Cornish Running

I've been on holiday for a week in Cornwall. Amazing weather, lots of eating and sitting around on beaches trying to shield myself from the North West wind. I also managed to do some running along the beautiful Cornish coastline. The first was a short run from Ayr campsite in St Ives. The views were gorgeous, but the path was something else. I know I rave on about running off road but I just got really frustrated with the rocky terrain and ended up walking or jogging most of the route. I guess I was feeling a little fragile, or should I say lazy. So rather than hurtling down the rough trail at high speed (wishful thinking) I soaked up the atmosphere and breathed in the sea air. Not so great for my running though. I needed something to push me to run harder.

It didn't take long. The next day I spent an hour or so contorting myself into various positions trying on wetsuits with the intention of dragging myself into the April sea. Brrrrrr. I tried on several winter wetsuits in a surf shop in St Ives, run by a number of cool-looking surf dudes. The whole process was all rather embarrassing to say the least because 1) I know nothing about wetsuits, 2) everytime I tried on a wetsuit I had to ask someone to extract me out of it, and 3) I looked like a complete frump. How I imagined I'd appear in a wetsuit was a world apart from how I actually looked. Looking in the mirror was a bit of a shock but it certainly gave me a kick to step up my running!

The next coastal run on the Lizard in Cornwall was inspiring and great running terrain. Hills, breathtaking views and soft grassy slopes. Perfect.

Did I get in the sea you may ask? Well my husband did. My eight year old daughter did. But I just dipped in a toe and that was enough. It was freezing. I like to think that the wetsuit will be a long-term investment. I watched some great body boarding action at Kynance Cove though. Amazing.

Children and running

Running or jogging in childhood could protect against bone problems in later life, according to research carried out in Bristol.

Check out the report in the Bristol Evening Post.

A great run for a great cause

My running buddy's house mate is running the London Marathon on Sunday for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research in memory of her best friend Polly who lost her battle with Leukaemia. Check her fundraising page here.

The Marathon Season

With the London Marathon just a couple of weeks away, when 30,000 runners will be pounding the streets of London, it comes as no surprise that most of us will probably know someone who is training for this big event. People travel from far and wide to take part in this magnificent event. I'm not doing it myself, but I know several people that are and I wish them all the very best. I never forget when my brother ran his first marathon despite being advised not to by his doctors because of his asthma. He went on to complete two London marathons and still runs regularly.

If anyone out there is thinking about running a marathon check out my lowdown of the World's Favourite 10 Marathons at The Running Bug.

Thinking about the London Marathon and the number of people running takes me back to probably my first ever running event back in the 1980's when I ran and walked the famous Sport Aid event in Hyde Park. Little did I know then how much I would enjoy running now in my 40's. Does anyone else remember that amazing event or indeed take part. I wish I could find a photo of it somewhere.