Bupa Great North Run 2007

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  • I'm on line with the first lamp post with the Bupa sign on it and about half way accross the page.  Have a blue vest on.  It's my claim to fame image

    Anyone know when the picutres get put up?

  • it takes a while,

     there are a few on the BBC Tyne website. I've just got through the start section, haven't seeen ny familiar faces or balloons image

  • Well done fellow athletes!!!!! Great to read all your stories and congratulations on all the times.

    And so nice to meet so many of you before the start. Well done XL and Pengwyn for the organisation.

    Had a great day, clapped all the bands, high 5ed loads of kids, (carefully avoiding the ambulance staffimage) and chatted to lots of folk along the run.

    I set off far too fast and paid for it later but 1:51:56 I'm happy with for my first GNR, I was there for the crack not a PB! Which was just as well, I found the hills hard work.

    For those of you not too local to the event I can recommend the Nirvana arrangement, the bus transfers to and from the venue were first class. I spent a long time soaking up the atmosphere afterwards and queuing for a massage. Back to my car at Durham by 4 and home by 7 then off for an italian to bore the wife with tales from Geordieland!

    Stiff this morning but am officially on the taper for the Aviemore half in 2 weeks time!

    Like someone said above my only criticism of the day was the fruit snack in the goodie bag, which I was forced to eat in the massage queue - healthy but cr*p. Love the medal, wore it and the tee all the way home to Scotland.

  • Hi XL - I'm dreadfully hung-over (in fact, I'm probably not even at the hang-over stage yet, I'm probably still a bit drunk  image) and my legs feel like they've ran 13 miles or something, but apart from that I'm ok (now image).

    Looking forward to lunch - think it's going to have to be a full English with full-fat coke .... that should sort me out.

  • Flabby - I thought you were the bloke in the middle along the bottom of the picture - grey vest, perm and a 'tache??

    image

  • Great to hear you had a good day SFC ... seems like I missed you at the start as well??

    I can appreciate people's frustrations about the traffic to and from the event (poor Mrs Eager1  image).  My boyfriend got stuck in traffic for ages trying to get into Shields ... he wasn't heading for Gypsies Green either, but meeting me somewhere else in town and police were stopping him from going up roads he needed to be going up - and he has local knowledge, so I can imagine how difficult it was for out of town supporters.

    Can I ask people who run a lot of halfs ('halves' doesn't look right?) how the GNR route compares, re the undulations?  It's classed as flat but I think it's quite undulating, but I've not really got much to compare it with.

  • LOL at Perm & a tache image I can't grow a tache though image
  • Well yesterday was my first half marathon, and I really enjoyed it. I havent been able to train over the past two weeks due to pain in my shins, but after having a bit of a lay-off they gave me no trouble at all yesterday.

    Was fine until just after ten miles then my legs started to feel like lead and I had to stop, and the remaining distance was a mixture of jogging and walking. I was a bit dissapointed with my time of 2hrs 19 mins, but I raised £558 for the local hospital so it was all good.

    The atmosphere at the start was excellent, and over the last few miles (the last mile on the seafront especially) other runners and the crowds really help you make it.

    Yesterday also made me respect the event alot more than I did before: I knew it was a long way, but until I did it myself I had no idea how much of a challenge it is. Very worthwhile, and I'll be back next year (ballot permitting) with hopefully some better training and a few more races under my belt image

  • Well done everyone, what a cracking event.

    I managed a 2.06 which I am very happy with for a first 1/2 marathon, but could have possibly gone a little faster, something to note for next time.  Not too stiff today which is a winner but suspect I will pay for that tomorrow.

    We were very lucky with the traffic.  We were given some great advice about using the ferry and parking in North Shields which ment a bit of a walk but avoided a lot of the south bound traffic.

    Again well done fellow competitors, and see you there next year? Maybe...

  • Hi Shielsey - sorry to have missed you yesterday, XL told me that you and CC2 had been and gone by the time I got there.

