Running Around the Ringway (July 2017)
I’ve completed the Ringway! For those of you who don’t know it, it is a circular route of footpaths and a few road parts and bridleways that encircle Harrogate, never going more than 3 to 4 miles from the town centre. I divided it up into 8 sectors and ran them, one after the other, always starting at my house, and always returning to the Ringway using the route that I had left it. Some of the sectors were nice little 5 – 6 milers, fairly steady terrain, but beautiful views across fields. Others became longer as I headed out towards Bilton and Nidd Gorge and then Knaresborough, finishing with an 11 mile multi terrain run that was almost cut short when I was faced with a choice of cows, barbed wire fencing or climbing over a few stone walls whilst being watched by a field of odd pug faced sheep…. I went for the walls.
The Ringway has been a brilliant way for me to increase my running. It’s taken me away from the roads and away from everyday life. I’ve found a new love of multi terrain; for me it makes the time pass more quickly and concentrating on where my foot will fall or on viewing stunning scenery is way better than thinking about a sore hip or how much further I have to go. If you have never walked or run around any of the ringway route then please have a look and give it a go. Below I’ve given the website that was best for me, most of the route is well signposted but some parts aren’t so clear. Look at an OS map first and get the gist of the footpath direction across fields, talk to people who have walked or run it to get landmarks, like the stile without a fence….will you hop over it or go round it?!
Now that I’ve navigated my way around, I’ll use it for different types of routes: that long steady run, the one where I need to do hill sprints, the route with a handy toilet stop or the quick out of the house and clear my head for half an hour route. I’ve also got another little plan up my sleeve though. You might remember that I took this on as part of my training for the Great North Run and 10Ks to raise money and more importantly awareness of Mind and Yorkshire Cancer Research. Well as I run, my mind is more creative than ever and I’ve come up with a new plan for when those events are completed (thank you for sponsorship by the way….over £300 for each raised already!).
Over the last few weeks I have had so many inspiring conversations, messages and feedback from people. In some cases friends have started to run again, or upped their game, realising they can do a little bit more and it will be beneficial, this was how I felt when I watched MInd over Marathon, I thought “They can do it, so can I!”. Also, I’ve talked to many people about mental health, they’ve kindly said how brave I am to put it out there, but it’s me and I’m out there and look, I’m still me, and some days or for periods of weeks or months I might seem like a different person, but now I know it’s out there I can say so and I’ll have a better chance of getting through it. That’s great for me, but it’s also better for all the people who have read what I’ve said and recognised their own battles for what they are and know that they are not alone. Depression can make you feel like you are an alien, that everyone else is in a sort of club that you don’t quite fit into. For me, I sometimes think I’m in a version of the Truman Show and everyone else knows it but me, even random people in the street. I once confided this to my friend Ruth, her reply “Why do you think we go to so many coffee shops and I smile up at the cameras as I’m walking in?! Sponsorships got to come from somewhere!”. So I am glad it’s easier for some people to open up and thank you to those people who have opened up to me. I hope I kind of understand and will always offer support when I can.
Anyway, back to the running theme…..I had a lovely message from a school Mum who I know of and have always been in awe of for her running achievements and fundraising, it was lovely for me to get a message from her via a Facebook friend sharing my blog. She is raising money for Wellspring in Harrogate, it is a mental health facility in our town undergoing massive refurbishment, under extreme pressure for resources and it is trying to serve many people. At the same time, I heard that they would be providing a counsellor at St Aidan’s School where I work, for staff to access too. This is how I got counselling in the first place, through school. So again, another little chain of events, like talisman’s gleaming in the woods to lead me on a new trail.
My grand new plan is called ‘Ringway Running for Wellspring’ and I even have a Facebook page. I will reveal more soon, I’ve written enough already and I need to do the ironing but thank you for reading on with this one.
