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Great North Run 2013
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Rubbish day for me today, sorry I haven't been able to join in with the post-race celebrations.
Been glued to the news and thinking about my colleagues, I don't personally know the officers but its still such a shock, and my heart goes out to their families and friends too.
I also had to take my dog to the vets today for her annual boosters. She's 10 now and I think she's suffering from arthritis and could possibly be starting with a bit of incontinance so I've had to book her in for a full MOT on Thursday (blood tests/urine tests/x-rays and a possiblle scan) so I'm really not looking forward to it. My last dog was 10 when he died which makes it all the more worrying. I'm hopeful she will just need painkillers to make her comfortable again but its going to be a long day on Thursday without her at home with me.
Sorry for putting a dampener on the thread and sorry for the 'white noise'!
No need to apologise, Mandie. Mr S is a retired policeman and he's been a bit subdued this evening too. And I totally understand about the dog...we have 2. Ours weren't at home yesterday (a friend had them until Monday evening with us doing GNR) and the house seemed really empty. Hope she's ok
Hope your pup is OK mandie! *hugs for you and the little one*
It is awful news about those two WPC's
Great photos I have to say - well done everyone!
Thanks Saffy and Vixx xx
(((Mandie)))
awful news, obviously particularly hard for anyone connected with the force in Manchester. Sincere sympathies to the families and all concerned.
As Saffy said, Mandie, absolutely no need to apologise. You should know that better than anyone having been on this thread as long as you have. We are all here for each other, through thick and thin.
I trawled back through old threads, just for something to do to avoid working, and found the 2005 GNR thread. The only names that would be familiar to some of us now on this latest re-incarnation (Have we had more lives than Dr Who now, I wonder?) were you Mandie, Mum on the Run (who hasn't been around for quite a whiile), Mick the Makem (how I'd love to see that Sunderland crest back on these pages again) and a certain camel.
Thank you XL - I was just a bit worried about spoiling the fun, particularly as its such a new thread.
Has it really been that long?? I might have to have a trawl back myself for old times sakes, although it might be a bit weird looking at my younger self (a bit like reading an old diary I imagine!)
x posts Andy, thank you.
(((Mandie))) such horrible news today. I hope all goes well on Thursday.
I've just been reading back - such a lot to catch up on since Sunday night! Wonderful race reports and pics as well.
Many congratulations on your job mrsj - things come in threes so get your lottery ticket for tomorrow!
Just caught up on the posts... God its hard even after only leaving it for half a day!
Had my first drink at the pub tonight with my burger and chips, must say... Both were enjoyed immensly!
Terrible news Mandie about the officers! So young aswell! ... Dont worry about the dog she will be fine.. I think we worry about them more than we need to sometimes since they can't tell us how they feel! ( Cant find the kind of thinking face i wanted - I think RW should invest in some more smileys for us
) Still, hope everything goes ok though!
Quote from 2012 thread -
Well I'm so glad I followed that schedule - look at the results
Just think how fast I could have done it if I'd followed the other 11 weeks of the schedule 
Maybe next year
Hi all just joined and thought id tell my story,
One night at work i was on my banking site and saw an invite to join the great north run and that 40 people would be drawn from all applicants and selected to run for nspcc, 2 minutes later it stated that i was now entered into the GNR, :-O, Oh bugger I thought!
Realising i had completed it in 1.5 hours 26 years ago, I thought oh well I know i can do it, Not realising that my 26 years on the sofa hadnt done me any favours,
This optimism ended in the first minute of my first training run on may 24th, again Oh bugger! entered my head. I managed to complete a mile and a half running/walking before i had to head back to the car bright red and gasping.
Niggling Injury upon injury followed and I couldnt get past 3 miles until the start of august, I finally cracked 3 miles and nearly started bubbling, how could this be sooo hard!!!,
I added a mile a week until september when i managed to do 9.5 miles without stopping, i took it easy after this until the race.
When the day arrived i was excited but soooo nervous, I was actually at the very back of the field stuck next to a bloke who absolutely honked of sweat, great I thought, then the rain started and we finally started moving, took 50 minutes to reach the start line and all i could think was, bloody hell this is for real lol,
I couldnt believe how easy the first 6 miles were (at my pace i hasten to add) and thought id cracked it, This was the point I felt id become bambi and was bouncing around as if all those years hadnt happened, tearing through the stragglers I was, then the 8 mile marker appeared and i thought to myself "mile 8 your bloody joking" My transformation from bambi to a sweating broken sloth occured, just as mile 9 was coming up I started to feel dizzy and thought i was going to collapse at which point i moved into the side and horror of horrors had to begin walking' after about a minute I started up again plodding along like a slug looking forward to its next salty meal.
