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Only a few days left to the half marathon now! Sunday 2nd September at 10am. Pleased to say that I received my race pack on Monday, so have checked everything out and put it somewhere nice and safe.

I entered three months ago, and at the time I was initially rather apprehensive about whether I’d even be able to manage it. However lots of training and a few build-up events have really helped get me enthusiastic about it, no matter how I do. I went for my last long-ish (12km) run last night. So much for the taper! It is easier going from now on. Just a couple of light runs over the next few days and I’m there. Lots of Pasta to be eaten towards the end of the week too!

The only negative in the process has been what seems rather sluggish pre-race organisation. It took a long time to get confirmation through about my entry (I didn’t want to start raising sponsorship until I had that confirmed), and that the race packs arrived with less than a week to go doesn’t help with the nerves at all. Discussions at the fetcheverone forum indicate some folk still haven’t received their packs yet, have had different answers depending on who they speak to, and the idea of having to pick up numbers/chips on the day without even being certain you’ll get a number could well put folk off without their packs from coming at all. Hopefully it’ll be ok on the day, and it’s just delayed mail.

Oh, and the fact that the trains from my local station only start at 9.27am on Sunday, which isn’t early enough for me (even though it only takes 10 minutes to get in to town, and 5 minutes from the station). So will probably go via another station (at the wonderfully titled ‘Crossmyloof’), or bus. Although SPT have provided free bus passes, I don’t like or trust buses to be reliable. Plus the pass is only for two of the three main bus operators. Frustratingly we don’t have a unified bus ticket system here in Glasgow. I’m sure it makes sense to somebody, somewhere. Just not the customers. Grrr.

Back on the positives, and I’ve so far managed to raise just over £1,300. My parents are doing the rounds with a paper form in my home village of Priddy, so I don’t yet know what will come out of that, but hopeful given awareness of Prostate Cancer is heightened there as so many folk knew my father was going through it and helping out with trips to the hospital for his radiotherapy. So the £1,500 target feels very achievable. Double that figure up with my own company donation, and around £3,000 for such a good and relevant cause: I’ve been quite taken aback and touched by the comments I’ve received from sponsors about how it’s touched their friends and family too. It’ll be an added incentive on the run to do as well as I can.

Some of Frances’ family are popping along to support me and the other runners on the day, so to get it all together in one place, I’m hoping to be hitting a 08:30-09:00 minutes per mile pace, which should put me in Bellahouston Park around 10:35-10:45, exit of Pollok Park (Polloshaws/Haggs Road) around 11:00-11:15, and Darnley Road 11:15-11:30. It’s hard to be more precise, as I’ve no idea how much I’ll be swept along or held up by the other runners (or my own pacing decisions!). I also don’t know how far back I’ll be in my ’start pulse’, and how long after the main start of the elite runners before we start. Hopefully not too long! On the off-chance anybody reading this who doesn’t already know me, I’ll be wearing a light blue Prostate Cancer Charity T-shirt and black shorts, with a light green number (that means I’m in the third pulse to start, after the whites and blues). I’ll send details of my number in case anybody actually wants it!

I’ve been saying in all my notes that I’m hoping to complete it in around two hours, but recent training runs are predicting a sub-2 hour time. It’s always hard to tell for all the reasons I’ve given, and weather on the day is also going to be a factor - five day weather forecasts are starting to appear: Currently showing as lightly overcast: I’d prefer heavily overcast (with no chance of rain!). Hot and sunny is certainly not what we want, although supporters may prefer that

No matter, the goal is to complete it and enjoy it. If I get a time on the upper end of my expectations, that’ll be a nice plus. Definitely looking forward to it!