TWICE the distance, HALF the motivation.

Hmmm - well the GNR training was going so well, but since the 10k a fortnight ago my training has slowed to a complete halt. Not all my fault, we had our anniversary we had a very sickly bunny (see post below), a hen-do (also see below) and various other activities and events  such as our 4-year anniversary that just knocked my training all to pot. My last training attempt was a poxy 2miles exactly a week today. Rubbish! But i'm determined, i'm going to go out tonight and try add an extra loop onto our local 10k loop we've been practicing on. May need to rope in my running/gossip buddy for some company & support. She's running for macmillan nurses, and i'm running for guide dogs so we'll be advertising the charities whilst training if nothing else. Our route takes us up past the local wildfowl park and through an industrial estate up beside Nissan so we usually run past plenty of trucks. I'm going to try print out all our photos and see if I can scrap-book or chuck everything in a photoframe of  our races as a bit of motivation. My little training plan (well my little personal goals week by week) says I should be upto 7.5miles by now and i've done sod all since the 6.2 2 weeks ago.
2006 - First Race for Life
I started with a 5k race for life the year of my wedding - a little extra keep fit to get into the dress and we did it with a group of the girls to make it enjoyable. But having been the little porky kid with asthma who always ended up last in whatever PE lesson we had.....I didn't dare run it. I walked, my exercise was muscle toning and light aerobics (aquafit, yoga and the odd bit of swimming despite the fact I swim like a stone, which I dont understand cos I have plenty of buoyancy...sadly on my legs & backside rather than upfront). The following year after seeing young girls walking along trailing drips (bearing a sign with a message for the other patients on her ward), mothers powering pushchairs up hills, and being overtaken by quite a few nanas and women considerably larger than me belting past running I felt ashamed. The next year I was working like a loony so didn't do the race but regretted it and was determined to RUN the next year.

 
2008 - Race for life....steps up a gear
So in 2008 I ran it with my new sister in law and managed 39mins.......no record breaker but I was chuffed. I actually did it and ran most of it. My sister-in-law who despite a slim figure.....doesn't do exercise and her diet consists of mainly mcDonalds & creme eggs was also thrilled at completing it. My husband and mother in law were there to cheer us on which was so encouraging.

They were handing out leaflets for a 10k run in the same area so I signed up. I never realised it was 6 and a bit miles, but thought to myself....well a year ago I wouldn't have been able to do 5k at all and i've managed it. If I double my effort I can double the distance.
2009 - The Great North 10k Sunderland (plus accidental extras)
I built up my treadmill time minute by minute until I could manage the full 10k, I was determined to put in the training as this was a proper run. Looking at the route it looked so far.....and I started to realise how much of a distance it actually was.....I had never driven that far around Sunderland before, never mind tried to run it. I decided to get sponsored (to make sure I actually completed it - no excuses) and ran for Diabetes UK as my dad was diagnosed after displaying symptoms and suffering with it for a few years. Leading upto the race I didn't sign up for the race for life as I thought it was cheeky asking for 2 lots of sponsor money. I was going to support the girls running it this year and cheer them over the line. However fate had another idea
Herrington Park Race for life 5k.....my friend Ann was rushed in for an emergency appendicitis 1 week before the race for life and couldn't do it. So as I was training already, I volunteered to take her place so she didn't lose all her sponsor money and all her hard work wasn't for nothing. I managed to run all the way round no stopping at all, and even managed to beat my previous time shaving off a good 4 minutes! My husband promised I could have a pet rabbit if I beat last years time - so that was the real deal breaker.
My friend Michelle ran it with bad knees and my friend Ali who try as she might never could get a running pace going without messing up her breathing also ran it. The feeling of sisterhood was very strong that day. Although hubby did enjoy pointing out that Michelle wasn't training for a 10k and managed to beat me by a good few minutes. Grrrrrr, the competitive green eyed monster glared back at him.
 
