Work hard, get results: my great experience at the Great North Run

My great experience at the Great North Run

I’m not sure why, but I’ve never particularly hankered after doing the Great North Run. I enjoy watching it on telly – ever since my first Robin Hood Half, it’s been part of my schedule to do my last long run the morning of Great North before settling down to watch it, full of nerves and excitement for my own race in a couple of weeks.

And despite everyone telling me how brilliant it is and how it should be on every runner’s bucket list, it's just never been a race I’m desperate to do. Perhaps the massive hype is what put me off a bit, I’ll decide what race to do for myself, thank you very much! I absolutely couldn’t believe that people even paid quite a bit for an expensive membership package to guarantee them entry (which they then pay quite a bit more for) for the next three years. Madness!

But back in January 2020, curiosity (and being spurred on by Des) got the better of me so I agreed to sign up for a charity place with Prostate Cancer UK for the September 2020 event.

Before you read the rest of my blog, I'm popping in a shameless plug to my fundraising page - just in case you don't get all the way to the bottom! 

uk.virginmoneygiving.com/KayandDes 

Preparing

I don’t need to explain what happened next to cause a delay, but 18 months later with the event finally around the corner, I must admit I started to get quite excited. Part of that was down to the thought of doing my first big city race in what feels like forever and the rest of the excitement came from being better prepared for a half marathon than I’ve ever been.

Since January I’ve been taking part in a training programme designed by Des which involves a couple of training sessions each week along with setting targets each month around food and drink etc. Starting in the cold dark depths of the winter seems like an age ago now, but over the months the work we’ve done has built an excellent foundation for the mass events now they're finally back and ultimately the Manchester Marathon in a few week's time.

So when September rolled around and the race number package dropped on my doormat, I couldn’t wait to make the runners’ pilgrimage up North for weekend and earn myself a medal!  

parkrun

Naturally, a DOrunning weekend away wouldn’t be complete without a bit of parkrun tourism, so bright and early on the Saturday morning, trying to ignore the effects of quite a few ciders on the Friday evening, our little gang headed off in search of Leazes Park which falls in the shadow of St James’ Park in Newcastle.

The beautiful September sunshine made the park look really lovely. The course was three laps starting on a gentle downhill then around a small lake before heading back up the slight hill back to the start. I took it deliberately steady to keep my legs ticking over nicely before the main event, but as always, it was a lovely start to the day!

The Great North Run

The on-the-day preparation for this race was different to what I’m used to. To spread out the runners and allow more room for social distancing across the course, the wave times we’d been allocated stretched across several hours. This made for an interesting dynamic in the house we’d rented for the weekend – nine of us all doing the run had different timetables for the morning, rather than getting up early to shovel down porridge and head to the start on mass.

It actually made for a really pleasant and relaxed morning. I was in one of the later waves and due to start at around 12.30, so I had plenty of time to eat  breakfast and even watch a bit of the coverage on TV once I’d waved Des off for his earlier start.

Myself and some of the others eventually left just before 11am, a little earlier than we needed to, but we were hoping to catch a glimpse of the Red Arrows on their flypast – which we did a couple of minutes into our walk towards the start! It wasn’t the same as being out on the course, but it’s always a special sound and sight.

As we got to the race village, it was quite tricky to imagine just what it might be like with all 55,000 runners congregating at the same time! Despite the swarms of people still around to drop off bags and go for one last wee in the portaloo, the set up allowed for a seamless experience and in no time at all I found myself stood in front of a bit of rope waiting to be shown to the starting line by a jolly Geordie marshal. The chap gave us an excellent briefing about what to expect, before pulling the rope away and letting us start our march to the start.

To be honest, it felt like a bit of an anti-climax crossing the line! The crowds we’re so used to seeing on TV had been replaced with a socially-distanced smattering of runners – but this actually had the great benefit of allowing me to find my own space and get into a good rhythm.

