The Pendle Family Running Festival 1/2 Marathon! I was very excited for today's race, having spent much of a misspent childhood paddling around Pendle in wellies. I have never to this day climbed Pendle Hill in good weather, and so had packed copious amounts of waterproofs, and an umbrella, which will be wholly useless whilst running, but makes me feel prepared, and therefore in control of things.
This is a new running event (all sorts of events going on over the weekend), and I have to say, it was top notch. The only tiny wee complaint I have is that the route wasn't hilly enough. Only kidding! Here we all are at the start (pretending like we're already half way there, and that there are no hills coming up - happy times):
At the start line I got talking to a man who was doing the 10 km race. He asked about my challenge, so I told him about it, and he kindly asked after and passed on his best wishes to my Aunty. He told me that his Dad had been through chemo, so understood how tough it was. Sadly, his Dad passed away, which I was saddened to hear of. But I was struck by is attitude, he described it as jolting him into action, and he realised that life should be lived in the moment, and not put off until tomorrow. And so, as part of this, he took up running recently, and now is a member of a running club and running races. Good for him! I am always in awe of people who can manage to turn a negative situation into something positive. We exchanged good luck as the start whistle blew (Lord knows, I'll need it), and his story really helped me during the tough moments in the race (of which, as we will see, there were many).
I am not great at half marathons. I find the distance very stressful. It's short enough to feel like you should put some good leg work in, but I always forget that it's also long enough to regret being over enthusiastic with this at the beginning, as there are plenty more miles to feel your mistakes. This race also seemed very competitive, which sent me into meltdown. I am competitive (deep down inside) and I quite like this, so long as other people aren't competitive with me. Totally can't deal with that. People kept shouting at me "you're 5th/ 4th/ 6th". Arrrrggghhh, can't deal with this! Then remembered I am supposed to live in the moment, and tried not to think of my position, and think of all the other good stuff going on.
So, did I say this race was hilly? I believe I may have mentioned it. The notorious Stang Top Road is widely advertised in the race info as being a killer (and the half marathon route gets to do it twice - lucky, or what!). I affectionately re-named this as Sting T*?@ Road by my second lap. Here is a picture of me (taken by my Mum and Dad, who had thoughtfully taken up photo taking duty right in the middle of this devil of a hill) trying to smile, at the same time as trying to breath, not throw up, and not stop, and so the expression wasn't wholly successful.
I potentially should have researched the rest of the route in slightly more detail than I did, then I would have noticed that in fact the rest of the route was pretty much exactly the same. We won't go into what I named the rest of the hills.
After a little while I started to stare at the clouds, and noticed that one was shaped like an angel, and thought that my guardian angel (who I've never met, but oh, I do hope I have one) had come to help out. This was quickly chased off by a new cloud in the shape of the devil, sat atop a hill. Sigh. And then I saw Pendle Hill, and I swear that a soon as I saw it, it started to rain. I sure am glad I brought my umbrella. And left it in the car.
Once I turned away from the path going up Pendle, the rain stopped and the sun came out, and I have to admit, the hills were more than worth it for the views. It is beautiful here. Really, I felt that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else this morning other than running these hills. I felt a bit sad though (quite melancholy today) about the Pendle Witches, which is just a horrible story really, when you think of it.
I made it to the end, 5th lady and 1 hour 54 minutes. Hurrah!
Stats
Total days: 78 days
Total miles: 809 miles
We really enjoyed watching this race. Very glad we didn't have to run up those hills, don't know how you did it! It was hard enough just walking up it once!! The comments of most of the runners who passed us on the way up were most explicit in their views about the steepness of the Hill!!
ReplyDeleteOur next challenge Amy is to get to the top of Pendle on a sunny day and eat a picnic admiring the view. I've never managed it yet but we can dream can't we?!
Mum xx