Water Wipeout

Run 3 of 3 in 3 weeks. This is the fun one of the three, after a Half Marathon and then a 10k this is a 10k mud run, or should I say water run!

This is my 3rd of the 4 events by X Runner, earlier in the year I ran (froze) doing their Winter Warrior, last September I ran their Wild Warrior, now it's the turn of Water Wipeout! I was looking forward to this until I saw the course and the obstacles. Normally these events don't bother me but when I saw 100m swim, 30m swim, wild rivers - moving water swim, and 30m swim, doing them twice with the two laps made me think why sign up for this? I might enjoy almost everything health and fitness but I'm no swimmer. Being very short sighted from a young age, school swimming lessons weren't enjoyable at all as I couldn't see the other end of the pool so ended up panicking. The only time I enjoy swimming is on holiday with a snorkel and goggles watching the fish but this event doesn't include nice fish, just a Ford Capri.

The course.

I really didn't need to worry about the water obstacles as they weren't anywhere near as scary as first thought, in fact it was a brilliant event! I would happily do it again next year. The rapids were brilliant fun and I wish I had my gopro camera with me to film it. The reason I didn't is I didn't have the float in case I dropped it (currently on ebay buying one).

I was running the event with Rob and Danny, Jo was also running it with some friends in the wave after us. So 4 members of IlsonGlowsticks were at the event which was cool. It was all of our first time running the event and it was Dannys first ever 10km and first obstacle run so a major achievement. His effort levels were amazing for the event even including a funny to watch fall on "boxed in". The three of us stayed together and finished in about 2 hours.

On a personal note I managed to finish 100% of obstacles, technically about 110% as after jumping over some incline walls I saw others struggling so ran back around to help them then jumped back over myself again.

Before the run, all nice and clean.

Obstacle no.33 and no.34, water slide to swim on lap one.

As I've already said the event is brilliant, the course was really well set out with a good mix of obstacles, The water did stink at times but what do you expect jumping into a pond and muddy water. Who cares it was great fun!

Post run  #IlsonGlowsticks we all stink!

Danny did this as his first ever 10k and his first obstacle run, the medal means so much to him but not as much as a donation to Crohn's & Colitis would mean, please visit his JustGiving Page.

Bring on Wild Mud Run in 2016 to finish the 4 XRunner events, but first I think I'm rerunning Winter Warrior with a couple of clients as a Postnatal treat!

Night at the Dogs

Night at the Dogs

On Friday 15th May I organised a night at Nottingham Greyhound Stadium with all the ticket sales money going towards Cancer Research UK.

The evening was part of their "Sporting League Cup" where different sports teams and charities can apply for 100 tickets and the money from sales they keep/donate. We managed to sell about 88 of our 100 tickets raising £440 for Cancer Research UK. This is split between mine and Robs JustGiving pages and helped hit our fundraising target for our London to Brighton Bike ride in September.

My Page - www.justgiving.com/adamfretwellpt

Robs Page - www.justgiving.com/Rob-Marron 

Both of us are raising money for Cancer Research UK and it was a brilliant night helping a great charity.

I will be organising another night out there again later in the year so sign up on my website for the newsletters and you will see when it's organised.

A massive thank you to all that attended and donated. I know a few of you left with some winnings and I wasn't one of them.

Blacklight Run UK

Following on from last years random running events like Wild Warrior, Santa Dash and this years Winter Warrior it was time for the next adventure with clients while helping raise money for Cancer Research UK. Blacklight Run UK at Donington Park on Saturday 28th February was the challenge.

The Blacklight Run is a 5km fun run with neon paint thrown at you. The run taking place at night with black-lights so all the neon glows. Basically a variation on the Color Run at night.

Now we know after a few winters of outdoor training sessions I've got some clients who really don't care about getting wet, muddy, dirty in any way shape or form as long as they can have a laugh. That's sort of important for this type of event because you're going to get mucky.

A brilliant group of about 15 of us all met up picnics ready for a brilliant afternoon and evening. We had our neon clothing at the ready, face paints, and white tops. The rest was just pure carnage!!! Once the picnic had been eaten it was time to get ready, putting on face paints quickly ended up in a paint fight with hand prints all over the place, lots of hugging to mix paints and just a brilliant laugh.

Face paints went wrong!

Once it started to drop dark we went over to the main area for the pre-race party and enjoyed the blacklights and the way we looked. We may have got some funny looks but we didn't care we went for it and had a brilliant time!

Neon Happiness

Once we started the fun run we split into our little groups of joggers, jog/walkers and walkers. We made sure everybody had a friend for the 5km and we all got round the course  to the best of our abilities. It was a brilliant feeling being with the joggers seeing 3 people finish the 5km jogging all the way (apart from paint stations) and the achievement they felt after.

Post Run Mess!!

I do think there are too many running events now all trying to draw in the same target audience and some events will become watered down, or prices will go up as fewer competitors enter but hopefully this is an event that can keep going. We all had a great time and if they had another event in the East Midlands before the end of the year I think we would all jump at the chances to do it again.

Check out my GoPro video below of the post run party. That is just one of five videos made from the event. If you enjoy running, enjoy mucky fun, and want to do a 5km fun with with a difference I would recommend this straight away.

