I plunged right in the deep end and booked a charity place for the Great North Run and I had 16 weeks to train and get run fit!
I downloaded a beginners half marathon training plan and thought it would be all plain sailing after that! I was already fairly fit as I did various exercise classes and I walked a lot but once I started to run I realised how enormous the task was that I had taken on!
I followed my training plan and attempted to keep up with the mileage but this wasn't always easy as in the Summer my daughter (who was 15 at the time) had to have major back surgery and needed alot of care and couldn't be left alone.
However, despite all the obstacles that seemed to present themselves I continued on my journey and arrived very nervously on the start line at the GNR! I found this first race the hardest of any races I have done (but probably my proudest accomplishment!) and even though I proudly announced "Never Again!" at the finish line I was already hooked!
Two years down the line I am still running!
Tonight I did the same 3 mile route I did the very first day I ran, exactly 2 years ago today, to see how I had improved.
I am delighted to report that I have gone from a 11.14 min/mile pace in 2011 to 8.38 min/mile pace last year to 8.39 min/mile pace this year! Dead chuffed with that especially since I have maintained my pace even though I have been injured! 2012 run can be viewed here, and 2013 run can be viewed here.
According to my marathon plan tonights run was a 3 mile tempo (run as fast as you can maintain) run and I managed splits of 8:29, 8:43, 8:54.
Over the past 2 years, I have:
- spent a small fortune on running gear, and become addicted to buying trainers!
- invested in a treadmill!
- improved my pace from 11.14 to 8.27 min/miles.
- logged 1275 RUNNING miles.
- run 6 half marathons.
- improved my half marathon time by 23 minutes 56 seconds!
- run 5 x 10K races.
- run 2 x 10 mile races.
- run a full marathon and have entered a second!
- participated in a triathlon!
- run/walked a 40 mile ultra!
- blogged about running - OFTEN and had 13,549 page views!
- made lots of new running friends!
- discovered the misery of being injured and being unable to run!
- become very determined to succeed and improve!
- discovered the joys of a sports massage!
- become addicted to running and entering races!
amazed myself and my family with what I have achieved ... so far!
My only regret is I didn't discover the joys of running when I was younger, maybe then I would have achieved the speed I hanker after now!
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