Great North Run - DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So the Great North Run was completed and now seems like a distant memory. I was going to blog the very next day summarising my experiences but wasn't totally sure how I felt.

Having given it a couple of weeks, I now finally understand what it all meant and just how much I've learnt.

It was my first ever proper race and I can now see I was like a rabbit caught in headlights. Getting a lot of advice from different places but not really sure what to take in and what to ignore. Then with three weeks to go I dropped my training programme completely. So in short, the day itself was one big pile of pain.

Without proper training I somehow made it around the course and am ashamed to say would have given up after mile 8 if I was given the option. Somehow despite refusing to give up my social life and dropping the runs, I still got a 1hr, 40mins, 45sec, which I was thrilled with, especially as my target was 2 hours (and on the morning of the race I didn't think even that was possible).

So would I do it again? Well if I'd of written this the day after, the answer would of been no. I learnt some big lessons and feel I got off lightly by beating my target.

Upon reflection I'd love to do it again. I've even got my trainers back out to start running. The Geordies were fantastic and the support throughout the whole race was immense. Young and old took to the streets to cheer on people they didn't know and help give them the will to finish.

My leg hurt so much that with just over 800 meters to go, I stopped for a second time. I felt like I couldn't go any further. If it hadn't been for the sheer determination of some Grandma urging me on and threatening to come over the barrier and push me over that finish line I don't know what would have happened. I got going again and thought I was dreaming when I saw the time.

However being the competitive sort I now wonder what might have been if things were different.

Completely my own fault I busted my right glute and badly bruised my right foot so set off like a train so I could get it done with quickly. The first three miles I was running with a mate and we posted 22mins at 3 miles. I continued to gather pace and around mile 4, having urged my mate along, set off without him continuing around 7.30 a mile. My split shows my last 3 miles were roughly 8.40 each.

So where to now? Well hopefully I'll start training properly, maybe including a few more longer runs. My aim: to somehow get into the 1.30's. Is it possible? I'll have no idea until I try.

One final thing. After all of this there is probably only one piece of advice I'm in any position to give. The sachets of Lucozade recovery made a huge difference in how my leg muscles felt the next day, taking those after racing and for the training runs without question improved my recovery times.

I'm going to start back with my rugby team in a couple of weeks and will certainly be trying those sachets after each match.

The final week!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, we’re into the final week and as the TV commercials start rattling on about what a huge day it’s going to be, I’m actually starting to get nervous. Having never run any sort of race before I’m not 100% sure what to expect. What’s worse is that having pounded the streets on a regular basis, the onset of the Rugby World Cup and certain deadlines at work, have meant that I have only managed two runs in the last three weeks. I did my final run last night – 13 miles in 1.48. If I could get anywhere close to that on the day, I’d be chuffed. However given the lack of practice I can now hardly move!! Time to get the ice packs out!

Listening to advice from other’s who have done the GNR before, I have now knocked all further training into touch and am just trying to stock up on the carbs but more importantly, not to worry about the run and just get on and enjoy it. The only thing left outstanding, is how to properly prepare for the morning itself. We cross the starting line at 10am - am I going to have enough time to get a meal in without it affecting my race?!!!

Great North Run

29, live in Richmond, first run (well apart from ‘Race the Train’ – I happened to be on the beers in Wales and found out this crazy run was taking place. You basically had to beat the train back from the Welsh Valley’s to the coast).

Fitness history? Play rugby for London Scottish, occasionally football but with work taking up loads of time, my fitness went down hill. Now with a goal in sight I’ve been running three times a week and hope to finish in 2 hours.