Sh*t Happens...

...but so, luckily, does good stuff!

The observant among you will have noticed that I haven't blogged for a while. Ahem! To be more accurate I haven't blogged since March and I've only blogged 11 times this year altogether. After hitting my blogging pinnacle in 2011, with a blog post more or less every other day, 2012 has been a bit of a famine for bon mots.

My excuse? Well, life just kind of got in the way. Not in the really tough and horrible way that it has done in the past, but in an altogether happier and much more fun way. I can safely say that I have never been happier. And I like that. I like that a lot!

I'm hoping that this little cloud of happiness will keep on floating around for quite some time to come. But I confess I'm aso hoping that I get myself back into some of my other life stuff too. For example, I definitely need to start running again. My Race a Month Challenge fell this month (although my awesome running partner in crime is still plugging on, completing her May race last weekend) and if I'm honest I've actually only run 5 times this year, 4 races and 1 training run. There is no excuse except distraction and laziness.

Oh, and I also need to start blogging again.

Back on the road

So, today was race 3 in the great 2012 race-a-month challenge. The venue - Grangemouth; the distance - 10k; the time - 1:04:09.

Am I happy with the time? Not entirely. I was hoping to get back within the hour but with no training, I guess this isn't too bad. And it does, at least, break my race time decline, being a good 30 seconds better than my last 10k (even though it's a good 8 minutes slower than my PB).

It does, however, show just how much I need to get back into my training and regular running if I'm to improve my PB this year. Or be ready for my second half marathon in May.

Next up is the Balfron 10k in April. Time to lace my shoes a bit more regularly, I think.

Through wind and rain...

Well, yesterday saw me run my first race of the year, as predicted last time I posted. It was the first of my race a month challenge set by the awesome Just Frances. This will see us get through 2012 with a minimum of one organised race a month. We already have a few mapped out and a few gaps in the schedule, but yesterday was the day we got it all kicked off.

And, to be honest, weather-wise, we would have struggled to get a worse day - short of blizzard conditions, that is! As Frances tells me, she's run in colder conditions, but yesterday was the whole package of yukky conditions - rain, strong headwind, bitingly cold, with muddy and uneven conditions underfoot. Added to our combined lack of training, we were fearing the worst. To be honest, I was convinced I was likely to come last having looked at last year's results. And while I'm not running to win, if I'm entirely honest, I find coming last a real problem.

But as it turns out, I did ok. My time wasn't the best (1:04:51 - my slowest yet for a 10k), and my running certainly wasn't elegant. But I didn't disgrace myself - I wasn't last, I managed to run the whole race without stopping and I crossed the finish line with some (but not a lot) of puff left. And while I was shattered afterwards and in my bed by 9pm last night, today I'm not feeling too bad at all. A few twinges but no crippling muscle strains or aching joints.

And surprising amounts of energy - must be all those endolphins. Either that or my post race nutrition - it's all about eating and drinking the right things after all...

Racing ahead of myself

Regular readers of this blog will know that last year saw me taking on perhaps my biggest challenge yet - running a marathon with my awesome partner in crime. It was, I confess, a hard slog - not all of the time but as the distances got longer and the race got nearer, it became a real trial.

I can't say that I enjoyed it but I am exceptionally proud of myself that I completed it. Before, during and after the race I was firm in my conviction that I wouldn't do another one. The pain - physical and psychological - was just too much for me, and having done it once I didn't feel any great compulsion to do it again. I can safely say I really didn't understand how people could become addicted to such a god awful experience.

Just over 3 months on, has my view changed? Not really. I'm not quite so anti trying another marathon 'in due course' now, but it's still not something I feel compelled to rush out and do straight away. I haven't given up the running however.

Or to be more accurate, I won't be giving up the running. I have rather given it up over the winter but that's starting to change. I got out on my first run in 2 months at the weekend and while my time wasn't great and I felt pretty sore for a few days afterwards, it's also true to say that I felt good afterwards. It was great to get the air in my lungs again, to stretch my legs out and to stomp round my 4 mile running route.

