I did it!
Posted at 16:38 in Running
I’m not going to lie to you guys, this is the hardest thing I have ever done – it really challenged me. Even though I have been training for it for the last goodness knows how many months, still nothing prepared me for how physically and mentally tough this race was going to be.
Jess & I went out last night for a meal as it was the first time we were meeting each other – suffice to say, I think we formed a friendship for life. What an amazing, beautiful, funny girl – I love her already. We clicked from the start and didn’t stop nattering from the moment we sat down to the moment we got home. You know when you meet people for the first time and there are those awkward silences? There was none of that. We got on famously. In fact, we were so busy talking we had to send the waiter away a couple of times as each time he came to take our order, we hadn’t even picked up the menu to have a look!
In the end, Jess ordered the jumbo king prawns and I ordered a fillet steak with gorgonzola and red wine sauce. We both had the soup to start…
And then waited very impatiently until our amazing main courses arrived…
I also had a side of veg…
Jess’ main course was sooooo good…
She also had a side of veg. She was really happy with her choice as you can see…
We were both very well behaved and drank water all night and not a drop of alcohol passed our lips. I can’t say the same thing will happen with me tonight though!
We had a real blast and enjoyed so much getting to know each other – I can’t wait to meet again.
We were both up bright and early this morning and I convinced Jess to try the mocha porridge, which she declared amazing! I had the same, albeit a smaller portion than normal, with a scoop of chocolate protein to keep me going.
When my race number arrived earlier in the week, I had been placed in the last wave of runners at 11.40am and I knew there was no way I could run at that time – it would be so hot. I emailed and said I was planning to run with a friend and they told me to just turn up with her so I was thankful when her time was 8.30! She’s one of the speedy runners who does a half marathon in 1h 40m! Crazy!
When we arrived, we were having a chat and I met her lovely mum and they met my lovely husband and we continued where we left off last night with our chattering. Then a photographer came up to us from the local newspaper and asked if he could take our picture – hell yeah! He took a couple in the boat yard but then took us up onto the canal bridge and snapped a couple with us sitting on the bridge with the canal behind. The pictures will most likely be in Monday’s newspaper so I will be sure to post them here for you guys!
The husband was very kind to take a pre-race picture for us…
We started pretty late as things seemed a little disorganised and the first wave didn’t leave until just after 9am so we joined the second wave and set off about 9.15am. We started off really well and paced ourselves sensibly. I didn’t want to push myself too much as I had decided earlier in the week that I wasn’t going to bother with trying to achieve a good time as that isn’t why I’m doing it – I was doing it for Jenn and that is what I wanted to focus on. I wanted to run, enjoy the day and think about her and that’s what I did. The first couple of miles passed really quickly as we were both gabbing away so much. We got a drink at each of the drink stations and I felt absolutely great. Then I got to mile 8 and the sun got hotter and hotter and the air got heavier and heavier and that was when I started to struggle. I told Jess I was finding it a little difficult and she slowed down with me and gave me a continuous supply of water from her bottle to pour over my head. Every bit of shade, every little breeze and every canal bridge was totally welcome as the heat was really affecting me. I powered through mile 8-9 and that is when it got really hard.
My left ankle was starting to feel the pain as I had gone over on it earlier in the run when someone tried to pass me and I tried to move out of the way. It was only niggling but at the end, it was screaming at me to stop. From mile 9 onwards was pretty hellish and I’m not ashamed to admit it – I actually felt like giving up so many times but the thought of Jenn and all those lovely generous people that sponsored me kept me going. Jess was an absolute diamond. I know I was running at a much slower pace than she is used to but she stayed with me the whole of the way, chatting to me, encouraging me, spurring me onwards when I wanted to quit. She gave me a quote that still gives me goosebumps when I think about it and it stuck with me through those last difficult miles…
Run if you can, walk if you must, crawl if you have to – just don’t stop.
It motivated me every single time I thought about it and it helped me more than she knows. I also thought of Jenn, watching over me, hopefully feeling proud of what I was doing for her.
