Worcester Half Marathon

The last scheduled pre-marathon race yesterday with the inaugural Worcester Half Marathon up at Top Barn. Didn't really know what to expect with it being advertised as multi-terrain over various surfaces, but it turned out to be interesting and something of a challenge. The two lap course looped and twirled around fields, quarries, riverbanks, Lakes and pools in quite a convoluted manner, confusing and bamboozling, but there were enough marshalls to make sure no-one went astray. A couple of pretty steep, but blessedly fairly short, hills took it out of you at key times but I still managed to sneak in with a PB of 1:43:42, finishing a pleasing 37th out of a field of 186. Tired at the end, and a bit achy today, but it was an encouraging run and I was chuffed to bubbles to come in under the 1hr 45 barrier. Some soreness in the tendon that runs down to my big toe on my left foot, and a slightly tight achilles have distracted me from the painful back (a trip to the osteo might be in order this week) but no "new" injuries to report. Not long now. Total mileage to date: 775.77, weight: 12st 11.

Next month

I'm running a marathon. It feels a bit weird to be saying that. Makes me think about that finishing line, the miles all behind me, nowhere left to run. A damp one tonight, wetter than a Julian Clary handshake under a waterfall in monsoon season. Eight and a quarter miles down a soggy canal but still an improvement on previous times for the run, so despite the fatigue, the encouragement is still there. Training hasn't been going too bad over the last week or so. I managed to slip in an early morning eighteen miler on bank holiday morning. Sneaking out of the house at six o'clock without waking the clan. Padding my way up the towpath as the sun rose. Saw more Herons than Humans and the highlight was a definitely a rare sighting of a Kingfisher, a flash of startling blue cutting through the morning gloom as it harassed a pigeon then streaked off along the bank. Definitely a spirit lifter. Positive news from Adoption UK too, with some great support now coming from their fundraising and press officers for which I'm very grateful. Around £500 now pledged and the songs continue to sell. Another push over the next couple of weeks and who knows where we'll end up. But I know one thing. Next month I'm running a marathon. Total mileage to date: 751.81