In order to do something different each week of the year, I have a list of challenges to undertake...

Sunday 2 June 2013

Week 22 - Run in the Great Midlands Fun Run

To say that I am not a runner is one of the world's biggest understatements. If you give me the choice between (a) cleaning the windows and (b) going for a run; despite the windows thing being about as unappealing as you can get, it would probably win out over the run.

I started to run a bit, though, at the beginning of last year in order to lose a pound or two - a bit further each day, until I built up my distance to about 5km at a time. I might not enjoy running, but it has the advantage of being both free to do, and is (literally) on the doorstep. I put my name down for the Great Midlands Fun Run as a motivator - got to keep it up or I would drop dead whilst trying to slog round 8.5 miles.

My big brother most certainly is a runner. He is a gym-every-morning-before-work kind of guy who would feels most miserable if he can't run - so after last year's run (after which I hung up my trainers with a great deal of pleasure), he asked if I was going to enter again this year, as he would also like to have a go.

I may have alluded to sibling rivalry previously, so when this gauntlet was thrown down, there was no going back. My training this year has been what you might charitably call patchy, until I got back from holiday at the beginning of last month and panicked - the four week intensive training schedule was on!

So in today's event, big brother beat his own target and come in after an impressive 1 hr 6 mins (he'll be in the top 300-400 finishers out of 7,000 in that time); and I came in about halfway down the field in 1 hr 40 mins.

At the start (courtesy of the Birmingham Mail) ...


And after we finished...


I may not have broken any records, but I ran the whole course non stop, and have therefore completed my week 22 Challenge!

7 comments:

  1. MANY CONGRATULATIONS. I am quite sure I could not ~walk~ 8.5 miles without stopping therefore running this distance without a break is a huge achievement.

    Genuflects at your greatness ...... No, seriously, VERY well done :}

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    1. Suspect your walk would be faster than my run at times, Bilbo, but I am pleased with myself for completing it.

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    2. I very much doubt it! Daisy and I went up the horribly steep face of Rannerdale Knotts last week and I averaged one mph! (I also remembered why I ~never~ use that path and why it has been four years since I last went that way.)

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  2. Very well done, both!
    No sibling jealousy from here - I haven't broken into so much as a trot for years!

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    1. But it's so good for your heart! (not that you'd think so from the pic above, admittedly). I might have you running up the stairs next weekend - I wonder what floor are we on? ;-)

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  3. Well done and I certainly couldn't do it these days.

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    1. The ongoing challenge will be to keep it up. I'd happily sit in a chair all day long, but I'm striving to make running a 'normal' part of my routine, and not a hateful chore!

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