I did not expect a Personal Best.

Just a quick update this time. I promise.

Liverpool Half Marathon results:

Time: 1 hour 50 minutes and 50 seconds
Position: 1,564th (I don't know how many people took part but my mum was something like 2,750 position and she was nowhere near the back)
Age cat position: 113th

Got back from the Liverpool half marathon 30 minutes ago and I'm really pleased with my time. I got a personal best of 1 hour 50 minutes and 50 seconds, so well under 2 hours.

I have always wanted to get 1 hour 50 but never quite ran quick enough, my personal best before today was 1 hour 52 minutes in the Ramsey half marathon.

I was optamistic this morning. I slept well and decided to wear a pace making bracelet thing - a time of 1 hour 50 mins - it shows what time you have to be at, for each and every mile. My mum thought I was aiming to high and didn't think I would be able to achieve it. (So did I, to be honest, but I thought I might push my self harder this way, and the plan worked. So much for not worrying about time).

I was worried that perhaps I was running to fast in the first half and I'd soon run out of steam, but I didn't, the only thing that did bother me, however, was the heat (believe it or not, but it felt too hot and I wore trousers) and my shoes felt a bit flat.

Also, on the 7th mile (I'd ran exactly 1 hour at this point) the inside of my left ankle and up my leg slightly, was painful everytime I put weight on it. After 2 miles it gave in and I heard a loud click - it hurt so much that I actually said "ouch" out loud and I couldn't put my full weight on that leg for about 5 strides and after that it was perfectly fine again. It's not the first time I have experienced this and I'm not sure what it is or even what bone or muscle is it?

When I did finish the race, I had enough time to get a shower in my hotel room before I had to be checked out by 12pm. I felt fine at first, obviously tired and maybe a bit dizzy from suddenly stopping but certainly not sick, but after my shower and waiting 5 minues for mum, I suddenly started feeling queezy and sick. Turned out it was just because I was so hungary, as soon as I had a jacket potatoe, 2 bottles of lucadaze, chocolate and energy bars, oh and bannanas, I was fine. Honestly, I'm really small in height and quite thin, but I have to eat so much, people wonder where I put it. But I honestly feel that my body needs the food. and if I let myself get too hungary I start feeling sick. My mum doesn't get that at all, she did the half marathon and only nibbled up until tea. Whilst I also had a toastee at the airport and another jacket potatoe at home. (I must just have a really fast matabolism.)

I saw 2 people in fancy dress, one person was all the way from Australia and was wearing crickit gear and was also carrying the bat. He was very near the back. I also saw a man about 3 miles in front of me wearing a blow up baby costume which must have been 3 meters tall. It's so demorolising when you see someone in a fancy dress costume so dramatic as that beating you by such a long way. (alot of the routes go back on yourself so you can see people infront and behind)

Whilst shopping yesterday, I ended up buying a pair of trainers that I will wear on the parish. It was Asics, Kayano, 15. I also have the Asics, Kayano, 14. I will wear one pair of those trainers for the Parish and bring the other one in the car incase I feel like chaging trainers. (I read somewhere that if you have really bad blisters, changing trainers sometimes helps because there are different pressure points.) Both shoes will have added insoles for comfort. I also bought rehydration tablets that you put in 500ml of water, along with 3 more pairs of socks, two liners and one outer layer sock. So the Parish has been quite expensive for me! But it means so much to me that I want to try everything. If I do fail, at least I won't have any regrets such as, I didn't train, I didn't have comfy shoes, socks, clothing (etc). Saying that, back when the Parish first started, people used to complete the walk in work clothes and work shoes. I just don't know how they did it? Maybe thats something worth thinking about when you feel like giving up? We have got a hugh advantage.

Not really sure what I'm going to do this week - training wise, so i'll just play it by ear. In the mean time, I'm really looking forward to sleeping!