♥ ~ Tanya's Maintainence Diary ~ Year 2 ~♥

[summergurl]

Hey ladies.
I feel amazing. I didn't cry although i think im about to!

I crossed the line at 2:41 so i think my official time is 2:39 something but im still waiting for my official time to be sent to me. Feel a bit deflated about that but hopefully I get it soon.

Just want to say that you ladies are amazing and thankyou soooooo much for all the support and encouragement you have given me.

I really couldnt have done it without all my friends and family around me - and you ladies I class as both. Truely amazing.

I got cramp in my right calf at the 10mile Mark.

Walked the 3major steep hills (and a few other times) But the crowd were phenomenal!!!!!!!!!! Always clapping & shouting well done.

It still doesnt feel real and it still hasnt sunk in that I have just ran my 1st half marathon. Ask me again tomorrow when i'm aching if it feels like it!! :giggle:

Nan was with me - I could feel it. Couple times I asked her for a shove and she obliged.

That was for her, I love her and miss her tremendously and the total raised for the Alzheimers society was £566.

Thankyou again girls

Now, with one cider down its time for the wine xxx

 

[summergurl]

Heres a picture of me running up to the finish.

I had 2 friends come up to see me and that was a total surprise, totally didnt expect to see them. This is one of the photos one of em took.

I will upload more photos and the videos at some point, probably tomorrow

 

[Zenaworrier]

Yay well done you! So happy for you. Glad your Nan gave you a helping hand. She must be very proud of you!
Have a lovely day and enjoy your achievement!
xxxxx

 

[irish molly]

Tanya, the photo says it all!!! Pure, pure joy on your little face. You're a great girl to have done so so well and have come so far in the last couple of years. You have lost loads of weight, got into the specials, gotten so very fit through your running and managed a half marathon and supported a very worthy cause.
Savour the moment, you deserve lots of vino today. Well done again!!!

 

[RetailChick]

Love the picture Tanya!! Very well done again, I hope you have a fabulous day hun, you deserve it xxx

 

[x__lis__x]

Fantastic well done you, pic is fab enjoy the rest of the day x x x

 

[summergurl]

Thanks ladies.

Thought I'd come on and document more as I think of it. It still feels a blur. I remember seeing the 6/7/8/9/10&11 mile markers none of the others.

Texted my big grandad and he texted back that he bet nans wings were aching. They were but she pushed me through that final mile. My brothers Gf sent me a text which sent me over the edge into tears. So sweet.

I thought I'd also mention my dad finished in 1hr48m an my brothers gf in 2hr19m. I'm so proud of them both and of the friends I had running.

Again, it's a blur. My mum has a fantastic vid of me which I will upload tomorrow.

Anymore I think of I'll be on to write it down. For now it's back to my wine xx

 

[kered]

Aaah Tanya, I have a lump in my throat reading of your feelings, emotions and highs of today. The pic definitely does show a beaming smiling Tanya, and I can only agree with the others.

You are a little star - well done Tanya Jane Evans.

Training for the full marathon now?.........or retiring?...........

 

[Zenaworrier]

Ooo yes good question Mary! Have you caught the bug?!

 

[summergurl]

Nope planning on the Plymouth 10km in October and doing next years half marathon & planning on getting under 2hr30....defo got the bug.

It amazing. The overwhelming sense of achievement is totally worth the hard slog of hitting the wall and defo worth the sore right calf I have. And to know I've raised £566for charity is even better!

Xxxx

 

[JanD]

Love that photo - you look so happy . Can't wait to see the video. I've told you what I think in my texts - I bet you DO end up doing a marathan one day!! xx

 

[summergurl]

Yep, the vid is much better, will upload all the pics & vids tomorrow.

I love the video although that pic&video makes me look very chunky.

The first 2miles were tough. Had loads of people running past me but I knew I had to keep to my pace even though people were running past me left, right&centre!

Still, i'm exstatic i'm around the 2:40 mark. Just wish my official time would hurry up through. Knew this would happen being dad put both our registrations on his number.

Thought id also mention whilst im pretty sober & still remembering that just before the 4mile mark i took my first energy gel (next at 7 then last at 10.5).

I seriously dont remember every single step at all which is a shame, wish the adreneline would have subsided a little so I could savour the moment.. I took 3bottles of water out of the 4stops that were available & 1 sponge. Filled my bottle up twice & the rest went over my head & cooled me down. All I can really remember is that I enjoyed it and i'm glad my nan was with me twice. Only expected her to be with me once. She is the best.

Anyways, i'll shut up rambling now. Speak to ya all tomorow xxx

 

[kered]

I bet you wont have any problems sleeping tonight.

 

[summergurl]

Oooh another couple things ... walked saltrum hill, Haye road hill (groan!! killerrr!!) and a bit from mile 10-11.5 ...damn you cramp. I'm sure there were a few more walks but adreniline takes over.

Saw the same people run past me then stop to walk then i'd run past them, then they'd catch up.

Anyways ... sorry for the ramble, really I am I just wana document it all as it comes to my head.

