Story
Hi everyone,
Thank you all so much for your support. You have raised an amazing £1,253.38 - Barclays will be matching this up to the value of £750 which means that the Alzheimer’s Society so far will be receiving £2,003.38! I have been bowled over by all of your generosity and support, and I really do appreciate it.
I finished the Great North Run in 2 hours 10 minutes and 52 seconds and for those of you that are into your stats my times and position results are below;
Results
Race Number: 44403
Overall Position: 17879
Age Group Position: 3113
Gender Position : 776
Finish Time 5k time 10k time 15k time
02:10:52 00:28:08 00:57:43 01:28:55
I also thought you might like to know how the big event went for me - so please see below my description of the run.
Sunday 20th September – Race Day Breakfast was at 6.30 and the cab was waiting for us at 7.15am to deliver us to the race day transfer bus for 7.35am. We arrived at the destination really quickly and first stop was the toilet, followed by putting our bags onto the baggage buses and checking out where our start positions were, then back to queue again for the loo. It was still cold at this time in the morning and my fingers were numb and I couldn’t warm them up until the run had almost started! Surprisingly, even though we arrived almost three hours before the start of the run the time went really quickly. Lining up in my group start position I started to feel a bit nervous, but then I was distracted by the ‘mass warm up’ which was quite funny as you really didn’t have any room to participate fully., and you could hear a lot of apologies where people had accidentally elbowed or kicked someone else. I also started reading the back of people’s shirts and felt really emotional when I read the reasons why people are running. At last the gun for the elite men and the masses (including me) went and I would like to say we were off, but as there are 54,000 people taking part you can imagine it wasn’t quite a sprint start for me! I reach the actual start line in about 16 minutes, but I did get to start running straight away at this point. It was a slow start as there were so many people and I had to keep myself in check and remember to just hold my pace as I would have used up too much energy too soon if I started trying to dodge round people. After about a mile I got a bit more space to run and I felt like I was running at my normal training pace. I was also surprised at this point to see people queuing for the loos on route; we all deliberately went just before the start of the run as the 3 of us felt the worst thing would be to have to stop for a toilet break when you are just in your stride. At this point there is a man dressed as a tree in front of me (I was determined to pass him) and Spiderman was just behind me. Feeling good so far, and there were lots of people cheering us all on and also by now I mainly had my own space to run in with just the odd person running into my path. Just before I crossed the the Red Arrows did a fly past which was very cool. The sun was out and although it did make it a bit hot for running it also made it perfect viewing for the red arrows. Mile 2 and so far it had been all running downhill, and I had half a mile of uphill (luckily nothing that I hadn’t done in training) to do before another half mile of down hill then a full two miles uphill! This did test me. This took me to mile 5 and at this point my ankle was beginning to hurt a bit (I should confess at this stage that I had hurt my foot last Sunday on my training run, and still felt it twinge on my last run on Thursday – but I had made the decision that I was still going to do the GNR….. I had trained for so long….also I was hoping it would go away after two days of no training). At this point I knew that the next three miles were going to be downhill, and this gave me the motivation to ignore my ankle and also when I got to mile 6 the Alzheimer’s Society cheering bus was there with all their volunteers cheering on everyone really loudly and one of the girls shouted out my name (my correct name and not the name I have spelt out on my shirt!). This gave me a huge boost and definitely got me through another couple of miles. By mile 9 my ankle was hurting with every step and my pace was starting to slow and I felt a little apprehensive about finishing. Then I thought about how generous you have all been, and that actually I had made it to mile 9 which is much more than half way and this thought got me though to mile 10 where there was a Bupa Boost point, (which is basically about 200 yards of very loud motivational music and lots of people to shout and cheer you on, and a DJ reminding you that 10 miles were behind you and only 3 miles to go)….. I was now thinking “3 miles…… I have even managed a 3 mile run when I used to smoke, I can definitely carry on and finish!” The next 3 miles were a bit of a blur as it was a mixture of determination to ignore my ankle and finish, the kindness of the locals who had set up their own water stands on route and had made cakes and bought jelly babies to give out and also the fact that the taxi driver this morning had told us that at mile 12 a local pub sets up a lager stand and gives out free drinks!.........it’s not true!! But by the time I had realised this I was on the home stretch and I promise you if I had to beg someone for a piggy back I was going to cross that finish line! I finally got to the finish and found enough energy to throw my arms above my head in elation, at this point you feel like laughing and crying. I then kept walking to get my medal and foil blanket, which I struggled to open up