So after just six weeks of fairly gentle training, having never run before, was I ready to run 10k? That was the question that was running through my mind as we drove from the studios of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio York to Fountain's Abbey on Sunday Morning.
 | | Neil & Elly at the finish |
Elly Fiorentini, who also compered the event, was driving and she could sense I was nervous. She was chatting to me throughout the journey, probably trying to keep my mind off what I was about to do, but all I could think about was whether I would be able to finish the run, and how much pain I would be in by the end of it. Nick Midgeley from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio York, who had been my running mate and mentor during the last six weeks, was also going to be doing the run with me, so I knew I could rely on her to keep me motivated if the going got tough. |
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We arrived at about 8.30, almost two hours ahead of the race itself. One of the first people we met was Nell McAndrew, whom I had spoken to a couple of days earlier. She's a big supporter of Cancer Research UK - her father is battling cancer at the moment, and Nell had raised about 70,000 pounds for the charity through her appearance on "I'm A Celebrity Get Me Outta Here". Nell had several members of her family with her, who were also doing the run, some for the first time, so I soon realised that I was not the only non-runner there, and that made me feel a bit better. After a short warm up, Nick and I made our way to the starting line, along with the 600 plus other runners. After a countdown from Elly, the horn sounded and we were off. The first kilometer seemed the longest. I remember reaching the 1k mark and feeling disappointed that we hadn't covered more ground. It felt like longer.
 | | Eager to start the race! |
I managed to run most of the way, but I have to admit I did walk the up-hill bits. Nick stayed by my side all the way, and I think if she hadn't, I might have walked a bit more of the course. Part of the pleasure of the run, apart from being in the beautiful surrounds of Fountain's Abbey, was being able to chat to people on the way. Almost everyone we talked to had a story to tell about why they were running, either in memory of a relative or friend who had died from cancer, in support of someone who was fighting the disease, or in celebration of someone who had survived. We swapped stories of how we had trained for the big day, and shared tips for getting rid of stitch. In the end, I crossed the finish line after 1 hour and 10 minutes, which was better than the hour and a half I'd been aiming for, and It felt great. I guess the challenge now is to make sure I keep going with the running. So will it be the Great North Run or a half marathon next? I'm not making any promises…. Neil | 
