Sat 12 miles....we conquered the bridge!

Well obviously I was going to be nervous...I can't not be a nuthead on long run days....I'm allowed that much!

12 miles....

Got up this smorning like a Duracell Bunny...nervous energy more like...ate my lumpy porridge..was starved...didn't cook my porridge properly but I still knocked it back..it was tough...

Was first into the aquadome this smorning...how am I going to do 12 bloody miles with Tonavane hill included I thought to myself...I can't be the only nervous loola in the group...rest of the group arrived...I'd say there was about 20 runners out today...Marcus was talking about our 'treat' after the marathon...3 weeks after limerick there's talk of a 50 mile JFK Walk down in Sneem....woohoo let's all go for a very long walk and just banjax up the legs even more! At the moment I can't even run up the stairs in work cause my legs are just in shock...I used to pounce up two steps at a time but now I'm holding onto the bannister and taking geriatric steps...but u know what,life is too short so why not do the 50miles in Sneem! It should be good craic....this time last year I was living a nursing home lifestyle...get up,work,eat,sleep...and that was groundhog day every day...

Marcus rounded up his slow troops (the nervous bunch!)Brian took the fast group and Maeve took the middle group...

Off we go...trotted along the walkway behind Fels point....steady pace...hit the playground near Lidl and Marcus makes us walk over the wooden bridge...makes us sup our drinks whilst walking over it...if anyone saw us theyd think we'd just run a marathon...great idea tho as it settled me completely...off we go up the road near lidl...the lads couldn't think of the name of this road so now we've renamed it as ' the road up by Lidl'! How inventive are we...kept the pace all the way up towards Caherwisheen....last week my loola tendencies kicked in at this point but today I was ready for it...started pelting rain....great will have soggy knickers and soggy socks for the rest of my run...but as Marcus points out it could be raining on the day of the marathon...toes crossed it won't...

Hit Kearneys rd,feel brilliant...two girlie runners passed us out on the way...they sped past like true runners...then we see them at the top of the road walking! Ha ha! Apologies I'm not a vengeful person but good enough for them! pacing,pacing,pacing...that's our motto...

One of the group went for a pee...because she went for a pee i wanted to go for a pee! But didn't...haven't overcome my fear of falling behind in the group so I held it in...met some of the other group passing the cul de sac near Tonavane hill...the feckers passed us out...u know the game of Red Rover that u'd play as a child where u create a line of people and then one would try and burst through it...well that came to mind...block the feckers!! Ok ok ok I didn't do it but I wanted to...

Hit base of Tonavane..the dreaded hill..but today I was much more relaxed.. no grinding of the teeth and no nut head thoughts...kept focused and just listened to Marcus... Slowly but surely we made it up...hit the top and I was waiting for my minute break...just to celebrate our achievement....the fecker keeps running! Oh my god where is my well deserved break u fecker- that's what I thought to myself! we keep going...up the other hill past the bridge..hit the top and back down...no break..but I put the head down and got over my inner hissey fit....met a lady on a horse outside the equestrian centre...even-though I'm not a horsey fan I wouldn't have minded hitching a lift on the back..they smell...

Woohoo we were on the long road home! Fantastic...

Knocked back a gel...they are vile...needed something to get me home...6 miles to go....chatting away..I've never chatted whilst running but today I did! it feld good..one thing I have noticed in the past was that if I stressed,my breathing went haywire like a gasping donkey, then I'd be all tense and it was a vicious circle...but today was different...

Retreated back Kearney's road...legs were stiffening a bit but that was expected...never once did I want to stop...today was my day...and the group were fantastic...toe was sore on my right foot..but I wasn't going to let that little piggy ruin my run so I blocked it out....put a toe foam on it this smorning to protect it...my second toe is longer than my first...so my trainers are two sizes too big but it works! Only use them for the longer runs....loola...

Hit the back ' road up by Lidl'...it's strange how the mind plays tricks but the minute I saw Lidl my whole body started to seize!my arse was numb,my toe was about to fall off,my runners scoliosis kicked in,hunchback,and a painful scrunched look appeared on my face! It was pelting rain and at this stage I wanted to make it home without stopping....started chatting again to distract myself...the topic of conversation was ' we so wanted to stop'! But it worked...didn't stop once...

Saw the Aquadome...I was never so happy to see the carpark....I wanted to give an ould star jump but physically if I jumped up in the air,my legs wudnt hold me on the way down and I'd probably slump on the ground like a drunk! Marcus makes us run around the car park....that was torture....and I'd just done 12 miles!

We all finish....stand around in a circle and he tells us to pat the persons shoulder on our right....mad but it felt good!

12.1.....well done to everyone and the group were brilliant today...I couldn't have done it without ye...simple as...and thanks Marcus..

14 miles next sat...