My big bro following in my footsteps...

   NOT QUITE!

                                       

My big brother announced to me today that he was taking part  in the

Bath Half Marathon, shocked as he is not Mr Fit or Mr Motivater I

 said "YOU, doing a half marathon?".  He smirked and said 

"Yes, the Bath Half ...Pint Marathon!" - participants drink

13 half pints of beer in 13 different pubs!  What a cop out!  

I am 150% sure that my big brother will succeed in this challenge! I wonder if he will get a PB?! lol  Perhaps I will put it on my 2013 Challenges "To Do" list! 

Its on the night before the REAL Bath half Marathon - I hope no one is tempted to do both! It should be on the night of the Half Marathon then people could go for a double award!  

I didn't run last night, but went to my usual Steps class instead!  I wasn't really in the mood for going as I am full of cold, but I manned up and went - equipped with tissues! When I was researching to find out whether I should run or rest with a cold whilst following a half marathon training plan I read something that put a wry grin on the face of my couch potato family, who are allergic to any form of physical activity more vigorous than standing in a queue for a pizza- an internet site claimed that "Excessive amounts of exercise can actually depress the immune system and lead to ill health", it went on to say "For the majority of people who enjoy exercise in moderation, the immune system benefits from an increased resilience to invading bacterial and viral illnesses, However, for the serious fitness enthusiast or runner preparing for an endurance race who spend many hours every week in training, the immune system is compromised"

Does this mean I am over-doing it?. Or is it the fact I work with 30 snotty faced 4 year old darlings that's to blame for my Rudolf impersonation?  

I really don't want to compromise my chances at Liverpool in 11 days time by not being fully fit but as I firmly believe my cold is due to the kids and not over-training I still went for a run tonight. So ... how did I get on...?  Well it was a damp cold evening, but it was still fairly light when I set off!  Due to tapering now for the Liverpool Half Marathon AND feeling a bit crap I decided to keep it fairly short tonight!  I don't know what was going on tonight but I seemed to see 101 dalmatians  runners!  I think all the summer runners must have got their backsides into gear and started running again!  Very strange considering it was such a cold damp night!  The mild weather we have experienced in the last few days must have coaxed them all out!!!  I kept a fairly constant pace (even on the up hills which pleased me!) and managed  4.60 miles in 42 minutes! 


On another note - 


I'm such a chicken when it comes to entering races or doing something new - whether running or cycling!  Whenever I think about trying a different distance or course I have all these silly irrational fears of getting lost and coming last! People always try to calm my fears by saying "You won't be last" , but someone has to be, which is why I enter BIG events - less chance of coming last and plenty people to follow so I don't get lost!

After completing one half Marathon, and having already entered another half marathon and a full marathon later in the year I have now decided I want to do a 10K event.(My husband who acts as my chauffeur for these events is shaking his head and is hoping I find one to enter close to home!).  I very very nearly entered the "We love Manchester 10K" event in June as I have never done a 10K race before and quite fancied it!  BUT then I noticed

- shock, horror -  

they don't give out medals!!!!  Am I being very shallow and childish to want to get a medal at the end?!!!  I don't think I will get the same satisfaction without a bit of bling to hang around my neck!!!  Even when I did the Race for Life and Midnight Starwalk I got a blingy medal! Someone needs to tell the organisers of  the "We love Manchester 10K" that we would love them more in return for a medal!  So what do I do? Be satisfied with the T shirt and enter? Be satisfied with the t shirt, enter and then buy my own medal?, or think sod it and enter a 10K which will satisfy my bling fetish?!


I'm not running tomorrow night as its stretching and core strengthening at Pilates.  Back out on the streets on Friday!