Great South Run

So! I did it! I ran the Great South Run yesterday and finished with a time of 1:37:23, under my goal of 1:40. You can see my full race stats here. The race was in Portsmouth, which meant the Irishman and I got to see his good friend Mike who lives there, and kindly hosted us for a night, as well as Mark and Cam who live in Salisbury. Mike was entered in the race but couldn't run, so Mark took his place. That meant we had supporters cheering us on, and a great crew of people to prep and end with. I know there are some pictures out there of us runners, but I don't have any at the moment. Hopefully soon.

Running is something I have a love-hate relationship with, kind of like writing. I am good at it when I put my mind to it, and when I make room in my life for it. There is nothing better than just lacing up your kicks, walking out the door and jogging until you reach a goal distance. The aftermath is fantastic - you feel toned, limber, and absolutely capable of anything. The only problem is actually putting on those shoes and getting onto the pavement. When I moved to London, I used running as a way to pass the time when I was living out in the middle of no where and didn't know anyone; now running is an activity that I'm trying to discipline myself into so that I can actually devote an hour to myself to think, to work out issues, and to push myself physically beyond my comfort zone. Sometimes I think if I push myself physically, and succeed, I may find it easier to push myself mentally.

So I'm giving myself this week off from the grind, but I'll be back at it this weekend; I have a personal goal of running a half marathon in under 2 hours this spring. Do-able - if I put my mind to it.