    Your question on Halfs...... that was my 8th and by far the hardest, but not the hilliest - where I got my PB. I think that these long inclines take it out of you more that some short sharp hills with a corresponding down to match.

    I'm sure that looking forward and seeing a mile or so of people going upwards has a psychological effect too.

    Will be interested to see what the more experiences ones reply!

  • Shielsy - I think the GNR is quite hilly too. Not in a short, sharp hilly way but more long, steady inclines throughout. The only other half marathon I've ran is the Tees Valley half (Redcar) which is very flat and where I set my PB earlier this year. Its a smaller event (about 1500 runners) and an ideal opporunity if you want to crack 2 hrs before the next GNR. I think it'll be held on 20th April next year.
  • cregmallin - well done on your pb!  20 mins is a heck of a chunk off!  You must be dead chuffed.

    (sorry I didn't say this sooner, I'm just making my way through yesterday's posts now)

  • HEYYYY!!! image

     As you can probably guessed I'm still very excited image image image.  What a great day, and nice to put faces to some of the names in the forum.  Shielsy, I really like your haircut - think I'll go for something like that.  Haven't had it cut for ages, as I didn't know what to do with it!  I looked a bit of a mess to start with, with my son's old tracky bottoms and fleece but it was the business for keeping me warm - really glad I took them. 

    Brilliant idea about the balloons XL, I spotted them a long way off image 

    Well I managed to run more of it than I thought.  I needed a little walk at around 5 miles as I think I had started a little faster than I should have.  Felt better after some Lucozade sport and found I could keep going OK until *THOSE HILLS* at around 9 and 11 miles.  Seeing the Red Arrows was fab, as was the first sight of the sea...a 'woohoo!' moment for me.  I was hoping for 2:30 and I got it!  Really pleased, I had to sprint the last 200m (well, relatively speaking...) even though I was knackered.  If I hadn't had to dash into the bushes for a wee I would have got sub 2:30!  My first half, but definitely not my last image.

     My foot felt a bit sore at around 11 miles, but it's fine today and I got no pain in my calves or shins!  Legs are very slightly stiff, much better than I thought they would be, though I think walking around afterwards helped.    The queue for the Metro at S.Shields was horrendous so we took the ferry and went up to N.Shields (good suggestion XL - thanks).  Had to queue for the ferry but at least the queue was moving!  At  N. Shields it was a piece of cake, not many getting on the Metro at all.

     Very long day for me with the travelling but definitely worth it.  Had a vegetable curry & rice around 9 pm which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Easy day today as fatigue is setting in and my head feels 'fuzzy'!

     Did anyone else feel faint after the race?  I was waiting a while for my family and only at the packet of dried fruit and drank some Lucozade as I wasn't really hungry until around 4.00pm.  We went into Subway and I ordered a sandwich and cup of tea, and whilst walking to the table I felt really faint.  Had to lie down for about 5 mins (I've felt faint before, but never after a run) and felt absolutely fine after the tea and sandwich.  Maybe next time I should have some food in my bag to eat soon after the race.

  • Should be 'ate' the packet of dried fruit - doh!
  • Spesh - sorry to hear you couldn't run yesterday.  Here's hoping for next year.

    Eager & Canal runner -you might not have been too happy with your times, but you did it, despite the previous illness/injuries.  Good on ya both image

     Well done to everyone else too!  HIP HIP...HOORAY! image

     I've been out in my T-shirt too image  (not running though, just a gentle walk with the dog)

  • OK.....

    Lets lower the tone a tad......

    and discuss bare arses........

     Perhaps, coming from north of the snow line, I am just not used to this on the grass verges at races.....

    Or is this just some more of the northern hospitality - My Dad's from Gateshesd (Windy Nook) and he never warned me about this.

    Not that I am complaining you understand image

  • Hello everyone.

    Luckily I am off work today, my legs are very stiff but that perskindol does seem to have helped alot. I am still tempted to go for a run today though!