and then a lady came and helped me tie it up and I felt like bursting into tears, I managed to hold it together and thank her and made my way to the baggage bus (which felt like a mile away when all I wanted to do was sit down!). Although looking back I think this walk, as well as a complimentary massage courtesy of the volunteers for Muscular Distrophy saved my muscles from tightening up as I didn’t feel any stiffness after or on Monday/Tuesday of last week. I was also lucky enough to finish in time to see the red arrows do another display, which looked awesome with no clouds in the sky, before going to the Alzheimers Charity Tent to receive my pat on the back and have my photo taken. I then went to wait for Sarah and Laura sat in the sun. Sarah's Mum was there and she bought us all some lovely Thornton's chocolate that said 'well done' and then our names, and I felt emotional again! We spent the rest of the afternoon replacing the lost calories and chatting about the race and by the time we were on the train home we caught ourselves talking about what we would do differently if we were to run again next year!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great North Run - Training Diary - Sunday 26th July – Saturday 19th September
Sunday 26th July
I did a 12k run today, all the way from my flat to , which also includes running up a hill! I actually felt better running that far than I expected to, although I ran slower than I would normally. The really good news is that I did not feel one ounce of guilt when I later stuffed my face at a barbecue and then ate 10 Baileys laced profiteroles :) Monday 27th July Rest Day……woo hoo! Tuesday 28th July No running again today, but I did do a gym class as the gym instructors have told me it is a good idea to mix up the training and not run more than 3 times a week as it is a high impact exercise. NB: this class was harder than doing the 12k run on Sunday! Wednesday 29th July Back to running, but this time on the treadmill. The training plan that I have recommends doing short runs in the week and one long run at the weekend. So today I ran for 5k at a steady 10k per hour with some 1 minute sprints after 15 minutes. Thursday 30th July Run club with the gym today, which is a bit nicer as we run outside and there are other people, although I can’t do much talking as A) most of the others are faster runners than me and B) I don’t have enough breath towards the end of the class. Friday 31st July Gym again today, no running though, just an uphill walk on the treadmill. Apparently the Great North Run is known for some difficult inclines so I want to get my leg muscles used to the hard work. Saturday 1st August Rest day again…..yeah! FYI - My friend has told me that apparently along the route of the GNR there is a bridge from which local kids throw stuff at the runners. It is a bit of a tradition allegedly…….. I am hoping it is cuddly toys rather than bricks and I am definitely going to practice more sprints! If anyone is able to confirm or deny this please let me know :)Sunday 2nd August I the same 12k run today as I did last Sunday - from my flat to , I added an extra few hundred metres to the route, and felt okay at the end of it again this week. Monday 3rd August Rest Day……luurrrrve rest days! Tuesday 4th August Gym class this morning, - ‘Total Body Circuits’. They have changed the Instructor but the class was still harder than my long run on Sunday! Wednesday 5th August Back to running - on the treadmill. A short run today and I decided that I would run for 1k at 12kph then 1k at 10kph until I got to 5k, ……however after the second kilometre at 12kph I decided that I would do the remaining 2 kilometres at 10kph! Thursday 6th August The Instructor for the Run club with the gym was off today, the receptionist said that the other runners still meet and run together, but I decided to decline as they all seem to run much faster than me! So back to the treadmill for a 30 minute run, this time varying the gradients. Friday 7th August Out for drinks after work last night so I have absolutely no intention of going anywhere near the gym today J I have also decided that not only does drinking affect my running the running affects my drinking as I got drunk very early last night!
Saturday 8th August
I decided to do my long run today as I did not go to the gym yesterday and also I have a busy day tomorrow. I did the same route that I have done for the last two Sundays but it was really hard work. I had to stop and walk for 5 mins - twice - before I even got to my usual half way point. Managed to run about 10k in total, but a little disappointed with today’s effort and I am not sure whether to blame it on; 1. Two nights out drinking 2. The heat of the Sun this afternoon 3. The KFC I had for lunch a couple of hours ago Whatever it was, I am definitely not going to drink alcohol or eat KFC in the days before the actual GNR, and I have my fingers crossed that as it is in September it won’t be too hot.
Sunday 9th August
Rest Day.
Monday 10th August
I still didn’t feel quite right after the run on Saturday, but tried to do some running on the treadmill. I had to stop running again and walk so I just did some up hill walking on the treadmill instead. This is making me nervous for the big day
Tuesday 11th August
I have decided not to go to the gym class today and see if another rest day will get me back to ‘normal’
Wednesday 12th August
This has turned into another ‘rest day’ - From first thing this morning till about 8pm I kept saying to myself that I would do a run today to see how I feel……. it has not happened, this, I know, is down to laziness!
