You can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man (woman)!
And so ends another week of training! There is now just 55 days to go (as of today's date) and I am starting to feel quite nervous about it all. Everything seems a whole lot closer than when I first sent off the application forms.
Today was the eventful Bramley 10/20 road race. Runners have the option of entering for a single 10 mile lap or the more ambitious double 20 mile lap. I ran the 20 miler, which left me very envious of all the finishing 10 milers on the first circuit. The crowd was great with several Sandhurst Joggers turning up just to cheer!
It's important to practice everything and after the Frankenstein Esq photos from wokingham half last week I decided to try a new hairstyle and plaited my hair back into 'go faster plaits', as Paul B. described them. I then made an effort every time I passed a paparazzi to try and not look like my feet were feeling like lumps of rock. We'll have to wait for the photos to see if it worked! Cheesy grins all round.
The plaits must have worked as I finished the race in 2hr 27 min and 58 seconds, which was a full minute quicker than I had been planning to run it - so very pleased! The biggest achievement was that I finally ran a race where I didn't need to use the portaloos 20 times before the start - this was a good thing as they sounded a little smelly! Aw the sweet signs of progress!
I was joined on the circuit by several other fantastic Sandhurst Joggers including Paul A and Paul B, Sarah H, Nikki F, James C, Dave B, Alan K, Graham R and quite a few others - sorry if I've not mentioned you! The super quick Pete G also came down for the weekend from Frome and was my honoured guest for the weekend. The airbed and pasta bake dinner didn't do him too much damage as he ran a brilliant sub 2hr! Pete your running is inspiring, even if I can only ever hope to see you for a second at the start before you disaper over the horizon.
The race finished with me treating everyone to one (or several) of my gingerbread random shape biscuits (gingerbread men, rabbits and cats) which showed how I earned the biscuit part of my name. Hopefully the snacks aided everyone's recovery as at that point I could barely lift my legs off the floor and I don't think I was the only one.
So now after ignoring my Satnav and taking everyone in my car on a funny detour of little cul-de-sacs round Bramley, I am now safely home and playing my favourite game of 'not moving off the sofa' and eating all the treats in the finishers goodie bag.
Fundraising news: We're still sitting around the £800 mark so please keep the donations coming. Hopefully these blogs are showing you all just how much dedication a marathon takes (as well as a few light jokes) - but it's nothing compared to the traumatic experiences that Brain tumour patients go through. Thank you for all your support so far, your donations are going to a very worthy cause. One day, when I am not training, I will get round to making you all 'thank you' gingerbread biscuits!
Keep running!
Biscuit Nikki x
Want to help out and sponsor me? It's easy! Just go to: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/NicolaStanley
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