We’ve now hit the halfway point in our year-long challenge to raise funds for #Sixty4Judy. Yesterday morning I joined a small group of runners on the Langsett Loop, a 15-mile trip around the moors and woods North of Sheffield to complete our 30th race so far. It feels like a significant marker on our journey.

I’m currently trying to up my mileage ahead of the Lakeland Trails Marathon in early June. This was my longest run to date, but my doubts remain. I’m attempting to focus on each run as it comes up – tiny steps, and all that – but the Marathon looms large. Langsett was beautiful in the sunshine with the reservoir a deep blue, the trees alive with activity and clear views across the moors towards Ladybower. It was a tough trail to run in the heat, particularly the two killer climbs in the first half, but I kept reminding myself that this was good practice for Coniston. I felt strong on the first loop, okay on the second, but was reduced to little more than a shuffle on the last. Two hours 46 minutes.

Sometimes I think all this running is a bit mad. I’m frequently exhausted and I ache. Yet, it gives me some purpose and meaning. It makes me feel alive and I am, literally, moving forward. For now, that’s enough.

Thank you to everyone for your support and donations. You’ve now raised over £2,500 for brain tumour research, treatment and support, and for improving access to bereavement services. We’re very grateful. If you would like to donate in memory of Judith then visit our Donate page or go directly to https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROSomeoneSpecialPage?pageUrl=JudithHughes2

We had another family day out at Rotherham 10k and Fun Run, which is supported by Age UK, last Sunday. It was a rousing event in the sun and a real joy to see so many families together in Clifton Park.

It’s really inspirational to see how Judith’s grandkids have responded to the opportunity to honour her in such a positive way with #Sixty4Judy. They turn up for every run and give it their all. James charges off with a group of what Judith would have called ‘bigger boys’, whilst Ella always runs with and encourages Maya, and little Asher races around with a big grin on his face. I hope they’ll all have happy memories of doing this when they’re older. Nicola, Samana and Alistair escorted them round the Clifton Park circuit amidst many smiling parents.

Trying to live up to their example, me and Tom ran the 10k, which took us through the park and around the outskirts of Rotherham in full sun. It felt as hot as Spain. The long climbs back towards and past the park were really tough and we were both relieved to find some shade at the finish. It wasn’t our best, but pretty decent in the conditions. The kids enjoyed a picnic afterwards and, as usual, had way more energy than the rest of us.

Thanks for all your interest and support. If you’d like to support our charities and help improve research, treatment and support for people with brain tumours and their families then please visit our donate page or https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROSomeoneSpecialPage?pageUrl=JudithHughes2

We’re approaching the halfway point in our year-long challenge #Sixty4Judy to raise funds for charities supporting people and families affected by brain tumours and are delighted to have passed the £2,500 mark. Thank you for all your support and generous donations. It’s heartwarming to know that Judith is remembered fondly and in such a positive way.

At the forefront of my mind at the moment is a rather rash commitment to run the Lakeland Trails Marathon around Coniston Water in early June. I can’t believe it’s coming around so quickly and needless to say I feel ill-prepared. I’m approaching it in hope rather than in confidence. My plan, as far as it goes, is to race a 10-miler this week at Cannon Hall, a 15-miler next week on the trails at Langsett and then a 20-miler before starting to taper. It’s rudimentary, but will have to be enough.

So yesterday evening I pitched up at Cannon Hall for the 10-miler organised by It’s Grim Up North. And it was. Rain poured down all day and it felt more like February than May, particularly after the heat of Granada. Still, the setting was beautiful, the field relatively small and the organisers as cheery as ever. We set off promptly on four laps of the trails passing the impressive Cannon Hall and then heading out into the woods and fields before a short, yet tough climb up to Cawthorne. It was muddy, but surprisingly good going on the whole and I actually enjoyed repeating the laps. After the first lap, there was some comfort in knowing the task ahead. The pressure was off knowing that I didn’t need to push the pace and the time flew by, so that I hit the fourth lap feeling fairly strong and confident. Scary.

