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Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Weeks 23, 24 and 25

Another much delayed update (and not much running since the last one!!!). No excuses, just a bit useless!!!

I have, however, managed to hit quite a significant milestone with my Parkrun challenge - my last Parkrun was number 25 for the year!!! So halfway there, which I celebrated with a week off and my first Saturday lie-in of 2023! If all goes according to plan, I'll be missing two Parkruns in August, but my 50th will be on Christmas Day!

Only one training run since the last time I wrote, which was a steady trot round Pitchcroft. This was followed by another visit to a Parkrun in Cheltenham. This time at King George V Playing Field. A lovely, small Parkrun (77 participants). A 3 lap run round sports pitches. Undone a bit by the heat and a couple of short, sharp climbs on each lap.

Something quite bizarre did happen after I had finished the run. I was walking back to the car when I received a text. It was the usual Parkrun text, so I stopped to read it:

'Pete, thanks for volunteering today at Marlborough Common parkrun...'

This was a bit weird! When I got home, I emailed the King George Parkrun team, thanking them for a great run and explaining about the text. When they replied they said that they hadn't uploaded the results from the run yet and suggested that I got in touch with the Marlborough team. They had clicked on my name by mistake - rather than their Pete Moody!!!!! Oh no, not another one!!!

After a brief email exchange, I am going to try and get down there to do this run - and possibly run against another Pete Moody!

The following week, it was now onto a Gloucester Parkrun. Gloucester North Parkrun was another 3-lap run. A nice, flat course and finished in an okay time.

My soundtrack for the runs over the last few weeks was:

Sparks - The Girl is Crying in Her Latte (All Sparks albums now listened to whilst running!!!)

Manic Street Preachers - Journal for Plague Lovers

Sigur Ros - Atta

Previously, on my blog, I mentioned the amazing Laura Nuttall. A couple of weeks ago, Nicola, Laura's mum posted a letter that Laura had written to Year 6 leavers at Barrowford School in Lancashire. Reading it really stopped me in my tracks. With Nicola's permission, I am posting the letter here:

'Be kind, be brave, be silly, be honest' is definitely the way forward!!!! Please visit www.doingitforlaura.com to find out more about Laura's amazing legacy and to give support if you can. I'm still hoping to get up and do the Nuttall's local Parkrun in the coming months.

Hopefully more regular running and blogging from now on - 25 Parkruns to go and I am now really focusing on getting that time to below 30 minutes!!!

Until next time, take care

Pete

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Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Week 22

What a week!!!! I don't think I've had a more hectic half-term holiday for many years. Starting last weekend in Devon, followed by a night in London. Four concerts in six days and not very much running - yesterday's Parkrun felt like a real struggle. More about that in a while.

The reason for the night in London was to go and see Sparks at the Royal Albert Hall. This was one of my presents for my 50th birthday. Sparks have played quite a big part in my running this year. A couple of mini-challenges that I set myself were to listen to a different album on every run that I do this year (so far so good), and to listen to the complete works of Sparks (they released their 26th album last week). By the time we went to see them on Monday, I had done 23 out of 26, with the 24th following the day after when I went for a run round the Olympic Park in Stratford. My running route round the Olympic Park took in quite a few venues from 2012 - starting with the aquatics centre, then the Olympic stadium (and the Orbit), the Copper Box arena, the Tennis centre and finally the velodrome. I only got lost once when I happened upon a nature reserve in the middle of the park!

Yesterday's Parkrun was in Cheltenham. A beautiful morning and a really nice two-lap course. The week seemed to have taken it's toll on me as it felt like a real struggle - but ended up being my sixth fastest Parkrun of the year. I have absolutely no idea as to how that happened (especially as my healthy eating went completely out of the window this week!).

Hopefully back to some decent training runs this week (and a much better diet).

The soundtrack for this weeks runs was:

Hippopotamus - Sparks

A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip - Sparks

At the end of May, I received and email from Young Lives vs Cancer (formally known as CLIC Sargent Cancer Care for Children). Another really supportive charity that was always on hand when James was going through his treatment in Birmingham.

They are currently promoting the #RunningOnEmpty campaign. The campaign highlights the costs for children and young people with cancer and their families related to travelling for treatment. They will be sharing all of the research on 13 June when they launch the campaign at Westminster. Some of the headline figures are:

families spend on average £250 a month on costs like petrol, train tickets and taxi fares - all to get to hospital

families travel on average 350 miles a month to get to hospital

71% of families struggle with the travel costs, with 1 in 10 missing or delaying appointments and treatment because of the costs

families are cutting back on social activities and food, taking on debt or falling behind on bills

Financially, it is absolutely crippling. We must have spent well over £1000 to pay for parking alone at the QE in Birmingham and at Worcester Royal. On top of that, due to being self-employed, my income went down to zero. We were lucky as we had family that helped us out - Mum made sure that we didn't end-up in a real financial mess, and I hope she knew just how grateful I am for this. My Mum and Bec's Mum and Dad were absolutely amazing during James's treatment.

Please visit www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk for more details about #RunningOnEmpty

Until next week, when I have hopefully done a decent amount of running, take care and enjoy the nice weather!!

Pete

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Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Week 21

The one with the existential crisis!!!!!!!

Firstly this week's running. Not much happened this week. It's the middle of the exam season so work has been a bit mad, but I did manage Parkrun number 22. A beautiful run in Exmouth and one that gave me a real boost.

Wonderful weather and the bank holiday meant that there was a bumper number of runners this week. It's a Parkrun that I have done before (not to far from my cousin and her family just outside of Exeter). With so many runners, it was a pretty slow start, but the run felt really good. I even managed a 'sprint' finish!!! When the time came through a couple of hours later, I was gutted!! 37 seconds off my PB for Exmouth Parkrun. After a couple of minutes I suddenly thought about the positives. This was a great run - showing that I can get better again.

So, now to explain the first line of this latest blog!!! Leading up to my 50th birthday, I was so focused on finally getting to the end of my forties. In my mind, it had been a pretty ropey decade - losing both parents, James's illness, depression, work-place bullying etc. I was desperate for that period of time to be over. There have been some positives, but I was too focused on aiming for that 'line-in-the-sand' moment. My birthday and the following few days were brilliant (apart from being really busy due to the start of the exams!!). But then I started to have the thought 'what do I really want to do with my life?'

After a few days of thinking about this, I came to the conclusion that it's this that I want to do. Helping to get the message across that there is support out there for anyone touched by cancer is my focus. So, the 50 Parkruns in my 50th year is going to be the beginning. I haven't got a clue about what I am going to do though, so it will be an evolutionary process (or, in other words, I'm going to make it up as I go along!!!!!!!). Hopefully in future updates, I'll have a bit more of an idea of what I am going to do (any suggestions etc...).

This weeks soundtrack was just one album:

FFS - FFS (carrying on my Sparks album challenge, this was one that they made with Franz Ferdinand - and it is pretty amazing. I've only got three more Sparks albums to listen to and then I've done the complete works. I'm very excited that, as part of my 50th celebrations, I'm actually going to see them tomorrow night at the Royal Albert Hall!).

Until next time, take care

Pete

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Diary of an Intermittent Runner Weeks 18, 19 and 20

Yet another delayed post - hopefully, when this years exams are out of the way, I will be a little bit more reliable.

Firstly, following on from my last update, I am really sad to say that Laura Nuttall died in the early hours of this morning. Glioblastoma is such a cruel disease, but Laura was a true inspiration for the way in which she dealt with everything that she faced. My thoughts are with Nicola, Mark and Gracie at this time.

I don't think anything can prepare you for having cancer or watching a loved one with cancer. I can distinctly remember a conversation with a close friend when there was a local, quite high profile, news story about a young boy with a type of blood cancer. 'How do they cope?' was the unanswered question at the time. Little did we know that within weeks our world would turn upside-down. Bec and I have talked about this a few times, and we always come to the conclusion that we just had to get on with it. We were like ships passing in the night - I would do the daytime shift and Bec would do evenings in the hospital with James. Poor Dan had to fend for himself - with the amazing support of Bec's Mum and Dad and my Mum at the time.

There are no 'How to' guides or instruction sheets for this. We just had to put our trust 100% in the medical professionals. The majority of the personal support came from the charities. Jen and Tracey, the TCT Nurses at the QE in Birmingham were our rocks. The importance of these charities can never be understated. Without them our story would have been so much different.

The last few weeks have been a bit hectic - at home, we are still in the middle of a building site, and workwise it is the busiest time of the year. My running has been more intermittent than I would like it to be, but this WILL improve over the coming weeks. Since my last update there have been another 3 Parkruns - Worcester Pitchcroft, Edgbaston Reservoir and Oaklands. And the little milestone of my 50th birthday!!!!!

Pitchcroft was it's usual nice run. I had to do a local one that day as we were then driving down to Devon to celebrate my much, much older cousin's 50th birthday.

The following week it was back to Birmingham and Edgbaston Reservoir Parkrun. Bizarrely, having grown up only a few miles away from Edgbaston Reservoir, it wasn't until I was searching for these Parkruns that I found out that it existed!!!!! A nice two-lap run round the reservoir.

I managed a couple of runs in the following week - including a 10k run around the river in Worcester. My running isn't fast or pretty, but I am starting to feel like it is beginning to improve a little.

This Saturday it was another trip to Birmingham and Oaklands Parkrun. My geography knowledge of that part of Birmingham is shocking to say the least. I was so surprised when I ended up driving through Hall Green to get to Oaklands (it was the correct way before anyone doubts my ability to follow a Sat-Nav!!!!). My Mum grew up in Hall Green and we used to visit my Gran every Saturday. I went down roads that I haven't seen since 1981, form the back of Dad's stuffy red Chrysler Alpine!!!!! A lovely 3-lap (very warm) run. My best effort of the year so far.

The soundtrack for the last few weeks has been:

Sparks - Balls

Sparks - Lil' Beethoven

Sparks - Hello Young Lovers

Sparks - Exotic Creatures Of The Deep

Sparks - The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman

(Very heavily Sparks based at the moment - one of my little challenges to myself was to do all of their albums before I go to see the live next week. Four to go!!!!!!!!).

Until next time, stay safe (and please share/donate if you can)

Pete xx

[moods1805]

Diary of an Intermittent Runner Week 17

Not too much running done this week. Managed a nice 10k (with a bit of walking) and then another Pitchcroft Parkrun.

Met up with Lexi from Worcester Breast Unit Haven last Monday, and wore their shirt with love and pride at the Parkrun on Saturday.

A bit gutted as I write this tonight. My Twitter friend (follow at @shitscaredmum) has tweeted that Laura isn't doing too good. She has stage 4 Glioblastroma (brain cancer). The government promised more funding for this, but it has been delayed so much! I'm so gutted about this.

Feels a bit trite putting this now, but my soundtrack for this week was:

Cure - Anniversary (Live from Hyde Park - I was there!!!!!!)

Sparks - Plagerism

Please visit www.doingitforlaura.com

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Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Weeks 13, 14, 15 and 16

Another much delayed update!!!!!! Things are a bit manic here at the moment - it's the start of the exam silly season, which means work has gone mad, and we are having building work done at home. Have managed to keep up with the Parkruns and do a fair bit of running.

One of the totally bizarre things that I ended up doing when James was having his treatment was to Tweet famous people that James (and I) liked. I can remember first doing it in the middle of the night - there may have been drink involved! To my amazement, and eternal gratitude, a number of people replied and sent wonderful messages (and we are still in contact with quite a few of these brilliant people). Something that started as a bit of a distraction became, for me, one of the most supportive things throughout 2019. One message in particular has stayed with me. I'm not going to name the people who got in touch. This one message was from someone who knew what we were going through. The part of the message that meant (and still means) so much to me was asking how Bec and I were and to make sure that we looked after ourselves. This hadn't even crossed our mind. We were totally focused on James' treatment, but in hindsight we should looked after ourselves a bit more!!!!

This challenge that I am doing is one that I am pretty much making up as I go along! The 50 Parkruns in the year was the starting point (with trying to do those nearest to the Teenage Cancer Trust units getting there - slowly). One thing I would really like to come out of this is to highlight the work of all the cancer charities that I am running for - and as many others that are working hard for patients, families and friends. Support is there and no-one will go through this horrible time alone.

