Time flies when you're having fun!

I decided to take a week off from running after suspecting that I was heading for injury. The familiar pain in my right leg returned after Friday run club a couple of weeks ago. I was also due to go and house and horse sit at my sister's house in Otley the following week and all too aware of how I love to run in the Washburn Valley I concluded a rest was a good idea. Following the week's rest I didn't feel there was much, if any, improvement so I decided not to run for a further week and stuck to dog walking twice each day, thank goodness I wasn't expected to walk the horses! How time flies when you're having fun, the week passed really quickly and before I knew it we were packing to return home.

Easing myself back in to my running last Monday I abstained from the planned fartleks at club and just jogged each lap of Peel Park with Annie and Kath. All seemed well. The next test was a Vet's race hosted by Bingley Harriers. Having completed all the races in the series so far I really didn't hesitate in my decision to take part. It turned out to be quite a tough race with a stupendous uphill start but an all round excellent race. The leg held up too. I was now quietly confident then that I would be fine to take part in the Hyde Park Harriers inaugural race - a one miler in Hyde Park in Leeds on Wednesday night.

It's some years since I've done a one mile race, the last one organised by members on the Fetcheveryone website now a distant memory. How I underestimated that one. A race is a race no matter what the distance but a mile race, now that's a different kettle of fish. You have to give it your all from the start and it's not as short as you imagine it to be! However, I completed mine in 7:58, (gasping) which I was quite disappointed with after having had a dry run at club a couple of weeks ago I had done a mile in 7:40. I should really have been pleased with my time having done the race the night before. Nothing's ever straight forward and we runners are never satisfied for very long. I must say though, HPH are to be congratulated on their brilliant race organisation, fab goody bag and topped off with the prize presentations at the pub what more could one want! I took along a birthday cake for ERR's Mick who had turned out to run on his birthday, yummy! Here's hoping they organise it again next year and I'll be making sure I arrive with 'fresh' legs!

Our social Friday run night added up to 5 1/2 miles. Numbers were down at club, no doubt due to the impending Bank Holiday. However that did not stop those of us who did turn up having a lovely run to start the weekend.

I've had a few other issues other than leg pain - athlete's foot being one of them. I know it's very common amongst us runners and I've been plagued by it from time to time. Always on the same foot. I've always used the cream available to buy over the counter and although a long drawn out process it has eventually remedied my problem. However, tired of applying cream two or three times a day I decided to seek out a product I've seen advertised on TV, Lamisil once. Quite expensive at £9, as the name implies it says on the packet, you only apply it once, to both feet regardless of whether they are both affected or not. I am pleased to report that in little over a week all symptoms have disappeared. I will now monitor if and when it recurs, hopefully it won't, at least for an acceptable length of time. So I highly recommend it, for now at least.

The perfect end to last week was Marc and a few other family members' GCSE results. Proud of all of them and after managing a 10 1/2 mile run on Sunday with Dawn and Gill, I'm now focussing on maintaining the mileage as the Great North Run draws nearer. We have now managed to raise a fantastic 89% of our fundraising target for SCOPE and if you can find it in yourself to help us realise our target we will be eternally grateful. Visit our Justgiving page to donate: http://www.justgiving.com/Juliemartin-Steele1

A Smashing PB!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I crossed the finishing line of the Jane Tomlinson 10k, York and checked my watch. I always question what I read on my watch despite never finding that it differs from the official time by more than a few seconds. 52:37 didn't seem possible, so once again I did question the time, more so because I immediately realised that I had smashed my 10k PB (54:04) by almost 2 minutes. So patience is indeed a virtue and good things certainly do come to those who wait! Official time 52:42 Chamone!

Having taken part for the first time, the JT 10k in York comes highly recommended from me, I will almost certainly be back next year, running past the Minster with the bells chiming has to be the highlight of anyone's Sunday morning, very special. Having just finished reading the third of Jane's books, 'How Good Is That, the story of a reluctant heroine' finished by her husband Mike as she passed away before it was finished, she was certainly at the forefront of my mind as I ran around the course. It is amazing to see not only her family supporting the events but the thousands of runners of all abilities turning out to support them too.

So, what now? Goal achieved. I'm now entertaining thoughts of whether I can bring my times down any further, only time (and effort) will tell. I can't attribute it to anything specific - I wish I could, but of course weight loss has to be a contributing factor, now having lost 19 and half pounds I do know that it has had a positive effect, I actually feel better when I am running. I suppose staying power too, I don't often miss a club night and in addition I have been racing a lot too. You can only hope you reap the rewards one day and realistically if I don't improve my PB's any further I know that I have been there and done that, even got the tee shirt!

The excitement is heightening as September draws ever closer, I have entered Marc in his final Bupa Junior Great North Run, he'll be stepping up to the big one next year, our Scope vests have arrived and our fund raising target has reached 74% 'Thank you' to our sponsors so far - can you can help us get a little nearer by visiting our Justgiving page and here's a link http://www.justgiving.com/Juliemartin-Steele1?