Only 14 days to go until I reach the “GO!” phase of my challenge and get to run in my first race (The Great Winter Run to be held in Edinburgh), and it’s a disaster, it really is. We’ve moved on from the “Stricken! Injured!” thing I was going on about last time when I’d contracted the flu bug to a whole new series of training-hampering events. The first was that I went out for a very ill-advised run one Sunday night shortly after I was recovering from the flu virus thing. It was ill-advised for two reasons: the first being that it was completely dark when I went out and although I was wearing a high-viz vest, I could barely see where I was putting my feet when I ran out of streetlights. I ran through some very dodgy stuff (without putting too fine a point on it, it was some kind of excrement – either cow or horse, I’m not sure which, but being as neither is more appealing than the other as a substance to run through, it doesn’t really matter) and tripped over a number of sticks lying across the path in the process. Then, when I got back I developed a cough. And I mean A COUGH!!! It’s probably as a result of going out too soon after my illness and running when I am not fully recovered, but whatever the reason I’m having a hell of a time persuading it to leave now that I’ve acquired it and have thus been rendered unable to train at all. (14 days to go... panic, panic).
Of course, you are all saying, there’s nothing to worry about, and, concerned with my fitness as I am, you no doubt believe that I have had a very frugal Christmas, didn’t over-indulge too much and therefore am still in pretty good shape to run. As one fellow runner asked: “As your first event is in January does this mean Christmas will be a little less jolly for you this year, maybe not so many mince pies and brandies? I have done that before and surprisingly really enjoyed that Christmas as I had loads of energy and I could still eat bad stuff and have a few drinks here and there but just did not sit with Quality Street tin all afternoon.” And, of course, you would be absolutely...(pause to sweep away those tell-tale Quality Street wrappers) correct. Or not, as the case may be. No, it’s a disaster, it really is – I’ve completely over-indulged (as normal) and as a result, (and totally unsurprisingly) I now have no energy and cannot possibly justify eating any more bad stuff... Oh, well, go on then, just one more strawberry cream. One more isn’t going to make any difference, believe me.
So as a result of all of the above I am in pretty terrible shape to run my first race. I’m still going to do it. The time will be rubbish (I was never that bothered about times anyway). I am seriously worried about the course description with its allusions to the large hill that is required for runners to scale, but I will still do it. And if I haven’t got any faith in myself, not to worry – the organisers of the run haven’t either. The run is started on a “wave” system whereby runners in the white wave go first, the orange go second and the green wave go last. I’m not sure how many entrants there are but I’m in the green wave and I’ve got the feeling that I may be somewhere in the vicinity of the back of the green wave. I’m runner number 2044 (if anyone knows how many entrants there are in the Great Winter Run, I’d be delighted to hear confirmation that there are indeed only 2045 participants). Anyway, it doesn’t really matter. It would only really knock my confidence further to have all those other runners overtaking me. At least at the back there is only runner number 2045 to overtake me. Plus, I won’t get lost – a serious advantage when your sense of direction is as bad as mine. I’ll just be able to following the disappearing forms of all of the other entrants around the course.
The only real good news on the fundraising campaign front I can offer this time is that I have since I last wrote confirmed my entry into the Great Yorkshire Run. That’s three entries in the bag. I also tried (vainly) to confirm my entry into the Great North Run. Obviously, anyone who knows the Greats will know that this is the big one. It’s the longest one, but it’s probably also the most prestigious and the one which is going to be most difficult to gain entry into as a result. However, I happened to notice on the Great Run website that it was possible to enter as a priority entrant now and that to become a priority entrant, all you had to do was become a member. I don’t want to knock the Great Run team – they’re fantastic, they really are – however, I’m sorry to say that the website did definitely give the impression that it was possible to join as a new member. And it isn’t. Not if you’re just a riff-raff amateur like myself anyway. I tried, I really did. The website won’t let you do it. I even rang the helpline. It was Christmas eve and the person manning the helpline was in a very bad mood and as a result wasn’t really inclined to help. So the upshot of this is I do not have my entry into the Great North Run in the bag and will just have to take my chances when the ballot opens in early January. I do hope I get a place, I really do. Without placing too much emphasis on this, but I’m sure you will agree with me, my entire fundraising campaign relies on my place in that event.
Anyway, in the meantime, I am going to rest my battered lungs (probably indulge in some more Quality street – sorry) and do my best to get the training back on schedule at least a week before my first race, but even if I don’t manage it, I can assure you that I will do my very best not to disgrace myself (well, at least totally) in the Great Winter Run and I will finish it (even if I have to crawl across the line – a distinct possibility – indeed, if anyone could arrange to run in front of me with a Quality Street on a string for me to follow, this would go a great way towards providing added motivation. The strawberry cream is my favourite). Failing this, if you would like to support my fundraising attempts in other ways – i.e. if you are not available for strawberry-cream-dragging purposes on 10th January, you can sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/valderbyshire Myself, and the Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity, would be very grateful for your support.
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