Racing across the open field for the final time in the growing darkness was a joy and a female runner encouraged me to race past her in the final stretch. My thanks to her for her generous spirit. I finished in 1h34m and would highly recommend any of It’s Grim Up North’s events. I’ll be at Rotherham 10k on Sunday with Tom and family, then it’s Langsett and a whole new challenge.

It was Judith who introduced me to Spain and Andalucia back in the early 90s and it provided the backdrop to many adventures. This culminated in our buying an old casa in the rustic village of Niguelas, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada just South of Granada. It was a sunny haven we both loved. It seemed an obvious choice therefore to run the Granada Half Marathon as part of  our fundraising in her memory #sixty4judy. The idea of racing through such a beautiful city and tackling what I knew would be a tough course was exciting. And, of course, I wanted to honour Judith’s memory and the happy times we spent there.

Granada was looking beautiful in the Spring and 4,000 runners set off on Saturday evening from the impressive sports arena in Zaidin to the South of the city and headed West into the sun. The heat was stifling as we embarked on a wide circuit from the South towards the West and then turning North. Already the crowds in the outskirts were impressive, but as we swung back towards the city they just kept getting bigger and more enthusiastic.

So far so good, but I knew I’d set off too quick driven by the crowds and excitement and, after 10k, which I’d done in around 50 minutes, we began to climb. And then climb some more. We were headed up the hills towards the Moorish Albaycin quarter and the climbs were relentless. The tops of the Sierra Nevada in the distance glistened with snow. The sun still shone brightly and even some of the locals were struggling. We finally reached the top and flooded into the narrow cobbled streets, twisting one way then another, through ancient gateways and arches, crowded on all sides by enthusiastic spectators. “Venga!” they cried.

Despite the effort this was incredible fun. We sped round blind corners and hurtled over cobbles before finally descending back along the River Darro into the city. Horns blared, bands played, people partied. Yet, we still faced a ferocious climb back up and past the Alhambra Palace before winding through the gardens and making a final turn back towards Zaidin. This was the chance to make up time, but as I picked up pace I could feel a cramp coming on. Nevertheless, I passed quite a few runners before we emerged through large crowds into the stadium and a last effort to style it out on the 100 metre track. I was home in 2:01:42 and exhausted.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Expect heat, hills and fumes from queued cars, bikes and scooters. Plus a slightly haphazard approach to organisation and drinks stations – this is Spain after all. In a field of almost entirely Andalucian runners I saw one other Brit(there must have been a few others) and fewer female runners than you’d expect in the UK. Yet, this is an amazing experience and a race like no other. You won’t PB, but you’ll depart with unforgettable memories and a new feeling for the Spanish way of life.

If anyone is interested in running in Granada I’d be happy to offer advice and help.

We’re raising money for brain tumour research and support and also to help improve bereavement support. If you would like to help please visit our ‘Donate’ page on this blog. Thanks for reading.

Sheffield has a habit of flying under the radar. For such a big city it has a fairly low profile, which suits most Sheffield-ers…me included. Yet, when it puts on an event the sheer warmth and enthusiasm of the people really shines through and shows it to be an incredible place. Sheffield Half Marathon is one of those events that brings out its best.

Sunday saw me lining up with my pal, Paul Bonsall, to run the Half for #Sixty4Judy. Let’s just say we fit snuggly into the Veteran category – Paul hadn’t run a Half for 30 years – and we were very conscious of the challenge facing us, particularly the beast of a hill rising all the way from Hunter’s Bar and out to the Peak District. It reminded me of the famous lyrics about another, grander city:

Well, I knew I wasn’t going to be King of the Hill on this occasion, but I was damned if it was beating me. Buoyed by the photocall with Cavendish Cancer Care and the excitement of my fellow charity runners, plus the legion of yellow and green vests from Steel City Striders, I made for the start and we were soon off and out of the city. One of the great things about this Half is the turn out from spectators and, despite the early start, Ecclesall Road was already lined with cheering crowds. It’s a real boost as you head towards the hill.

