Sunday
16th September
Distance:
13:1miles
Time:3:01:16
Avg
Speed: 4.34mph
Avg
Pace:13.82min/mile
Calories
burned:1130
The
Great North Run
Well!
All those months ago when in a moment of drunken weakness I suggested that
Jonny entered the Great North Run -ultimately he didn’t but I did. Since
January I have been trotting out every Saturday morning at 6.30am and covering
varying distances from an early faltering stop start 2 miles up to my most
recent 9.7mile Otley runs.
Finally
after 9 months of training the week of the run arrived. I had been to the
Paralympics at the weekend previous and watched these amazing humans who did
not let the fact that they had no legs prevent them from running, or being armless
as a bar to swimming, or blindness prevent playing football, in short I knew
that there was no reason why I should not trot along through 13.1 miles of the
North East.
As
the date drew nigh I was unable to do any running during the last 2 weeks
before the big day due to complexities of life, working, and general
unwillingness to go out. I won’t say I was running scared but there was a
certain element of pre-race collywobbles. These only served to grow as the
final week went on. I spent the week carb loading as I knew I was going to have
to call on my energy reserves. My mind set was not so much low but anxious I
suppose it was fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of letting everyone
down. Fear itself.
My
Raison D’etre, son and heir and myself travelled up to Durham where we met up
with the son and heir’s long suffering girlfriend who had just flown back from Spain.
We were booked to stop overnight at a training college. The room was cheap and
clean with very basic amenities yet all I needed was a bed and the chance to
sleep, or at least that was the plan!!!
“To
sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;” Hamlet Act 3 Scene 1. Could I sleep? Could I jiggery?
We
had been out for something to eat and due to appalling service it was after 9pm
before we ate. Too late, the words of my wise old mum came to mind “Never eat
after 7pm it will keep you awake” that was factor 1 in the list of reasons why
on the night before a half marathon I didn’t see a wink of sleep until 3.30am!
·
Factor
2 twin beds. Me and my Raison d’etre are snugglers and I need the proximity of
him to soothe me. We eventually solved this factor by pushing the beds
together.
·
Factor
3 pillows. I had taken my foam support pillow with me which I generally use
under a softer pillow. The one provided here was dead to say the least.
·
Factor
4 the drains. The shower in the en suite had an aroma to say the least. Now one
thing I do have is a hyper sensitive nose and if I get a bad smell up my nose
then it can have a powerful effect on me. Cue me stuffing moisturiser up my
nose and covering my face with my towel that smelt of my own washing, all to no
avail. I could still smell it.
·
Factor
5 my brain was buzzing and all sorts of endorphins and adrenalin were coursing
through my body. I counted sheep, I counted runners, I counted counting. Still
no sleep.
·
Factor
6 because I was so restless I was keeping my Raison D’etre awake and because I
was keeping him a wake my guilt at doing so played with my brain and kept me
awake = vicious circle.
·
Factor
7 the more I tried to sleep the more I stayed awake. Cue a variety of sure fire
tried and tested nodding off schemes. I had finished my book earlier in the
evening, so that was out (with hindsight I should have just started it again).
I plugged my ipod in and listened to my smooth songs that normally have me in
the land of nod by track 6. By track 8 I was singing along in my head and
waiting for the next song! Next ploy was to tune the ipod into Classic FM I
figured that classical music would smooth my twitching brain. It did initially
but then as each track came to an end the voice of the presenter caused me to
spark up and listen to who composed it, why, where, when and who was playing
it. A couple of other sure fire methods also failed.
·
Factor
8 the dawn chorus started. Man those blackbirds are noisy little buggers!
·
Factor
9 my bladder went into hyper drive sending me to the loo every 20 minutes or
so.
Cue
the scene of me sitting on the bed crying. “I won’t be able to do it (sob) my
legs will be too tired (sob) how can I run 13.1 miles on no sleep (sob) I won’t
be able to do it (sob) all those months of training (sob) all those people who
have sponsored me sob, sob, sob.” At this point I think my Raison D’etre was
exhausted with both the situation and me. He gently told me I had to try and
settle and get some rest. So we swapped beds and I set myself down. I remember
3.30 but think that I was asleep –if fractious- but asleep soon after. I was
then awake again at 6am with all my systems pumping and ready to go. I don’t
think I was tired but I was nervous.
So
the day that I had been working towards for so long was finally here. The
college provided a runner’s breakfast, I picked at yoghurt and nibbled a banana
but I did not really want to eat. At 8am I bade a fond farewell to my Raison
D’etre and the son and heir’s long suffering girlfriend, both of whom I and my
son and heir would not see again till the end of the race. Me and my boy
boarded the college mini bus which was full of chatty runners, we two were both
less than chatty as he like me had had trouble sleeping for him it was factors
3 and 4 that affected his visit to the biblical place known as Nod. So we sat
together and tried to zone out the bus banter. Although I was amazed to hear
one woman say she had done no running just that she walked to work and rode a
bike sometimes! Ah ha I thought I won’t be last! The bus delivered us to the
metro station where we opted to catch the bus. Once on, the bus then drove us
to a drop off place where we simply joined the crowds and made our way lemming
like to the start line.