Which is just as well really, since the aforementioned Frances has challenged me to a race a month for 2012 and we have our first one lined up for next weekend. Luckily it's just (!?) a 10k so I've got half a chance of surviving it with only minimal training.

However, for minimal read 'No' training. And if I'm not careful that might be the way it is this year. For a variety of reasons I'm expecting to find my personal time under pressure this year. I'm not unhappy about that but it does mean I'm going to have to be much more disciplined about my training schedule. Before work runs might need to start happening once the mornings get light enough. Weekend runs will need to be squeezed in as and when to get some longer distances under my belt.

I'm looking forward to it. No, really I am. I'm particularly looking forward to enjoying my running again, without the fear of 26.2 miles hanging over me as it did for large parts of last year. But knowing me and my competitive streak, I'll just replace the challenge of endurance with one of speed and will spend my year obsessing about PBs.

Still, there are worse things to obsess about...

TWTYTW

Well, it's that time of year again when I look back at the year that's been, and try to make sense of it all. And it really depends where you look what the year appears to have been.

Looking at my Facebook status updates randomly captured by the Facebook bot and collaged above, I appear to have the most banal of existences. I'm not sure what that tells me - I don't think I'm as shallow as this little selection implies, but who knows! There are a few highlights in there - my continuing search for a permanent residence, my awesome friends, the usual niggles from work, my weakness for the guilty pleasures of idoitic TV, and hints of my new found partner-in-crime. But the real highs (and lows) of the year aren't captured, other than obliquely.

There's nothing, for example, about my running challenge - which is strange because I'm pretty sure I bored my online friends senseless with it this year. Who knows, perhaps even the bot was bored! There's also precious little about my life goals for the year - which is interesting, since they don't really appear to have been central to my day to day musings. And there's also not much about my great adventure to Sicily, surely one of the highlights of my year - not so much for the travelling, which was great, but for the sense of freedom, independence and confidence that it brought me, finally!

So, when I look back (personally*) on 2011 that's probably what stands out the most for me. 2011 as the year when I finally came to terms with who and what I am, and learned to love it. Work-in-progress me has come a long way over the last 12 months, and you know what? I'm pretty proud of myself for it.

And what about 2012**? What's it going to be like? Well, I have a feeling it's going to be a good year, perhaps one of the best. I'm in a great place personally, good things are happening, and I feel ready to make the most of them. I have awesome family and friends, I'm healthy, happy, safe, secure. Life is good. What else is there?

*As I say above, this is a personal reflection on the year. Self indulgent, I know, but that's what this blog is about! If you want a political or news review, try here for just one perspective on 2011 on a less insular scale.

** And if you want to know the real stock take on my 2011 goals, tune in tomorrow (or so!) for a round up and preview of my resolutions and goals for 2012.

The race is on!

I blogged on Friday that I was intending to get back out running again, and on Saturday I did with the awesome Just Frances. She acted as my conscience and I ensured I got out of bed after an unexpected late night, and then dragged me out on my first run since the dreaded 26.2  in October. And, do you know what? It was really good. It felt good to be stretching my legs again and although our time was really slow (48 minutes for a measly 4 miles), it reminded me how much I used to enjoy my running before I put myself through the physical and psychological torture that was my marathon challenge.

And it also made the decision I made to take up Frances' challenge of a race a month for the next year, seem like the right one. I'll not, however, be taking up her offer of doing the Loch Ness marathon again next year. I'm not quite that daft - almost, but not quite. Instead I think I'll stick to 10ks and half marathons. They're much more my distance.

Which is something that even a year ago I never thought I'd hear myself say. Sometimes I find it really quite amazing how far I've come in such a short space of time - and with my running too...

So, now it's time to knuckle down to train for our first post marathon race, which will be the Reindeer Run at Stirling University on 27th November. A nice little 10k run. Not a huge amount of training required. Unless, you're competitive like me (and Frances) that is. After all, I've got to try and beat her this time!!

So I think, given the time of year and weather, I need to get back into a gym routine to complement my running. Now that I don't have to spend time getting my distances up, it should be a bit easier to fit in some cross training, and hopefully it will help to improve my overall stamina and consequently my running times.

Oh my god, I've become a running bore. When did that happen...?

If the shoe fits...

As regular readers and my close friends, ok most people who know me, know - I like shoes. No, that's not right - I LOVE shoes. I adore shoes. Shoes are my friends and my passion.

Or they were until recently, that is. This past year, my shoe addiction has been somewhat stifled - I've hardly bought any pairs, and those that I did buy have been (gasp!) flat! This is so entirely unlike me that I confess I've been a bit worried. Even more worried when the pair of shoes that I was most excited about buying were my first pair of proper running shoes. Clearly there was a purpose and a reason for investing in them, but they were still functional flat shoes, and effectively trainers.

What had I become?! Where was the shoe diva hiding?

To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure. She's not quite returned yet, but what I am finding is that some of the shoes that I used to wear with ease - well, maybe not ease, but without too much pain - are now virtually unwearable. It's as if my feet have grown and my shoes no longer fit. I'm not sure if this is real or imagined, it seems to happen to barefoot runners, but I can't find anything to say that it's a common complaint/effect for shoed runners.

But whatever the science of it, my shoes just don't seem to fit as well anymore. And a number of them are getting to the end of their natural lives. So, I guess that means I'll have to go shoe shopping again sometime soon - what a hardship!!

Woo hoo! I sense a return to addiction coming any time about .....NOW!

Week-end

Well, it's been a bit of a long week. Definitely back into full-on work mode after my fabulous Italian adventure and I'm pleased it's now the end of the week. Some time for rest and relaxation hopefully. 

One of my plans for the weekend is to get back out running. The awesome Just Frances has challenged me to a race a month for the next year. Looks like our next one will be the Reindeer Run at Stirling University so I suppose I'd better lace up my running shoes and get back out there. 

But for now I think I'll just kick back, enjoy some good music and a glass of wine. Well, ok, it's G&T tonight, but you get the picture...

Have a great weekend, folks, whatever you've got planned. 

26.2

So, I've finally got round to doing my post-marathon blog post. It's taken me this long partly because I've been so utterly exhausted and dog tired, but also partly because it's taken me until today to really appreciate and enjoy the fact that I RAN A MARATHON!!!!

What was that? You want to hear the gory details? Oh, well - ok, if you insist...

We arrived in Inverness on Saturday morning and after a bit of a shaky start with a mixed up hotel booking, we soon got ourselves sorted with our race numbers and headed off for carbs. Which we found in the form of fish and chips for Frances, and baked potato and chilli - with some extra chips - for me. (I'm really going to miss that carb-loading, you know!!)

We also sorted ourselves out with our rehydration therapy for the next day - none of these, but it was a bottle of Talisker in honour of Paul - the reason/inspiration for our marathon challenge.

And then it was time for an early night and bed. Bed rather than sleep, that is. I was far too nervous to get a good night's sleep, but actually having Frances there meant I was less anxious than I would otherwise have been. I was amazed that I managed to get to sleep at all but it wasn't the best night's sleep I've ever had.

All too soon it was morning and time for us to a) try to fuel up and b) head off for the bus to the marathon start. The former wasn't very successful and the latter was just long and boring. Not helped by the walk across the wet playing field on the way to the bus leading to us getting wet feet (you should ask Frances about wet feet!).

But then we were on our way and it was too late to turn back. To be honest, it was too late to turn back when I registered for the damn thing! But by the time the bus left, it was definitely physically too late to turn back.

[Apologies, this is turning into a marathon post...about my marathon]

To speed things up, from arrival at the start line it went a bit like this...

Leave bus
Drizzle
Long Q2P
Heavier drizzle
Huddle at start
And we're off....
5 minutes later we cross the start
1 mile later we realise we're running way too fast
Rain now
2 miles after that we're still running too fast
Heavier rain
1 mile later, hail
Downhill stops
1 mile later, uphill starts (repeat for 20 miles!)
Suddenly we've completed 6 miles (almost quarter of the way there)
13.1 miles, half way. Yay!
OMG, still another 13.1 miles to go...

