Day 25 - The Flood

Well today I did do the five mile plod around town, only it was nearer six after diversions to go and look at the river in full spate (when does that become in flood?) and a diversion because Birdcage Walk was impassable because of two flooded sections. OK, passable, but only with waders on.

Anyway, the river is very high. Below is what the Wharfe looks like in a typical wet November, and we thought that was high! Tonight the drop over the weir was no more than 6 inches and the flooding across the valley is pretty extensive.

Anyway, made for an interesting diversion, rest of the run was good and another 6 miles notched up.

125 miles now on the challenge, 25 days in and 340 days to go.

Day 24 - wet, wet, wet

Schedule said five miles, which would usually be a plod around town. I didn't really fancy that in the pouring rain and, when you are running everyday, you really do want to enjoy it.

So, instead, I headed off into the forest up the hill on a six mile loop, in the rain, in the floods, in the mud and.... in the dark!! It was misty by the time I got to the top of the hill and later than I realised so once into the trees visibility was pretty poor. Still, it added to the sense of adventure and needless to say I didn't see a single person out on my run!

119 miles now complete. 341 days to go.

Day 23 - deer and parakeets

Yesterday, Sunday 23 Sept was Day 23 on the challenge.

Busy weekend in London (Harry Potter studio tour on Saturday, Thomas Heatherwick at the V&A Sunday afternoon, nieces performing at the Royal Albert Hall Sunday evening) so did my run Sunday morning from our friends house in Teddington.

They live just over a mile form Bushy Park, so ran there in the drizzling rain (it got much, much worse later on in the day....) and then ran the Bushy parkrun course. This was my first 'freedom' run and I completed in 23 minutes.

Really enjoyed Sudnay's run, I think a combination of it being pancake flat (when you live on a 1 in 8 hill thats a treat!) and just running somewhere new surrounded by screeching flocks of parakeets, deer grazing beneath the spreading oak trees and dozens of London runners who just don't smile or say hello!

5.3 miles in all taking the tally to 113.

342 days to go.

Day 22 - a slow parkrun

No Emma to run with today (laid up with cold), so a chance I thought to get in a fast parkrun. Wrong! Weeks of slower running have clearly done me for speed, so struggled round in 19:52, way off the 19 minutes I'd targeted. Still, plan is to work on speed from 1st January as I start my London Marathon training. Until then, too many other long races to get through without worrying about the time.

Lovely day for running, crisp clear air, clear blue skies - autumn is here!

Week four has started, 108 miles clocked, 343 days to go.

Day 21 - the best view in the world

Three miles today to round off three weeks of the 365 challenge. Ran down the hill then back up into the Chevin forest and out at Danefield Gate for the best view in the world - looking west up Wharfedale with a pinky orange sky and razor sharp outline to the hills. I love it!

105 miles run, 344 days to go.

Day 20 - 100 miles and racing with the Brownlees

Couldn’t resist putting in a few extra miles today to take the tally passed 100. Now at 102 miles with just 345 days to go.

Good run today too. Up Leeds Road to Bramhope, up passed the Fox and Hounds (well known cricketers haunt), into Bramhope village and back along the Leeds/Otley Road.

Big plus was seeing the Bronwlee brothers out with the cyclists. As I turned for home three cyclists were coming towards me smiling, moving very fast and unmistakably Jonathan and Alistair. About three minutes later the ‘peloton’ appeared, going at full tilt but clearly dropped on the hill out of Otley.

Nice though that was, my sporting hero of the week has to be Mr Kev Madd. Kev is also doing the 365 challenge, and posted a beautiful story yesterday about his run and his son Jake who would have been six yesterday. Thank you for sharing your story Kev. Our thoughts are with you, keep strong and together we can all complete this mad challenge.

Day 20 - 100 miles in and racing with the Brownlees

Couldn't resist running a few extra miles today and taking the tally past 100, feels good with week three ending tomorrow.

