So on the 25th March, it was my turn to take part and try and raise money for Sports Relief and at the same time the NRAS as I finished the next 6 miles of the 100 mile challenge. I have to say it was an incredible day and an incredible setting.
The setting was the Mall, we were running down to Buckingham Palace and then round the fountain and back up towards Horse Guards Parade. As I arrived with the family, Anton De Bec was just giving Anne Widdicombe a piggy back racing against another pair from Strictly Come Dancing.
I was supposed to be running today with two others - my brother - who unfortunatley was unable to run due to being on crutches (unfortunately it also looks like his injury is ruling him out of the first half marathon of the year - the Tewkesbury Half), and Abbey Stead who was taking part in her first event and running a mile.
The key aim for me was just to make sure I ran the whole thing - didnt want to walk at all. The course was flat and 6 mile long laps was all that had to be done and although the legs were really feeling it, especially as it was the longest I had run in 2012, it was all doing very well, until.....................
..............I turned the corner to start the final lap. Minutes earlier running up the Mall I had seen running in the opposite direction a certain boyband with bouncers all round them - yep thats right - JLS were on the route.
Unfortunately as I turned the bend to start the final lap a new set of runners had just started off and were feeding into the route and at the same time on the other side of the track JLS and the ridiculous girl mania that follows them everywhere were just finishing their mile (Given how fit they are you would have thought they would have given 3 or 6 miles ago - obviously they've got no stamina!!!!). It appears that this meant everyone had to get as close to JLS as possible and no matter what people were doing, the girl fans would do anything to get to JLS. This made the start of the last lap very tricky, playing dodgems, avoiding being tripped up and knocked over by crazy screaming girls - and they werent even screaming for me!
Eventually the 6 miles were completed. Abbey had completed her mile and I had finished in a time of 1 hr 13 which I was really pleased with, especially given I had managed to run the whole thing!
Here's the tracking for the day : http://www.adidas.com/com/micoach/WorkoutDetails.aspx?WID=f0fdf373-707b-4a74-a924-a49f79583dc7 and I thought you may like to see a couple of pics too - which are below.
One final thing - got notified by friends on twitter on the way home that I had made it on to the BBC news - eventually managed to get to see the footage - and there I was plodding through the shot :) Atleast it got the NRAS a bit more publicity as well.
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