The final 0.2miles were amazing. Crowd were superb. You'll see by the pics &vids tomorrow.

Still doesnt feel real :sigh:

Todays drinks& food:

B- 1/2 banans, porridge, s.smilk, spoon sugar

*3energy gels
*too much water

L/D- 1/2 portion chips, 1/2 battered sausage, 2sachets ketchup

*too much wine
*1pint fruit cider
*1bottle sol beer
*archers&real lemonade
*malibu's & diet cokes
*southern comfort&d.cokes

 

[JanD]

Yes I bet you'll sleep like a log! And don't you dare stop rambling!! ... You'll probably find that more comes back to you as the days go on xx

 

[summergurl]

Awww yes, So i'm sorry if that happens, I remember hitting the 4mile mark and seeing people walking & people coming out of the woods after having a pee ... but knew I wasnt going to hit the walking stuff untill 4.5miles (saltrum hill!still0.5miles to go) when I took an energy gel.

Was surreal. Still can't remember walking/running through saltrum but when I got to the end I ran it all (roughly 1.9miles) untill Haye road hill .... proper steep, proper heavy, proper hard.

Oh gawd, sorry for another ramble.

Think I will write a full race report tomrrow. Sorry if you dont want to see it but think it might help me feel like its real! xxx

 

[summergurl]

ooh one other thing..... walked when took energy gels ....

Still waiting for official time to come through :sigh: x

 

[JanD]

Aw what a pain for you you haven't had it yet!

I look forward to reading the report - you can always go back and add things to it then as you remember them

And STOP apologising woman!! xx

 

[summergurl]

It is a pain. Still cant believe it hasnt come through but my brothers gf's hasnt come through either. Ringing em as soon as I get up to try find out my time. Pretty shoddy that we've not got it yet. xxx

 

[summergurl]

Today I have woken up & surprised I can walk. My right calf feels like its been punched a million times & I have a blister on my left foot but other than that all is good.

Here's a full race report

So, thought i'd better write some sort of 'report' to document yesterday in just one post.

Still waiting on my official time to come through, looked on the website not on there either it just says im 'on course'

Anyways, so .... from the start it was a bit hectic. I stuck to my pace even though there were hundreds of people passing me. I got elbowed a few times but I guess that was to be expected. Got to mile 2 and still feeling ok. Saw my grandma waving which was a nice little boost.

There are parts of the race that just seem like a blur, like I cant remember parts.

Got to the 4mile mark and walked whilst taking an energy gel. Running through saltrum was ok untill I got to the hill. I walked the hill then once up the top on the flat I started running again.

Onto Haye road and ran the whole length saw the 7mile marker which was at the bottom of a very steep short hill, I walked that one whilst taking another energy gel.

Once at the top of that hill it was a left then down underneath the subway to the other side of the road and then it was onto the home stretch. Over the half way point and I knew I was on my way 'home'.

The road after the subway was a nice long straight road with a couple down hills. The crowd and people that came out of their houses to clap and cheer us on were phenominal. There were kids handing out jelly babies. Sticking their hands out wanting high fives. Just brilliant.

Once at the bottom it was through the industrial estate, which by this point I was beginning to 'feel it'. I took another energy gel. At the 10mile mark I was bang on 2hours on my phone stop watch. Not long after I had cramp in my right calf. I stopped to stretch that out.

Carried on with a few little walks, past the last water stop and then it really was the home straight. Down past Bretonside and into the barbican. Saw plenty of people who had finished their race walking and clapping us. The barbican led us onto the hoe. This was tough. Its a long swooping hill. Had to walk at one point but as soon as I hit the army base I ran the final half a mile.

Phoned stevie to let him know I was only a minute or two away and turnt my music off.

Ran onto the hoe promenade and the sense of achievement was amazing. I saw the big words "FINISH" in the distance and knew I was almost there.

Running along to claps and cheers was an experience I will never forget.

Not too far from the finish I saw my mum, grandma and to my surprise 2 of my friends. I had no idea they were coming up to see me finish. Ran past them cheering and with my arms in the air.

Crossed the finish line at 2:41:35 .... so im pretty certain my actual time is 2:39something .... still impatiently waiting Saw stevie as I came across the line cheering for me.

From here we were handed our medals, t-shirts and goodie bags and it was then time to go and find my family & friends.

Oh and one more thing, stop the stopwatch on my phone did that a bit late lol

But yesterdays race was an experience i will never, ever forget. Running with almost 6000 people was brilliant. The people of Plymouth were brilliant and it really is true, the crowd, at points, are your 3rd leg. They really push you and support you, that coupled with adreneline made it one of the best days of my life.

The toughest sporting challenge of my life so far is complete. I have gone from weighing 19st7lbs to running my first half marathon. I feel proud of myself and when I look back and reflect on what I have achieved it chokes me up.

So, I guess its time to change the name of my diary ... although I could keep it as I guess really, i'm still training, but for next years! xx

One more thing, a massive thankyou to you ladies on here. You have all put up with my highs & lows. My journey since losing weight would not have led me here without the support of you lovely lot. You really are the best

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx