Now that I've had time to calm down abit..here's my full account of 2009 GMR.

Firstly thanks to everyone for your lovely comments to my brief entry yesterday...they made me realised what a very special "family" we all are, sticking together through the good times but more importantly when things don't quite to plan....

To yesterday and what a day it turn out to be a great day once again...Dawn was early in east Cheshire, woke up just before 6 to clear blue skies, and first thoughts yes the weatherman have got it wrong, it's going dry race but hope turn to worry within a few minutes as grey clouds started to form, so the 1st major decision of the day...Do I run in weatherproofs or take a risk?....in the end a sort of comprise, normal running top but will wear shorten running tights ISO shorts with waterproof coat on standby just in case..

As usual wanted to be in Manchester nice and early to sample the race build up. Arrived at just 8 as the city centre was waking up...but a change in routine this year, even though I was the first wave I still had an hour to kill before the assembly point opened,usually after parking the car I usually go to start line and sample the unique atmosphere that is the GMR but decided to head to G-Mex mainly because "the realbuzz team" were gathering there and a final chance to speak to the Powerade guys who were there as well. After a little wander around the charity village and time ticking slowly by...I heard a familar voice its was our Sharon with her boys,along with Pam and Chris..it may strange but it was great to see familar faces as nerves  were starting to kick in big time...Over the course next 30 minutes more familar faces showed up and  the nerves soon disappeared...also good to meet Lolli finally for the first time if it only for a few minutes.

At 0915 it was time to say goodbye and start wandering back to the start line. Blast off for me was less than a hour away..but just walking back to Portland Street, you sensed the excitement in the air building, literally thousand's and thousand's of people whether running or watching making a small contribution to a great sporting spectacle.

Finally made it to my assembly point....a final goodbye to my mum,decided to risk the weather.. but despite being with ,.1000s of other runners I was now on my "own" for next 90 minutes..all that training would put to it's greatest test yet..Had still had thoughts about failing today..surely a repeat of last year couldn't be possible..but I had to go through with it now, no going back, it me against the streets of Manchester for next hour or so..

0945..wheelchair race gets underway, shortly followed by the eilite women didn't taken much notice of that..deep in that thought of what was about to happen.

0955 . Pre race entertainmet from opera singer Russell Watson followed by the pre-race warm up..but it hard to follow it, as masses of runners in narrow streets made it difficult unless you wanted bash your "next door neighbour" so to speak..

1000 elite men introduced to the crowd.....

1005 Off we go, forget nerves, this was it...0 zero had arrived...slowly and surely the masses of the orange wave moved forward, elite men off in their own battle, leaving the rest to fight it out. If there was a "black mark" against this event it was the starting area. Typical city centre streets not really built for 1,000s of runners, rumours were that a change might the case this year...but it was usual scrum down towards the Chester road...runners including myself forced at times to run on the pavement just to avoid running into others.....One of the great features of this race are the 1,000s of spectators that line the course but this year they excelled themselves, a loud wall of noise hit you ,people clapping,blowing whistles, shouting & bands playing,quite unbelievable but this was just the beginning. At 1 mile got onto the Chester Road,the women already heading back towards to the finish.Usually by now things begin to pan out but still had to run on the pavement for short sections....2K, the start of the longish climb up to Old Trafford...psychological point no1,the first real test of my training.In the past considered a possible downfall point, this year sailed through with flying colours..gave me a great boast early on.. Through 3k towards the footy ground,psychological point no2, it roughly here that my left calf stiffen up last year, but surely lightening doesn't strike twice...survived it thank god... Through 4k and down towards the football ground and a change of course, in past years we would run underneath the ground but this year all change, straight across the front and down towards Salford.... At 5k first of 2 water stations, and boy was I ready for it..had been suffering a dry mouth since about 3K so I was grateful for some liquid.. Took bottles 2, 1 for a drink and managed to grab a second to be used to cool the body down abit, seemed do to the trick..least only another 2k to the next one..The next 2K or so were also new, an extension down towards the Imperial War Museum and beyond to allow for us not running under the football ground and also that we wouldn't be running alongside the canal this year due to the narrowness of the area....at about 6.5k was the welcome sight of the run through shower.Thought it came slightly later around the 2nd water station. Was begining to feel the first signs of tiredness at this stage but once through the shower although brief it seemed to refresh & ignited me for the final drag home. 7K brought the the second hilly bit again a struggle in the past got through without any problem. Took on water again, 2 bottle job again...first was used as cool down and the second as liquid in take which I ran with for a while...Plan now was to kick for home...but just when I reached the top of the Chester Road, out of now where really ,we were confronted with a strong head wind, something I wasn't planning on. Psychological point no3, for a while I heard my brain say..."can't do this...got to stop" but thankful only on Wednesday whilst out on the bike I encountered worse conditions and got through that if only just...But the rest of me wasn't in mood to give up..come to far, to much at stake..OK the chance of a PB might have been blown but least I've got to finish.