We
walked for what seemed like ages to get to the start line I had a 40 minute
queue for the portaloo! The run is so very well organised that you find the bus
with your code number and leave your bags on it the only trouble with this is
that you are then exposed to the elements in nothing but your running T shirt.
More seasoned runners go in old hoodies etc and discard them as they cross the
start line thus keeping their body heat in. As novice I didn’t have this
insight and consequently I had a 90 minute wait to get going , a wait that was
not only chilly but wet due to the drizzling rain. My son and heir and I had
parted company at the start gates as he was designated to be in a different
gate due to his race time prediction. He had predicted 2- 2.5 hours I had
predicted post 3 hours so I was in the last pen. However you know me I had no
intention of being in the last pen. I watched as the marshals turned away
people from the wrong gates so I waited for the opportunity as they were
distracted and walked in behind another group and hey-ho no longer in the last
pen!
I
waited for an eternity before I eventually shuffled forward towards the start
line. It took me over an hour to pass the start. I tried to avoid getting into
chummy chats with other runners, not normal for me I know I would normally chat
to anyone but my sleep deprived state and nerves made me anti-social. I wanted
to focus, not make running buddies. By the time I got going the elite runners
had all finished I did manage to hi-five Greg Rutherford and Nicola Adams at
the start post and I spotted myself doing it on the TV coverage later in the
day.
Eventually
I got going. 40,000+ runners and me, all trundling upwards through the North
East. I repeat UPWARDS! I had been warned that the course was hilly. HILLY,
HILLY! It was absolutely relentless. I no sooner got to the crest of a hill
only to be greeted by the view of yet another one looming. There seemed to be
no point where I was going downhill. I kept thinking ‘OK! At the top of this
hill I will be able to make up some time and go down a bit.’ Ha! How wrong was
I? My poor, little. old legs. They kept going, they kept carrying me onwards ever
upwards. At about the 4 mile mark I needed the toilet again. I always need a
wee after about 3-4 miles today was no different I looked at the queue for the
portaloos and decided that I did not want to waste that amount of time so I ran
on a bit and spotted a cabin behind one of the music tents, there was a short
queue of 4 people however the one in the cabin was taking an eternity and as I
looked towards the road all I could see was runners passing. So I did what any
self-respecting distance runner does and I popped into the bushes!
The
weather was cool, breezy and showery, yet we all kept going. We are all issued
with a race number that is pinned to the front and you also get one for your
back, upon which there is room to say why you are running. I was struck by just
how many charities were represented particularly cancer ones. However there
were countless other ones I lost count of how many but they included, Shelter,
Christian aid, Oxfam, Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone, Guide Dogs, NSPCC,
RNIB, RNLI to name but a few. I passed other MD runners like myself, there were
130 of us. Along the way the charities have cheer points were supporters can
gather and generally make a noise. This cheers you along; there are also music
points where bands play all adding to the atmosphere which is so supportive.
The crowds are fabulous they read your name from your bib and cheer you on;
others stand there with oranges, sweets, biscuits and hold them out to you. One
lady was stood with a loo roll and at that point my nose was running and I was
very grateful for it. The children stand by the road with their hands held out
waiting for the hi-fives from the runners, St John Ambulance are in position at
first aid points and also by the road with tubs of Vaseline for those runners
blistering or chaffing. I was surprised by how many people were wearing new
trainers, not a wise move consequently there was a lot of folk in the first aid
tents applying plasters.
The
most amazing thing was the variety of human types taking part. All ages from
18+, one man was in his 80’s and doing his 30th run, there were
little old ladies, even older than me, people in fancy dress which for some
folk must have been unbearably hot, some people were pushing wheelchairs up
those hills, blind runners with guides, heart patients with support runners,
some very large folk who had to be admired for putting themselves through such
a traumatic day and every one wearing their hearts on their backs. ‘I am doing
this for my mum…my nanna… my dad….my son… my daughter…. Every so often I read
one that brought the tears, ‘I am doing this for my daughter who would have
been 20 today’
The
bibs you wear identify you not only to the crowd but to the cameras too and
along the way they take your photos and video your progress which you can
purchase after the race, this along with the computer tag you attach to your
shoes all serve to monitor your progress. I was checking my own progress on my
tracker but due to the rain at the start it was not working properly. At one
point I looked at my watch and thought I was already at 3 hours and felt
deflated that I was so far off target. I checked my watch again a little later
and realised that I was at 2 hours not 3 a quick calculation had me realise
that I was on track to do about 3 hours which was 30 minutes better that I had
originally predicted. Once I had worked out that I was in good time my legs
found new enthusiasm. At the 9 mile marker I knew I was almost there and I knew
I would finish my legs felt good, my feet were strong, no aches or pains. I
could see other runners struggling but I knew I was strong enough to finish.