Men's Health Challenge 2014

This was my 3rd year running this event, and with all the other events this year I was looking to smash a new PB for the event. 12km with loads of obstacles, water and mud. The first year I finished with s time of 1 hour 29 minutes 30 seconds, last year I finished in 1 hour 24 minutes. Looking back at the previous blog I also set myself a challenge for a sub 1 hour 15 minute this year - Men's Health 2013

When I arrived on site I could see a couple of familiar faces waiting anxiously to see their partners return from an earlier wave of the race. Unfortunately I didn't see them finish as my wave started before they returned.

Rob almost finished after climbing over the inverted wall, next stop the "Wall of Fame"

Rob and Tom almost at the finish line.

Rob, Tom and Simon all recorded really good times as it was either their first event, of injuries stopped their training being 1005%. I think they're all signing up again next year as they enjoyed it so much, even if the photos dot show it. Trust me while you're running it horrible, once you've finished and have the medal around your neck it's a brilliant feeling,

I got off to a quickish start in my wave, helped by getting really close to the start line. I soon settled into a nice pace between my 10k pb and half marathon pace. Before I knew it I was out at the 5/6km point and it felt like I had only just started running. However with the course for Nottingham 70% of the obstacles are on the return leg so I knew it was only going to get harder.

As each obstacle went I realised I hadn't seen many white wrist bands for a while which was for the wave I was in. As I approached the climbing wall I heard a voice "carry on mate you're setting a great pace for me here." It was another white wrist band who was following in my shadows, a nice little confidence boost as I hadn't been a pace runner for somebody before. As we waited patiently for our climb a girl who was almost at the top lost he footing and fell a good few metres but luckily her friends cushioned the blow and she didn't fulling hit the turf. She got back on the wall and tried again and had every single person there cheering her on, it was great to see every person willing everybody else on during the event.

Another few obstacle stations came and went and the home leg was in sight, Trent End came into view which means about 3km left. After the little trip up and down the stairs it was a run along the embankment to the last couple of exercises then job done!!

I could see just in front another white wrist band, only the 2nd I had seen for the last 30 minutes. I soon caught him up and we ran almost neck and neck to the finish line. I honestly can't remember who beat who in the end.

All I know is boom another PB and beat last years target time!!! I finished in 1 hour 13 minutes 15 seconds.

Wall of Fame - it doesn't get any easier each year.

Bath Time!!!

 I fancy a change next year so I'm thinking of being daft and entering the Elite 21km race they have started. It looks incredibly tough but something worth training for.

Bring on the "Elite" next year.

That's now 12 races down, 0 to go for Cancer Research UK in 2014...... apart from a Santa Dash.

Derby 10k - 45 minutes 11 seconds.
Awsworth 5k - 22 minutes 20 seconds.
Hull 10k - 45 minutes 46 seconds.
Wollaton 10k - 44 minutes 53 seconds.
Twin Peaks Midnight Walk - 8k. - 2 hours 37 minutes.
Leeds 10k - 46 minutes 8 seconds.
York 10k - 46 minutes 31 seconds.
Birmingham Color Run 5k - 45 minutes 38 seconds.
Isle of Wight Challenge 56k - 7 hours 48 minutes 35 seconds.
Wild Warrior 10k - 1 hour 18 minutes 42 seconds.
Robin Hood Half Marathon 21k - 1 hour 49 minutes and 31 seconds.
Men's Health Challenge Nottingham 12k - 1 hour 13 minutes 15 seconds.

If you wish to donate please visit www.justgiving.com/adamfretwellpt

York 10k

Just a couple of days after getting home from Glasgow and Whitby is was time to drive back up to York for the 10k.

Not idea preparation being on holiday and driving around 700+ miles. However I still managed a time of 46 minutes 31 seconds so I'm happy. This was never going to be a PB run after a week away so it was a nice training run ready for the next few longer distance runs/treks coming up.

This finished my three races in the Jane Tomlinson Run for All series with Hull, Leeds and York. All three races were totally different with amazing crowds all the way along the routes. I was very impressed with Hull and will be going back in the future.

For now it's the official 10k races for 2014 done for myself. A couple of longer runs, a couple of mud runs and a nice short paint run this coming Saturday.

A little rest post run with my medal. That's all three Yorkshire runs finished for the year.

For more photos from the weekend visit my Instagram account or Facebook page.

That's now 7 races down, 5 to go for Cancer Research UK in 2014.

Derby 10k - 45 minutes 11 seconds.
Awsworth 5k - 22 minutes 20 seconds.
Hull 10k - 45 minutes 46 seconds.
Wollaton 10k - 44 minutes 53 seconds.
Twin Peaks Midnight Walk - 8k. - 2 hours 37 minutes.
Leeds 10k - 46 minutes 8 seconds.
York 10k - 46 minutes 31 seconds.
Birmingham Color Run 5k
Isle of Wight Challenge 56k
Wild Warrior 10k
Robin Hood Half Marathon 21k
Men's Health Challenge Nottingham 12k

If you wish to donate please visit www.justgiving.com/adamfretwellpt