A busy few months!

When I wrote my last blog post we had just entered lockdown - it was all new and scary and everyone was figuring out their own way through.  I naively wrote about staying (getting?) fit to compete in all the races which were rescheduled to take place in September.  Well, today, the last of those has been cancelled.  To be fair, my lockdown has not been one of getting faster and lighter, so there were no PBs on the cards, but it would have been lovely to be able to run in a race again, even if I came last!

So, for me, 2019 was the year of races, and of course the bling.  So what was I to do when all the races were cancelled?

Well, I have been busy!  It turns out that there are loads of fantastic virtual challenges out there and I have replaced my love of (obsession with) races with virtual challenges!  This is what I have been up to so far.

(not)parkrun

Every Saturday at 9am(ish) since parkrun was paused I have completed a 5km run, mostly at our home alternative course at Witley and Milford Commons but I have also done some (not)parkrun tourism at Merrow Downs parkrun.  I highly recommend the cafe at Merrow Downs although the capacity is extremely limited at six socially distanced people.

Waverley Harriers Chain Relay

From 1 April to 28 April we kept a member of the running club running at all times between 6:30am and 8pm.  It got hairy at times but the chain didn't break until 28 April although it was definitely showing a bit of wear and tear for a day or two before that!

Harriers Go To Spain

We all missed the Chain Relay so much that we decided to run to Spain to have a party on the rooftop of the apartment of Alexandra, a member of the club who was stuck in Spain.  We arrived in Spain after 12 days for a Zoom party, then decided to run back again.  The return leg took a lot longer, possibly due to a few detours in the French wine regions!

Virtual Spring 10k

I will be honest, I only entered this to get a medal!  I combined the run with the Fitstuff Scavenger Hunt so it was pretty slow!

Virtual Endure24

One of the races that was cancelled was Endure24, an event I was both looking forward to and dreading in equal measures, a 24 hour team relay with 5 mile laps, described as Glastonbury for Runners. This usually runs from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday meaning runners camp overnight and most get to do a nighttime lap.  The lack of sleep scared me almost as much as the running, but only almost.  This was replaced by a virtual version where I was in a team of twelve with two one hour shifts to do and the luxury of sleeping in my own bed.  It was such good fun that I now cannot wait for the real event next year!

There followed an aimless month or so of just running and walking although a relaxation to lockdown did allow me to meet my friend Jane for a run - funny when you think of all the things we used to do that we just took for granted!

Then I discovered two new challenges:

Operation Bletchley

This 100 mile codebreaking challenge kept me happily occupied throughout July.  I flew to France aboard a Halifax bomber where I parachuted into Nazi occupied France.  My mission was to make it to Paris on foot, decipher codes and deliver a message to Winston Churchill.  I am pleased (relieved) to say that I was able to solve all the codes although some had me scratching my head for a day or two!  Throughout the mission I was prone to quoting from 'Allo 'Allo - how could I not?!

Great North Run Solo

This seemed like a great idea at the time.  The Great North Run had been cancelled but a shiny medal could be earned by just running 40 times in 78 days, how hard could that be?  For me it simply required the addition of one run per week, so instead of running 2-3 times per week I have to run 3-4 times per week.  The problem is that does not allow for niggles or injuries.  As I write I have completed 21 runs and am about 3 runs behind where I should be with less than a month to go.  I guess I had better start stretching and foam rolling a bit more consistently if I am to get through this in one piece!

Now the Great South Run has been cancelled there is also a Great South Run Solo starting on 1 September - this one is 25 runs finishing with a10 mile run on 18 October.  I am trying really hard not to enter this.

Lands End to John O'Groats (LEJOG)

After the end of Operation Bletchley I again felt a lack of purpose so thought I'd tackle the 1,084 miles from Lands End to John O'Groats.  Both running and walking count and I have given myself 40 weeks to complete the challenge. After 15 days I am in St Austell and about a day behind where I should be - I need to pick up the pace!

Zombies, Run!

This is my latest discovery and I am loving it.  I now run whilst being chased by zombies and doing heroic deeds for the people at Abel Township as Runner 5.   Luckily the zombies run quite slowly so sometimes I even outrun them! 

How am I not broken?

This is a mystery to me.  Before lockdown I saw my osteopath every 3 weeks and had a sports massage most weeks and thought that was the only way I could keep doing the running that I wanted to do.  I now run more often than ever before (if a little more slowly) with nobody fixing my niggles!  I really hoping I can keep getting away with it - Scotland is calling!

Over the past few months, I have felt more like a runner than ever before, albeit a slow one. The joy of running and not looking at the clock has been a wonderful thing to discover.  I shall have to make the most of it as, once parkrun returns, there is that PB to chase!