#51 : Thursday 26th June 
#51 done late this morning, completed in 1:44′ , ten minutes slower than last sunday’s race.
Was sunny and hot and after 7 miles it became hard work.

Legs felt fine even though I picked a undulating course, wanted to treat this run as a training workout ahead of sunday’s Shifnal Half Marathon.

Started at 11.30 from Wyevale and ran in Sutton Farm, Reabrook, Meole Brace, Radbrook, Copthorne, Bicton Heath and back to the start.

Stopped a few times for usual selfies and photos 🙂
I utook with me a flannel soaked in cold water and it helped keep my temperature down by putting it on my head now and again, and by the end of the run it was completely dry!!

I ran out of water with 5k to go and at the finish I felt my head was on fire ! 😀 

No toots to mention, but saw Aiden on mile 13 at Meole Roundabout and he waved.

Fundraising is at £596 plus Gift Aid, mileage is at 668m and remaining runs count is in the forties now 🙂

#52 : Sunday 26th June

#52 Shifnal Half Marathon is a challenging one, lots of off-road running, lots of climbs and a couple of nasty hills (if I call them hills then they are hills!!)

It’s certainly not boring, started in a street in a housing estate, and after 1 km of downhill road running you take a turn onto a country lane and that’s when your heart sinks !! Gravel, mud, sand, farm fields with sheep, off road climbs in woods, tackling field gates, long hills, country lanes and to finish off town centre traffic lights and Idsall School field where the finish line is . 

A table full of orange slices, bananas and water awaits you and is a very welcome sight.
Saw and chatted to Connor Middleton and Adam Hyde, they both finished ahead of me.

Was over the moon at finishing in the top twenty, my highest position ever in a Half Marathon race, and also was good to beat my course best of 2014 by over five minutes, what a difference proper training makes 🙂

Really enjoyed it in a strange kind of way, it’s well organised for a small school race, water stations every two miles and just enough marshals.

Almost 1100 km of my challenge completed, no more races now til Lake Vyrnwy in September, so hopefully I will get some running buddies in the next few months, message me if you would like to run with me for part or all the distance .

#53 : Wednesday 29th June

#53 completed this morning and my mileage for June has passed the 200 km mark.

Weather was nasty, heavy rain and strong winds at times.

Wasn’t sure if river was high so I stayed close to home. 

Picked a 4,3 km route that started in Herongate down to Coton Hill, back round in Caste Foregate towards Ditherington and onto Greenfields from the Flaxmill, then the length of Hubert Way and back to Herongate. I repeated this loop five times.

It was fairly easy and did it in 1:42′ .

It’s not the first time that I find running in rain easier than running on a dry day, providing it’s not windy as well, I recall getting a Half Marathon PB in Liverpool last year and it rained from start to finish.

On mile one I saw Luca and he high fived me, and on mile 5 got a toot from Tamara, Julie and Jade.

At start I was dodging, swerving and jumping over puddles, but after a couple of miles I just ran through them 🙂

The first six months of my challenge have flown by: 53 runs and 1118 km (694 miles), 47 runs and 992 km left.

Next run will be parkrun on parkrunday (aka Saturday) and #54 will be on Monday.
To sponsor me please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Rik-RoadRunner

Time to say my thankyous : 
1. to all who encourage me and wish me good luck, like and share my social media posts
2. to all who sponsored me so far : £616 plus gift aid raised so far 
3. to Gareth from Purity Lifestyle Studio in Wellington for free massage on my calves
4. Joe Williams from UKRunChat for free entry at Shrewsbury Half Marathon 
5. Up& Running shop in Shrewsbury for big discount on new Running Shoes
6. Susan Bowes for selling her extra M.Drayton 10k and Derby Half entry and donating the money to Cancer Research uk
7. My Family for patience and support and for listening all day to my numbers and stats
8. My brother at La Lanterna restaurant for putting a poster up to raise a bit more 
9. To Joe Brocklehurst for looking after my legs for a discounted rate and also a complimentary treatment 
10 To Sandra ( my mother in law) for helping me raise from family and friends 

RRR (beep beep)

Website: http://www.rikfitness.co.uk
  
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Email: riccardo@rikfitness.co.uk
Donations: http://www.justgiving.com/Rik-RoadRunner