We reached mile 10 and that’s when I hit the wall. I physically felt I couldn’t go any further. My lower back was really sore and I had to stop a couple of times to stretch it out. I know my lower back injury has weakened it but I also think it’s caused by my core not being as strong as it should be, so it’s going to be direct core work for me from now on when I train at the gym. It wasn’t niggling, it was hurting, it was f*cking hurting – a LOT. My pace by this stage had pretty much slowed to a very slow jog and Jess was saying “keep going Jo, you can do it. Think about Jenn and how proud she is of you”. In the end, I asked her to tell me some of her funny stories to keep me distracted and it really did the trick. Just after mile 11, we found a guy passed out on the tow path from heat stroke – that really is how hot it was. Jess, being the lovely girl she is, gave his helpers the rest of her isotonic drink from the previous water station and I was grateful that we had taken it easier and that I hadn’t tried to push myself too hard as I fear that’s where I too would have ended up.
The last couple of miles were mentally, emotionally and physically the toughest miles I have ever, or am likely to ever, run. Once we saw the 12 mile marker I started to get really tearful, from sheer exhaustion and knowing that we were nearly at the end. I knew we had been running for quite some time but as I purposely hadn’t worn my heart rate monitor, I had no clue of the time. At this point, I really didn’t care, all I wanted to do was complete it without having to stop. Once we got over the last bridge, we saw the end in sight and I managed to pick up my pace a little…
As we crossed the finish line, I promptly burst into tears. Jess gave me the biggest hug and told me how well I had done and I can honestly, with my hand on my heart, say I could never have done it without her. If she hadn’t been with me, I know I’d have stopped and walked for those last few miles but I had specifically asked her not to let me. I know I can run 13 miles, I’ve done it before so I knew it would have been my mind telling me I couldn’t do it.
We went and met her mum and the lovely husband, who were waiting at the finish line for us. We got our medals and a drink and I finally asked her what our time was. It’s not what I was hoping for initially when I started training, nowhere close in fact – 2 hours and 45 minutes but at that moment, I really didn’t care. I wouldn’t have cared if it had taken me 5 hours – the most important thing is that I did it. I feel so proud of what I achieved today, the conditions were tough and I knew it was going to be hard but thanks to Jess and her patience and coaching, she got me through it and I finished with an amazing sense of accomplishment.
The husband took a picture of me with my medal and my picture of Jenn and I am so annoyed that it didn’t come out well – my eyes are closed and there is a freaky shadow on the picture but I’m going to share it with you anyway…
Afterwards, we were both ravenous and we went to find somewhere to get something to eat. Jess had been craving a steak ever since she saw mine last night but we came across Handmade Burger on the canal front and decided to eat there. The burgers are made from 100% free range, grass fed beef so we were really looking forward to it. I had an ice cold glass of sparkling water to drink and ordered an amazing burger with cheese & salad and a side of chips – yeah, I don’t eat chips often but I figured I’d treat myself as I’d just done the most gruelling 13 miles ever…
Jess’ lovely mum Di got a picture of me and the husband. I was going for a lovely, smiley pic but the husband had other ideas…
We also returned the favour and got this gorgeous pic of Jess & Di…
It really has been an amazing day and one I will remember forever. I wanted to do this for Jenn and I did and thanks to so many generous people, I also managed to double my fund raising target and hit £1005.00 – thank you all from the bottom of my heart for having faith in me.
You. are. AMAZING! :D What a fantastic achievement and an emotional read – you’re an inspiration and you’ve done Jenn very proud indeed!
Thank you Alice, truly. I’m glad you enjoyed reading it and I hope Jenn will be proud of me xxx
You are amazing!!! I’ve already said well done but after reading your blog I’m going to say it again :D WELL DONE GORGEOUS!! I want to give you a hug. You did so well x x
Thank you so much sweets, hug accepted, even a virtual one xxx
Brilliant Jo, Congratulations! I did the Great Manchester Run in memory of my friend and to raise money for leukaemia research, I cried crossing the finish line! I’m sure Jenn is proud of you.