Not only that, but ended with a close encounter with the Brownlee brothers. My run took me into Bramhope (where Alistair and Jonathan live) and, as I turned for home, three cyclist came towards me. They were relaxed, smiling, going very fast and where unmistakeably the Brownlee brothers. Big smiles, feeling good, in touching distance of Olympic champions. Woohoo!!

About three minutes later I was passed by a flying pelaton, presumably dropped by Mr A& B Brownlee on the climb out of Otley.

So, 102 miles completed. 345 days to go.

And, I just want to add that, although the encounter with the Brownlees was 'awesome', it doesn't compare to sporting hero of the week, Mr Kev Madd. Kev is also doing the 365 challenge and posted a beautiful story about his day remembering his son Jake, who would have been 6 on 19 September. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Kev, and keep strong. You clearly had a very special moment with Jake that day. An inspiring story for us all and we are with you all the way on this mad journey.

Day 19 - two miles in the sun

Just two today squeezed in between getting home from work (half day) and setting off to Bridlington hoping to see the XX.

Oddly, today's run felt really sluggish, almost hard, maybe its the psychology, 2 'should' be easy, so it always ends up feeling longer than that.....

Anyway, 94.5 miles done, 346 days to go.

Day 18 - 5 easy, ended briskly

Brrrr...a bit cooler today, but nice clear skies and the setting sun.

Set out for 5 easy miles around Otley and really felt good today. Then about 2 miles from home fell in behind another runner who seemed to be going the same pace (maybe a bit quicker) and we kept a steady 5 or so metres between us.

Ended up following the unknown runner down Bradford Road, up West Chevin Road, along Bird Cage Walk and then just as I thought I'd get a chance for a race up East Chevin Road (our little 1 in 8 hill), he peeled off down towards Gay Lane.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, I was following my usual route and not suddenly turning into a stalker! Still, definitley upped the pace and felt good for it.

Right, first 100 miles approaching as we are now up to 92.5 miles and 347 days to go.

Slight change of plan tomorrow. Off to see The XX in Bridlington with Emma, so will need to try and sneek in a quick 2 miles before we set off. Was supposed to be 7 fartlek.

PS Brownlee update. Just one today, again cycling onto Leeds, this time with an older bloke riding alongside. Think it was the Jonathan.

Day 17 - three miles with team Tranter

My schedule said 5 miles, but as I was invited to run with Pamela and Emma (full team compliment!), how could I say no?

So, an easy 3 miles into Otley and back, again dodging the rain. Nice.

87.5 miles now and only 348 days to go....

Day 16 - 7 miles easy

Lovely breezy day today, spent most of it in the garden before being driven inside by torrential rain. Sat watching the storm lash the windows of the office (small bedroom!) while I did some filing fully expecting to get soaked on my run. But the rain eased, the sun even tried to appear from behind the dark clouds and 7 miles out to Pool, up Pool Bank and back down Leeds Road were completed almost dry.

84.5 miles run so far on the 365 challenge. 349 more days to go,

Day Fifteen - parkrun and another PB

Lovely bright, blustery morning today for parkrun. Emma again decided to target her PB (26 minutes dead last week) so we set off with 25:55 in mind, 5.11 km pace.

First km was good at 5:18 (its always a bit congested at the start) then km 2 in 5:02 to get us back on track. Then breathing/niggles took over from pacing, Emma did a few sections of walking, also stuck in a 4:45 minute fourth km and then found a fab sprint finish to clock 25:57. Awesome!

So, thats day 15 complete, 77.5 miles run so far, just 350 days to go......

Day Fourteen - two weeks completed

Bright breezy day today so decided to skip the 2 miles on my schedule (no, not really....) and run 6 hilly ones in the forest instead. Great run, really had a spring in my step which doesn't always happen! So, not a bad recover after Sunday, perhaps running everyday is good for you.......

No gold or bronze winning Olympic triathlon encounters today.

74.4 miles accumulated, 351 days to go.

Day Thirteen - out with the Brownlees

OK, just to be clear, there was only one of them (it was Jonathan Brownlee, Olympic triathlon bronze medalist) and I was in the car, not running, but driving home from work. Just before Adel I was joined by Jonnie Brownlee who was cycling alongside me, framed by the passenger door window. He was out with the local cyclists who gather en mass on a Thursday night near Lawnswood before heading out into the countryside. We 'rode' together for about half mile. How cool is that?!!