I had a strategy this year, which was to run an average 5m:20s per kilometre taking into account a slower first half and then picking it up downhill. I’d started well tracking the 1h50m pacers, but decided to let them go as we tackled the hill. It never gets any easier. Just as you approach the rise of one section, the next rise comes into view. It’s a hard slog and the Norfolk Arms is a welcome sight at the top. The views over the city from the wilds of Sheephill Road are stunning, but the cold weather kept me moving. Just after this two young women dressed as boobs passed me (I should point out they are seasoned runners). It occurred that I might be hallucinating, so I forced a gel down and stayed with them. They got way more cheers than I did.

We’d now passed halfway and, despite the loop back through Dore – more fantastic crowds offering high fives and Jelly Babies – I was feeling pretty good and picking up the pace. A few miles later and I’d passed the boobs and was bang on 5m:20 per kilometre. I was amazed to be on track. I’d seen plenty of friendly faces on the way round – thanks Bangar and Ella, Bev and Bob, Elin (somewhere out there), Jill, Dave and Angela, Terry, and Alison – and was easing down Eccy Road before a really tough push up to the Town Hall finish. Over the line in 1h:52:11, which was very pleasing and a whopping six minutes better than last year. I met Paul at the finish, who’d also exceeded his expectations and we enjoyed a pint in the street to celebrate.

Thank you, Sheffield. After the last few years I’ve been through it’s great to be able to say… I want to be part of it.

Last Saturday Nicola, Samana, Ella and James bravely tackled Gung-Ho!, billed as the world’s biggest inflatable 5k run, at Harewood House near Leeds. Despite some nerves beforehand – hello, Nicola! – they had great fun taking on the huge slides, clambering up inflatable walls and, apparently, enormous spiky balls. James charged off into the distance, but they all held it together as a team and finished with only a few bumps and bruises.

Oh, and they raised some funds for #sixty4judy. We’ve now raised over £1700 for Cavendish Cancer Care, Weston Park, St Luke’s Hospice, Brain Tumour Research, The Good Grief Trust and Brain Tumour Research And Support In Yorkshire. Thank you all for your support and donations…it means so much to us.

I guess like most people in Sheffield my knowledge of Dronfield extends to the splendidly straight and speedy bypass that whisks me South to Chesterfield and the motorway. I did once visit Sheffield FC on the edge of the town with my grandaughter, Ella, to watch the Ladies take on Everton Ladies, though my chief memory of that occasion was being roundly fleeced as Ella did me for chips, snacks, pop and a programme. I was relieved when the final whistle went and I could escape with a couple of quid left in my pocket. It was a lovely afternoon.

Last Sunday Ella and I returned to Dronfield with a large contingent of family intent on tackling the Dronfield 10k and 2k Fun Run in the latest leg of our #sixty4judy fundraising in memory of my wife and Ella’s Grandma. Tom and I lined up for the 10k, whilst all four grandkids (Ella, James, Maya and Asher) put the ‘fun’ in Fun Run with Samana and Nicola. The start was somewhat chaotic as we organised ourselves and attempted to pin bibs on kids.

That done, Tom and I lined up on the hill for the start. We were surrounded by fellow runners and hoards of Steel City Striders in the gold and green. The slope was the first indication that Dronfield was in fact rather hilly. Who knew? Certainly not us and we quickly had some respect knocked into us as we sped round and round the streets, up one hill and then up another. Thankfully, there was a big crowd shouting encouragement and I latched onto some Striders, who seemed to know what they were doing, and hung on. Tom was just behind and we must have looked like a pair of ice creams what with my peppermint green St Luke’s Hospice vest and Tom’s strawberry pink Brain Tumour Research one. I certainly felt like I was melting. A decent sprint got me home in 49:56 with Tom home in 51:57.

Meanwhile, the kids were ripping it up round the Fun Run. James sprinted off, never to be seen til the finish, whilst Ella and Maya kept each other company at a steady trot and little Asher dashed about enthusiastically, bouncing straight back to his feet following a tumble. Judith would have loved to see them. She was such a proud and happy grandma.