Hopefully, the next update will arrive a little sooner than this one!!!!

The Parkruns that I have completed since the last update are:

Shrewsbury Parkrun - a lovely run along the river Severn (with a bit of hill at the start!!!)

Brueton Park Parkrun - a really good two-lap run in Brueton Park in Solihull (with a hill!!!!!!!)

Sheffield Castle Parkrun - a three-lap run (hills on each lap!!) near to the TCT unit at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.

Dudley Parkrun - lots going on at this one!!! Running track, canal towpath, trail, big hill, disused railway. Brilliant!!!!!!

The soundtrack for the last few weeks has been:

Sparks - In Outer Space

Public Service Broadcasting - The Race for Space

Manic Street Preachers - The Ultra Vivid Lament

Manic Street Preachers - Resistance is Futile

Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring

Manic Street Preachers - Futureology

Ultravox - Vienna

Sparks - Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat

Ultravox - Rage in Eden

Heaven 17 - The Luxury Gap (had to listen to this in Sheffield - and had a like from Martyn Ware!!!)

Sparks - Music to Dance To

Sparks - Interior Design

David Bowie - No Trendy Réchuffé

Sparks - Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins

Back to Worcester Pitchcroft for the next couple of weeks (to see the 5K Your Way people next week and just need to do a very local one the week after).

Take care

Pete

[moods1805]

Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Weeks 11 and 12

Not been very good at updating recently, sorry!!!

Slowly getting back into the running again, and feel like I'm getting back to how I was a few weeks ago. Completed another two Parkruns, Conwy and Worcester Pitchcroft.

Conwy was beautiful! Running along the River Conwy, towards Conwy castle and then back. The weather was also kind that morning - a bit too kind. I totally misjudged it and was far too hot.

As we were spending the weekend in Llandudno for Dan's 18th (can't believe both our kids are now adults - I'm far too young!!!!!!), it would have been wrong not to have a run along the front and down the pier. So that was Sunday morning sorted. I'd forgotten how long the pier actually was!

A couple more runs followed in the week, and then it was back to Pitchcroft in Worcester for Parkrun number 13. It was the monthly meet-up for 5k Your Way Move Against Cancer. A brilliant organisation developed to support those impacted by cancer to have an active and fulfilling lifestyle. More details can be found at www.5kyourway.org. Will definitely be back at Pitchcroft at the end of April to see them all again. It was also really nice to catch-up with Marie and Mary, a couple of good friends from Happy Feet Fitness - a group that I have run with many times. A group that really helped us through the period of James's treatment in 2019. Running occasionally, but also meeting up with them after their Monday runs for coffee (when James was up to it).

A few more runs this week (and hopefully one tomorrow - although I meeting some ex-colleagues tonight so who knows?!). The hopefully Shrewsbury Parkrun on Saturday.

My recent running soundtrack:

Sparks - Whomp That Sucker

Sananda Maitreya - Introducing the Hardline According to... (the artist formally known as Terence Trent Darby. This was the album that we listened to on the way to the hospital the day Dan was born, and coincidently Sananda Maitreya's birthday is the same as Dan's!)

Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights

Depeche Mode - Memento Mori

Sparks - Angst In My Pants

Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion

Depeche Mode - Ultra

Depeche Mode - Playing the Angel

Hopefully back on track with the running. Have decided that as a bit of a mini-challenge (to myself) I am going to try and run 100 miles in April (haven't done a 100 mile month for a very long time!!).

Until next time, keep well.

Pete

[moods1805]

Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Weeks 7, 8, 9 and 10!!!

Sorry for the lack of updates - it's been a bit of a mixed bag of weeks!

Four more Parkruns were completed - Worcester Woods (disaster - more later), Worcester Woods again (redemption), Tewkesbury and Severn Bridge. Very little running in between though - a mixture of working every hour to meet a deadline for a resource I was writing (which I did - amazingly! Being self-employed, I really must stop setting ridiculous deadlines!!), not being too well and losing my running mojo.

