After completing my first marathon back in April (Brighton) I needed another challenge to make sure I didn’t lose all the fitness I had built up after weeks of training. A few friends had signed up to Run to the Beat and it sounded like fun. Unfortunately I found training hard and not even motivational emails from Lazy Girl could get me out some weekends.


Everyone who I spoke to said ‘but you’ve done a marathon’ but it was more of a mental challenge. When I was training for the marathon every week I achieved a new goal, running further and further as the weeks progressed. So when 5 mile long runs proved hard work, I became de-motivated. I’d also been busy doing some running around of a different kind at work and I have to say I wasn’t feeling very prepared on race morning. 
 


But, time was quite literally on my side with the clocks going back an hour so I got a good night’s rest before setting off to North Greenwich. After a nervous wait for the bus, I arrived at the O2 in plenty of time as I had decided to layer up with items I could chuck at the start to avoid the baggage queues. 
 
I chose an ambitious 2-2.30 hour pen which, had I put the training in, may have been achievable but with a friends 30th birthday celebrations the weekend before I was lucky just to have made it out of bed! 

The excitement was creeping in though and the music from the stage had participants jumping up and down to combat the cold. And cold it most defiantly was at around 4 degrees. After a frustrating 10 minute shuffle to the start line I didn’t get off very quickly having to re-tie my laces 10ft after crossing the line but once they were done I was away!


The first 6 miles went relatively quickly with DJ stages every mile or so blasting out tunes from old school garage to The Killers and for a while it was a good substitute for a roaring crowd. Having grown up in South East London I was under no illusion that this was going to be a scenic run but the rows of houses and shops with nobody outside, especially after a couple of tough hills, did start to affect my motivation. 

It wasn’t until mile 9 and a much-needed loo stop just outside Greenwich Park that I started to focus again. Then a nice downhill section and seeing some friends at mile 11 really boosted me but the lack of training was taking its toll. By mile 12 I had slowed right down and I thought the end would never come. But as always, it did! And with all the supporters concentrated in the last 0.1 mile it was easy to keep going. 
 


I crossed the line with a time of 2hrs 41 minutes. I was chuffed! I am not going to break any records but for me that was a Personal Best and given the lead up to race day, I couldn’t have asked for more.
 
The buzz of crossing the finish line was dampened slightly by the lack of any kind of post-race treat; just a medal. I guess they spent all the money on putting everyone in Nike t-shirts of the same fluorescent yellow. Which, although it made a good spectacle and brightened up a grey day, did make it hard for spectators to spot you! I can’t complain though I managed to avoid the 45 minute queue for baggage collection even if it was a pretty cold wait for the bus home!