I’d told myself, and everyone else, that I wasn’t putting too much pressure on myself for this run. It’s the biggest and one of the most famous half marathons in the world and the on-course entertainment and crowd support is supposed to be second to none. I planned on taking it all in and enjoying it – unless something went drastically wrong I was all but guaranteed a PB so I set about the route with my phone in hand ready to snap away and document my run.

The first mile marker rolled around really quickly – not surprising when I looked at my watch to find I’d done it in around nine minutes! I took a super quick selfie which I sent to my family chat group and carried on along the way, feeding off the fabulous atmosphere around me at I headed towards one of the highlights of the route, the Tyne Bridge.

The miles continued to melt away, each time I took my mile marker selfie and posted it to my family and received some really mood-boosting photos of my nephew counting along with me. Not that I needed extra mood boosting – everyone was in the best spirits!

In the lead up to the event, a lot of people really complained about this year’s route – the iconic point-to-point starting in Newcastle and ending in South Shields abandoned in favour of a more covid-friendly out and back course. But I really liked it! The next drumming band or disco bus was never far away, and the opportunity to look for Des and my friends coming back the other way gave excellent motivation too.

Before too long, it was time to make my way around the hair pin bend and back towards home. On the way out, I’d watched the runners on the other side somewhat enviously as their part of the course looked like it was all downhill. That was definitely an optical illusion. As I ticked the miles off, fairly small undulations started to feel a bit relentless – absolutely not all downhill!  

Feeling myself tiring around eight miles in, I decided to use one of the gels I’d stashed in my trusty flip-belt to give myself a bit of a boost. My head was still absolutely loving it, but my legs were starting to get a bit upset so it felt like a good time. Now I’d got through way past half way in an excellent time, I was keen to do as well as I possibly could!

By the time I reached the 10 mile mark, I was so glad I’d had the gel. The hills didn’t stop and we had some really mean slip roads to run up and take us back over the iconic Tyne Bridge and into the city centre.

Running back towards the centre, there was a marked increase in the number of people lining the streets – and the noise level coming from them! I’d forgotten how amazing it is running through a tunnel of people shouting, cheering and making all sorts of noise to spur you on. It really was the encouragement needed, especially as it has started to rain now and the finish felt like a million miles away when really it was just over one.

The standard Great North Run route is famed for its costal path finish and running along the dual carriageway probably couldn’t be more different – but the way I was feeling at that point, I could have been anywhere in the world, in fact I felt on top of it! I was bolting toward the finish line of a half marathon that I’d genuinely loved every step of. No mental battles, no horrible tears and tantrums, just 13.1 miles of fun and enjoyment!

Stepping over the line and stopping my watch, I couldn’t have been more delighted with the numbers on the screen. 02:04:33! Much better than the 2:15 I’d gone out aiming for and a massive event PB for me. I was so so pleased and proud of myself.

All in all, it was an absolutely fantastic experience and I’d consider myself a complete Great North Convert. Desperate to go back and have a crack at the famous traditional route, I’m even considering that membership option I’d thought was ludicrous previously!

Work hard, get results

I’m going to be a bit controversial now.

In running circles, people have mantras, which is absolutely fine. I’ve got some of my own I use to will myself on at times when I need a to.

Lots of these mantras are about relaxing, enjoying a run and not worrying about paces and times and just believing in yourself. Which again, is absolutely fine. If that’s what you want from running.

But what if you want to push yourself? Belief alone isn’t going to get you a PB – and it certainly isn’t going to allow you to enjoy the runs where you're attempting to. I know, because for a good few years I bashed around half marathons trying to run on belief alone. It's not nice and causes a lot more tears and nerves than I'd have liked!

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to push yourself and get better at doing something you love and get so much from! My success in this event was in absolutely no small part due to the pushing I’ve done myself and the pushing I’ve opened myself up to in Des’s coaching sessions throughout the year, which I couldn’t be more thankful for.

