Yorkshire Warrior training and shocks

It's been over 2 weeks since the Shepley First School Fun Run and I've only managed 2 runs in training for the Yorkshire Warrior on the 20th April. That's not say its been quiet in the Pattison house, it hasn't.

Almost as soon as the Fun Run was over the snow came and brought most of Shepley and England to a stand still. Then Sarah-Jane developed a cough and was off school which turned out to be whooping cough as well. We have a few family members going through different stages of Cancer, some doing well and some not. Both boys have had little illnesses, sickness and small case of chicken pox. But there has been a bit of a shock that has kept our spirits high and that is that we are expecting our 3rd baby due on the 21st of September. We had our 12 week scan today to date and check measurements, and we were at 16 weeks not 12 so a lot further on than first thought. Baby is healthy and all looks well so that's the most important thing, I was just glad it wasn't twins!

This week I had managed to get back to my Yorkshire Warrior training, with a couple of quick 5k runs. My plan is to keep my speed up as well as my fitness, as we will only be running in between obstacles and then I'm sure there will be queues at each obstacles so will be able to rest while waiting. I know I can run the full distance but I haven't trained for the obstacles. So this week I have done some extra strength workouts in between my runs, to keep my muscles going and to give me a prayer of finishing the Yorkshire Warrior. I've never been any good at press ups and this week proved it with a couple of Faceplants after very few press ups. I'm determined to get better at them and also to try to regain the six pack I had when I was 14, by doing sit ups, burpees, etc.

With the clocks going forward last weekend it is again safe to run round the Knowle and up to the station again in the evening. The lack of street lights put an end to runs round the Knowle etc. but now the sun is still up when I run I can go back to the ups and downs that I started on back in June last year. The extra daylight also means that as soon as the last bits of snow have melted Rob and I can get back to our Thursday evening 9 holes of golf.

An update on our Fund raising from the Shepley First School Fun Run and we are looking at reaching £1300 when all sponsors are in, which is brilliant and better than we expected. So a big thanks again to all those who took part, helped out and sponsored us.

Keep running everyone

Shepley First School Fun Run

Finally the day of the Fun Run arrived and after quick breakfast I was itching to get up there and set it up. Dexter was also very excited to help set up, so Dexter and I went up with signs piled up on Dexters lap. We were up at the Windmill nursery and Coffee shop at 8.30 and to no surprise the gates were shut. It wasn't necessary that the gates were open so we headed off on the route with my running app going. This was to let us know what distance we were at, so we could place the distance markers in the right place. In certain places I had signs to warn drivers and other traffic that there was a fun run taking place. When we arrived at the 4km mark I had some arrows to show runners the way as this was the first big turning on the route. This was also the place where Dean our first Marshal will be for added safety and help. Then a bit further along the route was a smaller and easier turning to miss, so this is where Katherine was our second Marshal. From this point on it was just signs to show the route as it was fairly obvious which way we would have to go. At 7km we had a water station which being managed by my mum, this was also the turning point for the 5k runners who were running the opposite way round to the 10k runners. Dexter and I arrived back at the coffee shop just after 9am so I decide to take him home and get changed before coming back up to finish off setting things up. As we pulled in at home my Dad and Janice had arrived to help and not long later my sister Jodie and her son Liam turned up. So I left them all catching up and set off back up to the start to carry on with setting up. I reached the start at 9.50 and people were already turning up so I had to quickly park up and get sign up sheets out followed by their numbers. As my Marshals and family turned up things got sorted a lot quicker, so I could start getting ready for the run myself. I sent Dean and Katherine off to there spots and my mum to her water station and as everyone turned up it was clear that it was going to be a good morning.

There were a few runners that couldn't be there for various reasons like injuries/illness and other commitments, but the silliest reason had to be my failure to ring Luke at 9.00am to wake him up. He had been out on the lash with other friends the night before (his fault) but I had known about this and agreed to ring him to make sure he got up in time. I had only remembered this promise at 10.20am ten minutes before the start of the run. The atmosphere was building at this point and with everyone doing their warm ups and getting good luck hugs from family it was clearly time to get everyone to the start.

 The time came to start the run so we all went out onto the road where the start line was and we gathered facing the correct direction for the distances we were running. We had also a couple of late changes which meant we had 3 people doing the 10k on bikes. After a last bit of route info from me, Sarah-Jane gave the 5 second countdown 5.4.3.2.1 and we were off.