S
xx
Thanks Suzi! I didn’t know you had done the GNR, how did you find it? It’s such an emotional thing anyway but when you’re doing it for someone you love, it’s twice as emotional
xx
What a great report and how fabulous are you??? VERY! Both of you! You should be very very proud chick. Well done. x
Thanks so much Sam, I am extremely proud, it was an amazing experience xx
Lovely story; excellent achievement! So great that you and Jelly got on so well. It’s always so nice when that sort of thing happens. Well earned burger and chips! :D
Thanks chick, we got on like a house on fire :D We are very similar which helps. Burger and chips was AMAZING xx
Well Done. Your post brought a tear to my eye it was like reliving my half again & I can relate to what you went through. Jess sounds like an angel & I love the quote will be using it. So so proud of you.
Make sure you take the time to recover properly & pamper yourself a little – you deserve it xx
Awww thanks Fudgey, it’s an experience I will never forget. I will definitely be resting for a couple of days now and pampering myself lots
xx
You and Jess both did a fantastic job. It must have been hell out there in this heat. My OH and I went for a 6 mile walk around 10am this morning and even that was hot, so running must have been pretty tortuous. Well done! You should both be very proud.
Thanks Suzanne, it was pretty hellish once that sun started blazing. Feeling very proud today, thank you :D
xx
Well done you hun, you did so well and a good time too. How lovely of Jess to look after you what a top girl.
You did Jenn proud hun, never forget that . xx
Thanks Chrissy, am sure Jenn was watching over me and helping me along xx
Well done on such a great achievement! You did it! I really hope you find the time to celebrate.
Thanks Sue, celebrations have been very quiet really. Lots of rest, some indulgent food and a glass of cider – I was happy with that :D
completely and utterly in awe of you Jo.
fanbloodytastic :-) :-) :-)
xx
Thanks so much lovely, I still can’t believe I did it :D
xxx
Congratulations hun xx Im very sure Jenn would be proud of you and you should be proud of yoursef too xx
Thanks mate, I am extremely proud of myself
xx
Awesome! Well done :-) I didn’t get the time I wanted in my first half either, your race recap sounds a little like how my race felt. I knew halfway through that the time I wanted was not possible but I was finishing it for my charity run walk or crawl like you said! You did so well especially in the heat, it really drains you!
Thanks Laura, I’m really glad I didn’t bother trying to achieve a good time as the whole purpose of me doing this half was to honour my friend and show how much she meant to me and also to raise some money for a damn good cause. The next one will be trained for properly, with a proper training plan and I will be going for a good time :D
xx
That was amazing! You should be really proud of yourself and I bet Jenn would have been so pleased :)
Thanks Clair, I’m still walking on air today, I feel very proud xx
hay jo
well done you! i really enjoyed reading that post.
hope the ankle is ok now and tyour lower back.. the day after my first one i couldt walk down the stairs or sit on the loo without holding on to something!!!
enjoy the DOMS if you have them!!
Hey mate, thanks so much! My ankle is still very sore today so am resting it lots. My lower back is fine thankfully, I know it’s just because it’s so weak following my injury last year. I really have to start doing some more core work. No DOMS really which I was disappointed in but there is still tomorrow :D
xx
You are Superwoman! Well done. This is the reason I don’t run- I know I would stop at the first hurdle but real runners, like you, battle through anything!
Awwww thanks Jo, your message really made my day :D
xx
Huge well done Jo (and Jess) you are amazing to have pushed through that pain and made it to the end, you must have so much mental strength. Bring on the GNR! x
Thanks chick, the pain was immense, I won’t lie. Mental strength got me through it along with Jess – she was amazing
xx
WOW Jo well done, I knew you would do it!!! I’ve just got back from Jersey and I’ve logged on especially to see how you’ve done, you must be still buzzing from it. Well done chick!!!
Well done amazing achievement.
