Cork Mini Marathon 2014 & Weigh In

I mentioned last month that I had registered to do the Cork Mini Marathon 2014 on Sunday 28th September 2014.... This was something that I had planned to do since the New Year, although to be honest, I had hoped that I would be running it! But running doesn't seem to be working out for me at the moment! 

So I decided that I would still do it, but I would walk it...

Start Line

Start Line looking ahead

Start Line still but it went waaaaay back

I turned up to the start line on Sunday along with 10,500 other ladies, all ready to go. It seemed that the majority were in groups and walking/ running for charities. I felt a little lost in the big crowd if I'm honest.
At 1pm, we were off, they let both runners and walkers off together and so the first 10/15 mins were mayhem!! We started off at a crawl with everyone bumping off each other, trying to get around each other and runners trying to get through the groups of walkers so they could get going!!
When we hit the 1 mile mark around the Marina, the crowd was a little more sparse and I felt that I had a little more breathing room and space in general. I put on my iPod and just pretended that I was out for my normal walk and not Vicki- no - mates!!
The temperature was rising also as the race got goings, so when it rained, it was a little bit of a relief. Everyone was in high spirits anyway, so a rain shower wasn't going to change that.

When we turned off the Marina and onto the Blackrock road (which is longer & hillier when walking rather than driving) it was lovely to see all the residents out cheering on all the walkers, local shops had set up tables with water, so they could be grabbed along the way. it was very warm, so a lot of people were stopping for a quick sup.  I didn't, I was afraid that if I stopped I wouldn't "start" again (yip like a battered old car!!)

Its fair to say that I haven't been making exercise a priority and I felt it on this walk!!
The relief I felt when I passed the 3 mile mark :) Only 1 more mile to go I told myself, I could do this!!  I was feeling the affects of walking in the heat with no training and no water in me at this stage! I was also very aware that I was completely on my own! But I kept going, I was determined to finish.  The final half mile was on a fairly straight road, so once I caught site of the end, I was happy.. people say that once they see the finish line, they get a new spurt of energy and run to finish.
This did not happen me!! I just about managed to take my phone out to take a photo of the finish line!! (my fingers felt like they'd turned in to sausages!!)

Seeing the finish line was such a relief

I was so relieved to finish!! you wouldn't have thought it had you seen me tho!! I was fit to cry with the relief, not smile and laugh!! My time was taken, I handed in my number, got my medal and grabbed a bottle of water!!

I bumped into my work friend Jen, she had run the 4 miles in 44 mins (Go Jen)
Below is a photo of us taken with our medals

Me & Jen

I wasn't feeling great from the heat to be honest and right after that photo was taken, I was sick.. on the grass.. in front of EVERYONE!! I was more embarrassed than anything else, but I couldn't stop!
I went to sit on the wall and a lovely lady from St Johns Ambulance came over to check on me and told me to sip my water. I think I over heated (like an old car) and was dehydrated from the heat of the day; that's why I was sick!

So with all the drama I never took a pic of me with my medal!! oops!! so this was taken later when I got home...

I did it

So yes, I did complete this years mini marathon but it wasn't the best of times for me!!

In good news, I was down 3 lbs this week.. so I'll take that :)

I hope you've had a good week


Weight lost to date: 6lbs
Onwards and Downwards, the Slimming World way :)