The first Worcester Woods parkrun was a complete disaster. Not enough fluids before the run (and far too much of the wrong fluids the night before) resulted in me cramping up within the first few minutes. I still hobbled round for my personal worst time!! I decided to go straight back the following week and ended up getting my best time there for several years!!! The following week it was off to Tewkesbury. A beautiful, 4-lap run in view of the Abbey. Again, my best time for a number of years. Last Saturday it was the Severn Bridge Parkrun - a bridge I have been over many times (I have family who live at the other end - who I also took the opportunity to pop in for a coffee with after the run), but have never set foot on it! A unique run - run in two countries, over two rivers and through three counties. Less than 10 seconds slower than the previous week. Back to it tomorrow with another Welsh adventure.

Sorry about the 'action' shots!!

The soundtrack for my running over these weeks has been:

Radiohead - In Rainbows

Mogwai - Rock Action

Sparks - Big Beat

Sparks - Introducing Sparks

David Bowie - Outside

Mogwai - As The Love Continues

Editors - Violence

Sparks - No 1 in Heaven

Sparks - Terminal Jive

Today is a reminder of how lucky we were with James. A friend on Twitter (@shitscaredmum) is currently in Germany with her daughter, Laura, who is having pioneering treatment for Stage 4 brain cancer (Glioblastoma). If you get a chance, please visit www.doingitforlaura.co.uk - I have said that I will try to get up to Lancashire at some point to do their local Parkrun with them.

Hoping to be a bit more on it from next week - I am starting to see the difference, both with the running and physically (have managed to drop a waist size this week!!). My last two times have been just over 33 minutes (1st January 2023 was over 38 minutes). Hopefully, I can push it to close to the 30 minute mark by my 50th in May!!

Until next week, take care

Pete

[moods1805]

Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Week 6

Again, not as many runs as I would have wanted this week. Had a bit of a cold and, totally out of character, decided not to risk making it worse and end up not doing Parkrun. I WILL be back on it in week 7!!!!

Why am I doing this???

This week is quite a significant one for us. Its 4 years since our cancer story began. Not that we knew it at the time - it took another 4 weeks before diagnosis. Not one of my greatest parenting moments. James came downstairs one evening and asked me to look at a couple of spots that were behind his ear. Being the totally caring, sympathetic and understanding dad that I am, I just told him that he was a teenage boy and that they are just spots that will clear up in a couple of days. I probably made some comment that he obviously doesn't wash behind his ears properly.

I think we thought nothing of it for a few days after that. It was then during the half term break that we started to get a bit worried that they hadn't gone. In fact, they seemed to be getting a little bigger. We were still not overly concerned - there was a bit of family history with cysts and we thought that was probably it. So we decided to take him to the doctors and get them sorted in no time. We went and a course of antibiotics was prescribed.

They got bigger.

Back to the doctors. We fully explained what had gone on. She was brilliant, but completely baffled as to what was going on. She told us to go to A&E and immediately wrote a letter for us to take with us. Our first (of many) experience of triage. James was seen by a couple of ENT doctors who are also convinced that they are cysts. They are tempted to try and drain them, but they are not 'fluidy' enough!! James was then booked in for a scan, which would happen in the next few weeks.

They got bigger still.

Two days later we are back in triage. We see one of the doctors from before, who is completely stumped. She takes us to see one of the consultants, who, after spending a good time talking to James and examining the lumps, decides that it might be worth trying to drain them. Off to the ENT theatre we go, where James is prepped (cold spray on one of the lumps). First attempt and... nothing! The consultant is called in, who tries with a scalpel!!! Again, nothing happens. The wound is dressed and an appointment is arranged for 48 hours later.

Back to the hospital and back through triage - we are starting to be recognised now. After what seems an age they decide to try James on a 48 hour course of intravenous antibiotics. So James is canulated (for the first of many times) and we wait for a bed. James is taken down to a bed in Riverbank - the childrens ward at Worcester Royal Hospital. The 48 hours turned into 72, with more prodding and poking and attempts to aspirate.

James came home, but the lumps were now affecting his sleep. We went back to the doctor, who measured one of the lumps for the first time. It had a diameter of 4.6cm. Pain relief was prescribed and back home we went. After a bad night we were back at the doctors the next day. The lump was measured again. It was now 5.6cm - an increase of 1 centimetre in less than 24 hours.

