THIS WEEK HAS BEEN THE MADDEST WEEK YET.

 

 

So I am not going to set run down each day as to be honest I have no idea what I did each day.

 

At the start of the week I felt fine went out for my usual Monday run and everything was great. Then my knee started to hurt and I decided to rest so did not run for a couple of days. Then the madness started.

 

Its 230 miles from my house to Plymouth I know this because between Thursday evening and Friday night I drove it 4 times. Down , back , down and then back, All in the name of family and my insistence on helping  my cousin move house.

 

So by Saturday morning I was very tired and very fed up having not really run this week and having to go to reading for a half marathon.

 

So Sunday morning and the Reading  Half marathon – I know my training has gone quite well and today was a chance to see just how well. If I pushed my self I could hopefully beat my PB of 1:44hr, but with 10,000 other runners I was not that hopeful and decided I would just get my heart rate up and  see what happened. Once we started and I was off I thought right lots of people lets not get dragged in to racing to early.

 

My race can be broken down in to 3 or 4 pivotal moments

 

Mile 1 – I stop my watch by accident but restart it straight away, so did I do the first mile in 7:30 minutes, I know if I just add 8 minutes to my watch time I will be somewhere near.

 

Mile 4 – legs stop hurting, I start to feel comfortable

 

Mile 4.5  - I no longer feel comfortable, I hurt all over, but I am not going to let that annoying bloke in front of me finish before I do.

 

Mile 10 – I look at watch and think bloody hell I’m flying

 

Mile 10 – the last mile ten was really mile 9, the head explodes I really am going mad, now my time is awful, or is it to be honest I just don’t know any more. Now the old Mark would have given up here and started making excuses. But that was not on the cards today, So the 1:40 was out the window but I could at least try and beat my PB.

 

Mile 11 – I am most defiantly going dolalee coz if my watch +8 mins is right I could still be on for a sub 1:40. I know if I just push a little harder then at least I can hold my head up and say I tried.

 

The stadium finish – as I enter the stadium and finish the clock says 1:36 my watch says 1:27 + 8 minutes. I don’t care because I’m throwing up and I can not stand up.

 

8pm – check result chip time 1:34:53hr   WOO HOO WOO HOO

 

“ love this running lark”