Great North Run

Personnally, a bit disappointed in my time - just over 1 hour 29. Had been training for 1:25. Shame is that I made the mistake on the start line!

Every previous year I have started on the right hand side of the motorway - behind the elites. This year, as I was walking up to that pen, I noticed that the one on the left had less than half the number of the right hand pen, so I was able to get within a few feet of the front, just behind the 'celebs'.

Big mistake! Crossed the line walking and continued to walk for 30 seconds, followed by a 1 minute gentle jog, then a while of skipping around hordes of faces I would never know in a million years, but are classed as 'celebs' for one reason or another. Once I got some space I was able to push to try to gain back some of the lost time.

Got to the end of the first (fast) mile, around a minute behind target. Could either go for broke and try to run equivalent to 1:24 the whole way, or ease off for sub 1:30. Decided on the go for broke, knowing that if it failed, I should still have enough left to ease down, with an even more comfortable time window.

Around mile 8 I could see that there was too much left to do. With the weather going warmer I could have done with drinking quite a bit, but I didn't. So eased off the rest of the way. Remember looking at my watch when I hit the sea road and had 8 and a half minutes to break the 90 minute mark. Thought I was well within that, forgetting, of course, that I hadn't reached the 12 mile point and there was the little matter of the .1 mile as well at the end. Still, made it.

Must get the hydration sorted. Seems that it's scuppering a few runs recently and I am noticing the difference in long training runs. I'll have to start taking drinks on the bike and drinking at race pace during training. Else, I was wondering if I would be better off once every 4 or 5 miles taking a 30 second walk to drink plenty of water?

If you ever ask yourself which side it is best to start the Great North Run on - don't pick behind the 'celebs' if you are in an early pen and likely to want to run past all but Nell McAndrew (who finished ahead on the road, but slightly behind in time). Her and a few others certainly deserve to run from the front - in fact she should probably qualify for the elite women's start? But the majority just cause a blockade and I did witness one or two shouting at fast runners for trying to get past them. Not the spirit of a race, really.