    Really need to find another race to do soon, my training has been alot better since I knew I was doing the GNR. Need to find another race now. I have applied for the London Marathon but I wont find out if I've got a place until December and there is a good chance I wont get a place.

    What is everyone else's next race?

    Ian.  

  • Just to confirm we have a photo gallery @ http://www.greatrun.org/gallery/preview.asp?dir=BUPA+Great+North+Run+2007 also marathon-photos will be up later today.

    Melanie - Great Run.

  • The goody bag was a bit of a let down wasn't it? Some kind of cereal bar, or even a chocolate bar would've been nice.

    The Nike powersong station was a really good idea. Just a bit unfortunate for me that I got a Robbie Williams song!

  • I will pass on your thanks to our team.  Great event, went really well.  There are a lot of tired faces in the Great Run office today however not as tired as all our runners' legs!

    We ordered 23 bacon sandwiches this morning - our yearly treat!

    Quiet day today, however from tomorrow we will start on 2008.  I will be sending a post race email tomorrow with a questionnaire for all our runners to complete.  It will be great to have as much feedback as possible to make 2008 even better than 2007.  Watch out for it.

    Melanie

  • Hello everyone, my slowest half by a long way (2:58:23, my PB is 1:43) but definitely one of the best.  I was running with a couple of wheelchairs, one of them electric and one of them being pushed), and two bikes (carrying medical supplies) and was blown away by the number of people who cheered us on when we went past, both the supporters and the runners going past us (hello Stoxy!).  I made it onto the tv behind one of our group who was being interviewed, and a couple of people at work said they'd spotted me.  It was a fantastic day out, although I didn't enjoy the traffic trying to get away, the A1 seemed to be slow all the way back to Leeds even once we'd got away from the race itself.

    Hopefully I'll be back next year.

  • Hi Melanie

    Congratulations to you and the team - your bacon butties are well deserved!

    You may judge how sucessful the organisation was when all we can think to complain about is the fruit snacks in the goodie bag!

    Well done to all concerned.

  • Cheers Melanie - you're a star!

    Yuppers - only complaint was the fruit lol - can we have jaffa cakes please *grins*

    my sis has a whole bunch of pics up to see too: here

    Not sure if she manage to get pics of anyone I know yet - been busy at work - will try and catch up with everything later.

  • Hello Melanie-Many many thanks for yesterdays event.This was my 7th GNR and have to say by far my most enjoyable one. Hope you enjoyed the bacon butties. I must be the only one who enjoyed the fruit snacks.I'll be back again next year.

    Shielsy-Hope your head isnt too bad this morning.About the hills-They are more like inclines in the GNR,with gradual climbs.Ive done a number of halfs with steep climbs,one which I remember at 11 mile at the Alloa half in Scotland.The GNR just has more gradual inclines than any other half ive done.

    Vicki-Theres a cracking pic of you in todays Sunderland Echo,page 6.

    Ian-Theres a few of us doing the Great Cumbrian Run over in Carlisle on October 14th.

    Feeling canny today.Legs a wee bit stiff,slight sore head(1 or 2 guinness).Back on late shift this week.

    See you all soon.

  • rang monkton stadium today and gave them my details, they said theyd get one of their coaches to give me a call, so that should keep me running all year. Anyone else wish they could run it again today? (if they werent so sore) and well done to the organisers, things seemed to be moving along a lot quicker this year.
  • Jon Carr  - Thanks for the travel info.

    RTG - Thanks for the words of kindness.

    Don't know what to do about next year yet, need to see if the wife comes round. I don't think i could drive there and back an do the run. If I do do it again it will prob be for charity again, even though I have failed to collect the min amount of sponsorship this time. I managed £600 7 years ago and £230 this time....I might have to make up the difference as £300 is the min. Its quite embarrising asking people to sponsor you.

    Vicki - those wings really suit you, wonder if we should have a team RW all in pink wings next time.

  • Cheers Mick - gonna pop over to Asda and see if I can get one (doubt I could pick one up in Gateshead).

    Eager1 - thats a cracking idea - team RW - quality!

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