I
ran on and I ran on. I finally reached the point where I could see the coast
line of South Sheilds a very welcome sight as this was the first time I
actually felt I was running downhill and it felt good. I was now trotting along
the coast line and in the distance I could see the 12mile marker and I knew
what that meant. 12 miles was the point where the MDC had their cheer point so
my heart lifted knowing that I may see familiar faces. Sure enough as I
approached I spotted my neighbour and her 7 year old son who had very
generously travelled to support ‘Team Lewis’ which along with myself and my Son
and Heir also included our two neighbours, both excellent runners. The sight of
a familiar face was wonderful and I felt myself filling up. We had hugs and I
went on then I heard a little voice call ‘Bun!!’ I turned to see my Raison
D’etre up on the bank. I had nearly missed him how could I? We had a huge hug
and I felt his huge release at seeing me. My neighbour later informed me that
he had been fretting and worrying and had watched out anxiously for every
orange T shirt. His relief at seeing me was emotional and for me the reason I
had got this far was standing there hugging me and telling me how proud he was.
Invigorated I ran on in the distance I could see the blue BUPA finishing gates.
All of a sudden I spotted my Son and Heir’s Long Suffering Girlfriend shouting
my name and cheering me on then I was scoped up into the arms of my Son and
Heir who was by now wearing his finisher’s medal (time of 2:05:40) but had come
back onto the track to wait for me. He took me by the hand and held onto it
tightly as he dragged me to the finish line. By now I was a blubbing wreck
wrought with the emotion of the whole event. In his usual brusque manner that
he reserves for my emotional outbreaks I was told in no uncertain manner to “stop
crying mother they are taking your photograph” So sans tears and clutching my
baby boy’s hand I managed a grimacing smile through tear stained eyes and
crossed the finish line in a time that I was more than surprised with at
3:01:16. I have mussed since that had I not stopped to wee I would have
finished in sub 3 hours. Today though that was not to be, 3 hours 1 minute and
16 second was my recorded time and one that I am hugely proud of.
Once
past the finish post I was presented with my finishing pack containing my
medal, T-shirt, body rubs, sweets, nuts and tinfoil cape. I and my boy headed
to the Charity Village where all the charities had tents. I was greeted by the
sight of the MDC tent full of food, drink and the massage table (of which I
waited my turn for a much welcomed rub down). Shortly after the sight of my
Raison D’etre, the Long Suffering Girlfriend, my neighbour and her son walking
towards the tent was a sight that warmed my heart, our own personal support
team. Sometime later we were joined by the neighbours who had finished in very
respectable times of 1:43:58 and 2:09:00 however once past the post they had
headed off and found the nearest pub fitting to the last!
We
travelled home wrapped in blankets tired but buzzing. It had been a day I shall
not forget. Will I do it again? Well yes I probably will I would like to enjoy
the pleasure of finishing sub 3 hours. For now though I have the task of
collecting in all my sponsor money. People have been so hugely generous I have
over £500 pledged on line and £900+ on my sponsor forms along with the others
of team Lewis we have raised about £2500+.4 Money has come from all parts of
the world, from friends and family alike and also most generously from people I
do not know but who are friends of my online friends. I am eternally grateful
to you all. To anyone who still has not sponsored me… you know who you are!!!!
The online account is still live for a few more weeks so please if you can do
it, do it. I and the MDC will be extremely grateful. Let’s help raise money for
the charity that works so tirelessly to raise awareness, to raise funds, to
sponsor research, to support sufferers, to be there for people like my Raison
D’etre. Just log on to www.muscular-dystrophy.org
and see why I am did
this. If
you feel you want to support me with a donation then please log onto my ‘Just
Giving’ account and give as much as you can. www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC.
A huge thank you to all of you who have donated already and to those of you
who have not sponsored me yet …. WHY NOT???? Come on guys I –we-they need your
support.
Thank you for your support
Having
really enjoyed the route I took last week I decided to go much the same way
however as I had finished just shy of 2 miles last week (and that rankled!) I took
a slightly more convoluted route over The Ridge and down across Meanwood Beck
thus ensuring that I covered the extra 0.05 of a mile that was requisite to the
task. It was another beautiful morning; I really do enjoy being up early and
seeing the city before it has begun to wake. On a Saturday the locality sleeps
later and there are so few people around just a few cars, dog walkers, random
cyclists and fellow early morning runners. With the advent of Park Run many
people do that on a Saturday morning but I prefer to be up earlier, Park run
does not kick off till about 9am and by that time I am home showered and ready
to face the day. Also I much prefer to run alone I am by choice a solitary
runner. Anyone who knows me knows I can talk! 
“Oh no!” you cry” Surely not? You a talker?!! Why you are such a quiet little thing, I would
never say you are a talker!” so running with others and chatting as we go
simply does not appeal to me. In truth I do enjoy solitude, in my work solitude
is a Never-Going-To-Happen type of situation. Even in my personal life I am so
busy and always with others, which I love, yet when the opportunity to sit and
contemplate my naval arises, I love it. Solitude and appreciation of it is a
great gift, I know many people fear it and hate being alone, I suppose I am lucky
because the solitude I enjoy is by choice and not brought on by loneliness,
which is whole other ball game and not my topic of choice for today’s ramblings.
Yet lucky I am and at 7am on a; beautiful, fresh, early summer morning I was
out with the birds, pounding the streets enveloped in my own joyful solitude.