So that’s going to by my new mantra. It’s simple really: work hard, get results!

If you made it to the end, I hope you enjoyed it! Before you check out the photos below (and look at my very novice attempt at doing a TikTok!) please consider popping over to my fundraising page and leaving a donation. Thank you! 

Ready for the off!

One mile down!

Done, medal time!

A celebratory pint!

Thunder Run round two

After the last time I took part in Thunder Run, I swore I’d never do it again. A horrific two-and-a-half hour 10km through the mud and through the woods in the dark, struggling (and failing at one point) to stay on my feet was quite enough of an experience, thank you very much.

So back in October 2019 when the bookings were made for what should have been the July 2020 event, I was still firmly in the ‘never again’ camp. But as time has progressed, my running has progressed and the memories of that awful lap faded somewhat, I started to feel a bit of FOMO around not running this time.

So naturally, when a spot became available a couple of weeks before the event, I jumped at the chance (after checking the long-range weather forecast, of course!)

As the event approached and the arrangements were made – who’d be in which team, how we’d be getting there and who would take pity on the camping novices and look after Des and I, the excitement definitely built. 

Here's how it all unfolded!

Friday evening

Due to clashing with other plans in previous years, me and Des have always arrived at the campsite on Saturday so it was really nice this year to be able to take in the whole weekend and enjoy the nice relaxed atmosphere of the Friday evening. Catching up with friends I’d not seen in a while (and those I see several times a week!) was lovely and there was a fantastic feel about the place.

This was made so much better when I was absolutely delighted to be named the DOrunning Female Runner of the Year for 2020 at our mini awards ceremony! It’s something I would never have expected and I’m really proud of myself for! It absolutely set the weekend up for me and gave me an excellent sense of confidence ready for the challenge ahead.

Team talk

All that was left before bed was to plan our method of attack! With 17 runners in total, we were in three teams – I’d found myself in a team of six along with Des, Ian, Dave, Barry and Craig. Still somewhat scarred from my awful experience two years ago and unashamedly afraid of the dark, we managed to draw up a schedule which would give me the last lap in the light at night and the first in the light in the morning.

My personal target at this point was to complete a minimum of three laps – and push to four if I felt alright and time allowed.

Lap one – 12:00hrs, Saturday

Taking on the first lap is always going to be exciting, but in the long absence of mass events, this year it felt extra special! Being penned in (socially distanced, of course) with the familiar hum of excited runners and the smell of deep heat felt brilliant and made me really keen to get going, plastering over any pre-race nerves I’d had building.

The clock ticked on to 12:00 and the crowd started to shuffle forwards, slowly at first with the pace picking up as our feet hit the timing mat to officially start lap one. Running through the tunnel of spectators felt amazing! I got a little emotional and settled into my run absolutely beaming.

I couldn’t remember the course perfectly, but I knew there was a nice flat start before heading up into the woods for a climb. Last time, I never even attempted to run the ascent but this year I really enjoyed jumping and diving around under the cool shade of the trees – it felt like an adventure!

In great spirits for the whole 10km route, I made bits of conversation with fellow runners, swapping small talk about how nice it was to be an event, how testing the hills were and how the tall grass was a bit tricky. Swept up in the fantastic atmosphere, the miles melted away. 

Before I knew it, I was doing the last few twists and turns and heading back into the race village to pass on the baton – in the very respectable time of around 1hr 3 minutes, I was absolutely buzzing!

Time for lunch and a nap ready for lap number two.

Lap two – 7.30pm, Saturday

By the time my second lap rolled around, I was ready and raring to go! More than seven hours into the challenge now, the atmosphere hadn’t faltered and everyone was still in great spirits. I knew I had plenty of time to complete my lap before it would be dark, which was a comfort, so I set off feeling good and looking forward to another spin around the scenic and undulating route.

