I knew there was a reason why I worked so hard.  It is so I can afford to buy running gear sells atextortionate prices.  I had a couple of daysoff work and (I know it is not the best sports shop in the planet but needs must) drove to the nearest JJB Sports to buy a new sports bra.  Came out over £60 lighter in the purse - even JJB Sports were embarrassed and gave me £10 voucher to spend in March - clutching the new Run sports bra from Shock Absorber and one of those really tight thermal tops from Cold Gear (never heard of them).  The only piece of cheer came from the astonishing fact I am now a size 6/8 which is silly.  I am sure women are not that stupid they believe their bones have shrank thus enabling them to be sizes in reality they could never be.

Today was the Great Bentley half marathon.  Great Bently being about 7 miles from Clacton, 10 miles from Colchester, stuck in the middle of no-where.  I have run it once before and the course is fast and 95% flat.  PB potential for all and chips provided.  Today was also very cold and damp but only a slight breeze.  So there I went decked out in my new clothes feeling like I could not breathe, the top was that tight and totally over dressed as I viewed all the pale pasty white limbs scattered around. 

Some tall oaf knocked me as I was setting off which made my overly sensitive Garmin have a hissy fit and start to show me history rather than just start so I have no mile splits.  I suspect I plodded on at the same speed and felt OK all the way round, my previous week's 18 mile epic obviously did me some good.  Thinking about it I was still cold all the way round, it took 2 miles before my hands stopped feeling brittle and my bum was feeling particularly parky.  My torso was warm and toasty but perhaps the top should be longer so I can pull it over my bum.  Still I was doing better than some as the white, pasty limbs had turned a mottled blue which did bring to mind raw pork sausages.  

The results are already up on the website and I came 350th out of 826 runners and with a new PB of 1:43:09 which is just over 2 minutes faster than my previous time.  I take a bow!

Ahh, ladies the Run bra may be £34.99 but it was good.  It was very comfortable, no visible strap or elastic marks when I came to take it off and the adjustable straps are excellent although the ability to dislocate your shoulder to get it on could help.

So that was my last planned race before the marathon.  Overall I am very pleased with my progress.  I hear there could be snow in the East next week which could scupper the training programme again.  I wish the BBC would be consistant with their directions, East could be North East, sometimes it is East Anglia and on the red button my area comes under London which is not East at all.  Fingers crossed it passes us all by.

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