It’s finally here, yep this Sunday sees me take on the challenge of my first half marathon and to say I’m bricking it doesn’t even come close to the truth!
I can’t actually believe I’m in this situation, I mean it was only about a year and a half ago that I’d even started running and convincing me to do that had been on ongoing battle. I was convinced I was one of those people that just wasn’t designed to be a runner; I had dodgy knees and was majorly paranoid about what I might look like. Fast forward to now and I regularly run distances of between 5- 12k and even managed a whopping 17k as part of my training for the half.
Who even is this girl?
I’ll be honest, it took a lot of convincing to sign up to the New Forest half, but in the end there were so many other people from my run group who had signed up I just knew that if I didn’t I would feel absolutely gutted on the day to not be a part of it.
So…here I am.
All signed up and ‘raring’ to go (note the sarcasm).
As I’m sure you can gather, I have a few concerns shall we say ‘cos this, well this is ‘proper’ running. Like serious, I mean business, need all the gear running and it’s certainly taking me out of my comfort zone. I mean I’m having to think about nutrition a bit more; fuelling up on pasta the night before and jeez I’ve even given up alcohol for a bit (I repeat…who even is the girl?!), and I’ve had to buy those running gels and mineral tablets to put in my water. This is proper serious I’m a runner territory….eek!
But hey I’m prepped, I’ve put in my training, what can go wrong?
Well…
What if…
It rains? (hell judging by recent weather it’s looking blimmin’ likely) I haven’t run that kind of distance in the rain, it’s gonna be slippy, it’s gonna be harder work trudging through mud and what if I can’t see properly and I accidentally follow the full marathon trail instead…then what!?!
I don’t actually manage it? What if I’m that person crawling over the line sobbing? I seriously don’t think I can handle that. And what if I don’t even make it to the end, what if I give up, I’ll be letting everyone down.
I need the loo? I can hardly squat it like it’s hot in front of thousands of other runners and I certainly don’t wanna pee, or heavens forbid, poop myself (although perhaps if it’s raining I might get away with it…JOKING!)
I’m left on my own? I’m starting off with a group of running friends but what if we get separated and I have to ARGHHHHH run on my own, ‘cos like seriously my chimp will be out his cage and telling me to stop pronto if that happens.
I get bored? We’re talking 2 – 3 hours of running…how is that fun?
I enjoy it? I mean where does this all stop? What if I love it so much that I get persuaded to do a marathon, then what?!?!
So that’s my negative chimp doing all the talking…let’s whack him firmly back in his box and look at the facts:
- I’m fit.
- I’m healthy.
- I’ve done enough training – if I can run 17k of hella hilly South Downs Way trails I’m sure I’m capable of running 21k of undulating New Forest trails.
- I ran on holiday. On holiday I tell you!!! I don’t even know myself any more!
- I’m not a quitter.
- I’m strong.
- I can do this!
Which just leads me on to wishing all of the runnyhoneys who are taking part in the 10k, half and full marathon this Sunday the best of running luck and I’ll see you all on the other side!
