Anyone got an Ark?

Yuk! Is it ever going to stop raining? I know I bang on a lot about the weather but honestly...

I did manage to grab a window of opportunity on Sunday for my weekly long run - as the runs get longer it's less likely to stay dry for the whole thing, but it did on Sunday. I was a bit later than I'd intended leaving the house because we got caught up watching the Ladies' Snowboard Slopestyle. What a bonkers sport that is, if it even is a real sport - it's just kids "mucking about" on snowboards! But brilliant to watch, and fantastic that we won a medal. So it was almost 11:00 before I got out of the house, knowing I had a good 2-3 hours ahead - my plan said "run a half marathon" for this weekend. I hadn't been able to find a "real" half this weekend (not without trekking to the other end of the country anyway) so I just planned on running the distance, if I could.

I didn't have a clear idea of where I was going (not a good plan really) when I set out, because, as I have said previously, all the off-road courses are just bogs and now even the roads have giant puddles in the kerbs and verges, but in the event I ran up to Brookwood, just less than four miles, and went into the cemetery. I have never visited the Brookwood Cemetery before but it was a lovely place to run. It is the largest cemetery in Britain, and one of the largest in the world, and it covers all denominations and nationalities from around the world. In fact while I was there it looked as if there was some kind of ceremony going on in the Zoroastrian Cemetery, which I thought sounded like some sort of Martian Jedi kind of religion but hubby informs me it's actually Rastafarians. I didn't go too close as I didn't want to intrude. There are a whole load of pathways winding round the cemetery, through all the different religions and nationalities, and no traffic. It was incredibly peaceful and quite moving, especially in the Military corner, where I removed my headphones and just ran quietly and contemplatively (is that even a word?). Unfortunately many of the paths were puddly, and the grass verges incredibly boggy, so I didn't escape with dry feet, but that's par for the course at the moment. At least we only have puddle floods here - my heart really goes out to all those poor people in Somerset and along the Thames who have real floods.

I did a few laps, until William told me I'd done 8 miles, did one more short loop and headed for home. It's never as far on the way back is it? I had to add on a bit otherwise I wouldn't have made the full distance - and of course sod's law dictates that, on the route I chose, at 12 1/2 miles the pavement was completely flooded to a depth of about 4". So home I came in really squelchy shoes. 

It was gone 1:30 by the time I got in, and by the time I'd done my stretching, stood in a bin full of icy water up to my knees (by choice this time so it was medicinal... Still not nice though), and had a hot shower, we didn't have lunch till half past two by which time poor hubby was Hank Marvin. I would like to put out there how much I appreciate his selfless support, and his endless encouragement, of this mad enterprise I've taken on. I'll have to try and get out earlier next weekend! (And it's only 8 more Sundays.)

So, I have now officially completed half a marathon distance, in 2 hours 34 minutes, so not too shabby. I was pretty done in by the time I finished and couldn't possibly have carried on and done it all again, but it's a big milestone ticked off, and it's a time to carry into the actual Half Marathon I'm doing on March 9th - it'll be interesting to see if having crowds (of runners and spectators) makes a difference to my time. Note to self though: do not get carried away and set off too fast!! I am now pretty confident that I will make it to the end of the London course before they start to pack everything away. I just wish it would stop raining.