On Saturday I did my last long run before the Cardiff Half Marathon… oh wait, did I mention that I’m running a half marathon? In Cardiff?
It was my first long run since my car accident where I ended up with whiplash. I’d taken 3 days off work and a week off running as I was so uncomfortable and achey. The week leading up to last Saturday I had done 3 very small runs just to ease back into. For some unknown reason I had decided to go ahead with my long run.
Long Run…
I was very sensible(ish) and drove to Roath Park then parked my car leaving it with fresh water and jelly beans. My route was planned to allow a refuel break at the car at mile 8. I had also decided that if I didn’t want to run any more then I would jump in the car and go home. If I was ok to run more than I had another 3 mile route planned.
A lot of things go through my mind when I’m running, most of it is drivel but sometime it makes sense. During this run I decided that it was very similar to the British weather. One morning it’s glorious sunshine then by the afternoon it’s peeing it down, freezing and you’re soaked to the skin. After a while it’s sunshine and birds singing again!
So this was my run…
Mile 1 = Oooooo this feels good, I’m liking this run today already.
End of mile 1 = Oh balls, that was too quick. Must remember to make sure Katie paces the start of the half marathon. She’s more sensible than me.
Mile 2 = La la la laaaaaaaaaaaaa… *nearly starts skipping*
Mile 3 = Hmmmm this is feeling a bit tougher now. I feel like I’ve been running for at least 6 miles so I must be over halfway! *glances at Garmin* WTF my Garmin is broken! There is no way this is only mile 3! *looks around to compare with map imprinted on mind so I don’t get ‘diverted’ again* oh crap this is only mile 3!
3 miles done…
Mile 4 = Must keep going, I’ll stop at that big roundabout thingy for a refuel. Must keep going. Legs why have you stopped running? Start running again now! OK, so I’m running again.
Mile 4.5 = I’ll just run down this underpass thingy and hope I don’t get raped and murdered. Oh good, more runners so it’s a lot less likely that I’ll be killed. Although the run would then be over! Better refuel quickly.
Mile 5 = Pretty sure I’ve got a blister starting. Apart from that this run isn’t going tooooooooo badly. I’ve probably had worse and it’s not worse that the Brecon 10. Right, focus on something motivational… what can I have to eat tonight? I’ll have burnt off about a million calories after this run. How many squares of chocolate can I shove in my mouth at once. Must remember to test that out one day.
Half done, half to go…
Mile 6 = Oh crap I just swallowed a fly again! Actually a bit of protein won’t kill me right now. I’m starting to enjoy this run again, whodafunkit?!
Mile 7 = I’m stopping at my car… this is horrible… I can’t go any further… this run sucks… I hate running… running is the worse thing ever… why oh why did I decide to become a runner?
Mile 8 = Hello car, I love you! *eats jelly beans and has fresh water* You know what, I think I can do that extra 3 miles
Mile 9 = WTF was I thinking?! When will this f*cking run end. I hurt. Like, really hurt. I want it to be over. Please be over soon. Why oh why didn’t I stop at my car and just go home??!!
10 miles down…
Mile 10 = Come on mile 10… be over mile 10… it’s been ages since my Garmin beeped to say I was starting mile 10… I’ll just have a cheeky glance at it to make sure it hasn’t stopped. What do you mean 10.25??!! I’m sure I haven’t checked you for at least 10 minutes. Are you broken? You seem to be working. Damn it! I deserve to bathe in Ben & Jerry’s after this god damn awful run.
Mile 11 = Finally it’s over! Don’t cry… don’t cry… the car is just over there… don’t cry… don’t cry.
And it’s over…
I finally got into my car and didn’t cry, I laughed in a I’m-in-pain sort of way. That run was tough in places but I know I’m half marathon ready now and will hopefully enjoy the race a lot more after putting in so much training.
(Featured image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay)