I did it.

When I went round the final corner and saw the finish line, I cried

I was also close to tears at the start cos I was so unsure of whether this was the right thing for me to be doing. There were so many people, all shapes and sizes, all excited about getting going and you really can't fight that.

It was slow enough for the first few miles that I didn't get any of the niggles in feet and hips I'd been expecting so I really enjoyed the run up to about 7 miles.

Getting onto the Portway - the winners were coming past in the other direction - I had been overtaking loads of people cos I'd started very near the back and there were crowds coming past on the other side of the track all the way to the turning point (what a great place to get to!)

list of things
the start - too crowded by far - quite stressful wondering if I was going to get to the right place in time - but it started late so that was ok.

Set off after the walkers (I was very near the back) and that was annoying as I had to change route to get past - wasn't the only one!

Going through the centre was nice as there were loads of people cheering us on even though I got the feeling by the time I went past, they'd been standing there and cheering quite a long time.

It was hotter than the forecast had said so felt very red-faced for first few miles - especially after being kept waiting at the start.

The first water station was at 3 miles or so and it felt like along to time get there: I hadn't planned on drinking then but as it was hot I thought I would - it was odd having to drink when running - danger of banging gums and teeth on bottle. And why do we have to get a 1/2 litre bottle of water which you only need a couple of sips from??

Energy stations - hilarious - didn't want to touch the things after I saw someone throwing up a few 100 metres down the road from one. Also the road went incredibly sticky underfoot as all the sugar went everywhere. hmm, not a good feeling!

The route kept getting wide (good) and then narrow (bad as everyone crammed in together and suddenly we all slowed down too much)

Getting round town and heading towards the portway was ok - the miles seems to drift by slowly, but you have to keep remembering that every step you take is getting you closer to the finish.

Running under the suspension bridge was good - you rarely get the chance to see it from that angle (well, on that side of the road anyway) and it was a good point to think that when I came back in the other direction I'd be very close to finishing

Legs are beginning to ache a bit now - getting up to 7 or 8 miles. Am having water at every stop which I think was the right thing to do even if it meant chucking away heaps of those bottles.

Worryingly my left hip was beginning to stiffen up and I knew it could only get worse, but also reasured myself that I could stretch it out if it got too bad - but it held on, just. It really hurt by the end though.

Someone shouted out it was only 600yards to the turning point - and how good did that feel? I knew from looking at the map that after this it was the start of the home run. There was still over 4 miles to go but psychologically it was a good place to be!

There were lots of casualties by the side of the road - mostly heat exhaustion as it was fairly warm and there is very little shade along the portway. I felt very sorry for them.

Back under the bridge and it really felt like the end was in sight... This was at about 12 miles and the legs were feeling the strain - happily my feet seem to have managed quite well.

A friend who I spotted going up the portway was there at the end as well - she'd cycled into town a bit and was cheering me on which felt wonderful. In fact the final mile and a half was the best bit - felt utterly shot but the support was tremendous and I felt I had to put on a bit of extra effort to get me over the line in style.Found myself running just behind a bloke dressed only in devil horns and red posing pouch (and shoes) - he was getting lots of support (from the crowd not the pouch) but I sadly had to run past him!

So then I cried when I saw the finish line - it just welled up and I could have happily bawled my eyes out.

And crossing the line was just the best feeling - I couldn't stop running - I think it's like when you press your arm against a wall and it feels like your arm is rising all by itself - my legs couldn't believe they could stop...

A silver blanket, a medal and a rather shabby goody bag and I could go!

Walking back there were loads of very happy people paddling in the fountains and as I walked to the bottom of Jacobs Wells Rd there were other people finishing and I felt very proud of myself. I know that's a sin, but hey, once in while aint gonna hurt.

Boyf did 1h36m12 which he was disappointed with but he was running with a torn calf muscle and nearly pulled out at 3 miles so I think he should be proud (if foolish!)

And now my thighs ache, but otherwise I'm unscathed and on one hell of a high!!!

Oh, and my time 2 hours 5 mins and 25 secs. How chuffed!!!

Will I do it again? Unless I can find a good excuse, I don't see why I shouldn't...

I don't think I can do it.

It's the day before and I feel depressed about the whole thing.

In the overall scheme of things it's irrelevent whether I run tomorrow or not. Perhaps if I had decided to run for a charity it might be different, but I feel curiously nonplussed at the prospect of the event now. I expect I'll finish in some ordinary time, feel stiff for a couple of days and the world will continue to turn.

It doesn't help that the house is in turmoil with plastering happening on the hall and stairs when I would have preferred this weekend to be a big build up to the thing and a bit of anticipation perhaps. As it is, I'm just going to be stuffing myself with more pasta than I can really face and tomorrow I'll feel unprepared and distant from the other 14,998 runners who are no doubt going to enjoy a really significant day.

It's a Big Deal for me to do this - I've been training and it's something I never thought I would be capable of doing even this time last year. So why am I so negative about it? Is it cos I know I can (well, have) run 12 miles and this is just a little bit further or is it so that if I fail tomorrow I don't beat myself up about it? I have little enough self-esteem as it is without adding a very public failure to the score, so hopefully that at least will spur me on.

So, here goes. Perhaps this is better than feeling nervous. Perhaps it really is a non-event and anyone with working limbs could manage it with a little application.

Even if I do finish tomorrow, it's no big deal.

Ok I’ve done my last training run before the thing on Sunday and it wasn’t brilliant. I mean, my left leg seems to have rediscovered how to shrink its IT band until it hurts and my right foot feels deformed. Apart from that I feel OK.

I reckon by mile 3 I should be warmed up and the initial agonies should be done with. Then about 5 miles the troubles with the left leg start and by 7 the right foot joins in.
I haven’t had the shoulder spasms for a bit or a stitch, but they should kick in about 7 miles as well.

