I Did It!
Well, the Cancer Research UK "Race For Life" was today, and I was due to run at 3pm.
I had such a crap night's sleep last night, I kept waking up because of the anxiety and because it was quite muggy last night which made me restless. I had oats for breakfast and went down to Commerical Road to try and get some trousers for holiday but had no luck, so had a coffee and tuna sandwich. Then I started panicing because the bus was late and I had to get changed for my run in 10 minutes, drink an energy drink and get some water prepped. Mum and Pete picked me up and took us (Alex came too) down to Southsea common. I couldn't believe how hot it was when I got out of the car. And there were so many people there! We got down there quite early so I had plenty of time to find out where I was supposed to be starting from, but ended up somewhere near the front and overheard the people in front of me talking about how people last year started at the front and then ran slowly, holding everyone up. So I slid a little further back...
I met some cool people who I talked to before the race started. I was the only one wearing a watch and carrying a bottle of water so I felt all organised :) They were talking about the little training they had done but that they were hoping to finish the race in 30mins and they'd be happy. I could only think "I don't belong here!" They were slender and toned and built for running it seemed. When the race started the atmosphere was great, they let the runners off first and I was somewhere in the middle of the herd so it was all bustly and intense. A lot of people shot off but I paced it with one of the girls I was chatting with, called Joanna. She had a bad stitch from the beginning and was in a lot of pain, I kept giving her water and tried to help her with her breathing. Unfortunately even after a bit of stretching she told me to go ahead after 1km because she was going to walk. So I lost my running partner and carried on. It was SO HOT!!! And there were people having a barbeque right next to us - how cruel! Hehe. The track wound around the common and some jerkoff guys who were playing football right next to the running track kicked the ball out into the path of the girls about 10 yards ahead of me, nearly tripping them up. A guy yelled at them and they retreated looking sheepish. How fucking selfish though, seriously. Anyway, carried on and got round to the Pyramids centre where the heat of the sun got too much and I had to walk a little way. I was on my 3rd stitch by this time! Another group of inconsiderate chavs had kicked a ball into the race lane and were screaming for the ball to be kicked back, even though it was tripping people up - and I saw a woman boot it across the other side of the common. So funny!!! Their faces!!! HA! I pushed on round by the seafront and kept telling myself to focus on the water to take my mind off it but the sun was burning my face and I had to slow right down up the little hill. My feet burned like fire and my legs were about to fall off when I realised to my horror that I was just reaching the 4km mark! I was walking a little round Southsea castle and then one of the marshals yelled out "500m to go, come on girls - sprint finish!" A girl plodding near me yelled back "sprint finish - you're having a laugh!" Then I thought - that's half way round the block and ran as fast as I could. Once I saw the finish line I was giving it my all, my feet pounding on the ground, feeling so sick - I was overheating and cold shivers were going down my back and over my face. I saw the clock at the end and realised my time - and when I realised it was under my record of 40mins the adrenaline kicked in. I pushed it as hard as I could.
I crossed the line at 33mins 18secs - an amazing achievement for me! I kept plodding along and saw my family cheering for me, and Alex running along with a camera trying to capture my undignified form and beetroot face on film! I walked over to the marshall who gave me my medal and then another who gave me a little goody bag, and then flopped down onto the grass verge where Alex came over and gave me a secretly-filmed interview. (So funny it's full of swearing lol)
So I did it. I have blisters on my feet and I am exhausted but I did it. I ran a 5km race, I got a personal best, I raised over £80 or Cancer Research UK (so far), I got a medal and out of the 4,000 participants I came somewhere in the top 200!
So happy. So happy and sleepy. Endorphins....mmmmm
I had such a crap night's sleep last night, I kept waking up because of the anxiety and because it was quite muggy last night which made me restless. I had oats for breakfast and went down to Commerical Road to try and get some trousers for holiday but had no luck, so had a coffee and tuna sandwich. Then I started panicing because the bus was late and I had to get changed for my run in 10 minutes, drink an energy drink and get some water prepped. Mum and Pete picked me up and took us (Alex came too) down to Southsea common. I couldn't believe how hot it was when I got out of the car. And there were so many people there! We got down there quite early so I had plenty of time to find out where I was supposed to be starting from, but ended up somewhere near the front and overheard the people in front of me talking about how people last year started at the front and then ran slowly, holding everyone up. So I slid a little further back...
I met some cool people who I talked to before the race started. I was the only one wearing a watch and carrying a bottle of water so I felt all organised :) They were talking about the little training they had done but that they were hoping to finish the race in 30mins and they'd be happy. I could only think "I don't belong here!" They were slender and toned and built for running it seemed. When the race started the atmosphere was great, they let the runners off first and I was somewhere in the middle of the herd so it was all bustly and intense. A lot of people shot off but I paced it with one of the girls I was chatting with, called Joanna. She had a bad stitch from the beginning and was in a lot of pain, I kept giving her water and tried to help her with her breathing. Unfortunately even after a bit of stretching she told me to go ahead after 1km because she was going to walk. So I lost my running partner and carried on. It was SO HOT!!! And there were people having a barbeque right next to us - how cruel! Hehe. The track wound around the common and some jerkoff guys who were playing football right next to the running track kicked the ball out into the path of the girls about 10 yards ahead of me, nearly tripping them up. A guy yelled at them and they retreated looking sheepish. How fucking selfish though, seriously. Anyway, carried on and got round to the Pyramids centre where the heat of the sun got too much and I had to walk a little way. I was on my 3rd stitch by this time! Another group of inconsiderate chavs had kicked a ball into the race lane and were screaming for the ball to be kicked back, even though it was tripping people up - and I saw a woman boot it across the other side of the common. So funny!!! Their faces!!! HA! I pushed on round by the seafront and kept telling myself to focus on the water to take my mind off it but the sun was burning my face and I had to slow right down up the little hill. My feet burned like fire and my legs were about to fall off when I realised to my horror that I was just reaching the 4km mark! I was walking a little round Southsea castle and then one of the marshals yelled out "500m to go, come on girls - sprint finish!" A girl plodding near me yelled back "sprint finish - you're having a laugh!" Then I thought - that's half way round the block and ran as fast as I could. Once I saw the finish line I was giving it my all, my feet pounding on the ground, feeling so sick - I was overheating and cold shivers were going down my back and over my face. I saw the clock at the end and realised my time - and when I realised it was under my record of 40mins the adrenaline kicked in. I pushed it as hard as I could.
I crossed the line at 33mins 18secs - an amazing achievement for me! I kept plodding along and saw my family cheering for me, and Alex running along with a camera trying to capture my undignified form and beetroot face on film! I walked over to the marshall who gave me my medal and then another who gave me a little goody bag, and then flopped down onto the grass verge where Alex came over and gave me a secretly-filmed interview. (So funny it's full of swearing lol)
So I did it. I have blisters on my feet and I am exhausted but I did it. I ran a 5km race, I got a personal best, I raised over £80 or Cancer Research UK (so far), I got a medal and out of the 4,000 participants I came somewhere in the top 200!
So happy. So happy and sleepy. Endorphins....mmmmm