a) June is nearly here;
b) the weather should start getting better;
c) It’s nearly the start of Juneathon;
d) All of the above except for b.
Yes, Juneathon. A month of exercise, blogging and excuses – no slacking allowed! However what is allowed is dressing gown dashes, planking in PJs, pub bar push-ups, and anything else Cathy (the organiser) deems as exercise. I just about survived the last Juneathon and it’s colder sibling Janathon. Let’s see how long before my day’s exercise is a plank this time!
For more information, and to sign up, have a look at the Juneathon website. See you there!
…Two wheels just as good, as it turns out. I am a recent road bike convert, after being bought a new bike for my birthday. I love how light my new bike is, how easy it is to pedal and change gear, but I am still a little sad it doesn’t have a basket on the front.
His ‘n’ Hers
I have discovered I can now ride faster than my son (no more “we’ve dropped Mum. Again”). I also discovered that I haven’t yet mastered the art of getting my feet out of my toe straps before coming to a stop. It was on a lovely bike ride with Mr B&T in Lacock, surrounded by tourists, trying to decide if I wanted an ice cream or not, when I managed to perfectly execute the classic ‘zero velocity fall’. I came to a stop, couldn’t get my left foot out of my toe strap in time and crashed to the ground. Very embarrassing. The worst part was a lady walking by whom I overheard saying to a friend “I don’t know. She just fell over!”
This was my knee the next day:-
Pass the arnica
And I thought cycling would be better for my legs than running!
And see how concerned my tabby boy was. Obviously worried I might not be able to make it into the kitchen to feed him.
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the countryside is waking up and everything is growing. What a perfect day for a run!
Well, perfect if you ignore the raging hay fever, the huge tractors, trailers, and tractors-with-trailers storming along the tiny lanes meaning I have to leap into the hedge or get squashed. Also the hordes of cyclists. They must have heard my husband who, on leaving for work this morning, glanced at the sky and said enviously “lovely day for a bike ride. Sigh.”
Despite the annoyance of my quiet lanes being turned into veritable motorways, I did love the chap on a bike who dinged his bell as he came up behind me “just in case you didn’t hear me”. Very thoughtful, if more cyclists did this it would save me from any more near misses with silent cyclists. I also loved the old lady on a very new bike who was riding nearly as slowly as I was running. As she finally managed to overtake me we had time for a lovely chat.
After such a stop-start run, I couldn’t resist stopping to take a duckling photo.
However I quickly got up and carried on running when I turned round and see these two advancing…
So a race that took me several times longer to get dressed for than to actually run it. A race that I was more nervous about what I, and everybody else, would be wearing than usual. A race where the safety briefing ends with “and may the Force be with you. 3 2 1 GO!”
Yes it was May the Fourth, and it was the Sci-fi 5k. Fortunately the race didn’t start until 11.30am so I had plenty of time to get ready. A whole packet of hair pins, a can of hair spray and my carefully made costume later, I dragged my photographer (teenaged son) out with me and off we went. I suddenly realised as I was driving that I was getting some funny looks from drivers in other cars, but maybe they didn’t realise Princess Leia drove a large muddy Toyota.
We reached the car park, and I was expecting to see streams of runners in fancy dress heading to Race HQ. No, only families going to the park. Just as I was silently wondering if I’d come to the right place and at the right time, my normally unflappable son asked if we’d come on the right day. “Well, what’s the date?” I asked him. “May the Fourth!” he replied, smiling.
Race HQ was in a Wetherspoon’s pub and add I collected my number I was assured there were other people in costume. As we moved outside to the start area, in the park, we did finally see another couple of Leias, a rebel pilot, Obi Wan Kenobi (who seemed to have come in his dressing gown), and someone that I though was Captain Jack from Doctor Who & Torchwood, but who apparently was Han Solo.
Exterminate! Photo – John SidawayHan Solo, Obi Wan and a Rebel Pilot. Photo by John SidawayPrincess Leia – me! – at the start
As we set off, the weather had warmed up and It was beautifully sunny. I was already feeling warm in my long sleeved top and long skirt, but I kept thinking I couldn’t be as hot as the Dalek!
The course wound through some housing estates and then back through some parkland. It was all pretty flat and on another day, in a galaxy far, far away, in another outfit this would be a great PB race. I ran with a lady in a red Star Trek dress for a while and we consoled each other about running in a dress.
Photo by Warren WadePhoto by John Sidaway
My blaster hand was sticky and slippy now and I was seriously considering ditching it. However my son had had his eye on it so I tried passing it from hand to hand just for a change.
Eventually we headed back into the park and could hear people applauding and see the finish line. I looked out for my son, the official photographer, but couldn’t see him anywhere. I received my medal and a bottle of water and found a shady area by a tree to wait for him. He sauntered over 5 minutes later having waited back at the car and underestimating how long it would take him to walk back. Sigh. Fortunately there were plenty of other people with cameras who then shared their photos on Facebook. Thanks John and Warren.
At the End. Still holding that blaster!
I almost forgot to mention the race super was Darth Vader. Well if he was behind me, I’d run too!
It was a good race, the organisers had obviously enjoyed branding it as a ‘Sci fi’ 5k, the weather was beautiful and the support was great. It was just a shame there were so few people in costume. My only regret (and I feel a little grumpy saying this) was that I didn’t win the award for the best fancy dress. I know it was for fun, and that as long as I was happy with my outfit that’s what matters. but I really would have liked to win!
… it’s worth doing properly. That’s what I thought when I entered the 5k race on May the 4th, in Trowbridge, called the ‘Sci-fi 5k’*. I talked about entering it here.
If I was going to do this race ‘properly’ then of course I had to do it in fancy dress. Being old school (or just old) I always think of films 4, 5 and 6 as the real Star Wars, so I decided to chose a character from these films. Hmm – a recognisable female from these films? Of course, Princess Leia.
The iconic Princess Leia pose
It’ll be easy to make and run in a Princess Leia costume, I thought. I ignored the many people who suggested Princess Leia in her bikini, and also my children’s many helpful suggestions which included Jar Jar Binks.
Jar Jar Binks. Thanks, kids
Several weeks later (and only a week until the race) this arrived in the post :-
Piles of white and silver fabric
After several days of pondering about quite how I was make the costume, I finally dived in.
Going for it
I then went shopping for ‘accessories’.
Water gun ‘blaster’, blaster paint, ‘boots’ (football socks) and lots of hair accessories
Of course, the most iconic feature of Princess Leia’s appearance is her hair. Her ‘space buns’ as I like to call them. Unfortunately I don’t have long, dark brown hair so the pile of stuff above includes brown wool and I also bought matching hair dye. Yes, I was the mad woman in Superdry matching the hair colours to a ball of wool.**
First attempt at ‘Space Buns’
I just about have a costume now, and I need to have a dress rehersal. Mr B&T won’t be at the race on Sunday so has told me that I need to have a trial run (literally) so that he can laugh see me running in my costume. I just can’t bring myself to step outside my front door wearing this outfit and run. I live in a small village. Word would get around.
Anyone else think I should have a trial run?
* as in ‘May the Fourth be with you’
** I have since seen that Carrie Fisher is to appear in the new Star Wars film, so maybe I should skip the hair dye and just say I’m Princess Leia from film 7, when she’s old and grey?
8 o’clock on a beautiful April Saturday morning, so of course I’d love to get up and go out running. Particularly when husband, who had been planning on going out cycling, decided he didn’t feel well enough and was going to stay in bed. Humpf. Black cat had been meowing at me, and walking all over me, for nearly an hour so the chances of going back to sleep were minimal. I got up.
Cats fed, me fed, running gear on, bar code found, car park money found, IT’S 8.45 AND I’M GOING TO BE LATE! Fortunately it’s a short sprint from the car park to the start, so I took that as my warm up and arrived just as the race director asked everyone to move to the start line.
There were a few more runners today at Chippenham’s second parkrun than at the pilot event two weeks ago (155 rather than 30) which made it a little more crowded at the start. However it was all good natured and friendly, and impressive to watch a group sprint away from the rest of the pack.
The route follows 2 short laps around the park which takes in a short slope up the side of the mini golf, along the top of the park and back down to the start. Then a short run along the river, another 2 loops around a wilder section of the park, and back along the river to the finish. As I set off on the first loop of the second section I heard the call “faster runners coming!”, and a group of speedy guys flew past. Some runners find it depressing to be lapped but I always love seeing just how fast and smoothly some people can run.
Grimly Determined – but thumbs up!
As I completed the first loop and started on the second I suddenly found the (running) boot on the other foot as I lapped the back markers. I was reminded of my daughter, as I passed a teenager, head down, sullenly trudging along. A few metres ahead I presumed was her Mum, patiently waiting whilst uttering encouraging “come on dear’s”. I smiled, knowing exactly how she felt.
Parkrun truly does seem to be for everyone, and I’m very grateful to the people who set up Chippenham’s parkrun, and to the ever smiling marshals and helpers. I apologise that again my barcode wouldn’t scan and promise that I’ve ordered a plastic version for next time.
I’ve had months of telling myself that Swindon is too far to go on Saturday morning for a 5K Parkrun (and let’s be honest, it involves being up way too early for my liking). Despite really enjoying the one I did go to, it wasn’t enough to prod me to go again. After all, I do my running during the week- I don’t need to go on Saturday morning as well, do I? It would be so easy if only there was a Parkrun close to me, I kept telling myself.
My bluff was called. After much organization and debate the inaugural running of the Chippenham Parkrun was announced – on the 12th April 2014. Unfortunately I couldn’t make that date, but I could make the pilot run on 5th April -no more excuses.
On the morning itself, having convinced myself I didn’t have far to go and that there was no need to get to a Parkrun early, I ended up running late. I sprinted through Monkton Park looking for the start and was relieved to see people in hi-viz yellow -surely that must be it? It was of course, and I was there in plenty of time.
