After what seems like a rollercoaster 6 months of planning and training, I have finally done it!
This morning, myself, hubs and the three smalls headed off into town. I was feeling much calmer than recent days. We had a quick visit to the charity stand in the village followed by a customary loo stop. Troops gathered and we headed off to the monument to meet others when one of the smalls disappeared. Back tracking to the loos and another runner had seen boy small heading in other direction. Finally found lost child and felt quite sick to the stomach, not a great start! Met with a couple of ladies for a brief chat but missed aliboo 😔 Had another quick loo stop before the start (no toilet roll but had brought my own 😉). The start was very slow and I finally walked under the gantry at almost 6 minutes. There was a first section through the town, weaving this way and that down closed roads. At the point I saw another runner from our run club so we tagged along with each other for support. I was feeling a bit more warmed up by the time we reached the itchen bridge. Slow and steady, through the mister for the long incline. It was good and the down hill off the bridge fab. We took a trip through small streets down to woolston shores, it was very warm along here before turning back towards the dreaded itchen bridge. Water was consumed at each water station at the bridge as it was hot. Back over the bridge, slow and steady. Finally with that section done I met my family at 6.5 miles for a boost prior to heading through the football stadium. Out and over another bridge with an incline up to the bitterne area of town at which point I got a stitch that stayed for the rest of the run. This took us down another road filled with residence hosing us down, to the riverside park with a run along the river, low tide equals stinky air! We took a steeper incline up to the bridge over the river, a real bottle neck. It was about 10 miles done now and I was on training turf so ready for the portswood and highfield lane inclines, slow and steady but ready for water. From here we dropped down into the common reaching 12 miles. Not long to go but did that last mile seem so long! As we went down the avenue my breathing wobbled a bit as I realised how close to the finish I was. I concentrated on slowing my pace to regain focus, just London road into the finish. As I saw the finish my legs went for a sprint over the line! It was done. I had finally completed my half marathon in 2 hours 23 minutes. In warm weather I am very happy with that. Thank you to everyone who has helped and advised me on my hm journey and to those who believed in me!
Well done! Great job!!! Done and dusted!!! Great time by the way, on a very hot day!
From your report it sounds like you managed it with ease and even managed a sprint at the end! Your training paid off! It always does.
I hope you're feeling ok now. Take a few days off and eat healthily. I always find that helps me recover well. Bask in your half marathon success and plan your next adventure
Thank you! I won't be running until Thursday at the earliest. I shall be waving my medal around whilst I collect donations on the sponsor form, I shall enjoy it.
I am resting today well a part from some shopping and dog walking. My left knee is twingy and my left hip is stiff this morning but otherwise I am great!
Haha, you believed in me when I didn't believe in myself! Thank you, you were so right 😁. But you are amazing, two marathons in two weeks makes you an inspiration. Well done roseabi!
We'll done, sounds like you had a great run, despite some worries before the start ( wandering children are never good for the nerves! ). Great time, too! Excellent result all round.
Thank you! Wandering children was not part of my script for the day lol. I am very pleased with my time and support from the smalls half way round is like gold.
Wow rfd, that’s absolutely cracking! What a fantastic time, nice bling too......like! Oh what a great feeling! See, told you so! Have fun waving that medal under people’s noses to collect your sponsor money, I know I would! 😄
Amazing! So, so pleased for you! All that hard work really paid off. Particularly huge congratulations for managing to pull it off in that heat. I hope you’re still wearing that bling! xxx
Thank you Gabby, I was the queen of faffage on Friday and Saturday but amazingly calm on Sunday morning, who would have thought! I am so pleased to have run the whole way, time was great for such a hot day. So pleased, thank you for all your faffage advice 😁
Long rule the fellow Queens of Faff! Well done for keeping the faffage in check on Sunday morning - I need to take a leaf out of your book next time, I think! I’m so impressed at your time in that heat; I only managed eight miles on Sunday before my flabby thighs chafed so badly in my shorts that I had to give up! Won’t be wearing those again...😂
Oh no not thigh chaffing 🤣 I stuck to my capris on race day purely due to pocket size and no chaffing guarunteed!! Hope it heals soon, that sounds worse than my stiff hips lol.
So happy for you RFD! What a great run. Sounds like almost everything went as you hoped. And you were totally prepared for it. WELL DONE!!! Now you can relax
Thanks Decker!! I am so much more relaxed than last week. It was hot but I accepted that and made the best strategy as I could. It was a good day, the last km was hard work but my legs sprinted a finish for me. One happy runner here 😁
Yes my long runs are done. May do one last one. My right foot was very painful along the outer edge at the end, but it feels better now. Just trying to process a terror attack that happened down the street this afternoon. Right in the same place the race will be starting in 2 weeks time. 9 people killed many others injured by a maniac in a van. I just missed it as I went downtown for a client meet. What a crazy world. Thankful my kids and my wife were all safe.
Oh my goodness Decker this is awful news and way to close to home. So glad to hear you and your family are fine but so sad for those who have died or were injured. Such a senseless act.
Well done Helen!! that's when i saw you looking for your Kiddie, i said to my friend " I think that's Helen there!" and she said you looked stressed so thought not the best time & i'd catch you at the monument but it wasn't to be It was such a hot hard run, you did fab, knew you would! congratulations!! we'll meet another time i'm sure
Thanks Ali! It was a hottie which I had not experienced at that distance so it felt tough, glad I wasn't doing lap 2! So sorry to miss you but as you say we are bound to cross paths again. You also did a fab run so congratulations to you too!
Ahh thank you Millsie-j! I hoped I would deliver after the training I had done but doubt always creeps in when you are doing it all solo. Advice on here has kept me on track. I hope the smalls have running ambitions but we will see.
Fabulous report and a brilliant time! Big respect for doing it in that heat too, it makes all those months of hard work seem like a nasty dream! Big congrats!
Monday I had to walk lots and yesterday I was on a 13hr shift on my feet in theatres. I guess this is good for the legs as they feel really good this morning, yippee!!
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It was such a hot hard run, you did fab, knew you would! congratulations!! we'll meet another time i'm sure 
First HM run complete 
HUHM virtual HM complete ✅
Quiet member, tortoise-like runner, but I completed the Royal Parks HM - thank you everyone
Booked my first HM!😳
