Tag Archives: Challenge

An advent calendar with a difference

Posted in Fitness & well-being, Running by
Photo credit to Advent Running

Photo credit to Advent Running

Since the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon – which was almost two months ago now – I am ashamed to say that I have really struggled to get back in to running. It is partly because of niggling injuries and partly because it’s that time of year when the motivation to jump out of bed on a cold, dark and wet winter morning can start to dwindle.

It was by chance that I spotted the Advent Running Challenge on Twitter which involves running every day for at least 30 minutes for 25 days, ideally starting on December 1.

With the Central Lancashire New Year Half Marathon fast approaching I thought that this would be the perfect time to get back in to the swing of things and make time for running in what usually promises to be a busy month full of Christmas shopping and festive fun. Not to mention that more running equals more mince pies!

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I will be starting my challenge tonight and will finish my last run on Boxing Day.
Get involved and check out the challenge online or Tweet Advent Running to share your pictures and running experiences. There will also be a spot prize each day for the best photo, video or written description of the day’s run shared on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

2014 has been a great running year for me and I want to make this final month a good one! Happy December running everyone!

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Never has the phrase ‘après mud party’ excited me more

Posted in Fitness & well-being by
Photo credit to Tough Mudder HQ.

Photo credit to Tough Mudder HQ.

Today I got overly excited at reading the phrase ‘après mud party.’

Not just because I like to be muddy – although I do when it comes to running –  but because that phrase means that Tough Mudder Yorkshire is just over one week away.

When the Yorkshire Tough Mudder Volunteer Programme pinged in to my email inbox this afternoon I wasted no time in getting familiar with what I’d be doing on the day as a volunteer and reading all about the perks that come with it.

Running Tough Mudder is an experience in itself, as my best friend Liana who ran the course last year told me, but we’re getting the complete Tough Mudder experience over two days this year. On Saturday, August 2 we will be volunteering on the course, cheering people on and helping them along the way before running the course on Sunday. The gazebo has been purchased for maximum socialising on Saturday night and after much deliberation our outfits have been planned right down to the colour of our shoe laces – neon yellow for Liana and bright red for me.

We can’t wait to don our TM volunteer t-shirts and really get stuck in to help make the event a success and enjoyable for everyone. Not to mention we are so excited to run the course ourselves.

As Liana put it, it’s essentially a weekend away for us. It combines all of our favourite things as well; adventure, challenges, being outdoors, running, lifting, socialising and wearing gym clothes. Bring it on!

Marathon training & some other challenges in between

Posted in Fitness & well-being, Running by

After weeks of thinking about it I’ve finally devised myself a training plan for the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon.
With just under three months to go I thought I’d share my training with you as I work up to running 26.2 miles and take on a few different challenges in between. 

Here’s a little about what I’ve got coming up:

Saturday, July 19: The No Ego Trail Challenge – Conquer the Forest half marathon at Dalby Forest
Just five days from now I’ll be running my first trail half-marathon. I’m not sure just how much of the stunning views of Dalby Forest I’ll be able to take in though as we battle through water, jump over fallen trees and tackle mud bogs and plenty of hills. As it’s my first one I’m not expecting a fantastic time but ideally I’d like to complete it in less than two hours.

Saturday, July 16: Adidas Thunder Run 24 Hour
For many people, the thought of running for 24 hours would sound like some form of extreme punishment. To me though, it sounds like one hell of an exciting challenge. I have been lucky enough to secure a place on the Women’s Running magazine team for this incredible challenge, organised by Adidas. The idea is that someone from the team has to be running the 10k trail route at all times across 24 hours. Each competitor must complete at least one lap but after that you can run as many as you want, or take it in turns. Hats off to those solo runners who do the full 24 hours by themselves! I don’t doubt that it’s going to be a huge test for me, both physically and mentally.

Saturday, August 2: Tough Mudder Yorkshire
My best friend and fitness fanatic Liana took on Tough Mudder last year and this year we’ve decided to do it together. We will be volunteering as course marshals on the Sunday after running the course on the Saturday as well. For those of you who don’t know what Tough Mudder is all about, it’s described as the toughest event on the planet. Over ten-12 miles we’ll tackle a range of obstacles from underwater tunnels to rope climbs and even fire to test our strength and all round physical (and mental) capabilities.

So that’s what I’m facing at the moment, a gruelling three weeks with plenty of recovery and mobility work in between and quite frankly I can’t wait!