At the pre-run briefing, after having the course explained to us (2 laps of a part of the park, followed by 2 laps of another part of the park), we held a minute’s silence for a runner that had collapsed and died at another Parkrun a week ago. It was a sobering thought, The silence was punctuated with bird song, faint traffic noise, and the beep of people’s Garmin watches. It seemed to sum up everything about Parkrun, and I hope he would have approved.
Before we had time to get too philosophical about life and running, we were off. There were only thirty runners so we didn’t overcrowd the path, and the laps were fine and not as boring as the thought of them had been. All of the marshalls were encouraging and had no problems identifying which lap we were on. It might be a different story with more runners and a larger spread of speeds, and will be interesting when faster runners lap others.
As I finished I was delighted to be given the 10th position barcode. I don’t think I’ll ever hold that one again.
Tenth position
As we finished, I was chatting to a lady who’d been pulled around the course by her dog at high speed. Another runner next to us joined in our conversion, and then made my day by asking if I was Lucy, because he’d been reading my blog. A fan! A real life fan!! Darren, it was lovely to meet you, and hopefully I’ll see you at Parkrun again soon.
In a fit of enthusiasm I’ve just entered the Trowbridge “Sci-Fi” 5K to be held next month.
Why is it the Sci-Fi 5K? Well, apart from the hopefully ace medal, it’s held on May the 4th, of course. I’m already loving this race – of all the questions I’ve been asked on previous race entry forms (age, address, medical details etc) I have never before been asked if I want to run for The Empire, or the Rebel Alliance. Tough decision, eh?
I’ve also noticed there’s a prize for the runner with the best fancy dress. I’m feeling inspired after watching the Great British Sewing Bee so am off to search for technical fabrics by the metre. I may be some time …
“You get a medal just for running FIVE miles?” spluttered my husband, as he staggered in after cycling 103 miles (minus a medal). However he had had beans on toast, tea and cake provided at his event so I don’t know why he was moaning, really. The five miles in question, were the “Fearless 5” race which was part of the “Flying Monk” race, held at Charlton Park near Malmesbury, Wiltshire. It was an off road course, around fields, tracks, woods and parts of the estate. It was beautiful, the sun was shining, runners and marshalls were smiling, and yet despite the weather we’d still been promised some mud. The muddy sections had been conveniently named and signposted so we’d know when we were approaching them. These had names like “Boggy Bottom”, “Abbot’s Aisle”, “Monastery Mile”, “Friar’s Frolic” and ”Monk’s Mayhem”. Setting off one chap charged forward like a canonball being fired, pulling faces for his family, whilst the rest of us slotted in behind and tried to find a good pace whilst running in single file around the edge of a field. Mile one was spent just marvelling at this fantastic sport, where you can spend Sunday morning in the company of like-minded souls, feeling your body working as it should, in the sunshine, in the countryside.
Happy
Track followed field, and woods followed field. As we came up to the first swamp (“Boggy Bottom” I believe) I could see canonball man flailing around, swearing loudly, having left a trainer behind in the mud. I tip-toped through the mud and left him to it – the sheer volume of his swearing told me he was fine. This unsporting moment was unfortunately captured by the race photographer:-
At least I didn’t run, cartoon-style, over his back to avoid the mud
By mile two I was feeling very glad that I’d entered the “Fearless 5” (which was one lap of the course) rather than the full “Flying Monk 10” (two laps). By mile three I was wondering where the water station was – this race was warm! By mile four I was thinking if they’d had a quarter-length distance (the ‘Nervous Nun’?) I should have entered that. Just as I was thinking of giving running up as it was all too hard, we came round a field and I could hear the P.A. system at the finish line. I overtook one last runner, and was then in turn overtaken by someone else in the usual finish line sprint tit-for-tat. Finished! Medal, cup of water and orange in sweaty hand and suddenly I loved running again. My trainers bore witness to the boggy bits I’d encountered, and scratches on my leg and arm proved I’d found some brambles as well.
Watch out washing machine, here I come
I was mightily pleased with my Garmin time of 48:08, and amazed when the official results were out. I was 6th Woman home, and 3rd in my Age Category! I had another chance to wear the beautiful badge my daughter made for me after my Parkrun debut.
3rd in Age Category
I loved this race, and there was just one thing that bothered me about it. Why was it so poorly attended? Only 51 runners in the Fearless 5, and about the same in the Flying Monk 10. I’m guessing so many runners are nearing the end of their marathon training about now and they simply daren’t go to an off road race for fear of getting injured. However, although muddy in places, this course was pretty gentle. No killer hills, just a few inclines (although I do confess I walked up one slope through a wooded section because it was muddy, slippy and I was knackered). The shorter distance was in no way treated as a lesser race than the full 10 miles, and the great organisation and friendly marshalls would make it a perfect introduction to running and racing off-tarmac. There. Rant over. Might just go and polish my medal again.
