I can do this

So, I just kept running after the 2017 Bristol 10k/Run For Ella5.   My training shoes continued to see the light of day, rather than settling in for a quiet summer on a dark and dusty shelf.

TCT gave me a place to run the 2018 London Marathon (and a few others, but more on that in another post), and a training plan was hatched.

The plan was to run the Bristol Half Marathon in September - my first goal.   I trained through the summer, struggling to get beyond 8 miles, and certainly needed a lot of walking breaks.

Advice flew in thick and fast from friends and family - mostly I just kept trying to put one foot in front of the other - and mostly up and down the tow path, to Pill and back. Touch the gate, turn round and run (walk) back.  10 mile round trip from my front door.  (Most of these were trailing behind super speedy MK - who appears to run with no effort at all - SO annoying).

Half marathon day arrived (September)  I was nervous in bucket loads as I set off across the start lane, running really, really slowly.  My strategy was to run slow and get round, bugger the time!   At the speed of an elderly tortoise, I headed up the Portway, it was a very long way........ and I was still very nervous, would I make it round?

Marion saw me off, waving enthusiastically, and after a few miles my brother Jim was waiting for me, not long before the turn on the Portway to come back into town.  "Go Jo, looking good" he shouted.  "Oh" I thought, "well run with me then",  and he did for five minutes or so, leaving his coffee at the side of the road. "You've got this Jo, not long till you make the turn" and he left me.....

I turned and started the long run back into town.  Settling down into a rhythm and finally my nerves settling down as well, I started to "enjoy" the run.

Unusually I had headphones on and a Spotify play list running - not how I normally run at all, but found it cathartic to listen for what the next track was going to be and it helped to pass the time as the elderly tortoise plodded back into town.

Anyway, the point of this post is not a download about the half marathon, but that a track on the play list came on - and the words have resonated with me ever since and have become the mantra to my training runs "Are you with me, are you with me?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjHMDlAPMUw

Had never heard the track before, but as I hit Cumberland Basin it was playing loud and clear - "Are you with me, are you with me?" and of course you all were, if not physically I know you would have been thinking about me.    I raised my hands in the air and waved at the crowd - "I've got this, I can run and I will finish this race".  AND I DID.

My girl was waiting for me as I hit the home straight and like all my other supporters (Lorraine, Kate, Tom and jack in the box Marion) cheered and cheered me on.

I crossed the line and fell into her arms and cried - not with pain, but with sheer pride and sense of achievement.

So, that is why this blog is called "Are you with me?"

For those keen on stats my time was 2 hours, 18 minutes and 3 seconds.  Fine and dandy by me.

Thank you all my wonderful supporters and and MK and brother Andy - who ran as well - slightly in front, speedy boys :)