I have been so, so nervous today and seeking solace in the quiet of The Boss' shop led to an encounter with a guy who looked so normal, and yet he had done something incredible and abnormal! His 94 marathons put my 10 mile run tomorrow into perspective. Listening to him recount just one or two tales from his 94 marathons was amusing and calming at the same time. The advice was simple - relax and enjoy. Race plan? Turn up. Smile. Start steady and wave at the TV cameras.
Preparing for tomorrow has been exhausting, simply because it has been marred by anxiety. I can't quite pinpoint the cause of the nerves. I think it is the lack of control over the sequence of events prior to the start of the run. Portsmouth can be a pain to get into on the best of days, but with an anticipated 25,000 people arriving tomorrow morning, I want to ensure that we are there in good time to find where I need to be, meet up with my friends and the RMR group, make sure my chip timing is on my shoe properly (honestly, this one little piece of card has been the source of many anxiety dreams!!), and try to enjoy the atmosphere of such a massive event.
The best news is that I am over 10% of my overall target for fundraising. My amazing extended family, many of whom are 300+ miles away have dug deep into their pockets and sponsored me. Some of them who I rarely see have told me that they are proud of me. Proud. That brings tears to my eyes... I left my home town 17 years ago this month, and I honestly didn't think that anyone would notice that I wasn't there any more.
One of my husband's colleagues has had an incredible running journey. She started running a year ago, has lost half her body weight and in the process has raised almost £2000 for the Stroke Association. She is a real inspiration - her grit and determination to succeed is evident in her 'new' body and commitment to her training despite injury. It was reassuring that she too had gone to the quiet of The Boss' place the day before the big one. It kind of made it OK that I had done the same.
One of the brilliant things about being part of an online community, the running club Run Mummy Run, is that it is easy to normalise the fears I am experiencing this evening. I couldn't count how many posts there are today about Great South Run, and all of them are reflective of the worries going through my my mind. These are an incredibly supportive group of women; they provide reassurance and solutions without judgement or trivialising genuine concerns. Next weekend there will be another wave of 'Oh my goodness tomorrow is the big one...' posts, and the ladies who have experienced GSR will share their thoughts, what helped and what didn't. Things to do, things to avoid - just as the ladies who ran Birmingham Half Marathon last weekend have helped us. The cycle provides a warm, safe environment without any 'I told you so' or negativity. If any of the RMR ladies are reading this - thank you for the support!
My husband has been the star of the show today. Not only has he cleaned the house from top to bottom so that I don't worry about it, he has taken over all parenting duties and put up with me nervously pacing and making endless lists. I've been totally free to come and go as I please, while he takes the reins of the household including making my parents welcome. They are staying with us and coming to support and assist with the children tomorrow. They probably don't think they are doing anything extraordinary, but lets face it; it takes special people to navigate the awful M25 on a regular basis to be by my side when I need them most.
All that is left to do now is to convince my two year old that yes, you do want to sleep and then try to sleep myself. I am hoping for a few hours of uninterrupted snoozing. Well, I can at least hope!
Wish me luck!
Sponsor me online at JustGiving or text VSRC78 and amount to 70070... thank you!
99.83 Miles so far
900.17 to go
900.17 to go
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