Great South Run Sunday

Well, we did it!
It was a foggy and drizzly day in the south, perfect for staying cool on a long run.
My brother and I stayed at our parents' outside Portsmouth the night before and it was decided to get the park and ride as advertised in the paper and the radio. We parked up and waited. And waited. And waited. There was soon a small group of us and eventually I went on line on my phone and saw that it was pre booked through a travel company only. We set off again by car, the other people deciding to wait 'because it said there was a park and ride in the paper'. They're probably still there.
It took a while to get to Southsea, we then had a half hour walk from the car park to the start.
Dek dashed off with the white wave and I hung at the very back of the green wave - I was one of the very last people to cross the start line.
It was a very nice flat course and the people of Portsmouth were on the streets cheering us on.
It was damp with all the drizzle and the last two miles along the seafront were a little blustery.
In the last mile I got chatting to a runner called Jacqueline and we tried to stay ahead of Peppa Pig - the costumed cartoon character proved too speedy though and took off with 300yards to go, then Batman and Robin decided they weren't going to be beaten by a pig so raced to beat Peppa to the finish. They beat her and when they were safely out of my finishing photo range I sprinted over the line and then turned to cheer Jacqueline.
I found my parents easily but my brother who finished forty minutes earlier was no where to be seen - I eventually spotted him hanging out by the bins.
It was a lovely, friendly race - although it does not seem worth the £40 entrance fee compared to other races. Despite that I'm sure I'll run again next year and try to beat my time of 2 hours 23 minutes.
Next years race is already open for entries.

Great South Run

The GSR is ten miles. This no longer seems like any kind of distance to me as I did so many ten miles and over runs when training for the VLM. However, I can't remember when I last did ten miles! I've done a few eights recently, but got too bored to carry on further.
Lots of people I know from various running communities are also running so it will be good to see them - it will also be good to see my brother wearing the stupid handlebar moustache he said he would fashion if his sponsorship hit £300; needless to say as a devoted sister I did all I could to make sure this happened :) . I'll take some photos Sunday and share them with you!
Wish me luck and see you Sunday!

Reject!

I was quite sad last week as I found out I had been rejected from the VLM ballot - it was only with that rejection I realised how much I wanted to be part of it again.  Of all the people I know who entered the ballot none of them got in.  In fact all the people I have met who ran the VLM got in on a charity place.  These golden bonds are great but it adds a whole new layer of pressure trying to fundraise a couple of grand as you also train most of your life away.  I would never be able to take a charity place again, people were so generous this year I just couldn't ask again.

Yesterday was slow, long run day as I'm building up for the GSR at the end of the month and it was cold!  The past few weekends were lovely with our late Indian Summer, but this week all of that changed.  I missed the rain but it was still cold and took me hours to warm up once I got in - and it's not even winter yet.  It was then I saw the plus side to not getting a VLM place - I wouldn't have to train in the winter and freeze!