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pedroscalls asks: Congratulations on a most deserved MoTM win, my question is, if money and time were no object what route or race would you love to do?

Ness says: Thanks, Pedroscalls. That’s a great question and it’d have to be a race that takes place at a location I’ve been longing to visit for some time now. I’d want to run the race and have quite a few days after to admire the view... At the Niagara Falls Marathon. This year it’s in October and boasts a pan flat course in which you “run to the brink of the falls!” It’d be amazing!

runnerbean asks: Brilliant win Ness. If you could choose absolutely any 3 people to go on a run with who would they be and why?

Ness says: Thanks, runnerbean. Tough question though. Only three to choose from. Mmmm. Well, excluding all the Fetchies I’d hope to run with (after all I might get the chance to catch up with them at some race or maybe a Fetch Mile sometime,

) there are three others who’d be up at the top of my list of people who I’d love to spend some time running with....

1. Kathrine Switzer - to talk to her about what it was like to run that first that first Boston Marathon in 1967 (the year I was born!) It’s strange to think that women weren’t allowed to run the distance back then!

2. Barack Obama - to talk to him about what life in the White House was like and to see if he’d tell me what he thinks about the new US President. Not sure he’d give much away, mind you.

3. Alan Turing - if it was possible to go back in time to talk about computer science and code breaking during the war. It’d be fascinating. I’d have to improve my pace a bit though because he was a very good runner!

Bintmcskint asks: Well done, Ness :-)

You are stranded on a desert island. You can take one type of food, one book and one Fetchie. What and who do you take and why?

Ness says: I love this question. Thanks, Bints.

The food - That’s the easy bit. Well I’m sure I should choose a food that’d be practical and useful but I’d miss liquorice allsorts, so I’d have to take those with me.

The book - “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins. His atheist/agnostic perspective makes this book a fascinating read for me and because it’s so well written I wouldn’t tire of reading it.

The Fetchie - this is the hardest choice but if it had been possible it would have been Doctor K. He was such an interesting person and (hopefully) he’d have had a supply of flapjacks with him.

EvilPixie asks: Great winner!
Where in the world would you most like to run for fun? Why?

Ness says: Thanks, Pix. A great question. There are so many places that I want to visit to just run for fun. In the past I’ve run in Central Park in New York. Last year I got to run in St. Mark’s square in Venice, very early in the morning when no one else was around. That was fabulous! The ultimate on my list would be to run on the “Seven Mile Bridge” in the Florida Keys. The views would be just stunning! (They do close it for a ‘fun run’ some time in April, I think).

Serendippily asks: Congratulations! Who wins your favourite blog/blog comment in the inspirational, ridiculous and neighbourly categories?

Ness says: Thanks, Serendippily. I love reading Fetch blogs. I sometimes don’t have time to comment on all the ones I read but they are all brilliant. The Fetch community is also brilliant at giving me advice on my my blog too so it’s a great community to belong to.
“Inspiration” has to go to Vrap’s blog. From the recent tandem adventures right the way back to the blogs of 2009 and the “10 in 10” days. Truly brilliant!
“Ridiculous” but great fun, was Pedroscalls comment on my blog earlier this year... “You didn’t have to push the ambulance up the hill, did you?” Perfectly timed comment on a not that great a blog post. Thanks for that Pedroscalls. :-)

“Neighbourly” because she’s actually currently living in my neighbourhood so I do occasionally spot her when I’m out running is runnybunny. I couldn’t think of anyone else for this category but I just love her honesty when she writes about work life balance and recently diagnosis.

There are lots of other’s blogs I could mention that I just have to look out for and read. They’re all so interesting.

westmoors asks: Congratulations Ness, well deserved. If you could meet anyone in the world, past or present, who would it be and why?

Ness says: Thanks, westmoors and thanks for this lovely question. If there’s anyone in the world I could meet up with it’d have to be my Dad. He died shortly after my 25th birthday. So before I started my teaching career, before I met the lovely Mr Ness and got married, before I took up running half marathons. It would be good to have the chance to let him know that it all worked out ok in the end.

Tigerlily asks: Well deserved Ness! Any plans to do races north of the border? There’s some crackers up here!

