Run Mummy Run Challenge 2019 the results #RMRChallenge #FitB4Fifty

Way back in January I made my RMR challenge pledge with Run Mummy Run so it is time to see how I have done on my 3 pledges:

1) Run all 10 Cumbrian parkruns

This one started off so well with the New Year's Day Double at Barrow and Millom. I then combined my son's cross country with Penrith and visiting a relative in hospital with Ford (Ulverston). So i was looking good in January with 4/10 of complete.

I then had a couple of trips back to my home parkrun at Fell Foot. There was then a break due to other commitments and races and it wasn't until my son had a race at Threkeld that I managed to run Keswick parkrun.

It wasn't until the school holidays that I made it to Carlisle parkrun by combining it with our drive to Scotland. We then sneaked a cheeky Scottish parkrun in on our way home at Victoria park, Glasgow. My 9th different parkrun was not in Cumbria either as I ran at Dinton Pastures outside Reading whilst visiting friends.

My next Cumbrian parkrun (8/10) was Whinlatter in September, one of the hardest in the UK, which was stunning but tough. This left me with the two that are the hardest to get to due to the geography of Cumbria. I have decided that these have to wait for warmer weather and we can camp over the night before.

So to make up for it I ran 3 other parkruns which are either closer or near where we were visiting over the last 2 weeks: Tring, Morecambe Prom and Lancaster! That gave me a total of 13 different parkruns this year. In fact the only one on this image I didn't do this year us Lanhydrock:

2) Complete the Lakeland Trails 10 km series: Cartmel, Hawkshead, Helvellyn and Ullswater

Manchester Half Marathon #McrHalf

I was up far too early on Sunday morning (5AM!) to get to Manchester in plenty of time for the half marathon. However I was boosted by knowing that I was running for YoungMinds. It was still dark when we had walked to the start area near Old Trafford:

With my family, I joined plenty of other runners in the local Costa for one last drink before the race. At this point my race nerves kicked in so I headed to my start pen way ahead of time! This gave me a chance to chat to other runners and even share a mutual birthday hug with another participant, We were all well covered up due to the classic Manchester weather:

The event started in waves, so being in Pen F we had over half an hour to wait before it was our turn to set off round the streets of Manchester. The first few kilometres were a loop towards the city centre and then back again to the start area - and my first glimpse of my family. Despite doing my best to go off too fast I soon realised I was far too close to the 2:15 pacer and managed to ease off a bit as we headed down the A56 towards Sale:

Love Barrow 10k Race

So as the final push for my Manchester half training I took part in the inaugural Love Barrow 10k road race. Before our race there was a mental health mile for all ages an abilities:

Then it was time for those of us mad enough to run 10k to warm up and line up at the start. Some guys from Barrow Amateur Boxing Club decided we needed a team selfie before we ran out through the shopping centre and out towards the park:

We then undertook a zig zag course with plenty of undulations through the park:

YoungMinds fighting for young people's mental health

I have decided that I need to let a charity benefit from my bonkers birthday idea of running the Manchester Half Marathon. I asked my children who I should support and my daughter immediately suggested YoungMinds:

As a family we know from personal experience what an impact mental health issues can have on young people and their families. We also know that the NHS does not have enough funding for its Child Adolescent Mental Health Services which means young people do not receive the help and support they need to get through tough times.

There I have set up a Just Giving page for the half marathon in aid of YoungMinds. My daughter and I also created birthday fundraisers on Facebook (her birthday is the day after mine!) and so far have raised £79 for the charity. 

Run Mummy Run Challenge 2019 #RMRChallenge #FitB4Fifty

In 2018 my running dropped off due a combination of factors:

• Plantar Fasciitis which needed insoles to improve so I could get running again
• The heatwave... I really don't like temperatures above 25 C so running was definitely off the cards!
• Work - it was great getting an almost full time temporary contract but fitting in running has been hard!
• No challenges - I had only signed up for one race (which I missed due to a holiday!) so had no incentive to get out the door...

My son challenged me to run every day in December to get me back on track. It was interesting some days to squeeze a mile in every day and some times I had to do a long run to make up for having to miss a day. In the end I ran over 36 miles in 31 days which was my best month of the year:

So I have decided that I need a challenge to do better in 2019, to this end I committed to the Run Mummy Run Challenge for 2019. This allows us to choose our own targets for the year which we had to share online:

So to see those in a more legible form: