Over and done with

A whole month has gone by now without a single run! I decided against trying to run as I was simply terrified of ending up back at square one. Ove had reluctantly said to try a mile or two when I pressed him as to whether I could run but when it came down to it I knew that I shouldn't. I get the feeling that is a natural process. You know when all is well and when it's not. Just as we learn when and how to gradually increase training when we first start running, I figure it's the same when we're injured - we know when we have over done it and it's no surprise when we end up with unusually achy muscles or even worse, a pulled muscle. Sometimes we get away with it, sometimes we don't.
I got away with it for longer than I probably should have done! In the end though I came to my senses and I'm not about to take any risks and run before I'm fully recovered. I can't explain why all of a sudden my attitude has changed and I have finally accepted that I really do need to make sure that I don't run before I am ready.

This showed at this weekend's Great North Run when far from dreading standing on the finish line I was really looking forward to it in the end. We had a fantastic weekend and apart from feeling emotional when Martin got off the transfer bus at the start of the race and five of us stayed on to go to the finish and again when I watched him cross the line, I found it a great experience seeing all the elite athletes, Haile Gebraselassie, Berhane Adere and of course Mara Yamauchi and one or two celebrities, Nell McAndrew and Tony Audenshaw. It was, of course, even more uplifting when I spotted Gary from club who finished amongst the fast club runners in a fantastic 1:29 and Jo who also clocked up a brilliant 1:56 despite them sporting charity vests when I was looking out for club vests! I don't however, want to repeat this year's event and am now looking forward to next year when with a great deal of patience I hope to run it. I've happily transferred my Horsforth 10k number for this coming Sunday to Martin and I hope that good sense will prevail for the next of my planned races. So with my final mention of a great weekend going to my son Marc who completed the Junior Great North Run (3 miles) in great time of 20:10 beating his Parkrun PB I'm going to log on and see if the official photos are uploaded yet.

So the (30th Anniversary) Great North Run is over and done with for another year...........