Back to A&E, back through triage and more prodding and poking. One doctor now decides that James has an 'A-typical Myco-bacterial' infection related to tuberculosis! James is admitted again and an ultra-sound scan is done the next day. The lumps are solid and confined to the right-hand side of James's neck. More X-rays and test are carried out.

Back home and James is given the all-clear to return to college. Which he does and even goes on a trip. A rather uneventful week leading up to Dan's birthday. Poor Dan, it always seems to happen around his birthday. He's 18 this year and I promise he will have the best time!!!!

Family came round to celebrate Dan's birthday. It was a really good day, but James was struggling. By early afternoon James is exhausted. The next day he is starting to complain of dizziness. So it's back to Riverbank. James is admitted and we are told that he will have a scan in the morning and there is the possibility of doing a biopsy. The morning comes and it is decided that they will go straight for the biopsy. I was allowed to take James up to the theatre. James was born in Worcester Royal - an emergency Caesarian in the emergency theatre. Coincidentally, this was the theatre that the biopsy was going to be performed in.

That evening, James was allowed home. Then the waiting game.

It hadn't crossed my mind, or even been mentioned that this could possibly be cancer.

James was admitted into Riverbank again after our local GP was worried about the state of the lump on his neck. The one that they had attempted to drain was a bit of a mess now. That evening, a couple of the doctors ask James, Bec and me to go into the activity room. I should have noticed something was up due to the 'Do Not Disturb' signs that were hastily put up.

'We've got the results of James's biopsy. There is evidence that it is Lymphoma - which is a type of cancer.'

And that was the beginning. One thing I can't stress enough is how incredibly lucky we have been. James's treatment started within days and we were told from the outset that they were aiming to cure him. The staff at Riverbank and at the Young Persons Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham were amazing. Jen and Tracey, the Teenage Cancer Trust nurses at the YPU were as much a support for Bec, Dan and me as they were for James. Even after the first cycle of treatment, where his notes stated that his cancer was 'probably Stage 4' they didn't allow us to give up hope. I will write more about them in the coming weeks.

So that's pretty much why I'm doing this challenge. Sorry it's been a bit of an epic post!! I feel that the greatest thing I can achieve from what I am doing is to raise awareness. The knowledge that support is out there, not just for the patients but also for friends and family. The charities I have chosen are ones that are close to my heart as they have supported close friends and family in recent times. There are many more - if anyone knows of any charities that they would like to promote then please tag them in any challenge posts that I write. I know that I haven't got a massive audience (yet) but everything helps.

Right, enough of that now onto the running.

Just two runs this week - my usual canal run and Conkers Parkrun.

This weeks soundtrack:

Mogwai - Come On Die Young

Sparks - Indiscreet

More running this week. I'm hoping to do Worcester Parkrun this week - it's next to Worcester Royal Hospital, so it seems fitting that I do that one this week.

Until next week, stay safe

Pete

[moods1805]

Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Week 5

Not as many runs this week as I first wanted. Started well with my canal runs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I took the sensible option of deciding not to run on Thursday. I was meeting James in Bristol to go and see Editors (an amazing night was had by all) and was then taking him back down to Plymouth after the concert. All good - apart from getting a little lost getting out of Bristol. The Clifton Suspension Bridge looks amazing lit up at night - from every different angle that we managed to approach it from!!!!!

I got home around lunchtime on Friday. My original idea was to then go for a run when I got back, but I was just too worn out! Definitely feeling not as young as I used to be at the moment.

Today, I was back to it at Evesham Parkrun. Another really nice course and spoke to a couple of fellow Parkrunners (I feel that I can no call myself that again). The first was Gemma. We started chatting, along with her volunteering Dad, when I first arrived. Coincidentally it happened that Gemma works in a school near to where I grew up in Birmingham. In fact, the school she works at is on the same road as my old school. A first for me was that during the first-timers and general briefings, Gemma was signing them for any hearing impaired runners.

The second runner was Mark. His 'home' Parkrun is Conkers in Leicestershire. Can't really call it his home run as today was his 46th Parkrun and he still hasn't done the same one twice! Mark was telling me that his first challenge was to do the letters of the alphabet - 26 different Parkruns beginning with the letters A to Z (he had to go to Poland to get the Z - Zagórów).