Ness says: Thanks, Tigerlily. There are some fantastic races north of the border but sadly I currently have no plans for them while I’m still teaching. If I’m running post retirement (or if I win the lottery in the mean time ;-)

) there’d be quite a few on my list starting with the Loch Ness Marathon. After all couldn’t miss a race named after me! And the Fort William Marathon because, after all, who’d not want to run “Scotland’s friendliest marathon”.

northernslowcoach asks: Congratulations Ness

I know Wetherspoons is a fave spot for breakfast but what and where is your perfect postrace feast?

Ness says: Thanks, NSC. A particularly memorable post race feast was in May of 2016. I ran the Bosworth Half Marathon on an incredibly hot day. I had a nightmare of a race and ran a PW. After the race, I met up with my family and we had the most fantastic meal in a nearby pub. The ‘Dog and Hedgehog”. It was such a wonderful pick me up even though my sister and Mum don’t really understand why I choose to run half marathons. My usual post half marathon race feast is a roast dinner cooked by Mr Ness. They are always delicious.

DocMoye asks: Congratulations. Which has been your favourite half and which would you most like to do ? And will we meet at a half one day ??

Ness says: Thanks, DocMoye. This is an easy question. Even though it can be difficult to get a place, because it always fills on the day entries open, my favourite has to be the Keyworth Turkey Trot. A lovely scenic route and always well supported. I would like to run the Barcelona Half Marathon some time because it’s a city I love. As far as us meeting up some time, I’d like to think that’d be possible some time. If not soon I’m really hoping to become a Wetherspoon’s pub and parkrun tourist when I retire from teaching so yes I hope we can catch up some time.

Alice the Camel asks: Congratulations! I’m in awe of your dedication to early morning runs before work. I was wondering if you go to bed early too, or whether you can survive on minimum sleep? Is Mr Ness an early riser too? :-)

Ness says: Thanks, AtC. I think it’s a bit of both really. I do go to bed fairly early on weeknights but as I get up at about 4.30 most mornings I think I am surviving on less than the average amount of sleep. Mr Ness is not a morning person but I’ve mastered the art of getting up without waking him, plus he is very patient!

HappyG(rrr) asks: Many congratulations. Can I ask a daft one please? Is your name, Ness, anything to do with the Nessie, the monster or Loch Ness at all or is it short for Vanessa or something else altogether?! Well done again. Cheers, :-)

G

Ness says: Thanks, HappyG(rrr). Not a daft question at all. The origin of the name is both really. Yes, short for Vanessa and a nickname given to me by an uncle who always used to draw a little cartoon Loch Ness monster in my birthday cards and Christmas cards. I didn’t mind his nickname because it wasn’t as bad as the one he gave to my sister. She acquired the name “Bagsy” as a toddler when she always seemed to have loose fitting nappies. A name which stuck for years!

Fenland Flier asks: Hi Ness, congratulations on the win. Why half marathons and why the target of 50? Will there be another 50 after the first 50?

Ness says: Thanks, FF. Half marathons became the race distance ‘of choice’ in 2008 because I thought I wouldn’t be able to run that far on my resurfaced hip joint. Thanks to a chat with the lovely Vrap at a Centurion Grand Prix 5 mile race, I decided to give to a go then ran two in one month in the October of that year. The target of 50 came about when I suggested to Mr Ness that it’d be great if I could run 50 by the time I was 50. It didn’t quite pan out so I am a bit behind schedule on that, and yes I’m not sure I will stop at 50. After all there will hopefully be more race opportunities when I retire from teaching.

Valyrian Plastic asks: A well deserved win Ness! The book or the film, which one is better? (Just in general.)

Ness says: Thanks, VP. :-)

Definitely book! But as a teacher there could only be one answer to that question.

Night-owl asks: Congratulations Ness. Are there any half marathons on your bucket list those dream destinations you would love to do

Ness says: Thanks, NO. Really hope things have gone well with your move, btw. I mentioned the Barcelona Half as a race I’d really like to have a go at and I have to say that’s on the top of my wish list. I do think the Vegas Rock ‘N’ Roll Half would be cool to do too. There’s also the Polar Night Half Marathon in Norway and the Reggae Half Marathon in Jamaica. Those would have to be if I’d won the lottery and didn’t have to worry about money though.

Member of the Month - Ness