London Weeks 12 & 13 - 300, 130 and 1212

This is very late, but I've been having a week at work... Lots landing from a great height, limited dodging ability etc etc etc...

Anyway, this is a bit of a catch up as I've skipped a blog posting as I've been running around the country, both for work and for fun... It's also a blog of numbers...

It's also my 300th Blog - I've spouted on 300 times... Some of them have been written with a smile on my face, others with tears running down my cheeks.  Such is my life as a GUCH, and I hope that its not too boring.

Since I've started this blog, I've gone from a nervous marathon virgin to a multi-ultra marathon runner, I've been invested as an MBE, and I've seen too many friends go through pain and too many die.  I've also seen many kids with heart conditions grow up and be what they want to be, or just grow up to be normal human beings. Having a heart condition doesn't make us good or bad, it just means we have something extra to deal with.  Don't assume we're little angels or little devils - we're just normal...

So, that's the 300 dealt with...

130?  That's the number of seconds slower than my half marathon PB I was on Sunday.  Cambridge is a favourite, mainly because I get to run with one of the runners I find most inspiration - my mate Kieran used to be a GUCH, until he became a heart transplant recipient... He trains despite the nerve induction meaning his system doesn't get warm for miles, and despite a dicky hip and every injury a runner can get.  Travelling down the day before gave us a chance to catch up, gossip, eat scotch eggs and talk training, injuries and chaffing- we're runners, what else are we going to talk about.  And we are runners, neither of us fit with the fun runner motif, we don't have that luxury.


Cambridge was hot - the paper the day after said 20 degrees, which isn't what I like - I sweat at 0 degrees so 20 is painful.  I also got stuck in a group, running faster than I'd intended - I didn't spot they were carrying the batons of relay runners until 8km in.  I was fast, for me, very fact for the first half... and then got hot and started doubting myself... and then got hotter.  By the time I'd choked on another spouty pouch water thingy and realised the PB was on I hadn't left enough time to make it... 130s... two minutes ten seconds over 21km... That's classified as close.

Kieran?  Given his injury record - he finished and with a smile on his face! That's better than many:-)

1212?  That's my race number for London.  I'm terrified now, its a very low number and while I'm sure its independent of the pen I'm in but its still a worry.  It's also a marker for my runs - I've two Long LSRs left - 16 miles tomorrow and 20 the week after, then its stepping down - 12 & 8,,, Nice short runs.

After six years its all getting a bit close... My main job now is to run easy and stay injury free... No heroics and try and avoid this weeks angry run - I do what I do for my charities because I care and when I read that care hasn't been offered to all then I remember why I do what I do. 

So, that was the blog of numbers...  

TTFN

Paul

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