The run itself was another promising one. Again, like last week, I completed it running all of the way, knocking about 20 seconds of last week's time. This both really pleases and mystifies me. I can run non-stop for three miles on a Saturday, but struggle to keep going after 1 mile during the week. I really think that this is a bit of a mental rut that I have got myself into and will try to work on it over the next week. The course was two laps along the river Avon (which has given me a bit of a mini-challenge to see how many rivers I can run by over the year).

This weeks soundtrack was:

Mogwai - Young Team

Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump

Manic Street Preachers - Send Away the Tigers

Sparks - Propaganda

Today is World Cancer Day. Again, the focus for me to do these runs is to raise awareness that the support is out there for those with cancer and those who are affected by it in any way - parents, siblings, friends, teachers, colleagues etc. I will be pushing the fundraising more over the coming weeks - wanted to see that I could manage the running first. It's also only a couple of weeks until the 4th anniversary of the beginning of our cancer journey (bit of a trite way to describe it, but I can't really think of a better way). Again, I will write more about this in the coming weeks.

Until next week, take care.

Pete

PS will start to post pictures of me actually at the runs when I start to look a bit more like a runner rather than a 1970s British wrestler!!

[moods1805]

Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Week 4

Just a short update this week - not too many runs to report on. It was a bit of a tough week. Thursday was the first anniversary of Mum's death, but at least that's all the first anniversaries out of the way now. Grief is a strange bedfellow. You just can't predict what is going to be a trigger.

Only three runs done this week. Two by the canal near home and the third was today's new Parkrun adventure. Arrow Valley Country Park Parkrun in Redditch. A lovely two lap course around a boating lake. My best Parkrun effort for a long time. Two minutes quicker than my fastest time of the year and no walking!!!! My aim (dream) of getting back under 30 minutes is now not as ridiculous as I first thought. Bit more weight to shift first!

This weeks soundtrack was as follows:

Depeche Mode - Violator

Thomas Dolby - The Golden Age of Wireless

Sparks - Kimono My House ('Sparks Saturday' change of day for a much better title. Starting 'Mogwai Monday' from next week as well!).

Take care and I'll write again next week.

Pete

Thanks for everything Mum xx

[moods1805]

Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Week 3

A much drier week this week. The rain was, however, replaced by plummeting temperatures!! Only managed 4 runs this week - missed Monday due to a gardening related tweak to my back (gardening is perhaps my least favourite pastime! It's just outdoor housework) and Thursday due to wanting a bit of respite from running in sub-zero temperatures.

The runs were very positive though. My average pace seems to be getting a little quicker. I'm managing to run further without having to walk - almost did the first 2.5 miles of today's Parkrun without walking (hopefully get all the way round in the next couple of weeks). I've also begun to shed a bit of weight - over half a stone off since New Years Day.

Today's Parkrun was a real homecoming. Woodgate Valley Country Park is probably about a mile from my childhood home. I wanted to do this one this week or next as this week sees the first anniversary of Mum's death. It just seemed fitting to do this one now as it was so close to the house Mum lived in for nearly 50 years.

16.15 miles completed this week. A little below what I'm aiming for, but I'll make that up in the next week or so. This week's soundtrack was:

The Police - Synchronicity

U2 - Achtung Baby

Sparks - A Woofer in a Tweeter's Clothing (2nd 'Sparks Friday'!!)

INXS - Welcome to Wherever You Are

Rest day again tomorrow and then back to it on Monday.

Another of the charities that I'm running for is Prostate Cancer UK. 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer. The risk increases if you are over 50. My father-in-law, Chris, was successfully treated for prostate cancer a couple of years ago. Coming so soon after James's treatment, this was a real shock for us all. Without the awareness and money raised by Prostate Cancer UK, I am convinced that the outcome would not have been so positive. More details about Prostate Cancer UK can be found at www.prostatecanceruk.org

My fundraising page for Prostate Cancer UK is www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MoodsPCU

Not sure where next week's Parkrun will be - possibly another Birmingham one.

Until next week, take care.

