Events Blog

June 4th 2017 8.5 mile mixed terrain race The Great Midlands Fun Run is an 8.5 mile (very odd distance!) which starts and ends in Sutton Coldfield. The route is largely tarmac and takes in Sutton Park, which is where I run fairly often - I did this event last year and really enjoyed it, hence being back for another go! Learning my lesson from last year, I decided to start reasonably close to the front. By the time I had wriggled my way through I was perhaps 15 or so rows back from the start. This turned out to be a much better position than last year, and when the race started at 11:10 (they let the wheelchairs go off first) I was held up very little. The first two miles flew by (possibly a little too quickly when I looked at my watch), and rounding the corner up to Jamboree I decided to take it fairly steady as my HR was creeping up. I still felt pretty good, but was running with my other half so we kept the pace steady right up and down from jamboree, and then around to t...

March 19th 2017 10km trail running race Second running race of the year! Unfortunately timed to be coming off the back of a chest infection, and a very tight calf... However, after a week of rest (hence very little running prep) I thought I'd give it a go, if nothing else, to test my leg. With the aim of "just jogging around" (ha!) I did a mini warm-up (5 mins) then started the course. Unaware of the speed I was going at due to the distracting crowd of other runners, and my throbbing leg, I set off way too fast. Getting up to Jamboree, which leads to the first real downhill, I ws disappointed to find my HR up at max, and myself unable to take real advantage of the elevation change. The pebbly path down to the next pool didn't feel any nicer, and after than came a familiar climb (normally my final climb!) up to the wilder area of the park. This was follwed by a brief downhill respite towards Bracebridge pool before a horror of a muddy climb back up the same sl...

June 5th 2016 8.5 mile mixed terrain race The second event of my accidental double event weekend - and I was looking forward to it! The Great Midlands Fun Run is an 8.5 mile (very odd distance!) which starts and ends in Sutton Coldfield. The route is largely tarmac and takes in Sutton Park, which is where I run fairly often on Sundays, with the Boldmere Bullets 9s. Practically home turf! I caught the train for the 5 minute journey to Sutton and soon came across some school friends in the start pen. I chatted to them and ended up staying until the start, not too worried about being halfway down the pen. This turned out to be a bit of a mistake, as when the run started the course goes straight up a hill, and going was incredibly slow! This event is advertised as a "fun run", and not a race, but the word "run" still forms part of the description, and there were definitely a lot of people already walking on the course ahead of me. I don't take issue to anyone...