LIVERPOOL HALF

After the wedding reception, returning hens, rowdy stags, rather uncomfortable beds, strange pillows and snatched moments of sleep filled with anxiety dreams, it was somewhat of a relief when six o'clock arrived and it was time to get up! Sitting on our beds eating our instant porridge gruel out of plastic pots and feeling slightly sick (not entirely related to the porridge) it was hard to find a reason why we were doing this - returning to the hotel several hours later we wouldn't have been anywhere else!

Having decided after Brighton that we needed to run our own races, but having done all of our training together, I was in the situation of setting off with a loosely put together 'strategy' but without any idea of whether it would work.  I decided on a (I think it's called) negative split approach where I would run the first four miles at around nine and a half minute miles, the middle four at nine and the last five at eight and a half to get me an average of just under nine minute miles and the chance of going sub two hours!

woman in fetching green vest looking rather nervous can be spotted on lhs of pic

This was a fairly nice way to start the race and it definitely stopped me from setting off too fast. I had the pleasure of running behind Elvis and one of the 'Fab Four' (although still not altogether sure which one) for the first few miles, but had to leave them behind when it came time to up my pace, only to have them overtake me again when I had to stop for a wee around mile five. Rejoining the race I couldn't help but feel like Dougal after he'd stopped to poo at parkrun as I desperately tried to regain my place in the pack, and clocked up my fastest mile of the day!

By mile eight I was on top of the world and decided that I ought to ring Al (whilst still running) so he could share in this rare moment of happiness - good job I didn't wait as by mile nine I was spent! It was a long and gruelling final four miles home but by now I had made a deal with myself - if I could finish in under two hours I would never have to do it again...

I am going to run/walk in London and enjoy the day for the experience that it is, and at sub two hours I would allow myself to run/walk in Glasgow to train for it!

So I ran through the pain, gave it my best shot, smiled at the 'Well Done Barnardo's' cheer and crossed the finish line in a time my Garmin suggests might be under two, but the 'auto pause' whilst I went for my wee might have pushed me over... worse still by the time I went to bed at half ten there still weren't any results to put me out of my misery!

Slightly emotional at the end and thoroughly overjoyed to see HMG appear through the crowds heading towards our designated meeting place our second half marathon experience was complete!

An afternoon spent in the spa worked wonders for our aching limbs and the taxi ride from the hotel to the station was the best £5 I've ever spent! Especially as it meant we were homeward bound, where my family, a nice meal and (dare I say on this occasion) most importantly my own bed awaited my return.

Only sixteen weeks till we do it all again!

PS Clearly need to learn how to read a gradient graph before I get worried about steep inclines - the hill didn't even come close to what we tackle at parkrun!

M - 314

Liverpool Half minus zero!

Glasgow - 112
Distance covered             13.1 miles

Total Distance covered   684.8 miles