Running the Breeze

This is a post I told myself I wasn't going to write. At my lowest point of lap two I knew this was a moment to park and move on from, to be buried down a deep hole and only looked at from a distance. But then, just over 24 hours on I realised that if I didn't post about the times when it goes wrong then I am just as bad as all the fake polished plastic accounts on social media that I abhor. Not only that, but if I don't think about it properly I won't learn anything from the experience and will find myself going through it all again. So here it is, the Saucony English National Cross Country Championships 2019 , what can I learn from a bad day in the spikes?

I f you have read my " About the Author " section you will know that I started writing this blog because I enjoy running and I enjoy writing. This is true, but I did have an ulterior motive. Time for confession...

What runner doesn't love a huge room full of other runners, shoes as far as the eye can see and a sprinkling of top names from the worlds of running and endurance sport? That's exactly what I found when I went to the National Running show!

Should the use of GPS for navigation be allowed in fell races? The FRA said "err...maybe"; the WFRA said "no!" (I am paraphrasing a bit here). This is a very modern problem facing a sport proud of its traditional ways so is there a right answer to be found?

The 25th Hexhamshire Hobble was a great race and one of the most spectacular days I have ever experienced. It just goes to show that you don't need to travel very far to see some of the best mother nature has to offer.

Do you get lost heading down to the local shops but want to improve your navigation skills so you can take part in some of the more challenging fell races? Maybe you run and want tot try something new? Perhaps you took a navigation course before GPS had been invented and want to keep the skills up. Orienteering is the answer, and I have finally got round to giving it a go and I think its a great sport that more runners should try.

When my alarm chimed at 6am I was already half awake. I would love to tell you it was because I was excited. It was the day of race three in the 2018/9 Start Fitness North East Harrier league and to be my first of the season! I love every aspect of cross country, the team camaraderie, the challenging courses, and especially the mud. No dear reader, it wasn't the excitement that woke me up long before dawn; it was the rain hammering on my bedroom window! Normally I would hop out of bed and think, "Great, this is proper cross country weather!", but normally my alarm would be set much later in the day. The race was to be put on by Gosforth harriers with support from Heaton Harriers, and my club, Tyne Bridge Harriers and I had volunteered to help with setting up the course. To get it ready for the first junior race at 12pm we had been told to arrive at Gosforth Racecourse for 7:30. I'm always quite well organised for cross country, with my bag prepared the nigh...