Thanks Kat
xx
Aww, thanks Jackie, that’s so sweet of you! I really am still buzzing, I feel so very proud of what I achieved
xx
You both did a fantastic job, Jenn will be so proud and it is great you are proud of yourself ;o)
Thank you beautiful, I am very proud :D
xx
Congrats! I am so excited for you; that is awesome
Thanks Katherine :)
Well done and thank you. x
Thanks Sue, it was a day to remember :)
well done to you and well done to your friend for keeping you going. I started training for my half marathon last Oct and gave up afetr a few months cos its just a mentaly boring to even train for it. well done!
Cheers Mossy! Do you think you might ever try and train for another one?
nope, I just can’t run past an hour, I get right fed up and I cant bare listening to my inner whinge or the ruddy appetite that goes alongside it! Having spoken to other people they suggest to get my 5k time down as being a more achievable thing for me my focus is weights at the mo tho. Hows the quads?
Quads are feeling good :D
Focussing on getting your 5k time down is a good idea, Caitlin at health tipping point is doing exactly the same thing at the moment, trying to get under 23 minutes I think.
My runs from now on will be kept to an hour or less most likely so I can hit the weights with a vengeance :D
From one WLR member to another – AMAZING!! I have one in Sept and only hope I can finish and find that mental strength. It’s made me think that I really ought to find a running buddy!
Thanks so much Tam! It really was a toughie for me, even though my training has been going really well and I actually ran 13 miles 40 minutes quicker in practice. I guess nothing can prepare you for the day – the heat, the humidity, other people, how you feel, niggling little injuries, etc. As long as you keep going then you will succeed :)
[...] has been pretty damn good! I’m still walking on air after my fantastic half marathon on Saturday and it was so nice sharing my story with my friends and work [...]
[...] lovely, I did it on Saturday – race report can be found here! We were also picked out to be photographed for our local newspaper Not the best pic as I am [...]
Sadly, I’m SO behind on your blog!!! I just caught up on your half marathon feat and I’m equal parts inspired and scared out of my pants!! My half is coming up this fall and I’m starting to train and still cannot fathom the 13.1 miles facing me!! I’ve yet to run more than 7 miles at a time so I’m wondering how on earth I’ll ever get to nearly double that by the time the race rolls around!! BUT – as you say, it can be done – I LOVE that quote too. I’m totally making a sticky note and posting it wherever I can so it’s a constant reminder. CONGRATS on a job well done – and a new forever friendship you’ve formed with Jess. Awesome!!
Hey Jess, thanks for the congrats and kind words. I’m sure you will do just fine in your half, just keep on training and believe in yourself. The quote will stay with me forever as it really does apply to not giving up in any area of your life – I even stuck it on my inspiration board so that I see it daily. When is your half chick? Wishing you tons and tons of luck though I am sure you won’t need it xx
[...] that caught my eye immediately while catching up on blog reading last night – this came from Jag’s Fitness Blog, one of the newer blogs I’ve been following. It was part of her half marathon recap which, I [...]
[...] I’ve not been doing much running since my half marathon I tested out my Sony Wireless Walkman W250 in the gym and just whilst out walking. It’s [...]
[...] catching up with him as I haven’t seen him since my massage even though he took part in the same half marathon as I did. It also reminded me to book another session as soon as I can afford [...]
[...] I’m not 100% certain of why I did it. I know the running I was doing in preparation for my half marathon was putting undue pressure on me and I spent most of the time that I was training mentally and [...]
[...] Entered The Grim that is! Several people have called me mental for doing so, even more because I’m stupidly hoping for it to be really wet, muddy and cold. My gorgeous friend Jess is running it with me and I couldn’t be happier because she is the perfect running partner for me. If you remember, she was the one that got me through my half marathon… [...]
[...] when I started training for my half marathon (which was totally my decision, it was something I wanted to do to honour my friend’s memory) [...]
[...] made a monumental decision back on 31st January and entered my first ever half marathon in memory of my wonderful friend Jenn. I’d only ever ran about 5 miles at this point so it [...]