Pete

[moods1805]

Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Week 2

Well, that was a very damp week!!!! My usual running route contains Pitchcroft racecourse in Worcester, which is on the bank of the river Severn. By Tuesday, it was actually part of the river Severn!!! An alternative was needed, so it was off to Worcester Country Park for a run round the woods - the rain had made this quite a tough route (especially for someone who has just begun trying to regain some level of fitness). Two days of running round the woods was more than enough, so another route was found.

We are so lucky living where we do. It's about a mile to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. So this has been on my route for a couple of runs this week. For this weeks Parkrun, I ventured up the motorway to Canon Hill Park in Birmingham. Probably the biggest Parkrun event that I have taken part in. 561 runners braving the wind and rain.

So another good running week - no records broken, but another 20.74 miles done. This week's soundtrack was:

Public Service Broadcasting - Every Valley

David Bowie - Blackstar

Peter Gabriel - Up

Jeff Beck - Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop

Sparks - Sparks (the first 'Sparks Friday' - going to work through their back catalogue every Friday)

Heaven 17 - How Men Are

Back to it again tomorrow - the focus of the coming week will be my diet (have already lost 5.75 lbs in the last two weeks, but have not been too worried about what I have eaten)

See you next week (I'll focus on another one of the charities I am supporting in the next update).

Take care

Pete

[moods1805]

Diary of an Intermittent Runner - Week 1

Happy New Year!!!!!!!

Six runs completed this week - including two Parkruns. 19.62 miles done ('fastest' mile 10 mins 56 secs - hopefully this will reduce significantly over the coming months). Enjoying a nice rest day today. Those that know me will realise that this is quite unusual for me when I start this sort of thing!!!

The map is going to show where I have done a Parkrun throughout this challenge - the pins show Cranbrook Country Park Parkrun (which was on New Years Day) and Worcester Pitchcroft Parkrun (one of my two home Parkruns - completed on 7th January 2023).

Music is a really important part of my running (life!!), and this weeks runs have been soundtracked by the following:

Suede - Autofiction

Editors - EBM

Public Service Broadcasting - Bright Magic

David Bowie - Earthling

The Twilight Sad - It Won/t Be Like This All The Time

EERA - Speak

Over the next few weeks, I'll expand upon why I am running for my chosen charities. This week The Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust.

Founded in 2016, GKCCT gives support to children who have had a cancer diagnosis and their families. They were amazing back in 2019 when James was diagnosed - even just knowing that there was someone that we could talk to was a great comfort. More information about GKCCT can be found at www.gkcct.org

My fundraising page for GKCCT is www.gkcct.enthuse.com/pf/MoodsGKCCT

(My other fundraising pages are: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MoodsTCT www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MoodsLA www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MoodsWBUH www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MoodsPCU www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MoodsBCU)

Until next week, take care.

Pete

[moods1805]

Diary of an Intermittent Runner

Since 2019 I have attempted, with varying levels of success, to complete challenges in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. Most of them are running based. Those who know me will know why I decided to run for this particular charity. In future posts I will revisit the reason.

In 2020 I thought about completing the Parkruns nearest to the Teenage Cancer Trust units in the UK. Well, I managed two and then the Covid era began! I have always wanted to get back to attempting to do that.

This year has, again, been a bit of a challenge. My Mum suddenly died in January, and I've been struggling a bit (a lot). It's coming up to 10 months and I now need to do something positive and have something to focus on.

So, I've come up with a bit of an expanded challenge. It may not be successful, but I am determined to give it a good go. 2023 is the year I turn 50, so what better than to try to complete 50 Parkruns. To give myself a bit of a fighting chance, I'm hoping to complete them by my 51st birthday in May 2024. I'm also going to see how far I can actually run over that period of time. I've never managed to run 1000 miles in a year so that will be my first target.

I also want to expand the charities that I am running for. So not only will I be trying to raise money and awareness for TCT, I also want to try to support the following:

Lymphoma Action

Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust

Prostate Cancer UK

Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven

Bowl Cancer UK

Over the coming months I will write a bit more about why I have chosen these charities and try to outline the support that they give.

The challenge will begin on 1st January 2023 - hopefully at a Parkrun in Devon.

Pete