Thursday 13th August
Booked myself into the lunchtime run club at the gym, before any ‘lazy’ thoughts crossed my mind! I found it tough going again today, but managed not to stop and walk at any point. The good news is I found more energy when I got back to my desk as Paul M had bought us all Krispy Kreme donuts for his Birthday…..yum :0
Friday 14th August
I didn’t want to do a run today, but I booked myself into the ‘Body Combat’ gym class before I could talk myself into doing nothing. It is good fun, even if I am the most uncoordinated person in the class ;)
Saturday 15th August
Rest Day…..this week has been mostly rest days…..very naughty
Sunday 16th August
I managed to run 12k again today, no stopping to walk……yeah! Then round to my sisters for a huge Sunday dinner and some of her Birthday cake
Monday 17th August
Rest Day
Tuesday 18th August
Total Body Circuits at the Gym today.
Wednesday 19th August
OMG! Just received an email for Bupa Great North Run reminding me that there is 1 month to go……eeek ……motivated into going for a run!
Interval training today, alternating between running for 1k at 10kph and 1k at 12kph until I got to 5k.
Thursday 20th August
I couldn’t make the Gym lunchtime Run club today so I went for a run once I got home……it was a supreme effort to force myself into my running clothes as I really just wanted to veg out in front of the tv!
Friday 21st August
Body combat gym class, I have improved on last week and my arms and legs seem to be moving in the same direction as everyone else today, although still a little out of time :)
Saturday 22nd August
The email from Bupa said that I should be able to run 8 miles quite comfortably at this stage of the training, I have been running 12k which is about 7 and a half miles, so I need to step it up quite a lot as I now only have 4 weeks to go! I am running today as my Brother is having Birthday drinks this evening and I don’t want to try and do a long run tomorrow with a hangover!
I managed to run 10 miles and felt okay, although it was a slowish time for me, but has given me a confidence boost
Sunday 23rd August
Rest day, barbecue at my Brothers and it is a beautiful Sunny day….what more could a girl ask for!
Monday 24th August
Rest Day…..okay you caught me, today should have been a training day as I had a rest day yesterday……. I promise this will be the last time I skive….honestly :)
Tuesday 25th August
Total Body Circuits at the Gym today.
Wednesday 26th August
Thought I would give the pilates class a try today, (if it is good enough for Beckham its definitely good enough for me), you should all give it a go…..it doesn’t feel like you are exercising ….no sweating, no jumping around, I love it!
Thursday 27th August
Went for a run this morning as I couldn’t make the run club lunchtime as we are having a Team burger lunch today.
Friday 28th August
Body combat gym class, I have improved on last week and my arms and legs seem to be moving in the same direction as everyone else today, although still a little out of time :)
Saturday 29th August
Rest Day
Sunday 30th August
Ran 11 miles today, and again felt okay, so it is looking good for the run. Then off to my friends pub for a barbecue and the great news is that their customers sponsored me in return for a free barbecue and I have got an extra £65 to add to my total….woo hoo
Monday 31st August
Rest day……..yeah! (I needed it, I was very hung over due to copious amounts of cocktail shots produced by the barman that works in the Grapes Pub….who, by the way, is better at juggling bottles of booze than Tom cruise in Cocktail!)
Tuesday 1st September
OMG it’s September today…... the run is now this month! Back to the gym for the Body Circuits class.
Wednesday 2nd September
No pilates class today as although this is the easiest class I have done in the gym, it is still not as easy as stuffing my face in Jamies Italian with the rest of my team! However I was very disciplined and made myself go for a run in the morning instead.
Thursday 3rd September
Run club at lunchtime, I now have a running partner for this class i.e. someone else who can’t run as fast as the others in the class - hee hee – still, I am getting further along the route before we have to turn back.
Friday 4th September
No running today as I took part in the Barclays/UNICEF Step Into the Night Charity Event and walked 10 miles with Rob, Paul and Cathy all around . It was really good fun and I enjoyed it, maybe because I am now used to running that sort of distance. Check out the photo of us at the start line, we managed to complete the walk in just under 3 hours. If you did have some cash left over after sponsoring me for this event please do feel free to part with some more at http://www.justgiving.com/MidnightMavericks/ .......I know, I am very cheeky, but it is another very good cause.
Saturday 5th September
Rest Day – I went to Newquay with my friends for surfing, so I was getting a bit of exercise……falling of the surf board into the water!
Sunday 6th September
Another day surfing, still lots of falling in the water, but not as much as yesterday :) No running today, although trying to walk against waves to get back out to sea was enough exercise in itself.
Monday 7th September
Back on the treadmill at the gym this morning, I should definitely have gone for an evening run instead. When I first got on the treadmill I didn’t think I was going to manage to run for more than 2 minutes! Pushed through and manage to do 30 minutes, and felt better as the time went on.
Tuesday 8th September
No running today, early mornings and late nights on both weekend days has made me feel really tired, snoozed my alarm about 10 times this morning and then told myself I would run when I got home, but it just didn’t happen. Early to bed instead to catch up on some sleep.
Wednesday 9th September
I was going to do an Evening run around the park today, but then I remembered that I am going to watch v tonight…woo hoo …..went for a run this morning instead.
