Skip to main content

It's Been Tough!

Finishing the Great North 10K in Gateshead Stadium

This is a belated entry for a number of reasons. Firstly, with my deployment on the horizon I feel like I didn’t have any time to sit down and write the blog. I was either away on courses, spending time with the family or running! And I was exhausted! Which leads me to the second reason, that I needed a break from this challenge. Whilst I was enjoying running races on both days of the weekend, I was so tired and by the time I got to the Falklands I needed a rest. So a rest is what I had. What I intended to be for about 4 days turned very quickly into 4 weeks. I did no physical exercise and ate what I wanted which seemed fun to begin with until I realised again that I love running and wanted to get back out there. I am back training now; running, swimming and cycling 5-6 times a week and am loving it. But more on that later.

It is now time to catch up on the events I crammed in before I deployed. After enjoying a weeks holiday in Cyprus with the family I was back into the events with my usual Parkrun at the end of June. As usual, when I have another race the next day, I was a 35 minute pacer which is something which I enjoy immensely. However, with the heat wave which had hit the UK, running was starting to become a bit more difficult. The 1st of July saw me run the Bedford Race for Life Half Marathon in the searing heat. The course was not a pleasant one which had me running over sand, stones and grass and at one point through a nettle bush! It was also not very well measured and came up short at just over 12.5 miles. When I realised the course was short I intended to double back at some point like I had done in my first ever race this year. But with the horrific heat and not so friendly course, I was more than happy to cross the finish line at only 12.5 miles and put it down to experience! I had wanted to contribute a little towards Cancer Research for the simple reason that my Grandpa had died of cancer when I was young. Leaving my Grandma alone in the house I believe was a contributing factor to her dementia and I wonder how things would have turned out had my Grandma and Grandpa still been together.

I have never been so happy for a race to be finished! 

I finished the race in a time of 2:07:24 and in 16th place out of 107. Not too bad but I am still unable to break the elusive 2 hour barrier!

The following week saw me head home to Sunderland so that I could see all my family before I went away. This also gave me the opportunity to run a different Parkrun with my sister in South Shields. The course starts on the sea front and then up and over the cliffs, finishing with the final strait of the Great North Run. It was warm again but as Parkrun starts at 9am we were able to complete it before the weather got too bad. I finished in a time of 25:17 which I believe is about my 3rd fastest 5K.
The following day I completed the Great North 10k which started and finished at Gateshead Stadium. It again was hot and the course in parts was steep. The run down onto the Quayside was amazing but getting back up again wasn’t so good. The infamous ‘Slog on the Tyne’, a steep hill to get back up to the Stadium, was hard work but I managed. It was hard work but as I neared the Stadium I could hear the sound system blaring out Take That. It was just what I needed to get me going again and as I ran onto the track in the Stadium I was overcome with the feeling that I was actually a proper athlete! I ran round the bend overtaking people and having a great time. And as you can see from the top photo I had a massive smile on my face when I crossed the finish line. And in a time of 53:33, my 2nd fastest 10k, I was pretty chuffed. The best part was going back home and drinking a bottle of wine which my Dad had bought me months ago which I had never had time to drink! 

All smiles at the finish of the Great North 10k

This brings me back to the current day where I am training for the Stanley Half Marathon which takes place in October. I am also in the process of setting up a Parkrun style weekly race on camp which will help me smash my 300km target. I may very well get to 350km if all goes well! We have strong winds most days and have had snow a lot of the time I have been here but it isn’t putting me off. I figure that when I come back to the UK and there is no wind then I will be super fast! But this is what I have at the moment so I am making the best of it. I cant wait for the next race!

Thank you for the continued support in this challenge. I am only £205 away from my £2000 target and hoping I can achieve this before the end of the year. The money is invaluable to Dementia UK for funding Admiral Nurses who support those living with dementia.

If you can donate then please visit my fundraising page at:


KM Complete: 262KM
KM To Go: 38KM 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Winning Week

A week of running, sunshine and smiles! This week was a busy week with three races; 2 x 5k and a 10k in Gosport and Bedford respectively.  I started the week doing the Gosport Summer Series 5k Race 2 on Tuesday evening after a day of Police training. This was an exciting race for me as I had looked at the the results of Race 1 the previous month and knew that if I ran as fast as I thought I could, and the other competitiors were the same then I stood a chance of winning my age category. This was the first race all year where there was something more to gain than just a PB or a medal and so the adrenaline was pumping as I stood on the start line. So much so that when the race started I went off at a blistering speed thinking that I was Mo Farah or something and was leading the pack for a good 5 metres! And then my body caught up with me and I realised that I couldn’t possibly keep up that pace and had to slow down a bit whilst what seeemed like the entire field passed me. H...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mud Bath!

I don’t like cross country. Ive never liked cross country. And so when I arrived at Harpenden 10k this morning and realised it was a cross country course a little part of me died inside. Coupled with lots and hills and mud it wasn’t going to make for an enjoyable run. Within two minutes of starting the race I was transported back to Year 7 cross country with Miss Jacques where we were forced to run around the cliffs of Whitburn. I didn’t like it then and it wasn’t much better today. But it is all for a good cause so I pushed myself around the four laps of the course slipping and sliding in the mud on the way. It was only around the half way point that I realised that the course was short. I dont know if it wasn’t measured correctly or whether the people I were following were cutting off corners but as I got to the last lap I had a decision to make. I wanted the race to be over but also, since this challenge is based on distance, felt I was cheating myself and my sponsors if I didn’t ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wish Me Luck, I’m Going to Need It!

It has been a really tough month in my marathon training and I am hoping my luck will change NOW! After the success of the Hampton Court Half Marathon I unfortunately had to take nine days off training due to a bad cold. Whilst I was annoyed that I was ill I thought “Well at least I am getting the illness over with now” I was wrong! Raring to go after my forced rest the Beast from the East had me running in -4 temperatures and forcing me into the gym to run on the treadmill which I absolutely hate. I managed to get out and run 16 miles once the snow had melted before being hit with the flu on Mother’s Day. We are 13 days on from then and I still have a chesty cough and have managed to pull the muscles around my ribs from coughing which is painful to say the least. Tomorrow is the Bedford 20. ‘20 Miles of Magic’ supposedly although I am currently sceptical! So what do I do? Should I withdraw from the race because running probably isn’t the best idea right now or should I give it a go...
Post a Comment
Read more