We had a wonderful day. That’s 22 runs of our 60 target completed. We’re doing this for Judith and in a small way trying to help anyone affected by brain tumours. Thanks for your support and encouragement. If you’d like to donate in support of our charities, then please visit the ‘Donate’ page on this blog. See you at Sheffield Half Marathon.

The tow path of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal was the venue for Tom’s latest 10k for #Sixty4Judy. Here’s his tale of the Canal Canter put on by It’s Grim Up North Running…

As well as the 10k that I was running, there were numerous other races going on at the same time from 5k right up to Ultra Marathon (bit much!). It was a lovely day for a run – cool, but not too cold and dry, but not too windy – so I was feeling good and looking forward to it. The race started heading out of Leeds from Kirkstall past the spectacular 12th Century Abbey. I’m not the best at pacing myself so I made a conscious effort to check my watch every few minutes in an attempt to keep my pace to around 5 minutes per kilometre. Incredibly, this seemed to work and I was keeping a nice consistent pace, despite encountering a few short, sharp uphill stretches when passing the locks.

It was an out-and-back race, so when I got to the halfway point at Rodley and turned around, I knew that the second 5km was all flat or downhill, which gave me some real encouragement to push on and pick up the pace a bit. I was getting under the 5 minute/km pace and was starting to think I could get a really good time. The only hiccup was in the last few hundred metres. I saw what I thought was the finish ahead and pushed for a sprint finish, only to get to there and realise there was still another couple of hundred metres to go! So I passed the finish line in a (for me) great time of 48:48 but just about ready to collapse!

Apart from the last 200m, I really enjoyed this one and it certainly feels like I’m improving with each race, which is great. #Sixty4Judy is proving a real positive motivation for me to not only raise money in memory of my Mum, but also to improve my fitness levels and general health, which can only be a really good thing!

And so, to Lisbon, Portugal’s historic, hilly and coastal capital. A great opportunity to catch up with my friends, Simon and Paula, who are settled there with their handsome sons, Lucas and Samuel. Of course, I’m going there to run the Meia Maratona, one of Europe’s biggest and fastest, as part of our charity fundraising for #Sixty4Judy, with the added attraction that it includes a starting section across the River Tagus aboard the remarkable 25 de Abril Bridge.

The weather was unseasonably hot on my arrival in the city and Paula, who was running with me, was praying for at least some cloud cover. Fortunately, by Sunday morning, the odd stray cloud had appeared as we waited to board the train that would take us over the bridge to the start. The sight of it pulling in, crammed to the rafters with athletes, was quite something and we piled aboard. For 20 minutes we were as crushed as Lisbon sardinhas in a can. Thankfully, the bouyant atmosphere took our minds off any concerns for health and safety.

The relief of escape from the train was palpable and we burst onto the platform before walking to the start in the faint shadow of the enormous Christ The King monument that overlooks the city. It was an appropriately Biblical scene with 15,000 people gathered for the start. What an atmosphere they created! At one point, the crowd parted and applauded as the Portuguese commandos arrived ready to run in kit and boots. I didn’t envy them.

In minutes we were off and over the bridge, with barely enough space for elbows. I weaved in and out as best I could and it was still crowded as we left the bridge over 2k later and looped around to hit the coast. It was the busiest race I’ve ever experienced, with runners seemingly from all over Europe, and space was at a premium. The long and straight coastal stretch, first towards the city, and then turning back towards Cascais, and a final turn, lacks a bit of variety in truth. But it had heat aplenty. By 15k I was feeling it and taking on fluids at every opportunity. My legs were stiff and sore as I gratefully entered the final stretch in Belem and a finish in front of the palace. 1:55:48, was my best Half Marathon time yet, though I’d finished poorly. I’d hoped for slightly better, but the heat, crowds and wine of the last few days put paid to that. Apparently, Callum Hawkins struggled and blamed the heat and headwind, so I’m claiming that too.

It was wonderful to be back in Lisbon amongst friends, but still tinged with sadness at the absence of my love and companion. I carry that weight into every race. Judith might have been an atheist, but I like to think she was perched up there on Christ’s shoulder, taking in the glorious view before deciding the time was right to sample the local wine. she knew how to live. God bless her.