As time goes on, you can really start to tell the difference between those of us working in teams and those battling through solo efforts. I think that’s part of what makes the 24 hour events so special – more so than in any other event. Everyone has their own challenges, game plans and reasons for being out there.

On the whole, it was quite an uneventful but enjoyable lap. I did walk a few little patches this time, conscious of saving my legs for future efforts as much as anything. By around 8km I was getting really hungry and this was starting to make my running feel a bit difficult – the thought of a nice curry waiting for me back at camp definitely spurred me on and got me over the finish line in comfortably under 1:10, another really pleasing time!

Lap three – 4.42am, Sunday

Getting started was always going to be the hardest part of this lap, for a couple of reasons: I don’t do dark and I don’t do lack of sleep.

In the weeks leading up to the event, I’d made it clear to everyone that running in the dark was going to be a hard no for me – I just knew it wasn’t worth the worrying I’d spend doing about it all weekend. 

We had our plan which meant I'd be doing the last light lap and the first light lap, but as Saturday went on, everyone on the team really smashed their laps and we ended up running over an hour ahead of our scheduled times.

Luckily, the rest of my team weren’t too worried about having someone on the course at all times and put absolutely no pressure on me, but I wanted to do my very best (the Girl Guide in me!) and I knew that if there was going to be any chance of fitting a fourth lap in, I couldn’t let too much time lapse before I went back out to get number three in.

I compromised with myself. Get to the start line in the last of the dark, knowing it would be light enough to not be scary by the time I reached the thick wooded section of the route. So off I went for a third time, crossing the start line and heading off again. 

As the kilometres ticked by this time everything started to hurt. Muscles fatigued from the two previous laps, body feeling the effects of two nights (well a night and a half) on an airbed, it took some serious will-power to keep running through the grass and tracks. I willed myself on, stopping to walk on the up-hills but churning as best I could the rest of the time.

I don’t think it would be a full Kay running story without tears at some point, and these came just after the half way point on this lap. As I passed through the water station, one of the volunteers asked if this was my last lap – he must have been able to see how knackered I was! I told him I’d squeeze a fourth in if my turn came around in time to which he responded “That’s it, team player I love it!”. Naturally the vague compliment from a stranger made me burst into tears as I dragged myself up the hill reflecting on how proud I was of myself!

At the top of the final big hill my legs were really aching but I still managed a smile for the couple of selfies I took to send to my Mum. I’d all but decided by now that this would be my last trip around the course and the thought of a can of dark fruits and a shower when I got back to camp really spurred my on to complete it. I crossed the line in 1:18 which I was absolutely fine with.

The rest of the morning

True to my promise to myself, I enjoyed a 6am can of slightly warm cider while I decided what to do next. I knew that if I really pushed, I could squeeze another lap in. But that would have meant putting pressure on my team to get their next laps done and it would have risked tarnishing my really nice experience with what was likely to be a really uncomfortable 10km and probably extra time after the event to recover.

Time for a shower it was then! Followed by a couple more breakfast cans and a couple of sausage cobs – what a way to spend Sunday morning!

It’s tradition at Thunder Run for every member of the team to run the final few hundred metres with their teammate completing the last lap. Wearing our new souvenir t-shirts and with the DOrunning flag flying between us, we marched over the line all smiles and pride – it really is a fantastic feeling all coming over the line together!

We managed 19 laps between the six of us, beating one of our fellow DOrunning teams by exactly one second. Of course where all friends and not competitive at all, but when you put runners in teams we’re always going to want the bragging rights!

My second experience of Thunder Run was something I swore would never happen! At the time of writing (it’s taken me almost two months to get this post finished!) the organisers have announced the dates for next year’s race. Will there be a Thunder Run round three? Let’s wait and see!

Near the end of lap 2, some excellent views from the top!

Starting lap 3 in the actual dark!

Shattered but happy, me and Des at the end!

Being presented with my Female Runner of the Year trophy!

How all good events end - with a medal and a pint!

The DOrunning army!