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.