade, the YMCA, and The Red Triangle Drama Group, where I'm a volunteer youth worker.

I soon was regularly doing 5 - 6 mile runs without stopping, and the sposorship was mounting up, I was quietly confident that I could do this.

Whilst doing my job in the supermarket I had got tennis elbow, and in July I had an appointment to see a doctor at Harrogate Hospital. In the waiting room a lady came over to me who I knew worked at the local secondary school where I had been trying over the last couple of years to get a job as a teaching assistant. She told me that there was a job going at school.

When I got home I downloaded an application form and hand delivered it because that was the cut off date for applications. A few days later I got an interview and my phone rang before I even got home offering me the job. I accepted, the pay was less but the hours were better and this what I really wanted to do, work with young people.

September 2008 I started my new job, I loved it right from the start, and the big race. The person that i was going with told me 2 days before that no-one would swap shifts with him so he would'nt be able to do the race. So I was all alone again but maybe not, this time my husband would be watch me and waiting at the finish.

It was an early start we had to drive to Sheffield and get a tram to the city centre, it was mobbed, I'd never seen so many people and portaloos. Portaloos, ooh I didn't like the thought of using those but there wasn't much choice, so I went whilst the queues were quite short. Soon we were called to our pens, I was in pink because I didn't have a known time. Oh Oh, I needed a wee, tough it would have to wait now. .We were the last to go, we had a warm up after the first lot went, there were gaps to time the starts with the trams, as we finally set off i could see out of the corner of my eye the elites finishing. It didn't matter though because we had timing chips on so our times would be accurate.

I set off with everyone else, a downhill start, but soon I was struggling, I'd gone off too fast this was going to be a long run to Hilsborough. I kept on refusing to walk and soon realised that the majority of people around me were running the same pace, I started to feel confident again as we made our way under the stands of the football stadium. There were queues outside the portaloos, I still needed a wee but I wasn't going to stop, I was doing ok time wise. Now I was on my way home, I could see that there were a fair few folk behind me and i got a second wind. The last 1500m were awful up hill all the way but the crowd cheered me on and finally I crossed the finish line and received my medal and goody bag. My husband was there to congratulate me and it was the best feeling in the world, apart from finally getting into a portaloo for a wee. I completed my first 10k in 1 hour 13 minutes and 28 seconds and raised £180.00 for the local charities to split.

I had the next couple of weeks off, then because my new working hours were regular I joined Ripon Runners, the local running club.

And so it began

I don't know why it was different this time, it just was I persevered and was going out 3 or 4 times a week running a bit walking alot, but covering about 3 miles according to my pedometer. My pedometer probably had a lot to do with it actually because it enabled me to be competitive with myself, trying to complete regular routes faster than the last time. In March 2007, a friend told me about The Race For Life, its 5km she said. I looked it up on the Internet and found that there would be one in May at Lightwater Valley, I entered. Now I really had something to work towards. I persevered and eventually completed a whole mile of running without stopping, then 2 miles and finally 3. I got people at work to sponsor me and had sponsors of £160.oo . The day arrived, I was really nervous, What if I couldn't run it all, would people laugh? People, would see me running, I normally run in the morning not the evening after a days work. I was starting to panic. I was on my own at the race everyone else seemed to be in groups, I felt so lonely. Soon it was time to make our way to the start, I felt sick but I had to do it People had sponsored me and would ask the next day. I'd look stupid if I pulled out. We were off, we hadn't gone a hundred yards before people started to walk, what were they doing, get out of my way, why did they go with the runners and not the walkers, but soon I was free of the crowd, lungs and legs burning, but I wasnt going to stop. I wasn't fast, there were kids overtaking me, but I was doing it, I was racing and I wasn't last. I ran and ran and ran, I thought my heart would burst, in fact at about 2 1/2 miles there was a steep hill, I had to walk up it I really thought I'd have a heart attack if I ran it, but as soon as I was up it, off I ran again. As I entered the field with the finish line in it, I pushed for every last bit of energy, crossing the line in 29 mins 39 sec. I felt sick, I couldn't speak or hardly breathe. someone handed me a bag and a medal. A medal, I'd never had a medal I was so proud of myself, all around me people were congratulating each other and I wanted to cry, I felt so alone at that moment, in the middle of a crowded field with hundreds of people.

How it was.

When I was young I wanted to be good at sport but I wasn't, I tried hard but I was pants I was always amongst the last to be picked for teams in P.E. But after watching the London Marathon in 1981 I dreamed that one day I would complete a marathon. I didn't tell anybody, I would get up early before anyone else, and set off around the block but I couldn't run more than a few yards and so gave up. Many years passed, I always watched the Marathon and thought, One day. But I was unfit, overweight, smoking and drinking burning the candle at both ends. It would never happen. In 1988 I married a soldier and children followed. Bringing them up single handed whilst my husband was away on tours was exhausting, especially as the youngest didn't sleep, still doesnt and he's 18 now. When my husband was home he was a great help around the house and with the kids. He would relax by going for long runs, I thought he was mad. He tried taking me out but I couldn't get to the end of the street, and gave up again. Years later, April 2006, my 40th birthday looming I decided to give up the fags, I went to the Docs for support, my husband said he'd give up too. Finally after years of failing I managed to give up smoking and because I was walking our german shepherd twice a day I didnt put on much weight, but unfortunately at the end of May, because of her age, we had to put the dog down. I managed to stay off the fags at this very emotional time but the weight was starting to creep on, so when the kids were in bed in the early mornings I started to go for walks. After a couple of months I decided to try to run. I couldnt even run from one lampost to the next. Its a good job it was early so no-one could see the fat woman trying to run and that the mornings were getting darker. This time I did not give up I persisted. If I could give up fags I could learn to run. Thats how it started.