Flasks, first & football

After running four out of five days last week, two club runs and two races, I was really looking forward to the long Bank Holiday weekend. I even gave parkrun a miss! The YVAA race at Bingley on Tuesday had been a particularly tough one but was made so much better with the pie and peas in the club house afterwards.  So tough was it that we had to go looking for a friend from another club who we normally stick around and cheer in. It was nearly 9pm by the time we got back over to discover whether there was indeed, anything left.  To my delight there was! It also meant we didn't have to rush home and start rummaging around for something quick to pacify our hunger at going on for10pm as we had done the previous week following the YVAA Kirkstall race. The Apperley Bridge Canter on Thursday was much more enjoyable, and although quite a lot off road and a little muddy in places after the afternoon's rain, about half way it turns into a pleasant downhill to the canal and then flat all the way back to race HQ before battling it out around the school field to the finish. I felt exhilarated afterwards and although I still class myself as a plodder I was elated to take nearly 3 minutes off last year's time (thanks to club mate Lindsey for pacing me from half way) and being rewarded with a 'cup come flask' embellished with the race name on was the icing on the cake.  I'm easily pleased and love it when race organisers step outside the box and provide something a little different to a tee shirt as a memento.

Talking of tee shirts I decided to spend some of the Bank Holiday de-cluttering parts of our house - I wouldn't say I'm a hoarder - more of a sentimentalist! Hanging onto personal possessions belonging to my late mother who passed away 12 years ago has been something I've tried to deal with on several occasions and failed miserably.  This time was going to be different I told myself and after a few tears I managed to part with quite a lot of things I really needed to let go of.  Unrelated to my mother's things though I also made a decision to recycle a lot of my running tee shirts, another difficult task as we quite often look at them and relive the race we earned them from, some have happy memories, some we are far more willing to forget.  Anyway all in all I parted with over forty of them! I now have a much more light and airy bedroom - not yet totally clutter free but it's getting there. Like many things in life I've taken the first steps and so I will continue.  I recount the story of joining Eccleshill many times - how I visited the club's website  many times, even completing the 'contact' form on more than one occasion but never actually having the guts to press 'send'.  Not until I spotted an advert in my local paper for a new family group did I encourage my youngest son Marc to accompany me and we made the first tentative steps to joining a running club and we haven't looked back, that was nearly 5 years ago, Marc was just 12 and is now 'coming of age' and stepping up to his first half marathon this year. After years of taking part in the Junior Great North run he's going to be standing on the start line of the worlds biggest mass participation half marathon on 16th September - a day he'll never forget I'm sure!

My first ever 'First'

This week culminated in a member meeting taking the place of our usual Friday club run.  Giving members a chance to air their views on training issues, how the club is run etc and the all important  presentation of the 2011/12 Winter championship trophies. At last I've got my hands on the First place trophy!

Alas, it's another busy week ahead with the next race in the YVAA series on Tuesday at Pudsey and the Otley 10 mile on Wednesday I'm looking forward to another couple of tough challenges! Before all that though we have some cross training in the form of a football match tomorrow. Marc has played his last season with the team he's played for for a number of years, Undercliffe Celtic, so this year will be our last annual Lads v Dad's match and Ladies match.  The dad's have yet to beat the lads but maybe this will be their year, who knows?! Us Mum's provide the entertainment as we run around the pitch like headless chickens without the slightest clue about 'corners', 'free kicks' or 'throw ins'!! It's all in good fun!