Wow, I have just realised it's been quite a while since I last blogged, so what better time to update you all on my life over the last two months then laying in bed after a nice long nights sleep.
What have I been doing? Well I went on an absolutely beautiful (despite the sick) family holiday in the Brecon Beacons with my family for my Mum and Dad's 40th wedding anniversary, before I came back to Cardiff for Uni.
I've been back about a month now, and have realised just how much work I have to do this year, but as long as I keep on top of it, I'll be fine, and hopefully end out with a first.
A couple of weeks ago I ran the New Forest Half Marathon, probably the single most painful and mentally draining experience of my life. Let's start with how the training went. It started terrible, and I actually thought I would have to just give up, especially after having to picked up after only running a mile of one run. Suddenly though it all clicked in to place, and I was easily running 6/7 miles, although I never really got more then that. Then I came back to Cardiff. Things started to go a bit downhill again. I decided to go on a nice long training run around the beautiful Roath Park. After four miles I was feeling pretty comfortable, until I started getting a slight pain in my leg. I just thought this was just a little pain that I would just be able to run off. It wasn't. I ran another 4 miles in quite a bit of pain, which stayed with me for a couple of days after the run.
This was a little bit worrying, but II rested for a week and then tried again, now with only a week to go before the big day. For some reason though, I had absolutely no energy and only managed to run 3 miles. 3 miles, a week before running 13.2 miles. I was slightly (very) disheartened, and really didn't think I could do it, especially considering I didn't run again the whole week before the run.
And now for the actual run. After a bit of a rush to the start line, I realised I hadn't done any stretches and had only eaten a bowl of Rice Crispies so far, as I had forgotten to get a banana and Mars Bar down me for some energy! All I could do now was quickly rush some stretches and wait for the gun. I started off fine, running with Nigel, my brother, before deciding to go a bit faster. One thing I was starting to realise was that this certainly was not a flat half marathon, great. Apart from nearly choking on my drink at the first drink stop, it was going well.Then I hit the 4 mile mark and things started to hurt, I got a stitch, and then the pain in my knee came back, even though I had giving it some support. I stopped for 30 seconds to stretch off and then got on it again. People say that you will hit a wall doing a half marathon. I was starting to realise that for me, this was't true. I was hitting barbed wire fences, and lots of them. I was determined to just carry on though, I thought Id just push through the pain, and it was working. I had my tracker on and it was telling me in my ear each mile, and my time. Each mile I was working out how long I will be before I finish. Before telling myself that I am never doing this again, ever. My dreams of doing a full marathon were shattered. Hitting ten miles and started to think that I could actually finish this. Even better, despite practically walking up some of the hills, I realised that my target of under 2 hours, which I had dismissed a few weeks back, was actually doable. Once 12 miles came along we were on flat ground and I sped up a bit, started over taking people again, somehow I just got more energy, all I wanted to do was stop running. As soon as I saw the finish, I started to sprint. Well, I thought it was sprinting, it felt like I was going as fast as Usain Bolt, but I was probably going as fast was the Queen. Then I crossed the line, 1 hour 55 minutes 41 seconds. I had done it, under two hours! But to me I hadn't finished the challenge yet...I collected my medal, it felt like I hadn't actually finished until I had found my family. After downing some squash I began frantically ringing them and couldn't get through. Finally I found them, sat down down and could honestly just have cried, I was struggling to keep it in. I was much more emotionally drained then I was physically at that moment. After scoffing anything that had the slightest bit of sugar I started feeling it the physical pain again. My knee was in agony, I was struggling to walk, for a few days. Then there was the chaffage, never, do a half marathon without talcing up! But, most of all I had done it, so had my brothers Terry and Nigel. A few days later, I realised, that despite all the pain, I quite enjoyed it and am thinking what half marathon I will do next. After all, I have the London 2012 Marathon to build up to. Maybe.