Then literally 2 weeks later my sister, having heard all the good experiences of others doing the race for life signed up for a work team at a different location - same race though. Her employer Warburtons (the bread people) were also going to match whatever the ladies from her office raised in sponsor money so long as they wore company t-shirts for the race and let them use photos in their newsletter. Fate decided to stick its nebby nose in for this one too......  
Saltwell Park Race for Life 5k

One of my sister's team sprained her ankle while training and had gone to the doctor's who said she couldn't run it, keen as she was she insisted she wouldn't run....she would walk instead, all bandaged and supported. The doctor was not impressed at this and ruled her out of it altogether. In I step.....of course wearing the Warburtons t-shirt and being honarary member of their team. My sister walked it as she also has a history of knee problems. But I was going to run this one especially after my hubby's comment a few weeks before. Sadly everyone failed to tell me that Saltwell Park is on a really steep hill! The first 2k was fantastic, beautiful park....jogging on the grass, downhill....the remaining 3k was a winding uphill drag back to the finish and was so steep those walking up the hill were overtaking those who couldn't stop for fear of never being able to get going again. I was in the first group. I managed a sprint finish and was absolutely shattered, I looked up and to add insult to injury i'd only managed 37mins because of my walking on those hellish hills. But I couldn't dwell on that. I had a 10k to do, and at least i'd practiced for all gradients!!!
 

My Diabetes UK running vest came, hugely massive as apparently women don't run...only men, so all the tops were sized for men. My medium although did fit, also had armpits down to about my last rib and gathered around my bum as it was made for narrow manly hips, something I have never and will never have -short of having my backside lobbed completely off. So I found a t-shirt that would fit underneath, blend in and save me the embarrassment of flashing lots of my hot and clammy flesh on the race day! I was also sent some SCAREY HAIR...and it was....bright pink and black 90's troll style hair attached to a headband. Team this with my bright pink leg warmers and I was set!!! The race number arrived and I knew there was no backing out. The start was segmented with fun runners at the back - i'd based my time on about an hour and a half (2 lots of 39mins, my slowest race for life time plus a bit extra incase I started to flagg).
 
Great North 10k, Sunderland 2009

The atmosphere was brilliant and we jogged away, as we were going through the town strangers clapped and cheered and fancy dress runners smiled and waved at everyone. It was only as we looped back round the city centre to head along the coast that I really started to struggle and had to have a walk break. As others slowed then started again, them picking up the pace encouraged me to drag my feet that bit wider and run on. As we rounded the corner after the bridge there was a steel drum band playing songs to motivate people on and just as we hit the 4k mark I was feeling confident I could do it. Until all the club runners filtered past us on the other side of the road - they were nearly finished!! I struggled along to the water point and through the shower spray tunnel and jogged along side another flailing runner for a while telling her she was running for a brilliant charity (British Heart Foundation) and how my Grandad had died of complications after a heart by-pass operation. She thanked me saying that was just what she needed, someone to spur her on and give her a kick up the backside she needed and off she went. I was struggling past the 8k mark still smiling although through gritted teeth, but as mean as it was I was encouraged that there were still a few on the opposite side of the road with all that journey i'd battled through still to go. I was now trudging & power walking to the 9k mark when it started to rain, and it was lovely! Again I picked my feet up round the last corner as all the crowds of people were shouting at people not to give up, a fellow runner powered up the last hill with me into the car park offering encouraging words then as soon as we got to the barricaded area the crowd got louder and were screaming for people to make it. I heard one unfamiliar voice shouting....."c'mon sprint finish" and surprisingly the sight of the finish line made me realise I wasn't actually ready to keel over and die, I had just about done it, the sooner I got to that finish line I could stop. So I sprinted for the finish line and heard (didn't see at all) but heard my mam screaming my name as the finish line came closer and closer into view. As I got nearer I also could filter out my sister & husbands voices cheering me on. I threw my arms up and grimmaced a smile as I ran over the finish line. 1hr 17 and I was completely knackered. Diabetes UK had a stall at the event and I went over to buy some goodies and show my support. It was a brilliant day and I raised about £270. Hubby decided he wanted to do a race after absorbing all the atmosphere, although i'm betting he took one look at me and thought...she managed it surely it can't be that hard.


2009 Encompass Health Care 5k
This one was described to us by our friend as a local fun run "a walk in the park" literally as it was a 5k course through the local park organised by the doctors surgery she worked for. I should have known something was wrong when she never took part herself and was just acting as a steward. So our little pub quiz team signed up and went to collect our t-shirts, after all i'd done a 10k - this should be easy. Erm.......no. My evil arch-nemesis the hill had returned, with a vengence!!!! Running along with one of the guys (who we later discovered used to run for the school team) I thought we were a little faster paced than normal but hey-ho we must be quite fit by now and it was slightly sloping down hill, for most of the course so far. Then we hit the first hill and we both started to run out of steam as our pub friend just bounced on ahead like a kangaroo across a flat stretch - how did he get over that hill so effortlessly? This monster hill just about finished hubby of whereas I ploughed on at my own slower pace and passed skippy the bush kangaroo just before the "turn around point" then as I looped back round I came across hubby and tried to will him on with "nearly half way". The rest of the way was a slow jog followed by a catch-my-breath-before-starting-again paced walk.