18 miles, is it time to stop running yet? What do you mean there's another 8 still to go? Surely it must be time to stop now? You could just stop, you know. No-one would mind. Just stop. It will feel so much better. Stop running. No-one needs to know. SHUT UP!
[Repeat for 8 miles, 2 hours]
 
19 miles, will this hill ever end? At least the sun's out now. I wish those cyclists would disappear. Do you think anyone would notice if I jumped on the back. Another ambulance? How many retirals are there? Do you think anyone would notice if I jumped in the back?
21 miles, there's Frances ahead. Wonder if I can catch her up? Hmm, chirpy. What's she taken? Can I have some? Do you think she'd notice if I jumped on for a piggy back?

22 miles, and she's off again. How can she still run after 22 miles? At least I don't have pretend to be chirpy now. I don't think my pretending was very successful. Damn, now I'm going to have to cheer myself up. God, I hate this. Who's daft idea was this?
23 miles, only 3 more to go. You can walk 3 miles in an hour. If you run a bit, you could do it faster. Just run a bit. Go on, just move your legs a bit faster. Up and down, that's it. Don't stop. Up and down. How hard can it be? Ok. That hard.
24 miles, starting to come into Inverness and civilisation. I'd better start trying to run again. 2 minute running spurt, yay! Let's try another one. Break it down into 10 minute chunks. Run for as long as you can and then walk the rest of the 10 minutes. You can manage longer than 2 minutes...well, maybe not.

25 miles, it's only 1 mile to go, just ignore the 0.2. There's people around, at least try to run. Oh, cheers. That helps. Wave. Run, that would be more effective. I'm not going to stop now
25.5 miles, I can run the last bit. It's not far. It is far. How far is that finish line? Still can't see it. Yay, Frances, Dave and Emma, Anna and Charlie. Epic support team. I'd better look like I can run at least some of it. Head up, photographers around.

Fall across finish line. Hands up in surrender, that should make a good photo. Burst into tears (again). Never doing that again....

Well, you did ask!

Maybe tomorrow?

Still no gory details. Sorry folks. The bubbles got in the way tonight. And the strangely flat feeling I didn't expect to get post marathon.

But, as it says - maybe tomorrow...

Housemates

Sorry, guys - too tired to blog tonight. You'll need to wait until tomorrow to read the gory details.

Meanwhile, amuse yourself with this photo of my current housemates. I think Cat was pleased to see us back. Or at least until we got the laptops out.

By the way, did I mention? I completed my first marathon yesterday!

5'49'25

It's done. I now never have to run another marathon in my life.

Gory details tomorrow, but for tonight - just know, I finished in 5'49'25 and I was 201 in my age group. Not bad for a first time out.

Personally I was just delighted to finish and not be a quitter!

On persevering

Tomorrow, as my reader knows, sees me face my latest challenge - the Loch Ness Marathon. All 26.2 miles of it.

I don't mind confessing, there have been moments - many of them - when I've felt like giving up. Running long distances isn't something I find easy, my body isn't built for it and there have been times when I've wondered if my mind is either. Doing the training was tough going, even just finding time for it was a challenge. And the constant ache in my muscles and joints - well, you really don't need to know the details of that!

My sister wrote not long ago that there were very few times in her life that she'd given up on anything. At the time I thought she was just being dramatic but when I thought about it, I realised she was right. I also realised that it wasn't something I could say about myself. Indeed, the photo for this was taken to commemorate a less than successful endeavour of my youth, which I won't go into now but suffice to say, was not my best hour and was only salvaged by the love and long suffering-ness of my Mum and Dad! And was also pretty much all about being a quitter.

That's not why I'm pushing myself to do the race tomorrow, but I will make my second confession of the night and say I'm really quite proud of myself for being here now and facing it down tomorrow. I do seem to have developed some staying power in my old(er) age so perhaps there's hope for me yet. And before anyone mentions it, ok, perhaps not sticking power in all aspects of my life, but it's a start, right?

So, that's it. Tomorrow's race day. There's nothing left for it now other than to sit back, watch Dr Who and try to get some rest before the big day. Wish me luck...

Ain't that nice!

Just as I was preparing to get myself all psyched out about to Sunday's race, I went to check today's post. And this is what I found. A good luck card from the charity I'm running for, the Epilepsy Society. And not just a card, some extra jelly beans too. How kind is that?

Hopefully they'll be really pleased to hear that my ultra generous friends and family have pushed the total raised so far to almost £600.

And if you haven't donated yet, you know what to do!

For whom the bell tolls

I posted yesterday to say that it was only a week to go until I face my marathon challenge in the Highlands, along the banks of Loch Ness and ending up in the fair city of Inverness. And also to say how absolutely terrified I am at the prospect. It really does frighten me. And the closer it gets, the worse I feel. Rationally I'm telling myself not to get worked up, but emotionally, well that's a different story.

Part of the fear is whether my body will hold up for the whole 26.2 miles. So far the furtherest I've run is 18 miles - and that was at a cost. In fact I had a physio appointment this morning to try to sort out the calf strain I picked up as a result of those 18 miles. I was fully expecting not to be able to walk this afternoon, but Simon really must have charmed hands since I'm not feeling too bad after all. It turns out that far from worrying about my calf, it's my shoulders that are the real worry, with several golf ball knots of nastiness tied up across that area of my upper back. Needless to say, I'm booked back in next Monday to undo the damage next Sunday is bound to wreak.

Unfortunately, the calf strain put paid to my distance training, and has also severely hampered my stamina work too. So, in truth, I don't actually know if I have it in me to keep moving for 26 miles.

The other fear is whether I'll be mentally strong enough. Yes, the constant pounding of foot on pavement for 26 plus miles is hard going. But equally tough is the emotional impact. For one thing, running for 6 hours is actually pretty boring - there are only so many times you can run through your current list of 'things to think about'. And then as exhaustion sets in, the ability to put thoughts in any kind of consecutive or sensible order vanishes and distraction by way of thinking becomes impossible. Even listening to music can become a bit of a trial - and that's supposing the iPod lasts as long as I do. Towards the end, there is every chance that I'll actually be forced to think about the fact that I'm running, still running, and I'm not sure that's going to be a good thing. Perhaps the hills will distract me? That's the hills I'll be running up, by the way, not ones to look at!

I was looking back over my various running posts from the last year and I was reminded of just how far I've come in such a short space of time. I had a wry smile when I saw me earlier this year congratulating myself for running 7 miles. I was also reminded how emotional I was when I completed the Edinburgh Half Marathon back in May. Even thinking about it now makes me overcome with emulsion - doubtless it will be much the same on Sunday. Lucky Emma - now you know what to expect!!

Which is an opportune time to give a shout out to my support team - those who've kept me going with advice and encouragement during my training this year, those who've worried about whether I should be doing this at all and tried (for all the right reasons) to dissuade me, the fabulous Sue who stepped in at the last minute to meet me at the end of my half marathon in Edinburgh and the wonderful Emma who has agreed to be there at the finish line to pick up the pieces. As I've said many many times, I have some truly amazing and fantastic friends.

And it's also time to shout out for Frances, my awesome running companion, temporary lodger and new found partner in crime. If it wasn't for Frances, I wouldn't be doing this, and while at times that might feel like quite a good thing, in reality it/she has pushed me to dig down deep and discover inner strength I didn't know I had. And for that I'm truly grateful. Thanks Frances, looking forward to beating this running demon with you on Sunday!

Foot soldiers

My ever loyal readers will be pleased to know that this time next week it will all be over. And - contrary to metaphor - I strongly suspect there won't be much shouting until at least a few days later. Apart from sneaking on to post my time that is.

For those of you who've managed to miss the relentless pimping of my next weekend's challenge - WAKE UP! Yes, it's very nearly marathon time. Next Sunday will see the awesome Frances and me attempting to complete our first ever marathon in Inverness.

It's been a strange roller coaster of a ride preparing for it, and as it gets closer I swing between absolute fear and dogged resignation. Who knows what the day will bring? Well, apart from pain and exhaustion that is. Hopefully there will also be a feeling of success and achievement too - no matter what happens.

If you're in the area, drop by the finish line about 4pm and say congratulations. If you've sponsored me, good on you. If you haven't, get yourself over to my Just Giving page and do the needful.

Shiny new shoes

I am being sensible as a mark of respect to my forthcoming running challenge and only wearing flat shoes between now and 2nd October. And I don't even mean flat for me, I mean completely flat.

Those who know me well will realise what a sacrifice that is for me. But you will also know that it can only serve as an excuse to buy myself new shoes. Which I did and here they are!

Good old Clarks and their next day delivery option!

Just because I'm wearing flats, there's no reason not to be stylish or just that little bit kooky.

Keep on runnin'

It's been a while since I last bored you with stories of my running, and having run my hometown 10k this morning, it's seems an opportune time to start again. And before you say anything, yes, I know I haven't blogged about anything much at all over the summer. Just you wait until October, however, you won't know what's hit you then - more of that another day!

So before telling you about today's race, I think I should clarify that whilst I haven't been writing about running in the blogging ethosphere, that doesn't mean I haven't been banging on about in real life to anyone who will listen. Although it would probably be more accurate to say I've been boring them with tales of NOT running because I feel I've been doing more of that recently than I have of the real training stuff. 

And you all, of course, remember why I'm training - both the race itself and the worthy cause for which I'm running. Feel free to sponsor me if you haven't already done so [shameless plug completed - read on in safety].

But back to the NOT running. It's been for a variety of reasons. Some of which, yes, are to do with motivation. Others are to do with over busy-ness. But it's also been about injury. Yes, dear reader, I am now a serious runner and can talk about that niggling calf strain or the bad bout of runner's knee I'm suffering from. Which is all good enough reason to justify my rather poor performance in this morning's Stirling 10k. Not only did I not beat my time from last year, I also didn't beat my running companion, Miss Awesome herself, who shot ahead at just after 5km and was but a mere streak of white in the distance for the rest of my race. My age adjusted performance was worse - even though I'm a year older and clearly much fitter (ahem!). 

And to cap it all, the official race photographer (the 'getting less than awesome by the second', Frances) somehow managed to make me look fat in my pre-race photograph. You will understand that it is a trick of the light and that I am in reality a slim svelte size 8, with the well toned body of a 28 year old. 

The only saving grace, I guess, is that there were no post race photographs and I think I managed to dodge any of the real official race photographers on the way round. 

Yeah, maybe I'll go back to not blogging about my running after all...

Hi. Remember me?

I hadn't realised it had been a whole month since I last posted. I knew it was a long time, but I didn't realise I had let the whole of August go by without posting anything at all.

And it's not like nothing's been happening. I haven't just been sitting around with my feet up. I've been putting my back into it all - much like these guys. Well perhaps not like these guys, but in my own version of working hard, it's a close run thing.

There's been plenty to write about, just not enough time/free space to do the writing in I guess. What with visiting relatives (Big sis and the Wee Guy, sadly now finished the UK section of their holiday and on their way back home via a short stop over in Amsterdam - capital city number 5 for the intrepid duo!!), work (general mega chaos with added failure to organise a summer break and a last minute study visit to Sweden thrown in) and running (maximum distance run now 18 miles and with only 3 weeks to go to the marathon, I am now officially tapering down), there's not been a quiet moment. So - my loyal readers - I apologise and promise to try to do better for the rest of the year.

One of my resolutions for this year was to blog more regularly but that hasn't really worked out. There's a number of reasons - some are to do with the general busy-ness outlined above, others are to do with a strange malaise that came over me this year. Having set out to change a whole heap of things in my life - work, home, me - I guess I'm feeling I'm not doing that well.

And, as some readers will know, at times like that my hermit instinct takes over. I withdraw and decide that the world doesn't need to be inflicted with my self absorbed ramblings.

I know I'm being hard on myself - no, really I am! I have achieved a lot already this year - and while I may still be in the same job, living in the same flat and with no realistic prospect of an improvement in my love life in the offing, I am far more sane than I was at the start of the year. I've dealt with some shitty stuff and come through the other end, changed my hairstyle (the two are not unconnected!), started looking for somewhere new to live, learned new stuff - particularly all things broadband and I am now fluent in Geek, visited new places - Shetland and (almost) the Arctic Circle, and made new friends (again, the two are not entirely unconnected!).

I've pushed myself further physically than I've ever pushed myself before and proved that I can do endurance - let's hope it works on 2nd October. Bizarrely, I've even managed to put on weight while doing it - I think I'm perhaps too successful at the carb loading aspect of it all. And, while I really don't like the added weight concept, I am forced to admit that I look and feel better for it. Is sanity is connected to weight?

So, all in all, while I might think I haven't posted because I think I'm a mess, when I sit down and think about it, I'm not really. I'm actually quietly, in my own corner, doing ok. And that's pretty good really. I'm pleased with that.

Eey-ore!

I've not really talked about my running much recently, and that's because it's not been going very well. However, all that's for another post. Today it's time for another installment from the homeland.

Friday saw Golden Wedding celebrations chez les olds. Saturday was spent recovering. Today was spent exhausting ourselves again - this time through the medium of running. My sister and I decided that this was the year we were going to enter our hometown race, the Donkey Brae Run. It's a 7 miler between our hometown and the next, mostly along really beautiful coastal paths but with 2 killer hills. The race organisers are nice in that they let you run down both hills, but sadly they also make you run up them too - one fairly near the start and one just before the end.

We both puffed our ways round, staying broadly within sight of each other for the whole race, changing leads frequently as one or other of us felt the pace slipping for a while. We managed a very creditable 73 minutes, with which we are both extremely happy. And we crossed the finish line together, which just added icing to the cake for me.

It was an achievement for us both - while my sister has been running triathlons for the last few years, being a full time mum she doesn't have the time to train at the moment so it was pretty much her residual fitness that got her through. I've only been running for just over a year and I'm still struggling to get my pace and stamina sorted. As regular readers will know, I'm training for my first (and probably only) marathon in October. At the moment, it's touch and go if I'll make it. But today has helped re-bolster my confidence and kick me back into my training regime. So an achievement for us both.

Even her 8 year old son had a go and came in the top 20 or so of runners for his 1 mile fun run. And the olds, well they spectated, held jackets and cheered us home. All in all a true family effort.

But the real achievement of the day in my opinion went to the last runner home of the day. The dad of my best friend from school, Dick has in his time been a serious and very good marathon runner. He's run in almost every Donkey Brae Run and competed this year, in the run up to his 80th birthday, in honour of his wife, Maureen, who was so sadly taken from her family a few weeks back. I was at her funeral and I can safely say it was one of the saddest yet bitter sweet events I've ever attended.

Maureen was a second mum to me growing up. I was forever at their house, playing with my best friend when we were younger, and then just mooching when we hit the teenage years. Maureen and Dick took me on my first ever skiing trip and my first real holiday abroad. They allowed us to have the rite of passage teenage parties and Maureen even made the most fabulous spread of food before leaving us to get on with it on our own. I was genuinely heart broken to see her go.

But I was even more heart broken to understand what she had endured in her final years. Not for Maureen a graceful decline into old age. No, instead she developed a terrible illness known as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, or PSP for short. It's a disease I'd never heard of before and is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's. Not only is the disease, as the name suggests, progressive and degenerative - worse, there is as yet, no treatment and no cure.

As ever, Maureen faced her illness with calm and courage. She still managed to visit her extended family and to be the mother, grandmother and friend to many that she was throughout her life. After her death, Dick is attempting to fight the illness in his own way. He ran the 7 mile killer Donkey Brae Run today at almost 80, in honour of his dearly loved wife, but also to raise money in the hopes that one day the medical community may have treatments if not perhaps cures for this unimaginable affliction. If you want to help Dick in his own personal fight, feel free to drop in to the PSP Association website and make a donation. I know he'd be grateful.