I almost can't believe that I am saying this after everything that's happened - but today I completed the Bristol Half Marathon.
When I first set myself this challenge, I wanted to break the two hour mark, but as it became clear that I was not going to have an easy ride with the training, I was happy to settle for getting round. And today I did myself proud with a time of two hours, five minutes and 31 seconds.
Unexpectedly (for me at least, having not checked the forecast) it was raining as we left this morning and rained for the first half hour of the race. But I had a good start, and probably went a bit fast but enjoyed it. It was amazing to run along the Portway and see the elite runners coming back the other way ridiculously fast, but not long after I got to see and wave at Matt (who managed, even with a stinking cold, to get 1:24) and after that various other friends which distracted me. I barely noticed the distance of that stretch, it flew by. Only bad bit was getting about three stitches in the first 40mins - not nice.
I stuck behind a girl wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with her name - Emily - to piggy back some cheers for a while, and later ran alongside a gorilla to pretend all the cheers were for me again! At the end of the first 10k I felt it, but kept drinking at every stop and had a few energy sweets and then for the next 5km or so I felt AMAZING. I felt like I could take on the world and probably finish in about 1:30. I tried smiling to see if it made me feel better and it did, it also made other people smile back at me and cheer. I was loving it at that stage.
I didn't hurt at any stage, but after 15km I started to feel pretty tired. I was getting shivers as my clothes and hair dried which was a bit unpleasant. I also didn't really know too well where the route would take me from this stage. My friend Sophie thrust some jelly babies into my hand near Queens Square, and I had fun clapping the hands of lines of kids who stood around the edge of the square.
After that, the last 4km or so was really hard work. I slowed right down, and got disoriented which is ridiculous considering how well I know this part of the city. There was a nasty hill with about 3km, and I couldn't find the song I wanted on my Ipod shuffle, but then I spied the finish and got excited. Only 2km to go, and I was at 1:50 ish - I delusionally imagined I could get to the end within the two hour mark but then the course cruelly snaked off around the city centre.
I tried to power up enough to look good in the final 100m, to pass my parents, brother and Matt, threw my arms in the air for the camera on the finish line and then very nearly collapsed. I walked in a daze to get the chip taken off my shoe, got a silver foil blanket wrapped around my shoulders, got a kid to put the medal around my neck and picked up a bag - by this time I was really hurting and feeling exhausted.
Matt was waiting for me as I emerged from the finish area, put his arms around me and I burst into tears - I couldn't believe I had done it!
A great morning, great crowd of runners (apart from the guy who ran past me in the last mile and leant in to inform me he was in the second wave of runners, who started half an hour after my wave, before overtaking me - git) and brilliant support from people who didn't even know me as well as my family, Matt and friends.
I lay in a hot bath when I got home feeling awful - really sick and knackered, but I have perked up a bit after a hearty lunch with my gang at
Clifton Sausage with a few glasses of red wine! Now have my feet up on the sofa with ice moving from my hips to my knees to my ankles and back to the start. Toes are covered in blisters. But you know what they say - no pain, no gain.
Job done.
Pictures to follow...
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