A girl ahead of me in her trendy sports gear, perfect make up and slimmer figure was struggling....she was walking, and she looked so much fitter than me. I was constantly behind her and everytime I managed a burst of energy she also got a move on. Another killer hill that I had to take a run at and I was almost home, just one straight section then about 200m through a few trees and I would see the finish line. Yet just ahead the "looks fit, but clearly didn't buy the sports gear to wear in the gym" girl was walking again, the little podgy kid who was ridiculed in PE got a bit competitive and decided this was the chance to take her! I owed that poor girl, i'd been force-feeding her ridiculous quantities of chocolate most of her life. But that girl started running as soon as I did. Well I wasn't having that!! So I turned by laid back jog to keep up into a flat out power-run and the wanna be wag also had a spurt of power. Well this was just the popular girls ignoring the podgy kid allover again, and that riled me. So I pounded, trying to use my arms to power me and I swear my feet left the ground my stride had grown so much. I just got level with her about 5m from the line as I heard my in-laws, skippy and some of the other pub guys cheering. That girl obviously felt my breath on her neck and I swear the force she used to get away from me could be seen on the back of her head, I knew she was wincing. But she pulled past me. Cow....she had effectively turned on her heel and swished her hair at the fat girl. She couldn't allow someone the chance to pass her at the last second. grrrrr.

Hubby came by a few minutes after me followed by an injured, hobbling and clearly in pain sister in law who had pulled something and was in absolute agony determined to finish even if she had to walk. Hubby then decided that was way too hard and he'd need to sign up for another run to keep his training up in order to join me for the 10k next year. So we signed up for the Great Winter Run........in Edinburgh.......in JANUARY!!!!!

Great Winter Run 2010 Edinburgh 5k

It was the most horrific weather i'd ever seen in the Christmas period, and stayed that way for the New Year too. I'd even invested in wellies and had been using them to trudge through the snow getting to work. Roads were closed, people were snowed in, buses weren't running. The gritters were facing a shortage of salt. But we had our race numbers and timing chips and the email saying that the race had been cancelled/postponed never arrived. My friend got engaged and arranged her party the same night of the race. But we were going to do everything in our power to do it. Hell, if we got there and it was called off, we'd run the route regardless. So on the Friday night after we'd both finished work we packed up the car and drove to Edinburgh, despite the severe weather warnings, 12" of snow in Alnwick which literally covered parked cars upto their wingmirrors, -7degrees reading on the car's thermometer at Berwick and a dodgy stretch of driving on re-frozen slush in the pitch black. We got to the hotel and passed out as soon as our heads hit the pillow. Next morning armed with base layers (the tightest breathable lycra you can get) plus wooly hats and gloves we met up with my cousins at Holyrood park and carefully walked through the snow to get to the startline. It was like running on sand - almost impossible, and although the route had been altered and slightly shortened it was still hard, the temperature was still -2, the elastic had decided to give up on my trousers (so I ran it all with one hand on my trousers) we were still only fun runners. We did it in a decent enough time and apart from one point where I was sure I was sliding backwards trying to get up the hill when hubby had to wait for me, and the down section where I had recovered and hubby had used up all his energy reserve battling the hill...we kept pace with each other. Proud that we'd done it but dissapointed that we'd not trained hard enough we signed up for the Great North 10k as soon as the reminder email came through and entered the ballot for the Great North Run.....why not?

2010 Race for Life 10k, Herrington Park

After the 5k in freezing Edinburgh, I decided I needed something between then and September if I was ever going to manage training for the Great North Run and my sister mentioned that this year they were doing a 5 and a 10k race for life. So we signed up for the 10, she was just going to walk it as it was quite a distance and I was determined to run as a practice for the Great North 10k in July. Sadly this race was the day after my 30th birthday so drinks would have to be kept to a minimum, and italian (pasta) would be on the menu for the birthday celebration meal. Around mothers day I pulled the muscles in my hip and could barely walk or lift my leg. After about 4 weeks of intensive private physio (couldn't get a doctors appointment and was convinced they'd send me home telling me to rest and take painkillers which I obviously couldnt do). Thankfully it did the trick, it was agony at times and I had lots of exercises to do every day to aid the recovery but my fab physio http://www.mysportsclinic.com/ and my determination meant I could move!! I would just have enough time to re-start my training and providing I took it easy not to injure myself again - would be able to do the GNR. I was advised to walk the 10k if I felt upto it and to keep up with strengthening exercises from my physio all the way through and to just put loads of ice on after the race. I managed it, achey and ended up having to sit with icepacks on my lap all evening. But we did it with a smile - in ridiculously hot temperatures for May 28degrees in the open sunshine and were slathered in suncream, with sunglasses and hats (mine a massive spongey 30th birthday cake hat). I was gutted I couldn't run it, but relieved as I would never have managed it in that heat!


