My quest is complete: My quest was to finish a... - Couch to 5K

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My quest is complete

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduate
β€’35 Replies

My quest was to finish a half marathon - quest complete - finished the Belfast Half Marathon yesterday in 2 hours 3 minutes! Ran the whole thing with my other half which was great because he has spent quite a while on the injury couch lately. It started at 9:00am which meant leaving at 7:30 - no time for faffidge as Poppy calls it!

Got to our parking location about 10 minutes away from the park shortly after 8 - took almost 20 minutes to get all the way across the park. When we were walking down the main road there were two or three people in running gear, but when we got in to the park we were suddenly joined by dozens of people coming from another gate until all you could see was runners all heading in a determined fashion across to the start line - made you want to check your watch to confirm that yes - it is only 8:20 on a Sunday morning - and yes - most sensible people are still in their beds - but we are not sensible people - we have gotten up at stupid o'clock on a Sunday morning to come and run 13.1 miles! The atmosphere was great though. 3000 people all with the same aim.

Our aim at the start was to stay and run with the other couple we had travelled with - then the aim was to finish before the panda! We lost our friends at the 6 mile mark but we still managed to beat the panda! Lots of lovely people out cheering and giving out drinks gels and sweets at several locations around the course, from Ormeau park (stopping to use the facilities on the way and then attempting to sprint to catch up with my companions), along to the Sydenham bypass, back through the Titanic Quarter, through the city centre (more sweets) and up into West Belfast before coming back down and heading back towards Ormeau Park and the finish line. Saw various sites along the way including an older gentleman with a 250 Parkrun tshirt on! The weather was not too bad - started to rain just as we finished the run but we didn't mind. Reached the finish line when it was 2:05 on the clock with a final chip time of 2:03. Delighted with that as it was my first one and now trying to decide what the next one is! Slightly sore but very happy people in our house last night as you can see in the photo. The medal is not very clear - it is in the shape of a running shoe :)

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mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouse
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35 Replies
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Qscout profile image
QscoutGraduate

Well done, I beat the same panda!

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduateβ€’ in reply toQscout

Well done to you too Qscout ! :-) xxx

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply toQscout

Excellent. What time did you get?

ju-ju- profile image
ju-ju-Graduate

brilliant, and what a great time too, you must be delighted :)

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply toju-ju-

Over the moon ju-ju-

jt24 profile image
jt24Graduate

What an amazing pace you run with! And for over 13 miles?!

Well done xx

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply tojt24

Tough going but we did it! :)

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate

How lovely to see you at last - and Hubby too !

Did Harry take the photo ? Hes very good isn't he ? :-D

Great report Marina, I really enjoyed reading that, exciting stuff ! You are a dynamo ! That is sooo speedy ! I bet you were just a blur running past :-)

Your first HM , well and truly nailed to the wall ! Massive Congratulations to you both on such an amazing achievement , Well done ! :-) xxx

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply topoppypug

Harry is very handy poppypug as you know. :) My husband is actually signed up for the Dublin marathon! Crazy man that he is.

misswobble profile image
misswobbleGraduate

Wahay more Bling!!! Well done you two. Excellent time by the way. Awesome!

Have a rest this week as the HM does take it out of you.

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply tomisswobble

All about the bling misswobble as you know :)

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate

Well done!! :)

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply toIrish-John

Thank you kind sir. :)

Brilliant Photo and post. Look good in your running gear. Did you get that pesky Panda to take the photo ? I'm only running 6K at moment but the more people I see posting that they have done half marathons makes me jealous.

Few years since I've visited relatives in Belfast. I'll have to ask them to put me up and tell them I've come to run against the Panda, not to see them , they're all mad ! One day ill hope to do a run and beat the pesky Panda.

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply to

Ahh but that was about two hours after the run when the face was semi-normal again!

runswithdogs profile image
runswithdogsGraduate

Thanks for the race report. Great photo and amazing time. You have to be really proud of yourself.

Irishprincess profile image
IrishprincessGraduate

Blimey, that's a brilliant time! Well done to you both. It wouldn't be Ireland if there wasn't any rain 😊

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply toIrishprincess

Very true but at least it held off until the end! :)

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate

What IS the Panda ? Is it the straggler bus or something ? :-) xxx

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply topoppypug

No Poppypug - it was some brave soul dressed as a panda! Running 13.1 miles dressed as a panda! Similar to the giraffe that was someone else's nemesis! :)

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate

Ah I see, poor s@d

! Oh no, not the giraffe , I had forgotten all about that -NOT ! :-D xxx

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply topoppypug

Was it not you that was competing with the giraffe? :)

AncientMum profile image
AncientMumGraduate

Massive congratulations to both you and hubby -that really is a cracking time. You should be very proud of yourselves. I've got to ask, what time did the panda do?

I watched our local HM yesterday as it went past my front door. Only spotted one person in costume (SuperMario, I think), but I really admire anyone who can run a HM. Whether running in costume or not, the effort put in by some of the runners I saw was truly humbling. Well done m'dear :)

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply toAncientMum

Thank you so much. Not sure of the exact time but it was somewhere between 2:05 and 2:15 - after one of my friends but before the other two. :)

AncientMum profile image
AncientMumGraduateβ€’ in reply tomcgurranhouse

That's one quick panda!!

Qscout profile image
QscoutGraduateβ€’ in reply toAncientMum

Panda ran 2:11:07. I have a picture but cant seem to add it. Will post in a new thread

AncientMum profile image
AncientMumGraduateβ€’ in reply toQscout

Well done to you too, Qscout

Ullyrunner profile image
UllyrunnerGraduate

Well done both of you. I know we only compete against ourselves but you can't let a panda win...

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply toUllyrunner

Exactly! :)

Madge50 profile image
Madge50Graduate

Massive well done to you both, what a fantastic time. I'm doing my first 10 miler in a couple of weeks, then will (hopefully) go for the HM next year, I would dream of hitting a time like that, probably won't as I am slower pace wise, but you've inspired me to keep on track.

Many congratulations, and thank you

Mx

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate

A beautiful photo.. happy people indeed and very well deserved too!

Very well done!

ancientrunner profile image
ancientrunnerGraduate

Congratulations - that's a brilliant time.

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply toancientrunner

Thank you - well impressed with it myself! :)

Curlygurly2 profile image
Curlygurly2Graduate

Brilliant! How lovely to run with your husband, did you stay together all the way?

mcgurranhouse profile image
mcgurranhouseGraduateβ€’ in reply toCurlygurly2

We did indeed - first time in a long time - added to the pleasure of the run as neither of us found ourselves having to wait for the other - it was great!

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