The John reid road should be banished from england altogether and i forced my way up it very VERY slowly. Eventually I got to the top and seeing the sea was something ill never forget, what a feeling, and even better I saw the 12 mile marker and knew I wasnt actually going to die, The joy of seeing that marker was quickly squashed flat by the longest mile Ive ever run in my life, but 15 minutes ( yes 15 horrible blooming minutes) later I crossed the line and the legs nearly buckled but it didnt matter because Id done it, Took me 2 hours 35 mins mind.
Wow what a feeling.... Im soooo proud of myself
Two days later and I still cant walk but Ive already registered my interest for next year...
What a completely horrible at times but lovely end to the summer!! its a pleasure and a priviledge to be amongst you all.
Sorry for the essay but felt the need after reading alll your stories.
Hello GrahamyDavis!
Was about to write 'i totally agree about the John Reid Road' BUT then i thought it made the medal all the more worthwhile knowing i'd done a slog that hard!
I think the 800m markers onwards should be banished. I feel like the GNR organisers like to torture us. We know 800m isn't far but feels like the longest stretch of all! (To me it did anyways
)
And well done on your time!
GrahamyDavis - that's a lovely account of your experience
You are right to be proud of yourself.
newbieabbey - I would have to agree about the 800m marker. I'd rather they just didn'y mark it at all. It makes you think you've nearly finished but then it's almost a kilometre to go which is like running the whole thing again. It was worse the first time I did GNR especially with the lovely crowds trying to kid me that I'd almost finished. That last 800m is just the longest on the planet.
Edited my freudian slip where I typed the distance as 800k instead of 800m!
Well it bloomin well feels like 800K 
RLTW - Exactly my thoughts! Bloody buggers what they are!
Mandie- very sorry to read about your colleagues. If its any consolation, our Westie is now over 12 and still going OK (apart from his poor vision and variable hearing- bit like a human teenager). I reckon however we keep our vet in exotic holidays....
GrahamyDavis- well done on starting running again. Think what another year of training will do to your time!
Great news mr sj- that one less stress in your life, although I think I'd find teaching very stressful!
Thanks for the comments everyone
im gonna try have a slow jog (as if i could do a fast jog haha) tomorrow and im sure a full years training will help a lot,
Mandie R im sorry to hear about your hero friends, far too many nutcases about, my thoughts are with you and the families and friends x
I think those markers depend how you're running, last year when I was trying to make it to the end 800m seemed a long way, this year when I had struggled earlier due to cramp but was still feeling physically strong & now running well it pushed me harder as only 800m to go, two laps of the track, funny how the mind works!!
Well done Graham, I think finishing the thing is an achievement and that hard slog near the end adds to that.
NewbieAbbey, I usually meet my wife in the reunion S part, right near a fantastic van selling burger & chips with a coffee, trust me its the best burger ever at that moment and for a big event very reasonably priced..
Mandie ((((hugs)))) to you and everyone at work. I'm sure little Bobbi will pass her MOT though.
Welcome GrahamyDavis and great race report. Like others have said I bet you smash your time next year with another year's worth of training. Especially since you seem to have been a very decent runner in the past.
To defend the John Reid road - it's horribly long, but some bits of it are downhill and can be quite enjoyable. Especially the Boost Zone (playing Hot Right Now when I ran through - brilliant!
). It's when it turns into Prince Edward Road (also referred to as The Nook) that the fun ends 
.
(who was John Reid anyway? This is arguably one of the most well known roads in South Tyneside - along with the optimistically named Ocean Road - but I've no idea why it was so named)
The last mile just goes on for ever. It was so bad this year that I just assumed I'd missed the 800m marker, so when I eventually saw it I was a bit demoralised, lol.
Off work today, so have just arisen from my bed. Off to do some housework and bleed a radiator.
I found the John Reid Road much harder than the last mile, perhaps it was the psychological boost of knowing that I was nearly finished and definitely going to break the 2-hour barrier I had aimed for but I felt a lot better than the 2 miles that preceded it. I did mile 13 in 8.15 as opposed to 8.59/9.09 just before it. Or maybe it was just because those miles are mostly uphill. The crowd helped at the end as well!
I never saw the 800m marker! But then I wasn't expecting there to be one, when I hit 400m my Garmin was telling me that I should have finished already! At the end I had seemingly covered 13.19 miles, about an extra 150 metres due to having to dodge past folk I expect.
As I said previously it was always going to be a one-off, but I found,myself signing up for the BUPA alert when entries can be made for the 2013 race yesterday!
Thanks Sheilsy and Smithski glad to be here looks like a really good forum and hope your right about smashing this years time next year
.
I you sign up for 3 years do you get automatic entry next year? think I read that somewhere.
MJ38, I didn't even attempt that! I let the helpful volunteer remove mine.
Oh! Just read its £44 guaranteed entry for the 3 year entry plus you still have to pay entry fee for the 3 years, think ill stick to the ballot lol
So that'll be near enough £200, decisions decisions...
Thanks Sheilsy and Smithski glad to be here looks like a really good forum and hope your right about smashing this years time next year
.
I you sign up for 3 years do you get automatic entry next year? think I read that somewhere.