Great North Run 2015 first time runners experience.

So as some of you will be aware i used to not be able to run for a bus  so why did i challenge myself and sign up for a half marathon??

I needed a new challenge after all if i didnt try i would never know. Prior to this year i had done a couple of 5k race for lifes and a great north 5k and the national lottery 5 miles round the olympic park.

Before january 2015 running was not natural to me done a few parkruns but could never get breathing right.

Jantastic saw me with weekly goals to set to motivate me running twice a week. As i built up my running i began to do longer stretches without stopping and my breathing was improving along with fitness.

With this in mind i signed up for the Blaydon Race, Great North 10k and Great Newham 10k which i used as training events for my first Great North Run.

After 10k i built up my mileage weekly by a further mile a week in training for GNR getting up to 10 miles.

GREAT NORTH RUN DAY

after running every week since January the day finally arrived for my first GNR

Heres my experience.

Arrived 9am to get position in the pens to soak up the atmosphere (and the roasting sun it seems).

As 10.40 approached i did get a wave of sickness which i managed to get rid of and calm myself down.

After 34 minutes of moving towards the start we were off. I set off at a comfortable pace knowing the distance ahead of me and within the first 300 metres i saw somebody from parkrun cheering me on at side of road which spurred me on. Entered underpass to the tune of oggy oggy oggy i ended up joining in a couple of times but conserved myself. Before i knew it i was out the tunnel and at 1 mile (11 min mile i am shocked) slowed pace a little as i approached the tyne bridge and huge level of support high fived a few people. My 2nd mile pace had slowed a little to conserve myself.

After 2 miles as i reached uphill from tyne bridge i decided to walk  to park lane roundabout knowing it would conserve energy which i could save for felling bypass. My first 2 miles were already faster than what i did in training i began to feel it was too good to be true and paniced could i do 11 more miles.

Felling bypass downhill stretch got me going with support from debbie an old colleague and parkrun friend jocasta along the way. I knew jocasta was on fir a good time as she ran past and was determined to get to parkrun distance without stopping for a break.  After the bypass i began to slow again as i approached mile 3(still faster than training) grabbed some jelly babies someone was giving thankyou

Mile 4 from gateshead stadium was an uphill struggle decided to walk it to conserve energy but graham with his karaoke machine singing got me running a little till i lost him. As i approached heworth roundabout at 4 miles i was looking for a few friends who were waiting there supporting me. Didnt spot barry but spotted john lesley and natalie who had travelled from leicestershire for the great north 5k the day before. Stopped for a quick photo and to thank them. Thankfully mile 4 split wasnt as slow as i thought.

From mile 4 to 7 i maintained my 15 minute mile pace(give or take) seeing another old work colleague at side of road waiting for husband clive to pass.

Reached the half way point and boy i have never been so glad to see ICE POPS  by this point it was 18c and so hot. Thankyou to people with ice pops it got me moving to complete 7th mile at 15 minute ish pace.

Mile 8 well this is where the wheels cane off much like in training my pace slowed but i planned to walk up john reid road knowing that at water station i would meet a friendly face in tanni grey thompson year after year she gives her support and water out to thousands. After a quick chat and photo i was off again. Passing through next shower station to cool off.

Then began to see ambulances and worried for people ahead of me it was hot out there. Seen a few people getting treatment on course prior to this.

Mile 9 i began to see hope and the trails of a missed red arrow display in the distance. Belief knowing 4 miles to go and i could do this. This belief improved my pace for mile 10 i think the boost zone helped too jelly babies and biscuits handed out along the way. Music for me to get into a little rhytm. Then i saw rygby world cup volunteer kirsty on the blood bikes cheering point.

Now for mile 11 my slowest mile i had just done 10 miles in 2.30 the same time as my previous training run i was happy and new my 3.30 goal was still possible.

So mile 11 my calf went like in training previously releived it didnt happen earlier no way was i giving up. My feet began to stick to the ground from oranges that had been sucked by athletes before me and it was uphill walked it knowing i had a downhill to come. More ambulances i moved to the side.

My pace improved i began to see the sea 12 miles was approaching and the steep downhill stretch that i knew would take me there. The marsden pub i let the hill carry me down knowing i had this a quick glance at watch and i knew 3.30 was still possible but felt it slip away as i was on about 3h10 at this point.  Did stretches of running and walking got talking to others to encorage them walked till i got uphill before the last stretch flattened out. I still couldnt see the finish so kept plodding on run walking  more of the latter decided i was going to run the last 200 metres. 400 metres to go i began to see the end 3h30 still visible but was losing time ao has to work for it. Decided what funnel to go in and ran the last 200 metres.

Then couldnt believe i had crossed the line.

I saw the man in the chicken suit who started just behind me and kept bumping into him on route then he went ahead and i kept finding him again (wish i knew his name) he was being interviewed as i crossed the line. He gave me a hug after i finished but then i lost him :(

UPDATE thanks to FB i have been put in contact with guy in chicken suit

The support along the way was incredible couldnt have done it without the jelly babies hose pipes and biscuits and ice pops along the way.

I may have sunburn and saw legs and feet but

I would do it again in a heartbeat if i got a place.

Thanks for reading (if you are still awake)

FINISH TIME 3:27:30 beat my 3:30 target by 2 and a half minutes