Unseasonal Yorkshire Weather

I do like the Sheffield Half Marathon and I did like the old course but there is something rather beautifully masochistic about the course change they introduced three years ago when Run For All, the legacy organisation for the late Jane Tomlinson, got involved and decided to embrace Sheffield’s inner hilliness.

It’s possibly the way they quietly ratchet up the intensity as they take you out of the city along Arundel Gate and onto the long stretch that is Ecclesall Road, which all takes place on a slight incline. Then the slight gets less slight and much more significant as the road rises skywards, getting gradually steeper and steeper. Until by mile four you are on your hands and knees crawling up the one mile stretch that they call the 'King\Queen of the Hill' before eventually you can kiss the tarmac at the top of Ringinglow. From where you look forward to plummeting down... the scenic flat bit.

Allegedly, after the scenic flat bit, it’s all downhill to the finish, only it isn’t. It remains frustrating undulating and deliciously painful right up to the finish line.

Plus there is an additional nuisance factor this year, a dose of very unseasonal Yorkshire weather. Obviously in Sheffield in April you expect wind, rain and maybe hail or possibly snow, or all four at once but this year Sheffield is struck by a heat wave which really wasn’t that welcome.

I survive though and cross the finish line where I am bested by last year’s time by a three mere seconds but you still can’t beat it as a location for your Sunday morning jog and they’ve even given us a wearable t-shirt this year.

My only wish is that they would put as much effort into the mile markers as they do the km markers that map out the last 10k, for which there is an additional prize. These are all nice sail banners whereas the thirteen mile markers appear to be an assorted collection of whatever was lying around at the back of the race director’s garage.

Once I have been reunited with my legs, I head off to track down L who is now touring the country by Puregym as well as by Parkrun and has been checking out the Sheffield branch.

Unfortunately there’s no time for a rehydrating beer in Sheffield, that will come later, as I have my White Van Man booked for 2.30pm to move Daughter’s big stuff and anyway, I will need my wits about me to put her bed back together.

I suppose I do have a rehydrating beer because they are handing out the Erdinger AF. Do they ever actually sell any of that? It’s an acquired taste anyway as you can see from how much of the stuff gets donated to the local tramps.

After we’ve moved Daughter’s stuff, L and I crash out (well I do) for the evening in the Horse & Jockey in Stapleford.

(Sunday 9^th April)

An End To Heckling

.

Today I am entered in the Coventry Half Marathon. We head over without the dogs and once the race has been started by no less than Coventry Olympian Dave Moorcroft, L heads across the road to the local Puregym. 

Her Puregym membership apparently enables her to use any of their gyms across the country which will save her having to bide her time heckling me when she’s not running. Unfortunately no one had told the computer at Puregym and it takes her a bit of time to gain access. By then I’m well on my way around the sights of Coventry.

Coventry turns out to be hillier than I thought, much hillier, but at least my legs lasted as long as Mile 5 this time. Progress. I did try to hold my pace back a touch to save something for the end and was more successful in keeping to something approaching eight minute mile pace throughout. I ended up beating last week’s time by 37 seconds despite the hillier terrain.

Afterwards we head over to Leamington where we pick up Son, his GF and her Mum and go for Sunday lunch, along with a few drinks, at the White Horse.

We stay in later but Daughter is out, running, in the rain. Blimey. Impressive stuff.

(Sunday 19^th March)

An Embarrassment Of Riches

We get a lie in until noon then we head to the Homemade Café on Forest Rec for ball chucks and Sunday lunch. Lunch is ok although slightly minuscule and a bit overcooked. Whether this will be enough to get me through an intense two hour track session remains to be seen.

In the afternoon L heads off for a session at Puregym in Beeston before I pick her up on the way to the track. The cycling is as intense as usual and really busy tonight.

I survive and we head afterwards to the Horse and Jockey where they have an embarrassment of riches on the dark beer front with no less than three new ones although I only mange two of them. These are Ferry Stout from Lincoln and Law Man’s Onyx from Glasgow. We can pop in for one of those when we pass next weekend.

Back at home later, we’re just snuggling up in bed for a bit of late night romance when Doggo decides to have the most intense and prolonged coughing and choking fit. He keeps us all up most of the night and just when I thought I’d pulled. 

(Sunday 12^th February)

Dietary Travails

I have time to join the boys and girl on the park this morning as I’m in the car today.

Afterwards though Doggo barely looked at his breakfast and even spat out a compensatory biscuit before heading off to sulk on his mat. By then MD had, of course, polished all of his own breakfast off. However the interesting tactic of washing out MD's now empty bowl before putting a handful of MD's food in it, drizzled with a little water and placed in front of Doggo provokes an appetite rethink. Doggo eats the whole lot and a biscuit. Such a frustrating creature.

The problem is that now poor old MD thinks Doggo has been fed twice. He does think he’s being hard done by sometimes as we struggle with Doggo’s dietary travails.

L has joined the all singing all dancing all cheaper Puregym in Beeston and heads over there this evening for a class. While she has a wild time there I sort out something hot, healthy and athletic to put on the table for us for when she gets home.

Talking of things on the table, Doggo's breakfast bowl is still sat there full of food which he now gets again for tea and which he eats this time with only a little bit of MD's food sprinkled on top. Bizarre. 

(Monday 23^rd January)