We set off down the hill towards the first corner and the first killer of a hill up to the viewing point. At the top we turned left onto the 2.5km steady downhill, this meant my split times were great in the mid 4mins. From 3km to 5km is a steady uphill which drained the stamina of most of the runners and possibly even a couple of the bikers. 5-7km is a nice stretch of little ups and downs to keep you on your toes, but it was here when my knee started to feel a little sore. My times were still not too bad in the mid 5mins but I ruined that by stopping at the water station to talk to my mum. I told her off a little which was a bit of a role reversal, as she was in the wrong place. She was, as well as a water station the turn around point for the 5km runners, and as she was in the wrong place the 5km run turned into a 6km run. There was only 2, 5km runners in the end and as I found out later they didn't mind too much. I got going again and the little rest actually helped my sore knee and I felt good and was ready to tackle the final hill. It's not a very big hill but its about 1km long and then when you finally reach the top and turn a slight corner you can see how long you've got left to go. There is about 1.5km till the finish and its lined by 100ft tall windmills and its mainly downhill until the finish. It's a great finish straight or at least I think so, even if after 9km I landed funny on my left and my knee gave in. I managed to run another 100m before I had to walk, then as I got closer to the finish I could hear people cheering runners across the line. This gave me a boost and I pushed through the initial pain and was running again. As I got to the finish everyone cheered me across the line which was a great feeling and a very nice finish to a great run bad knee and all. As you crossed the line there was Dexter Liam, Clark and Phoebe handing out the bottles of water wrapped in a T-Shirt and medal for taking part.

 

 The Kids loved being involved and some of the other kids were running the last 10m-20m in with the runners. I was about 15th of the 31 people doing the 10k or at least I think I was, we should have taken note of who came where just for personal reference, as its a fun run not a race. A few of us kept our own times because we like to know what we've done but it would be another thing we could do for next time for everyone.

A few people had other things to do and got off soon after finishing the run which is understandable the rest of us stayed to welcome everyone across the finish line. The last of which was Rachael Briody but she new she would be as her training hadn't gone to plan and was almost considering doing the 5km. She got a big cheer as she crossed the line and was clearly pleased with herself and so she should be. Now all the runners had finished we had a photo to commemorate the day as some people had left they missed out on the photo.

 I gave Dean and Katherine a T-Shirt and medal for helping out before they left and I also thanked the Windmill Nursery and coffee shop for letting us use their car park and facilities. Everyone was happy with the Fun Run and I got lots of thanks for a well organising event, which was nice and finished off a great day. We were all done and on our way home by 11.50am, but 1 thing occurred to me as I was packing up. Where were the St John Ambulance first aiders we had organised, I asked Sarah-Jane if she had seen anyone but nothing. It was a good job no one was in need of first aid and I hope I don't have to pay for them still. The day went well no one was hurt and everyone had a great time so it was a success and will hopefully be the first of many. The attention now goes to the sponsor money and how much we've raised for the school. Early indication is that this is going to raise a lot of money and it will surprise some people how much.

A big thanks has to go to Shepley Spring for supplying the water and the T-Shirts as they made the Fun Run a little more special

I will update this post with more photos if/when people send me some of theirs that they took on the day, but until then keep running everyone.

Saturday morning run in my new shoes

It had been over a week since my last run and my PB run of 10 miles. It snowed again on our usual run day (Monday) do we didn't get out and then we were pretty busy Tuesday and Wednesday. Rob and I would have normally gone out on Thursday but Rob was working away and for once I could be bothered. We had planned to run and it would have been quite funny to have run together on valentines day and leave our other halves at home. It didn't happen so the next time we had planned for a run was Saturday and the Fun Run 10k route.

Friday came and so did a taste of spring the sun was out and the temperature was almost mild. Clark and I went to pick Dexter up from school and met Sarah-Jane there, and from there we went to Meadowhall to buy me some new running shoes. After a good 20 mins looking at the same 20 pairs of shoes I choose 3 that I liked, all Brooks (who I'd never heard of before). After trying them on I went with the Brooks Ghost GTX as the felt like slippers on my feet. I was now looking forward to the run in the morning even more. When we got back home I wore my new shoes for an hour or 2 to try and break them in a bit and to get my feet used to them and because I'm 12 years old still.

Saturday came and Rob came to pick me up and we drove to Windmill Nursery cafe which is the new start to the Shepley First School Fun Run. This would be the first time Rob would run the 10k route and it would also be his first 10k this year. We started well keeping a low 5 min pace and within no time had passed 3km, this is the first point on the route where i plan to have a water station for the Fun Run. It is also the start of the 1km uphill that drains your energy quite a bit, not too much so you wanna give in but enough so that when it does level out you slow for a minute to get your breath back. It was just round the corner when we hit 5km and my new lovely shoes started to cause me some pain. OH NO. It was slightly rubbing on the arch of my left foot, I could still run on it so carried on but I had to stop 1km later. I tried to adjust my foot in my shoe and tied my laces tighter to see if it helped. I got a couple of hundred metres further on and had to stop again it was too tight, so I loosened my laces again and just had to put up with it. We reached the location of the second water station or at least where it will be in 4 weeks time. It is at the 7.5km mark and also the halfway point of the 5km Route. It was a lovely day and the views around us were fantastic which made the last climb a bit more bearable, at 8km Rob started to tail off a bit and at 8.5km had to stop. Rob had developed a blister on the ball of his right foot and his legs were a bit tired so we walked for a little bit. I didn't mind too much as we had stopped just under the windmills and I think the noise they produce and the scale of them are amazing. We got going again and finished the run in 56 mins which considering we stopped 3 times wasn't bad at all. After a little breather Rob drove me to stables and dropped me off with Sarah-Jane and the boys. It wasn't until I got home that I could assess the damage to my foot and it was a quite impressive blister. It was about an inch wide and about an inch and a half long, it's a good job the shoes come with a 30 day guarantee. I will try and run in them again on Monday to see if it was just because they were new but if it still cause some pain it's back to Meadowhall for them.

It is now 1 week until the Huddersfield 10k , 4 weeks until the Shepley First School Fun Run and 10 weeks till the big one the Yorkshire Warrior.

Keep running everyone.

Plan B route and icy conditions

It's Saturday morning and what to do, I know lets go for a run. I had organised to drop the boys off with Grandma at 9.15am but the boys decided that today would be the day they slept in. Dexter came in to wake us at 9.05am and Clark was still asleep and I had to wake HIM up for a change. I'm not complaining about this at all it was a pleasant change and as I write this I can still feel the benefits. This meant that I didn't get to my mums with the boys till 10.45am and then didn't meet up with Sarah-Jane till 11.20am at stables.

We were finally ready to run, testing the Plan B route for the Shepley First School Fun Run. It was pretty chilly up on the tops and with the added wind chill I had to wear jogging bottoms and my hoody. We set off down the road towards Broadstone Rd to join up with the Plan B route and it was at this point that I had a Rocky moment. I was running down the road in my jogging bottoms and my hoody with the hood up in the cold, boxing the air and running with Sarah-Jane and her horse FeeBee. Hold on a minute go back a bit, HORSE that's not Rocky, that's when the Rocky moment finished. It was replaced with a very surreal moment I was running with a horse and FeeBee was running with me, side by side. We turned onto Broadstone Rd and headed south on the Plan B route, we were running at a steady late 5 minute pace and I was happy with that considering the conditions. As we progressed it came apparent that FeeBee was actually running with me and I mean at my pace, she could have gone faster but decided to stay with me. This became more interesting when Sarah had to hold her back because we were on a downhill, I could carry on at my own pace. By the time Sarah-Jane and FeeBee were at the bottom of the downhill I had pulled away from them a bit and as the road levelled out again and started to rise again they could speed up again. This is where FeeBee really showed that she was running with me, she started trotting faster and was catching me quite quickly. Then instead of trotting past me she drew level with me and slowed to keep pace with me, Sarah-Jane wasn't making her slow at all.
As we hit 3km we also hit the turn at the most southern part of the run, here there is a short but steep downhill and then quite quickly again we were on our way back northwards and uphill again. This part of the route is almost completely lined with windmills, and FeeBee did well not to shy away from them as they were surprisingly noisy in the wind. We were still on uphills and it wasn't until we hit 5 k that they levelled out a bit and at 5.5k they completely level out. The first downhill in a while came at 6k and was a welcomed feeling as i could catch my breath, which as quickly as I caught i lost it again. I was on auto-pilot and admiring the windmills as FeeBee pulled up along side me and snorted the loudest snort you've ever heard and made me jump out of my skin. We had a little giggle then we hit another downhill so I pulled away again, until we rejoined at the junction of Browns edge Rd. This is also where the Plan B 10k route meets back up with the Plan B 5k route from here the 2 routes are the same as they turn up Upper Maythorne lane and past the Pig Farm. This part of the route today was very icy and at 1 point Sarah had to get off FeeBee and walk her across it as it was safer than ending up underneath her after a fall. I pulled out a lead again because of that and was soon at the junction onto Windmill lane and the downhill to the finish line, or at least where the finish line would be on the Fun Run. I waited here for Sarah-Jane and FeeBee to catch up so we could run the last stretch back to stables together, when they arrived we set off back down Broadstone Rd towards stables and FeeBee was again running by my side. We hit a downhill again so once again I pulled away from them and was only a couple of hundred metres away from the gate to stables when I heard FeeBee almost cantering to catch up with me and then slowed as she reached me. We arrived at the gate and I opened it and FeeBee ran up the track back to stables leaving me behind, I think she wanted to win the race. As we reached stables I stopped my Endomondo App and we had run just under 11.25km in 1hr05mins and considering the conditions I was very pleased. Sarah-Jane was happy too as FeeBee had done really well and they don't get out on rides much in winter.

