FOUR HOURS, FORTY FIVE MINUTES AND TWELVE SECONDS

I did it!

Yesterday morning I got out of bed at 6am, walked across a cold Seattle to the start line and ran 26.2 miles.

I hardly slept the night before, I was definitely nervous about the time of reckoning approaching - but once I got into the crowds of spectators and other runners it all just seemed a bit surreal.  The race started at 8.15am, I crossed the line about two minutes after that and we were away.

I'd purposely started at the back of the crowd, I didn't want to get passed by all the fast runners immediately, but I soon found that I was overtaking a good number of people.  I got talking to an English guy at the second mile marker - he saw my Saltire on my chest and I saw the Union Flag on his fully loaded army backpack that he was heefing around.

The course went straight down 5th Avenue to the Interstate, where we ran out to Mercer Island and back.  It was good to see the lead runners coming back the other way, and it made me realise that I wasn't going that slowly compared to everyone else.  Ish.  The route is here if you are interested.

The furthest I'd ever run before was 17.5 miles, so as we were heading past Kurt Cobain's clay pigeon coops there was a huge leap into the unknown.  I'm proud to say that I completed my main objective for the race.  I ran every step.  Even in the last six miles where the organisers threw in some huge hills, I ran up and back down them again.  I even caught up with the 4.45hr pacing group, then they overtook me again, but I was running and that's the main part.  To finish at all is surprising/satisfying, to do it in less than five hours is amazing, to be just twelve seconds over the 4.45hr mark is inexplicible.

So I kept this a secret for six months, in case I failed.  I didn't, so now I'm going to email everyone I know to try and raise some money for Cancer Research.  If you would like to donate, clicky here www.justgiving.com/secretinseattle.  If you would like to buy me dinner and hear the full story...well more fool you.

Happy Birthday Mum, the medal is in the post.