Finally Found Running Events I Enjoy

I spent my lunch hour today looking through the LDWA website to find what other challenge events I could do throughout the year to keep my endurance up.  As you probably know, I hate racing and, when I have a race on a weekend, I dread the weekend and just want it to be over with, which is ridiculous and I’ve finally come to the conclusion that racing just isn’t for me.  I’m not saying I’ll never race again but I think my racing will be kept to a minimum.  

The LDWA challenge events, however, are a different story.  I love them.  I love how laid back they are with no pressure and that I don’t have to care about what time I do it in or how long I spend at a checkpoint.  I can just get out into the countryside and have a good run with the odd natter to others running at my pace.  I also enjoy following the route directions and trying not to get lost, although I am dreading the Hobble a little as the directions for that seem very stark in contrast to the ones for other events I have done.  I’d better brush up on my map reading skills! 

At the moment, I’m planning on entering, or have entered the following throughout the year.  My aim is to do one per month although you will see that there are two listed below for September, however I’ll only be doing one of them and I’m not sure which one it will be yet as it will depend on when I go on my September holiday.  It may be that I can’t do either of them though.  

Haworth Hobble	12/03/2016
Two Crosses Circuit	20/03/2016
The Blubberhouses Moor 25	03/04/2016
34th Todmorden Boundary Walk	01/05/2016
White Bear Way	25/06/2016
Marsden Moors Meander	13/08/2016
One Foot in the Gargrave	10/09/2016
In Pendle's Shadow	17/09/2016
Bottoms Up	15/10/2016
Wensleydale Wedge	20/11/2016
The Regular Irregular	10/12/2016

July is missing because I’m going to run the Cumbria Way over three days in July (accommodation all booked!).  Last year I walked it but only did half (not for reasons of having to pull out, I only ever intended to do Ulverston to Keswick). 

Turning to today’s run, I was still aching after the Amble, particularly in my left hamstring so I just went for a short easy jog with Ruby.  I was pushed for time anyway so it suited me and we just ran along the path towards the barn but came off it and zigzagged up through the terraced gardens, the way we go on the Monday night cake run.  I was really tired and walked most of the way up so decided to give the Pike a miss and just continued along George’s Lane then ran down through my favourite field, which Ruby dragged me down because she was trying to get at all the sheep!

Total distance – 3.5 miles