250 mile quarter marker passed

Miles to date: 264 
Race completed: 8 


This week is a land mark in my progress for the year. Having started this slightly unrealistic challenge thinking I really had no chance and would need to find a credible reason (injury, illness, other) why I couldn't carry on I now think I really can do it! There are new challenges to come I know - the sunshine for one but I'll come back to this particular issue - that will make it tough but, today, I'm feeling very good about it - a bit broken but good! 


To make sure I marked my 250 mile passing I wanted to be sure it was an enjoyable run in my home territory. I am hugely privileged to live in such a scenic and beautiful part of the world. From my front door I can run out into moorland that has inspired painters, poets, authors, musicians and all manner of other creative wonders. I run out into this unique, bleak at times but stunning landscapes which have the power to take your breath away when you choose to see them. 


I hatched a last minute plan for a Saturday morning run with Caren but a message in the early hours of the morning that she was in our local hospital with a very poorly son obviously ruled that out. We all send huge love to all the Crabtree's - it looks like Ciaren the super junior fell athlete has meningitis so we keep our fingers crossed that he's getting the best care and pulls through it stronger than ever. 


After many domestic Saturday jobs, Simon, Blue and I set off towards Top Withens. All day the mist had hung low over the hills but by mid afternoon the sun had started to burn through and as we approached Bronte Waterfalls it was almost like a summers day - really far to hot to run! Up to Top Withens, supposedly the inspiration for Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Withens), across the skyline to Oxenhope Stoop and back down to Penistone moor so that Blue could have a splash in the pond to wash away the peat bogs he bounded through. What a truly fantastic way to mark a quarter of my journey towards the 1000 miles. 


Sunday morning and I woke thinking that perhaps 7 miles was a little foolish given my plan to run Rivock Edge Fell Race. However, a couple of ibuprofen plus a couple of paramol to remove the tweaky pains in my right leg and off we went. Rivock Edge is a race organised by our local Scout Network. Much of the route runs across otherwise inaccessible land and so offers a great opportunity to run through really varied terrain across woods, fields, forests and moors that I've never been near even though we've lived close by for nearly 12 years! 


The book (FRA Calendar) describes it as 10.4km and 255metres. From hearing others views of previous years races I was expecting it to be longer than described but, the last mile along the canal really did feel like torture! The route was wonderful (excluding the canal) as it took us over farmland, through sheep fields, into beech woodland, across t'moor, through pine forest, and then back down the same. I quickly found myself at the back as the sun beat down (yes, I know it's March but the sun beat down as it it were mid July) and we ran at a pace too fast for me along the canal to start. However, I really enjoyed the scenery and the challenge of keeping my own pace, including some ridiculously steep descents that just made me laugh as I threw myself with gay abandon down the beech leaf covered slopes. 


I am a sun lover - I adore it, I miss it during the long winter months, my skin feels better for the suns kiss, life looks brighter, people shed their winter skins and come out into the light. Running in the sunshine - bloody awful! I spent the first part of this year running in ice, snow, wind, rain, sleet and freezing cold. Today's introduction of warm / hot sunshine makes me realise just how awful the next few months of running might possibly be. I still love the sunshine but if it could be a little cooler for running purposes that would be most splendid, thank you very much! 

More scenic pictures to come hopefully! 

The race ended where it started and I had some fantastic support, claps and encouragement as I ran the last 500 metres to the finish, third from last! My sports tracker said 7.6 miles and the general consensus now seems to be that this 6.5mile race was really 7.5miles! 


Enormous thanks to all the Network Scouts who organise this - a great race, well marked and marshalled and a fantastic route (excluding the necessary but evil canal towpath!). 


Massive thanks to this weeks wonderful sponsors - Becca, Bev (my Calderdale Way relay partner in crime),  James and Andrew (the Boss!) - you've motivated me through another 30 miles - my weekly best to date. If anyone would like to join these brilliant folks in supporting me to continue enduring the pain this running lark brings in the name of a good cause please visit my just giving pages to donate to Asthma UK or Manorlands Hospice - two great causes both very close to my heart. 