Thursday 10th September
Rest day, tips from BUPA say that in the last week or two you should ease up on the training, I am sort of pleased about this but it also makes me nervous….not sure why as I am sure I won’t suddenly forget how to run if I do shorter/less runs between now and the 20th!
Friday 11th September
Uphill walking on the treadmill today, moving gradually up to a 15% gradient. I am trying to make sure that I am comfortable with any inclines that the GNR throws at me!
Saturday 12th September
Rest day, and the first of my Birthday celebrations. Went out for an Indian meal with Carol, Mike, Rachel and Mark, who all had the brilliant idea of getting me some foot treatments for my Birthday for after the run. This will come in very handy next Sunday night.
Sunday 13th September
I did an 8 mile run up to Hainault Forest and back, by coincidence The Alzheimer’s Society were in Hainault Forest for one of the Memory walks that they organise…..yes it did cross my mind that this is what I should have signed up for instead of a half marathon!
Monday 14th September
Rest day and dinner with my friend Gill who was the person who asked me to choose Alzheimer’s as my nominated charity. I feel extra motivated after seeing her :)
Tuesday 15th September
Gym class this morning and off to the Theatre tonight with 9 of my favourite people to see Mama Mia, if you haven’t already been, go and see it. We all thought it was brilliant
Wednesday 16th September
It’s my Birthday! So definitely no training today. As I cannot really drink this close to the big day I am, instead, going to eat loads! Going for a team lunch to Pizza express and tonight I am going to dinner with Tina & Jo and having the biggest desert on the menu, yummy :)
Thursday 17th September
Run club at the gym ….my last run before the big day! Only 3 day to go now……omg!
I have checked the weather for Sunday (see below) and it looks like it is going to be good running conditions for my first half marathon, but you know how quickly the British Weather changes so keep you fingers crossed for me.
Weather for Sunday 20th September
Sunday morning will break in much the same way as Saturday – cool but dry! Once again the main feature of the day’s weather will be some persistent cloud with relatively few sunny periods. However, with light winds again, temperatures will climb to about 17 degrees, slightly warmer in any sunny spells! So at present, it looks as though it will be ideal running conditions
OMG, the run is tomorrow! No training again today, all energy is being conserved ready for tomorrow…..ooooh, I feel nervous when I say that out loud! Packing my stuff this morning ready to get the midday train from Euston
I received my name letters to iron on to my Alzheimer’s top a couple of weeks ago, but decided that I would iron them on this morning to make sure that I didn’t accidentally wash them off. First thing this morning after I woke I got my top ready and placed the letters so that they were nice and straight. I then decided to iron them on one at a time so it would be easier to iron them on in a straight line. All went well with the ‘B’, then when I was ironing on the ‘E’ I forgot that I had placed the other letters (not very far) out of the way lower down the top, and had started ironing on the corners of the L and the N lower down the top! After 10 mins of trying to prize the letters off (a little bit ruined, but forgivable) I then lost concentration and ironed on the ‘L’ (correct) but then ironed on the ruined ‘N’, (because I still had it in my hand) instead of the ‘I’ so my name now reads Belnida on my top instead of Belinda! I can’t wait to hear someone attempt to cheer me on by name; I can’t stop giggling at my idiocy! Perhaps I should have just asked for the letters that spell out ‘Buffoon’!
I am sharing a room with my two friends Sarah and Laura. (Sarah and Laura are both running for the Muscular Dystrophy charity) The good news (for me) was that Laura also had a bit of nightmare ironing her name onto her top …. Her R went a bit wrong and she had to make it out of other letters so her name looked something like this………
LAURA
Although to be fair, at least she still spelt it correctly!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi
Thanks for taking the time to visit my fundraising page, I do appreciate it and hope that you can spare some money to help me raise funds for this very worthy charity.
Despite the above photo I have been doing some training although this has mainly been 5k runs with the odd 10k run when I haven't had a hangover on a Sunday. I am aiming to complete the run in 2 hours (I feel nervous just typing that!) and I now have 8 weeks to really knuckle down to some serious training. The event takes places in Newcastle on Sunday 20th September
As this run is a huge challenge for me.......13.1 miles......yes 13.1 miles! and because a friend has asked me to, and because it is such a worthy cause, I have decided to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society.
Alzheimer's Society is the 's leading care and research charity for people with dementia and those who care for them. There are 700,000 people with dementia in the with numbers set to rise to one million by 2025. Money donated to Alzheimers is spent on research including stem cell research, early diagnosis, risk factors, vaccines and alternative and complementary therapies. They also provide helpline services to offer reassurance and a sympathetic listening ear, as well as up-to-date information and advice on all aspects of living with dementia.
Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Alzheimer's Society gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.
Thank you for your support.
Belinda xx
23/7/2009