I was very happy with the Plan B route it was a great challenge it was a tough first 5k and a nice steady slightly easier second 5k. The roads were in good condition despite the ice and the views were spectacular at times and the windmills added something else. I think I may have to push this route to FOSFS a bit more now and see what they think as the only down side is we won't finish at Cannon Hall Farm. It still would be a shame not finish at Cannon Hall Farm as they have been very helpful whenever I've been in touch, but this new route makes more sense.

As ever I will keep you all informed of any updates

Keep running everyone.

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10k run to Cannon hall Farm harder than expected

All the training, all the sweat, all the excitement, it was now time to just run.

We all met at my house and when I say we I mean Rob, Matty, and me. As well as my wife obviously, my sister Jess, Robs girlfriend Steph, and my dad and Janice and my mum and Peter. Once we had all said our hellos and introduce Steph to everyone she gave Rob, Matty and me a lift up to the Sovereign. It was very foggy and cold so it took us about a minute or two to get moving and for the GPS on my Endomondo app to find us.


All smiling and ready for the run

Matty is a good runner and has done a few marathons before so this was gonna be easy for him, but he would have to run at our pace as he had no idea where we were going as he is from Liverpool. But the fog was that bad that even Rob and I had no clue as to where we were going. We started off at a good pace of low 5 minutes per km but as we got further into the run and the more the fog eased the faster our pace got. Our estimated finish time was getting quicker and quicker and a one point dipped under 50 mins. We had passed halfway and were on the main Barnsley rd now, and at this point the road does narrow a bit and the footpath had disappeared. I couldn't help but evaluate the route for the springtime when I hope to get parents from Dexters school to join in and raise funds for the school. This part of the run would be the only bit I would worry about and would need sign warning drivers about runners.
We were steadily moving now and as we reached 7k we arrived at the first of 3 uphills that I was dreading. We climbed the first with ease which gave me a boost and then we hit 8k and had done that past km in 4.39 mins. My boost was short lived as the second uphill came and it drained my cardio and 20 metres from the top I had to walk for about 10-15 seconds. Matty and Rob slowed down and gave me some encouragement to get me going again, it helped and I was going again but I was annoyed that I had walked. I couldn't belive how fast my energy drained on that uphill, up till that point i had felt good and in control of my pace and breathing.  Before we knew it we were on the  downhill that led to the turn off for cannon hall, I could see the sign post. As we passed it I jumped up and gave it a high five, which made Rob laugh.
Just before we came to the car park for Cawthorne Park we passed the 10k mark woo hoo, but we still had the last uphill to tackle. The private Drive upto Cannon Hall Farm which via a tweet or 2 we had been give permission to use. I did feel quite special crossing the boundary but the drive just kept getting steeper and steeper so quite quickly I didn't feel very special at all. I actually had to walk again which really annoyed me but Rob and Matty kept pushing me and as we turned the corner we could see the top which spurred me on to catch up with the boys. We started to come backdown the hill and I could feel my legs going but pushed on to the bottom and as we got there we hit 11km in 56.57 mins a PB distance and time for me and Rob. Matty was pleased with the run too as he hadn't done any for about 6 months and to do 11km on your first run in 6 months is good whatever your used to running. We were all pleased with our run and the time but there was 1 problem, we had run such a quick time that all our friends and family weren't there ready for us. Bless them they had some rope to use as a finish line and whilst at home they had got Dexter to make a gold medal for each of us. So the finish line photos are staged but you can tell and the medal ceremony was rushed, but it was really nice of them to come in the first place.
When we all arrived we stopped at the cafe for a drink and a quick bite to eat before departing off home. Whilst in the cafe we were talking with one of the staff who invited us to join the running club she goes to at Denby Dale, which was really nice. It was a really good morning and all 3 of us are up for it again just not too soon.



 

When we arrived back at our house Sarah-Jane and I had to rush around and get a change of clothes for Clark and go straight back out to a friend of our little boys 3rd Birthday party. So no chance of a shower or drink for me and no rest for SJ it was a busy day but one I won't forget. Cheers everyone for taking part and for coming to see us, hope you do the same in the spring.

Thanks for reading and keep running everyone and if you want to follow me on twitter click here and click follow. Up next on my fitness regime is if my dates are right the yorkshire Vets charity cross country at wentworth castle near Barnsley then another run to cannon hall then finishing up the springtime with the big one the Yorkshire warrior run.