Keighley Big 10K and other bits!

Miles to date: 233 - 13 miles in hand

Races completed: 7 

I'm writing this on Mothers Day in the afterglow of my first 10km race. 

The Keighley Big 10K is in it's 5th year and now attracts about 1000 runners and walkers. It's one of the landmarks in my running plan for this year. Whilst most of my running is on the fells, and that's what I really enjoy, this 10km follows an interesting and hilly route taking in four parks and quite a few good Yorkshire hills. The last three years I've helped check runners in and out at and generally helped out a bit so to be running it feels a little alien. The race is one of the major fundraisers for Manorlands, our local Hospice and one of my two charities that I'm trying to raise funds for with my 1000 mile challenge.  

Our running club - Keighley and Craven - have the complete range of members from those that don't run at all (me since we joined as a family in about 2004) through to elite runners and athletes. I've spent many evenings watching my children at evening multi sport sessions but that stopped as swimming took over our lives for a few years. Even though I'm running now I still don't manage to get down on club nights due to my work patterns. What I do get is a network of brilliant people and a shared sense of belonging and support. I try to help out where I can so last weekend saw me in the school kitchen and tidying up after the Haworth Hobble - 33 miles around Haworth and beyond (they're completely bonkers). 

Lots of club members from different groups have been working up to this race - training hard and working out what they wanted to achieve for it from finishing through to smashing a personal best. I'd decided that I wanted to break 60 minutes. I've also spend months teasing my wonderful son, Ben, that I was going to beat him! Obviously in the real world I never stood a chance but I did have him a bit worried for a while. I've only managed to reach 60minutes on two training runs - both in London which is extremely flat - and even then it was only just. 

Rosie, my daughter, decided a few weeks ago that she too was going to enter the Keighley 10K. We recced it together last weekend and she did very well - surprisingly so since she's sat around and done very little since adolescence kicked in! So with Rosie joining in this was to be a whole family effort! 

I won't give a blow by blow account of the race (come do it for yourself next year) but the lady I finished with summed it up brilliantly;

"I'm glad I was with you at the end, you got so much support from lots of people - their encouragement helped me too"

That really summed up why I'm a proud member of Keighley and Craven - regardless of whether people know your name they cheer you on, shout encouragement and support at the first sight of the red, white and green hoops - thanks everyone, you're brilliant. 

As a family we had completely different races. Si had a flyer and ran in right behind his friend, Dick, who he normally trails a bit further, at about 42mins. 

Ben's sprint finish

Ben completely wooped me - about 55mins he really ran with the wind! 

Bit puffed! 

I missed my 60 minute target by about a minute (official results yet to come) so have spent the rest of the day kicking myself as I know I could have got it (hindsight is a wonderful thing). 

Rosie with a last push to the finish

Rosie came in at about 95minutes - an absolute star girl and possibly motivated to carry on running too! 

For the record, last weekend, as well as helping out on the Hobble, I also ran the Windmills Whizz - 68min10sec, 11.3km and 244m. It was a lovely race that I could have done so much better on but a niggly cough and feeling chesty gave me too many excuses to push too hard. 

On another note - late nights, being left in front of a computer unsupervised, credit cards are all very bad things. For some reason on Saturday night I entered the Snowdon Mountain Race,  21st July and I can run up and down Snowdon - now that's something to look forward to! I don't seem to have learnt anything from my experience at Black Combe Fell Race as I've also gone through with entering the Anniversary Waltz . So another two AM races in the diary - what fun! I'll get two T-Shirts out of my endeavours though!!! 

I'll finish with a massive thank you to Emily, Tim, Carol, Emma, Mike, Linda, Frances, Freya, Suzanne, Emma and Chris for your generous sponsorship to two great causes. 