I am trying a ‘less bounce, more foreward’ style of running – it seems to make sense; you don’t want to bounce cos it hurts your feet etc and the point is to get further along the road. I feel a little self-conscious when doing it but then who is going to be looking at me?

And the weather…
Dark cloud with sunbeams and one raindrop. 22C. Could be worse: at least if it rains a bit you can’t see how much sweat there is…

I do have concerns about how well my various joints will stand the distance, but I also know that when I cross that finish line I will feel terrific.

My left knee hurts. My back's aching. My neck's stiff. I've got stomach pains.

I haven't run since Sunday and I won't until Thursday due to having too much work on at the mo. So Thursday will be my last run before the thing. Do I go hell for leather or take it easy? Easy, I think, safer.

Will I make it? I know that when I get to the far end of the Portway then it will feel like the home stretch (even though there will be another 4 miles or so) I'm sure it's all in the mind - let's just hope I'm not going mad.

This time next week it will all be over... How will I feel? Have no idea at all...

This morning's run should have been a 60-minute easy but I did an hour and half and included 2 laps of the steep hill and cross country section (sounds more gruelling than it is - it's only about 1/2 mile or so) and realised I have more muscles at my disposal than I have been using (the ones down the back of your legs - are they hamstrings?) so basically I could have been a world-class athlete if only I'd known...

Hey Ho.

The bad news is that the instep blister is back - despite wearing the 1000-mile socks which guarantee no blisters, there it was, throbbing away and making life very uncomfortable. Everything else which normally aches was hurting at the usual level so I guess I haven't done any permanant damage to myself over the past few weeks.

A couple more runs during the week, although I'm so busy at work that might be a struggle, and then it's the big day. I feel OK about it - nervous of course, but then isn't the unknown always a bit nerve-wracking?

I am so looking forward to finishing!

OK - I'm not sure how this is supposed to work, but this is what happened.

According to my scientific training schedule I was supposed to go on a 45 minute quick run today. So I thought I would do the normal 7-mile route but go faster. So that's exactly what I did. And it was fine. It was a little tiring but overall I didn't seem to mind it too much.
So is it down to the redbull type drink before I set off or is the training finally paying off?

Perhaps I shouldn't read too much into it.

I had a thought on the way to work this morning - it would be quite cool if you're watching one of these things to hang a sign out at the 10 mile mark - TIREDNESS KILLS: TAKE A BREAK.

It's very disillusioning to keep going on these training runs and for them to get no easier... The only difference seems to be that I feel less injured and pained when I finish. Is that what it's about?

I have become a hyper-hypochondriac - every little ache and pain has some dark significance - my heel hurts a bit this morning - obviously this is an achilles problem which will require surgery. The twisting foot thing is another operation and as for the cramp in my left hip, well nothing short of a hip replacement will sort that out.

It's going to be odd afterwards, when I can say 'I ran the Bristol half marathon' rather than admitting I'm going to do it but trying to play it down as I feel self-conscious about taking part. I think that's why I'm avoiding the sponsorship thing - I don't want to draw attention to myself. But it would make sense to use this effort to raise some dosh, wouldn't it?

I know it is a fairly good achievement, not everyone would do it so I shouldn't put it down and apologise for predicting a slow time - it won't be the slowest and only 15,000 are doing the run. It should be an amazing experience.

My worry today is what on earth am I going to think about during the run?

I am utterly used to having the radio or ipod to listen to and take my mind off the awful process of running. I know there'll be lots going on around me but that will all be to do with running, rather than something to take my attention away.

Perhaps the plan should be to make this part of my final-stage training - self-hypnosis to separate my physical being from the pain and boredom.

Also, the route takes in the Portway as usual, but that seems to be the second half of the race - I think psychologically, once the Portway is done, then you feel the race is almost run. In fact the race will almost be run - not sure if that's a good thing - I mean I'll have gone miles before even setting foot on the Portway. But then, so will everyone else.

And another thing - I don't want to be last. I know I'm going to be down there with the fatties, the oldies and the people recovering from operations, but I would hate to be one of the plucky red-faced freaks who end up featured in the amusing music montage at the local news coverage, getting a patronising pat on the head for being so brave (while everyone has a good laugh and wonders what on earth they were thinking of believeing they could take on the challenge of a half marathon...)

I haven't run today - on a 2-day rest from my magnificent 12-miler on Sunday.
Laurels thoroughly rested upon.

I ran for 115 mins this morning. I covered 12 miles. It hurts.

I can't believe that I haven't suddenly become extremely fit - I mean why isn't it getting any easier? I just kept going (I had to stop once to stretch out my left hip as it was in some sort of painful spasm) but it just kept getting harder. I somehow have to find another mile and a bit in a couple of weeks time - where is that going to come from?

I had an energy drink just before I left the house which made me feel sick - a lesson learned there. I also wanted a drink on the way round so I must remember to take water from the stations along the way.

My right ankle was aching, both feet were and this thing with my left hip is annoying - I mean it was almost too painful to run with - it eased a bit with a stretch but will I want to be doing that during the real thing?

There were loads of people out running - a lot of them I saw a few times as I repeated the circuits of the downs so I guess they were all on their training runs for the half marathon as well. Most of them were fast and looked very relaxed. I want to look like that but even though I was trying to relax I was feeling more and more knackered and just wanted to sit down and have a drink.

But I kept going - I did run 12 miles which is further than I have ever gone in my life before and is only 10 minutes off the complete race.

I need to work on my look - red face and frizzy hair does not make for a good photo-finish.

I reckon I will be doing the thing in 2 hours and 10 mins and I should be proud of that shouldn't I!

This time in 2 weeks I will be finished or at least in sight of the finish line.