As for the run, a very enjoyable 3 miles up into the Chevin Forest and back down. Hilly, but nice to get off-road and get some suppleness back into my Cascadias after Sunday's hose down post the Yorkshireman.

68.4 miles run, 352 days to go

Day Twelve

5 miles easy today. Home from Newcastle in time to run in daylight. Cooler today but still t-shirt weather.

65.4 miles to date, 353 days to go.

Day Eleven - 11 September 2012

Well of course it was a late run! I don't do mornings.

But instead of a 2 mile chore, it became a 3 mile pleasure.

Got home from work for a ten minute turn around before going out to my school meeting to find a note at home saying Emma would run with me later. Later turned out to be about 9.45 and Emma announced we were doing 3 miles as that was on her schedule. She's decided to run the Dalby Dash 10k in November so has found an 8 week 10k plan, added in a week, and off we went.

So, like many of the other 365 challengers, I found my self out enjoying a run that wouldn't normally have taken place. Thank you Mr Like!

60.4 miles in and only 354 days to go........

Day Ten

Usually this would be a rest day, and I really need a rest, still exhausted after yesterday's run in the sun. But, no point in giving up now, so mapped a 2 mile run on MapMyRun and went out and did it.

255 days to go. 57.4 miles in.

Tomorrow's dilemma. Run early, like really early. Or run late and that will mean going out about 9.30/10 pm......

Day Nine - Yorkshireman Off-road Marathon

Second time running this race and today was much harder! The race starts at Howarth and tours the local moors, about 3,000ft of ascent in all I think, including the first 1,000 straight from the start, then last 1,000 the climb to the finish (at least that's what it felt like).

Lovely sunny day, fantastic views and with a constant breeze on the tops didn't feel too hot. However, I definitely suffered in the heat, the last two hours feeling really drained and I could taste the salt I was losing on my face and see it on the sleeves of my compression top.

Still, completed in 4 hrs 46 mins 24 secs and at the time of finishing was 37th out of 250 entries. So NBNB.

That was marathon number 25 and my 55th race of 26.2 miles or longer.

Day nine complete. 256 days to go. 55.4 miles accumulated.

Not sure what running I'll do this week, I need to write a new schedule which will take in the Royal Parks Ultra, Coventry Half Marathon and the Brecons Ultra.

Royal Parks Ultra - 7 October 2012

On Sunday 7 October I will be running in the inaugural Royal Parks Ultra, a 50 km (31 mile) race from Hyde Park in central London to Bushy Park in the south west.

The race is being run to help raise funds for SCOPE - the disability charity that helps to improve daily lives for people living with disabilities - and the Royal Parks Foundation -who manage London's suite of Royal Parks, the real green lungs of the city and home to so much Olympic success this summer. Bushy Park, at the end of the race, is also the home of parkrun.

Please help me to help people with disabilities and help to maintain these fabulous green spaces by sponsoring me HERE.

Thank you!

Day Eight

parkrun this morning with daughter Emma. She was happy for me to run my own race, but when I pointed out it was PB weekend (for every 5 seconds accumulatively 'smashed', Adidas are donating 2 pence to their partner charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Month - doesn't sound alot, but there are thousands of parkrunners out there every Saturday!) she decided to go for another record run.

Target was 26:55, five seconds inside current PB so we set out aiming for 5:23 per km and went through km one in 5:29. Emma responded to this by racing up the 'hill' and clocking 5 mins for km 2. Unfortunately I messed up the splits on my watch (I pressed the wrong buttons...) so we were now winging it a bit re actual time but we think Emam ran @ 5 mins per km for 3 and 4 as well and 5:20 for km 5 (we had to do a bit of walking as she felt sick!).

Anyway, we crossed the line in 26 minutes dead, a whole 60 second improvement on her PB. Cool!

So that was day eight. 357 days to go. 29.2 miles completed.