Brislington Runners Group

Now I'm really excited about this. A new running group for women has been set up in Brislington. The ladies who set up Frenchay Runners have now set up Brislington Runners. I went along to their first meet on Saturday. It was a gloriously sunny morning and a number of ladies of all abilities turned up at the Arnos Vale Hotel - the starting point for the runs. There was an option to run a two mile, three mile or four mile run. I opted for the four mile run which took in a number of hills and three parks - Arnos Court Park, Perrets Park and Victoria Park. Many thanks to Liz and Jess for a great start to the day. I will definitely be attending again. Would be good to show them some of the more off-road routes around Bris.

Arnos Vale Community Run 5k

It was a rather damp, dull Bank Holiday Monday morning. But that didn't dampen the spirits of the 50 or more runners who took part in the first ever Arnos Vale Community Run. It was a shame it was so wet though, as I think more spectators would have turned up.

It was a great little route. It wasn't the easiest 5k I've ever done. In fact it was quite challenging, but lots of fun. After a warm-up with John from Yoga for Life, we set off from outside the Anglican Chapel, two laps round the one flat section of the cemetry and then we were directed uphill. There were a number of marshalls helping out, directing us up the rather steep Arnos Vale hill. I think we ran the hill three times over. Runners had to negotiate narrow paths, a good bit of mud and take in the views and beauty of the cemetry. After the run we finished up in the Atrium Cafe for a cuppa and listened to the local choir. Bliss. Well done everyone that took part, especially the team from Puddle Ducks!

There really can't be that many runs organised in a cemetry. One wonders if this is a first for the UK, or even the world! Anyway certainly a run I would like to do again and one to put in the diary for next year. Good for the community too.

PE lessons

Just came across this clip from the BBC regarding girls and sport - PE lessons put girls off sport. I was fortunate. I really liked sport at school but I did prefer the non-team sports like athletics. I dropped out of most sports during my senior school and got back into it again in my late teens with tennis and karate!!

Tribute to Micah True, creator of the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon

Sad news. Searchers have found the body of ultrarunner Micah True, who went missing last week after going on a 12-mile run in southwest New Mexico's Gila National Forest. Micah True, was the creator of the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon and dubbed 'Caballo Blanco' in Christopher McDougall's book Born to Run. Click here for the report.

Arnos Vale Community Run - 7th May

I met up with the team at Arnos Vale Cemetery last week to find out a bit more about the Arnos Vale Community Run being held on the 7th May Bank Holiday Monday. The organisers have mapped out two runs - a 2k and a 5k and are inviting runners of all abilities to come along and have a go. If you haven't been to Arnos Vale before it really is an amazing place to visit. So even if you don't do the run, try to come along and give your support for a great local community event.

I'm planning to do the 2k run with my nine year old daughter Jess. (She doesn't know that yet). The course will be quite challenging for her as it is quite hilly, but there are lots of narrow little paths to explore so it should be lots of fun. A good warm-up before we do the Race for Life together in Bristol in June.

Why would you want to run around a cemetery you may ask? Well, its different, unique, challenging and yes very atmospheric and if you are bored of running on roads this could be just the ticket. Its also a safe haven to bring your kids and an opportunity to do a bit of fund raising. There's also a cafe. So if you feel like watching some crazy runners or taking part maybe see you there.

Thanks Arnos Vale for a great idea.

Back to Arnos Cemetery for a run

As some of you know I like to run around Arnos Vale Cemetery with my running pals. I hadn't done this run for a while but last week I managed to drag out a mate to run around Arnos Court Park before venturing into the Cemetery. I'd had a particularly stressful week so the run was just what was needed. It was a beautiful sunny evening and as we ran further into the grounds of the Cemetery, leaving the noise of the city traffic behind, all my worries seemed to disappear.

A great 10k race on a sunny morning

I ran the Bath Skyline 10k yesterday in the glorious sunshine. I was a little nervous as I haven't run this distance for a while but once the race started it was more about enjoying the run and not falling over. It was an off-road 10k, part of a series of runs organised by Relish Running Races. See the route map below.

There was lots of mud, hills and narrow paths to negotiate and some great views of Bath too. Though I have to admit I didn't enjoy the views so much as I was concentrating on just trying to get round the course. The great thing with a more technical course is that the distance just seems to go by without realising as you are concentrating so much on the twists and turns of the paths and the slippy rocks. I loved this course. Loads of fun. Just my kind of thing. Thanks Susan for joining me.

The organisers mentioned they would be doing a Dyrham Park 10k in the summer and a route around Cheddar Gorge - possibly a half marathon or even a marathon. No doubt lots of Cheddar Gorge climbers could be interested in that challenge.

Scottish Inspiration

It's been a while since I've blogged about my running. Last week was Half Term and we had a fabulous trip to Pitlochry in Scotland. We managed to do some skiing - Scottish skiing has a rather unique feel, biking and a bit of running. Our accommodation The Atholl Palace backed onto some beautiful forests and it was wonderful to just slip on the running shoes and go exploring.

Glenshee Skiing

On my second run early one morning, I was running through the forests when this beautiful deer silently broke through the trees right by me, followed closely by a dog. The dog had obviously spooked the deer and made it run in my direction. I've never been that close to a deer before. As it ran by it just simply glanced at me, as if it was accepting me for who I was, a runner, and then continued past. The dog was teasingly close to the deer, but the deer was smart and was gracefully out maneuvering the stumbling hound. It was such a wonderful sight. A few moments later a rather stressed looking dog owner ran past looking for her dog. Then the forest fell quiet again with just the sound of my shoes running over the soft ground. Just me and my shoes. Sounds rather poetic.