December 15th 2009

It's over - all done and dusted - 12 half marathons, one every month, completed in 2009. Sadly went out with a wimper, rather than a bang, as I was still struggling with a nasty virus at Sunday's Turkey Trot so I didn't manage to run it all - but I still made it to the end, accompanied by the fabulous four - Michael, Baz, Matt and Russ. I want to say publicly that none of them would ever have got such a disgraceful time in a race if they hadn't been showing true friendship and sticking with me all the way round! Whether I'll ever forgive them for the masks they wore with my face blown up to about three times its normal size - including all wrinkles and other blemishes - is another matter!

Anyway, it's been a great year and a real sense of achievement - and relief - now it's over. There have been highs and lows and several times when I nearly gave up altogether, but I'm so glad I didn't. The public humiliation of failure to complete would have been slightly greater than that of coming last in more than one of the year's races, but I have raised a significant amount of money - and hopefully awareness - for a cause that is close to my heart.

So, that's it for now - thanks once again to everyone who has supported me during the year. A special thanks to my mum for everything she's done to help boost the funds (and just for being my mum), and to everyone who ran a race or two with me - Michael, Sarah, Rachel, Stacey, Tom, Baz, Matt and Russ. Thanks too to the many people who have stood in the freezing cold and torrential rain to cheer me on at various times - especially Michael, Linda Lee, Sally, Alistair, Tina, Julie, Liz and Robert. And a final thanks to my wonderful family and inspiration - David, Kate and Tom - who have put up with me all year round. xxx

December 4th 2009

Sorry to all my avid followers for the long silence, but I've been a bit busy trying to fit a few half marathons in to a very hectic schedule. Anyway, I'm absolutely delighted to announce that since I was last here, I have completed three more races - which means there is just one more to go before I complete the crazy challenge I set myself around this time last year.

Following on from my last update, I did indeed go to, and complete, the Macclesfield half marathon to make up for my earlier defeat in September in Budapest. It was a fairly tough course, with lots of hills, and I was as slow as usual, but the atmosphere was lovely and everyone really supportive.

Which is more than can be said for Amsterdam, which I think was probably my worst running experience to date! It was only a couple of weeks after Macclesfield, so I was feeling pretty tired anyway, but there was a cut off point of 3 hours, so I thought I'd just take it really steady. Because it was a big race, the starting time was staggered and, as usual, the slower runners start last, so it was around 2.15pm when I crossed the starting line.

All was going fine until about 13km, when two guys in a four-wheel drive pulled up beside me and asked if I could go any faster. I said not really, but it wasn't a problem as I was fine to get round in the 3 hours. But you have to finish by 5pm, they said. I protested mildly that this wasn't fair, as I'd only started at 2.15pm, but they shrugged their shoulders and said it was hard luck and I had to finish by 5pm because they needed to open the roads again.  From then on, the whole experience was really stressful, as I just felt really pressurised, which actually made it harder, rather than easier, to run any faster. The most miserable moment came at about 17km, when a police officer on a motorbike started shouting at me to run faster again and, when I repeated my defence that I'd only started at 2.15pm, he threatened to take me out of the race and called me 'Big Mouth!'

I have to confess that I stumbled along for the next kilometre in tears, but then I pulled myself together and finally arrived back at the stadium - along with a few other stragglers - just after 3pm, but well within 3 hours from when I started. What a warm welcome awaited those of us who had the audacity to be a bit on the slow side - no drinks, no food, no support - and not even a medal, as they'd run out! 

Apart from the race itself, the Amsterdam weekend was absolutely brilliant - there were 12 of us staying in 2 houseboats a stone's throw from the station and we had a great time, which made up for the misery of the run. I finally received my medal in the post a couple of weeks ago, along with a letter inviting me to share my views on the race, good or bad - they'll probably regret asking me for that!

And so, to November's race, last Sunday in Clowne. I have actually been struggling with a really nasty virus and, had it been a week earlier, there would have been no question - i simply wouldn't have been able to do it. However, I was so close to meeting my own challenge that I decided - urged on by my very own Ms Motivator Sarah - to give it a go and I did manage to get round. I only ran for about 8 miles and had to walk the rest as i was coughing pretty badly every time I started running, but I'm so pleased I went as I think I'd have felt really disappointed if I'd missed out by just one race, and especially so close to the end.

So, just next Sunday now - I'll be at the Turkey Trot in Keyworth, Lincolnshire, doing my best to speed up a bit, although I still haven't completely shaken off the virus and am still a bit wheezy. But the prospect of it all being over will, I'm sure, give me a bit of a boost.

Thanks once again to you all for your wonderful support throughout the year - I promise you it will be some time before I do anything like this again, so I won't be asking you for sponsorship for the foreseeable future!

September 21st 2009

It's been a while since I've updated the page and in that time, there have been two more races - Newark and Budapest.

Let's get Newark out of the way first - I think if I say I was overtaken by the man in the gorilla suit within two minutes of starting, you'll get the picture! It was a small field - less than 800, I think - a hideously hot day and really not a race for anyone other than the very serious runner (which, with the best will in the world, is not a phrase that could be used to describe me). That said, it was well organised and very friendly, just not what you'd call one of my speedier perfromances. But, I completed it, got the t-shirt - and that was number 8 in the bag.

I know I said when I started this that only serious illness or injury would prevent me from completing all 12 half marathons, but that was without taking into consideration the intransigence of the Budapest authorities! I hadn't realised when I signed up to this that there was a time limit of 2 hours, 30 minutes, so when my friend Deborah alerted me to it the week before, I knew there was going to be a problem. However, I naively assumed that I would be able to go as far as possible in the time and then, if I had a kilometre or two to go, I'd just be able to complete the course myself. Maybe I wouldn't get an official time, but I'd know I'd done it - and my lovely support team of Sally, Deborah, Tina, Tracey, Ann, Caroline and Becky would be able to provide independent corroboration.

Alas, it was not to be. Having successfully negotiated my way across the city to the start line, using the fantastic metro system, I collected my race number and asked the guy on the desk what would happen if I couldn't complete in the allotted time - would there be any flexibility? The answer was a resounding no. What could I do other than try my best to get as far as possible? So, that's what I did - aiming to run a steady pace of 7 minute kilometres, which would just about have got me round in time.

Not good enough, I'm afraid - by five kilometres, I became aware of an unwelcome presence beside me - the man on the bike whose job was, a little like the grim reaper, to let people know that their time was up and that they had to get on the bus. I was by no means the first one to be stopped, but after negotiating with him for about another half a kilometre, I accepted defeat and the humiliation of having my chip removed and a black cross drawn over my race number!

My firends were all waiting for me on the Liberty Bridge which was at about the 11km mark, by which time the bus was full of failed runners all enjoying quite a jolly, party-like atmosphere - after all, we no longer had to run 13.1 miles in the scorching heat. I got off the bus, met up with them, popped back to our flat for a shower and put the whole sorry experience behind me to have a fantastic weekend in Budapest.

Although everyone has reassured me that I tried and it's not my fault I didn't complete a race in September, it has still felt as if I have broken the spirit of my commitment - so I have now signed up to Macclesfield half marathon this Saturday which, all being well, will mean I do complete a full 13.1 miles in September. They too have a cut off point of 2 hours, 35 minutes, but I have spoken to them and am reassured that there will be a bit more scope to get to the end - and at least, even if I don't quite make it, there is no bus of humiliation to stop me in my tracks before the 2 hours, 35 minutes - so keep your fingers crossed for me!