2010 Chronicle Sunshine Fund Run 5k
We didn't get a place through the general ballot - apparently 150,000 people had applied and there were only 40,000 places. So we applied to all the charities asking if anyone had a place and if we could both run for them. We both wanted to run for the same charity, but realised this may be virtually impossible as spaces were hard to comeby. Diabetes UK offered me a place since i'd fundraised for them before but there was a minimum sponsorship amount and no mention of a place for hubby. Anthony Nolan Trust also contacted us about a place but again a minimum sponsorship amount was needed and realistically we didn't think between us we'd raise that ....never mind EACH especially considering we'd be asking the same circle of friends & family. My father-in-law sponsors a guide dog puppy, has for years...so we thought we'd try guide dogs. It was £300 each sponsorship per place and they would give us both a space.......perfect, that was the lowest minimum amount we'd come across so far. We could do that. So we organised a tombola, dressed up in a giant dog outfit and shook a collecting tin at a local pet shop, set up a justgiving page http://www.justgiving.com/davidanddebbiegreatnorthrun and handed a box of pinbadges round for people to sell at work. My parents also collected using a guide dogs tin in their pubs for us. We're already upto £1260 with all our paper sponsors too!!

One of our friends works for an IT company that were sponsoring the Chronicle Sunshine Fund Run, it was 5k along the Quayside a nice flat race, only £10 to enter and 2 weeks before the 10k. Perfect. So we donned our pink t-shirts and went to run that on one of the hottest days of the year 32degrees this time - urgh. Hubby kept up with me for the first 3k then had to have a walk break, and I kept my pace steady all the way back, constantly being overtaken by a larger guy in expensive sunglasses running with a team of solicitors. He would walk and i'd overtake him, then he'd run and overtake me but end up having to walk again...I couldn't be bothered with that so I just kept on at my own speed. Hubby's wedding ring jangling on my necklace as I ran (its loose and falls off when he runs so I hung onto it), it really helped me keep pace the jingling and reminded me that I sort of had company..it was the next best thing to having him run alongside me.

Now as the finish approached I was dreading it, but had smiled all the way and was managing at a good leisurely pace. But I have a phobia of bridges and am terrified of the millenium bridge. Because it is made to MOVE, it has HOLES IN IT you can see the water underneath and it MOVES and RATTLES when you walk across it. So as soon as I approached the bridge, a small group of after-work drinkers were clapping on the crowds I told them I wanted to be in the pub instead then launched into my sprint finish as I legged it past everyone on the bridge to the finish line. 32 mins....wooo hoo, personal best. I managed to get photographed and was most impressed when I was offered sweeties with a bottle of water when I finished. They were the tastiest packet of fruit pastilles i've ever had and probably devoured as fast as I ever had. I trundled back to the finish line to cheer on hubby and passed him a bottle of water as he flew past me only 5mins later.

2010 Sunderland Great North 10K

We upped our training after a very warm Sunshine Run, proud that we made good time but a little worried about the longer distance and the fact it was still so warm. We ran together as much as possible, hubby ran with the gusy who did the sunshine run and I started running with my friend Michelle who got a place in the Great North Run in the ballot. We even went the week before the race and ran the course to see what we were letting ourselves in for. It was hard and we walked a chunk of it but managed. Then real race day came.

We started off together and I only lost him about 3k in just as we were coming out of the town. I kept pace and smiled all the way round, screaming as I ran through the water tunnel. Kids were lined up hi-fiving runners as they went past so I collected my share! Again I left enough reserve for a sprint finish and had to shout at some of our supporters as I ran upto the finish cos they were too busy gassing! Then I caught a glimpse of the family and managed to hi-five my sister in law and then almost went straight past my mam as I legged it over the line and continued to jog down to the finish to collect my race pack and medal. I had a right nightmare trying to weave through the crowds to get to the finish line for hubby who was a few minutes behind. He looked shattered but managed a smile and arms raised as he ran through cheered on by all of us. I like to think the screaming gave him that extra push over the line.