The Run That Made My Mind Up!

I had a great run yesterday. The sun was shining and the sky was blue when I left home, planning to break my half marathon PB, over a hilly course and carrying a 6kg pack. 1 hour, 54 minutes and 36 seconds later I'd done it!


I'd mainly stayed on hard paths, as it is still a bit muddy in the woods (despite the lovely dry weather we are finally getting after months of rain), but I hadn't stinted on hills! In fact I had chosen a route with the biggest and longest hills around here. (OK - I know that isn't saying much round here, and last weeks run on the South Downs was harder, but all the same!)

The run topped off a good week of running. I had squeezed in two fast shorter runs during the week, a hilly 5 miles (which made up part of my half marathon course) run at 8'25'/mile and a slightly shorter (and partly downhill run back from the station, which I had stormed at 7'30". I know these speeds aren't amazing for many athletes, but for me they are a real breakthrough.

But why this run was special, and the reason for the title of this blog, was that yesterday's half marathon convinced me that I was fit enough to attempt a run that has been lurking and growing and forming and being planned and thought about and obsessed over for months. I am going to run 210 miles, from the south coast of Wales to the North, via all the main mountains, carrying my kit with me. It'll take me about 12 days and I shall do it in the summer, in a few months' time.

As I came down the hill into the village at about 13 miles today I realised firstly that I was going to smash my half marathon time by over 3 minutes, despite carrying a pack. But more importantly I knew I had plenty left in me. Certainly enough to rest for a few hours and then run another 6-8 miles in the afternoon.

And that told me that I could manage the 20 or so miles a day I'd have to average on the Wales run.

And that, in turn, told me that I should stop the umming and ahhing, the shall I? shan't I? the could I? will I? and just go for it.

So as of today I have started telling people that that is what I am going to do. Which I guess seals my fate! Still not sure if I can do it, but too late now.

I'll be blogging most of it over on my other blog (outdoorswanderer.blogspot.co.uk), so head over there and bookmark it for more news!