A few work friends in Bristol decided we should all do Bristol 10k this was a big race event and was a great experience and with a new PB of 51:30 I was happy
..... So happy in-fact someone caught be off guard and before even I knew about it I had agreed to do the Bristol Half Marathon in Sept 2011. Damn!
I had built up enough confidence in my running I decided to join a local running club Swindon Striders in May 2011 and met some amazing people. All of these people had and were still doing half marathons for fun! they just didn't see it as a big challenge at all but they were very supportive and encouraging of my goals.
The time past quickly and the weight continued to drop. Training for the half was the hardest thing at this point I couldn't ever image more than an hour on my feet but slowly 6 became 7 and soon I was running 10 miles. I was hoping for a sub 2 hr but the day came and it extremely hot and sticky I ran 2:02 but was still very happy. I walked at 10/11 miles and thought how proud my family and my nana and Grandad who are not with us would be and then I set about finishing it.
Within days of this talk down the club was that I should be doing Swindon Half in October. I had specifically avoided this because of how tough it was, running 13.1 was hard enough without some sadistic hills into the mix. But I'm a sucker for a challenge so I just decided get on with it.
Race day came and it went perfect PB 1:53:48. Then some idiot mentioned that the club trip for a Marathon was going to be Edinburgh or Manchester marathon but let's leave that craziness until 2012.
2011 ended in great fashion Swindon 10k is always in November and is the coldest event each year which always makes me want to run faster each time. It was my first 10k only a full year ago so it was nice to go back. At this point I had forgotten all about my sub 50min goal i had set at the start of the year but things have a way of coming full circle. Just before the race someone asked what time I was going for and without hesitation I said "Sub 50". It was a bad lesson in pace judgement as I did a very fast 5k and then had to hold it together but a watch time of 49:17 just made me love running even more!
