Reading Half Marathon, and many thank yous

After all the preparation and training, the day finally came.  My alarm went off at six o’clock this morning and Chris and I wended our way to Reading for the half-marathon.  The weather was perfect – cool but sunny, with a slight breeze.  I had worked so hard in the run up to the race and I couldn’t help worrying about a couple of little niggles I had – the toes on my left foot hurt a bit, as did my right knee and I was worried these might affect my race.  Would I be able to finish?

I need not have worried.  The gun went off and I ran my own race right from the start.  All of the pacing training that I’d had with the Frontrunners really paid off.  I felt confident in my own speed and pace, and was able to not set off too quickly.  My first mile split time was 8.53, which was fast but not excessively so.  I was able to maintain this speed going around.  I also noticed that I felt so much better in myself than how I felt during the first two half marathons I ran several years ago.  Today, the first seven miles felt like a normal training run, enjoyable and effortless.  I had a great time watching the crowd and high-fiving the small children by the trackside.

It did get a bit harder later on, but I didn’t hit the wall at mile 11 like I usually do.  I kept my speed down and focussed on my breathing, and I was able to keep going without it hurting.  By the time I reached mile twelve I knew that this was going to be a personal best, and when I ran through the thirteen-mile marker and into the Madejski Stadium I realised I had absolutely smashed my old PB.

I crossed the finish line in a time of 1 hour 55 minutes 39 seconds.  My previous personal best, in the Birmingham Half Marathon in 2011, was 2 hours 9 minutes.  I was absolutely overjoyed at my time!  I could not believe that I had completed a half marathon in under two hours and was ecstatic.

The last few months of my life have been difficult for a number of reasons.  I want to thank lots of people who have helped me when things have been hard.  Firstly, I want to thank everyone at London Frontrunners for being the most driven, friendly, sociable and hilarious training partners anyone could ever want.  Particular thanks go to Manue, John, Neil, Karl and all the other members of the training team who have all worked to make sure that not only does the club have an outstanding training plan, but also that training with everyone feels like a pleasure and not a chore.  To every other member of the club who has run with me, talked to me, drank with me in the pub and laughed at my terrible jokes, thank you for making me feel so welcome.  We are the best running club in the whole world!

More thanks go to friends for their help and advice.  Stephen Bramah, Chris Calvert, Tris Davies and Pip Green, you are the reason I got into running in the first place way back in 2009, and I will always remember that first half marathon and all the training we did along the Birmingham canals with huge fondness.  Carly McIver, your help, advice, tips and humour have been invaluable and inspirational.  You are the queen of running!  Thank you also to everyone who donated money to my fundraising campaign.  As of now I have raised just under £500 for Alzheimer’s Society.  Each and every one of you who helped to reach this total is marvellous!  If you are reading this and haven’t donated yet, you will still be able to for another few weeks, you can do so by clicking here.

Finally, I want to thank my parents, Caroline and Alan Rendall, and my boyfriend Chris Curtis.  All three of you came to watch me run today and it was inspirational to know that you were cheering me on.  Mum and Dad, you have been cheering me on my whole life and you have been there for me over the last year or so when I really needed you.  I cannot thank you both enough for all the many wonderful gifts you have given me over the thirty years of my life so far.  I love you both so much.  Chris – my life has been enriched so much by you since we met in 2004.  You love me for who I am and you allow me to be myself while also a part of you, which I think is possibly the greatest gift anyone can give.  I love you so much and I hope that you continue to support my running (you won’t always have to get up at 6am to do it!)

Today is dedicated to those people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia everywhere, as well as those who lived with it and have sadly passed away.  Iris Murdoch, Terry Pratchett, Prunella Scales, and my own grandmother, Ivy Gibbs, née Hiscock, who died last year aged 92 and who inspired me to run today for Alzheimer’s Society.  We are all living longer and we all face the very real possibility that either we or someone we love will be affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia.  Our government keeps cutting NHS budgets and we need to ensure that we fight for good Alzheimer’s and dementia care.  Terry Pratchett showed that with the right care and support, people with Alzheimer’s can continue living full and enriching lives and that they do not need to be labelled as “sufferers” or “victims”.  I feel that I owe it to my Grandma to fight for more publically funded Alzheimer’s and dementia care, not just for those who are affected by it now but for all of those who will be affected by it in years to come.