In 10 days I will completing the Great North Run. Back in
April when Tone persuaded me to run it, I thought I had ages to train. I can’t
believe how quickly the last few months have passed and that GNR is this month!
We packed our trainers for Amsterdam, keen to do some
training runs while there. Staying in a hotel with an all-inclusive bar meant
that we procrastinated running until the last morning. I didn’t drink any
alcohol all day on the Saturday as I wanted to feel fresh to run on the Sunday.
We set our alarm early and ate a banana before we left. We could see from the
window that it was raining but we didn’t let this put us off. We knew we were
heading to Vondelpark as we’d looked it up before we flew out to Amsterdam. It
was about half a mile from our hotel and we walked there, as a warm up before
running in the park. As we walked the rain was getting heavier and I began to
feel cold. Once in the park we began to run and by this time the rain was
torrential. It was bouncing back up from the puddles and had made my glasses so
wet I could barely see anything. We followed the path round the park, trying to
stay a little sheltered under some of the trees.
I think the park was pretty and picturesque but it was
difficult to concentrate on anything other than putting one foot in front of
the other. It was still warm out for all it was raining and after running a
mile or so I began to feel quite hot and my glasses were steaming up as well
being covered in water. We tried to stay upbeat and chatted as we ran. We navigated
our way round in a circle of the park which was approximately 3 miles. Our
original plan was to do two laps but we decided a hot shower and breakfast was
calling. We took some photos at the park gates after our run and proceeded to
walk back to the hotel. The rain had almost stopped at this point and I felt
mildly tempted by another lap… but the dry patch didn’t last long and we were
soon walking back to the hotel being thoroughly drenched. I like running in the
rain when it’s light and refreshing but this wasn’t light rain! An hour later
after we’d both been showered and were sitting eating breakfast we had that
post-run glow that made us wish we’d set our alarm earlier in the week so we
could have ran in Amsterdam more than once. The rest of the week had been hot
and sunny so in some ways I’m glad it rained on the day we chose to run.
I went to running club and did a 5k the day after we got
back and it felt good. I over indulged while I was away and needed to get back
to running as soon as possible. I knew I needed to get out and do a longer run
later in the week too, to get some bigger miles in. I wasn’t free the same time
as Tony so I had to plan my own run. I thought I’d do about 7 miles on Friday morning.
I saw my friend was looking for some company on her 18 mile marathon training
run so I contacted her and I arranged to do some of her route with her as she
passed through Ashington. I’d ran almost 2 miles when I met Karen and we ran
about 4 miles together. This took me further from home than I’d originally planned
but despite the heat, I was feeling relatively good, and had a lot of
motivation. I left Karen at about 6 miles into my run and turned around to head
home. I’d finished my bottle of water and ate my jelly sweets; I decided to
call into a garage for a new bottle of water on my way home but I only had £1
and this wasn’t enough. I wasn’t brave enough to ask if they’d let me off with
the pennies so I just kept running, safe in the knowledge that every step was a
step closer to home.
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| After we ran |
When I was almost home I had done just over 9 miles and was
very tired, achy and hot. I knew I would be annoyed with myself later in the
day if I didn’t make it to double figures so I ran past home to make my run a
little longer. I made it to 10.05miles. I was so proud of myself as I really hadn’t
intended to go that far and I did a fair part of it on my own. I really enjoyed
Karen’s company and I think I ran slightly faster than my usual long run pace
during the 4 miles I ran with her. This makes me even more sure that I can
complete the half marathon distance next weekend. When I got home I had a cold
bath which made my legs feel much better. It was almost enjoyable as I had been
so hot outside! Almost. Not quite. But it certainly made my legs feel very
refreshed when I got out!
Tonight is my last long run before the big day. Today I am
resting in the house, drinking plenty water and eating healthy. When Tone
finishes work we are going to head out for a long run and I am quite looking
forward to it. I didn’t think I would ever get to a point in running where a
long run doesn’t fill me dread, but hard work and determination has got me
there. And having lovely company definitely helps! I haven't ran since my long run last week as I've been away to Liverpool for a hen weekend followed immediately my a trip to Leeds to catch up with friends while I am still off for the summer.
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| Running with Karen |
I feel more mentally prepared for the Great North Run this
time round, though I am certainly not complacent about the distance I will be
covering. I’ve worked hard and I am looking forward to creating some wonderful
memories along the route J
I signed up for the Great North Run to raise awareness of
and funds for the North East Trust for Aphasia. NETA supports people with acquired
communication difficulties following a stroke or other brain injury. It’s a
fantastic charity based right here in the north east and every penny raised
makes a huge difference. If you would like to show your support then please do
so on my fundraising page here. Thanks so much for all your support, every word
of encouragement has really made a difference. I know some of my friends and
family are still in disbelief that I am running it again after my ‘never EVER again’
comments 2 years ago. Until this year I was still convinced that I wouldn’t but
look at me now... 10 days to go!