"A" rated Fell Races

Miles to date - 179 
For those of you a little less familiar with Fell races, they are categorised in two ways - 

• A = not less than 50 metres of climb per kilometre, no more than 20% on a road, at least 1.5km in length
• B = not less than 25 metres of climb per kilometre, not more than 30% on a road
• C = not less than 20 metres of climb per kilometre, not more than 40% on the road, should contain some genuine fell terrain

and by length

• L (long) - over 20km
• M (medium) - over 10km but less than 20km
• S (short) - less than 10km 

It's important when identifying races you might want to compete in to understand the height/distance equation. If a race is short with loads of height gain you will inevitably find yourself climbing rather than running for sections of the race. In conversation with fellow runners it's quite useful to be able to translate their meaning of 'that's runnable' when describing a race. In reality it means you will be able to 'run' sections of the race rather than doing a spider man impression. 

Having spent some time perusing the FRA Calendar and having developed a reasonable understanding of how it works through Simon's endeavours and marshalling many races, I have identified a number of races I plan to have a go at during this 1000 mile year - fell miles should really count double though. 
I started on New Years Day with the Giants Tooth, 5km and 120 metres (BS); Ovenden 13km and 366metres (BM);  White Holme Circular, 13km and 366metres (BM); and Stanbury Splash, 12km and 400metres (BM).

This Saturday I planned to run Black Combe, 13km and 1000metres - AM - still an OK distance but a change from a B to an A. It is also a counter in our Club Fell Championship. Up in the Lakes, bound to be beautiful, a good day out! What could go wrong? 

I chatted about doing it at a night race on Thursday (4.8miles, 50minutes 53seconds, with Blue the Dog - very happy!) with a few friends. On reflection, nobody described it as 'runnable'. We did talk about the difference in Lakeland races and the sheer size of the fells in comparison with our relatively tame moorland. I wasn't quite convinced I would do it, less so when Caren said she definitely wasn't doing it for some very rationale reasons including - it's 'ard.

The following 48 hours saw a short facebook exchange resulting in Caren convincing her friend, Sharon, that they would do it. All agreed that we'd meet up in the Lakes the following day.

We arrive later than planned (must look at how far places are before we set off) and Caren has kindly already registered Simon and I. Being able to see only a fraction of what lay before us as most of it was covered in low lying cloud was probably a blessing. As we assembled at the start, the cloud cleared and the (almost) mountains loomed before us. Oh my goodness what have I done?!

The innocent hills in the foreground mask Black Combe which lies behind and is rather larger than may appear. 


We walk across a few ridiculously muddy fields, ankle deep in claggy mud before we've reached the start line. 


Our club have managed to muster four ladies to wear the red, white and green hoops. But, in the spirit of inter-club co-operation I'm planning to run with the Wharfedale ladies! 

Left to right Keighley and Craven: Katie, Karen, Camille, Livi
Wharfedale: Caren, Sharon 

|
Our club has many ladies who run far better, faster and further than me. But what's clear is that most lack confidence in their own abilities - they talk themselves out of doing things before they've thought about the possible and believing that they can. Physically they could all do it and finish way ahead of me. 

I have an advantage over my limited physical ability - I've spent 20 years living with someone who's always done slightly crazy and extreme things - walking up big mountains, Rogaining, climbing, caving and so on ... always a bit on the hoof, rarely planned and never trained for. If I was pushed I could use the compass and map I carry in my bumbag and I know I'd get out of trouble one way or another. The women I was running with have that same grit and determination, a belief that they can. They are also way fitter and physically stronger than me which is why out of the six of us pictured here I was last - a massive 45 minutes behind Katie who was first Keighley Lady - an awesome run. 

Back to the race - we started, away up a lane, through a gate and on to the Fell. A track set off to the right winding it's way up the steep fellside. Rather than follow this inviting looking path, we ran almost vertically upwards straight across the fell. Approximately 1800 foot of height gain in 2 miles. Less than a mile into this climbing - hands and feet tearing into the moorside - unable to see the top but overawed by the string of feet and legs above me trailing away into an unending distance I said "I really don't think I can do this" out loud for all to hear. 

A response from above me came down, "C'mon Livi, yes you can, you can do it", Sharon's warm and encouraging words reinstoring a sense of self belief and on I climbed / crawled up the fellside. 

