Lisa rises to the challenge in Plymouth

On Sunday 9th June, off-road lover, Lisa Hatchard, was off down the A38 to her old stomping ground to participate in the 7 mile multi-terrain race, the 'Plym Valley Challenge'. This race is organised by Lisa's former running club, the Plymouth based Instinctive Sports, and it advertises itself as follows:

"7 country miles from Tor Bridge High, Estover, to Plym Bridge Road and Wrigleys, then into the beautiful Plym Bridge woods.

You follow old tram tracks and logging tracks out to Hatshill Wood, below Bickleigh Village, and then return along the river valley navigating 2 disused rail bridges. You then run along the old canal before turning right over Plym Bridge and back into the woods and up the hill, returning to Tor Bridge High and the finish."

This was Lisa's second year of running the event, after targeting it last year as her first race back after giving birth to her daughter. What a difference a year's worth of training makes! Last year, Lisa posted a respectable time, considering she'd only just started running again, of 1:18:58 for 72nd place overall. This year she knocked a whopping 10 minutes off that to finish in 1:08:02 for 61st place overall, 8th female and 2nd FV35. This massive improvement is testament to Lisa's hard work and committment to her training over the past 12 months and shows just what can be achieved, despite having to juggle the demands of family life, the home and a job. Well done Lisa!

Lisa on way to knocking 10 minutes off her 2012 time at the Plym Valley Challenge