Long time no post!

Tuesday 13th  August 2019

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I last posted on here, I was determined to make it more regular!
In brief, think since my last post I have run 3 off road events, cycled  100k sportive, doing Parkrun most weeks, volunteering once a month, lost a dear little cat to an’elderly male driver’ very sad as she was only a year old ☹️
I have entered the Herepath Half event in October so need to up my miles for that, also the Portishead coast run 10k in September which I did last year, the Herepath will need some hill training, there is a distinct lack living on the flat Somerset coast! So it means driving 20 mins up the road to the Mendips. I have settled into the local running club, attending their evening runs every week , racing in their colours and meeting up like last Sunday for a 10mile run along the strawberry line an ex railway line a victim of the Beeching cuts 😡
We are in the middle of holidaymakers and horrendous traffic on the M5 so going places is difficult, so still no campervan activity☹️
Not doing too badly in races, still pleased with my 53 minute 10k, my Parkrun is 25:21 so would like to get under 25 mins this year. Not entered any road races since Glastonbury. Wambrook Waddle, Quantock Beast and Paulette plod were all 10 k events I came about half way down the field, sadly no age winning!! Very different races, Wambrook and Quantocks were very big hills whilst Pawlett was local and very flat along the river, I did 57 mins for that! I was also the sweeper for a 10 k event at Buckland St Mary, really enjoyed that, very hard course, but enjoyed being last and chatting to marshals etc, it was helping out my friend Rachel who was raising  funds for the school.
The Sportive was round the Forest of Dean, in aid of a charity called ‘Pied Piper’ 100k which I rode  with my youngest son, even though he hadn’t done a lot he went very well and we had a good bike ride with lovely views. And a good children’s cause.
Saturday 17 th August
Today trying to make up for yesterday when we had a very wet day, and I didn’t get out, I could have, but.......... so today I marshalled at the local park run, 427 runners this week, so a good start to the day. After lunch I ran across and up Brent Knoll, which is our nearest hill, mostly off road down a bridle way,before hitting the hill. I am still trying to run to heart rate, keeping it well down to about 125-130  which makes me less tired and ensures I have something left at the end, I am planning to apply to park Run next week to see how I get on. My maximum was around 160 bpm which is lower than when I raced and my average was133 bpm , only going up on the climb. I was also pleased as I ran all the way to the top!! I stayed most of the time in level 4 except the climb when it went up to level 5/6 !!
I hope all this will enable me finish races better as I always struggle, I also need to build up miles for my Herepath half in October.
I am planning a Quantocks 13 miler this week which should be a good test for my heart rate running as I will apply it this as well.
Perhaps I will post quicker next time! Cycling I have done little as I am suffering saddle sores, and the weather has been making miles difficult, only 25 miles in the last two weeks.