At last it levelled out and the way ahead stretched ahead as a 'runable' track steadily climbing up. The track didn't last long before the route took us back off across moorland and the gradient steepened a little. I'd started to get my breath and legs now so was feeling OK when the volley of hail stone missiles began lashing against me. Screams and shouts came out of the mist and fog that had descended in minutes reducing visibility to a few feet ahead, if you could open your eyes enough to see without having your eyeballs pierced by hail. 

The post race evidence of just how vicious this hail was - Simon's legs - and as I write 24 hours later they still don't look much different. 

Checkpoint 2 loomed into sight and we huddled by the trig point, sheltering from the onslaught and pulling on full body covers to shield ourselves. In the few minutes we spent sheltered from the weather the trail of runners in front of us had vanished from sight leaving only open fells ahead. With no well trod path from this point and no runners to follow a group of four set off, the hail tempered to sleet and the wind reduced to a small gust. 

That was quite a scary mile or so. Being on the fells when the weather comes in makes you realise just how vulnerable you can be if you don't know how to navigate. It's very easy to wander off course and soon find yourself completely lost! 

The weather cleared and opened up a panorama of Lakeland Fells down through farmland to the sea with it's yellow beach. 

Stunning scenery as we ran - yes ran this bit! - across the ridge and round before descending a steep fellside - as steep as it was to get up here the descent was almost equal. This is where you need to let your inner child free and let go - I'm learning but Caren is way faster and crazier! 

The fell facing was the first mad descent to a stream - I managed to over take two people down that only for them to catch me back up on the hill that was to come!

I knew this race had a 'second climb' but after the first one I had survived this couldn't be as bad. Nearly a mile and a half of very steep - approximately 1300 foot - pathless moor later I thought I'd rather do the first one again! It was relentless. Every time I thought I must nearly be at the top more hill would unfold beyond false summit after false summit. When the checkpoint finally came in to sight I could have cried.

I slowed so much on this ascent I lost sight of Caren and Sharon. There was no way I could keep up. This meant I left the last checkpoint alone.

Setting off running after such a long steep ascent, my legs felt like they belonged to someone else. Wibbly wobbly with no strength or control. I bounced over the springy heathers until I hit the shale path and both ankles went opposite ways and I found myself sprawling across the path soaking up the stream flowing over it. After ascertaining I was only bruised and a bit battered but not broken I set off again - feeling safe in the knowledge it was less than two miles of downhill descent to the finish.

Every muscle in my legs, bum and back screaming at me, legs like jelly and completely out of control I fell a further three times before it levelled a bit more and the finish was in sight. A slightly oddly dressed man came into view just beyond a fork in the path - thank goodness Simon had walked up a bit and I knew which path to take to the finish!

Two wonderful ladies checked me in at the finish line, my dibber dibbed at a finish I really thought I wouldn't get too many times during the hardest 8 miles I have ever run. Huge hugs with Caren and Sharon who had finished strongly some 10 minutes ahead of me and cheered me in at the finish - thanks girlies! I finished 191 / 197 in 2 hours 28 minutes and 44 seconds and very pleased I am too (although on reflection I think I could have done better!).

I'll never under-estimate a race with an 'A' in the listing! Would I do another one? Of course! Anniversary Waltz next month .... must get my entry in!

The next couple of weeks will bring The Windmills Whizz and Keighley 10km will feel quite tame after Saturday but both still challenges - not least as I have to attempt to run faster than my 14 year old son who has promised to woop me! 


Two things to finish this blog with; 


1. A MASSIVE thank you to all involved in organising fell races. The Marshalls and Volunteers at Black Combe were just brilliant. Sitting around in extremes of weather isn't fun (I know from experience) but all of them were so kind, encouraging and supportive; and 


2. If you're waiting to see if I'll see this challenge through before sponsoring me I'll just say 179 miles in 2 months, with a rough guesstimate of 15,000 foot of climb (almost Mont Blanc) in total must be worth something at this stage to keep me going?! https://www.justgiving.com/teams/1000miles

Huge thanks to everyone who has already sponsored me or made a pledge - really appreciated and you are helping some amazing causes.