Through 8k, the famaliar city skyline growing ever larger, almost home......9k reached 1,000m to go....and all of sudden another wall noise hits you...just masses and masses of people cheering you home..800m crowds growing by the metre...marshallers shouting only 4 laps of  the track to go..nice to see they have a sense of humour...400 meters a final final lurch for line...totally knackered but driven by the crowds...200 metres another wall of noise, first sight of the line..under the 2 railway bridges, a final dash for that line and I'm there...home safely if any only just...managed to drag myself away from the finish line, but felt I needed to catch my breath..was offered a sick bag by the medics but not required just needed to gather my bearings..

After a few minutes I was well enough to start walking away and get my goody bag, when all of sudden a lady reporter from KEY103 radio station wanted to a live interview with me...had to think about for a second or two but thought what  the hell, so I spent a few minutes answering her questions...one which was rather embarrassingly what time I've had done...I didn't know immediately cause I had forgotten to look at my watch as I finished...so after a slight pause I quickly looked down the watch & it was here that I realised for the first time that I may have done a PB..All of sudden all the tiredness suddenly disappeared and elation kicked in..but a slight worry that the watch may be wrong..could have easily stopped somewhere..but no hadn't been uncover for long enough..I was confident it was right.....and boy did I begin to celebrate..all the hard work of last few months had been worth it.

After collecting my well earned goody bag it was time to find my mum. The excellent organisation of the event meant it didn't take long to find her...by now I was grininng like a Cheshire Cat who has nicked all the cream..it was now sinking in that I've achieved the impossible once again..but still kept checking the watch...just in case....but I did final convince myself yes it was mission accomplished.

After coming down slightly from cloud 9...text Sarah just let her know..did promise good or bad..then after a quick snack, a quick visit to the Powerade guys just to let them know..then it was back to Deansgate to join the 1,000s of spectators  watching the rest of the runners come home and was then where you really appreciate the part they played in the specatcle.. Just one mass of humanity from one end to the other....just an amazing sight... Finally settled at a spot underneath 1 of the rail bridges at the bottom end of Deansgate, which was very handy cause it began to rain very heavy yet runners were coming through soaked to the skin yet smiling and acknowledging the large crowds..These were real heros and heriones of the 2009 GMR

Finally as the last of runners came through decided to head for home...tiredness had creeped in and my bum had stiffed horribly and struggling to walk properly. But I had a great day..meeting with "realbuzz" gang again..sorry I missed some of you. Lining in the same starting group as Olympic champions and world record holders is experienced that I wouldn't thought about even 2 years ago.

But above all else getting a PB  has to be the greatest achievement this year..preparation for this year event I'm going to confess hasn't been ideal for various reasons...but I've been extremely fortuante and grateful to have people to be there when I've needed them. Everybody here who has taken the trouble to comment.. meeting up with "gang" on Sunday..you somehow managed to kill these nasty pre race nerves. The staff at JJB in Macclesfield who again have encouraged me to push myself that little bit farther. But there's one person whom without I can't achieve what I did on Sunday and that's Sarah. She has made all the difference to me in the last 12 months....she's had to "pick me up" on several occasions..yes we've had our little differences, only last Monday I threw a little tantrum but we always come out smiling and laughing at the end and days like yesterday make me realise why she makes me do things I don't really want to do but are necessary to do sometimes to achieve your goals.

Just for the record the offical splits time are:

3K:      14:02

5K:      23:28

7.5K:   35:42

10K:    47:36

Had been thinking that this may be the last time I may do the GMR and do something else next year...unfortunatley Macclesfield holds it's bikeathonon the same weekend...but there's a magnet that seems to draw me to the streets of Manchester in mid May and speaking with Sarah today, we have both agreed this event does brings out the best in me...

Well to done to everybody who ran in Manchester, plenty of PB's from the realbuzz team..and huge well done to Sharryn who at less 24hrs notice took on the streets of Manchester..and conquering some her fears...she just a star of this "community

So that's my account of the 2009 GMR...Superbly organised again and proven once again that Manchester can hold high class sporting events..in 2 minds what to do next, down to the other Manchester run in July but coming so soon after the GMR just feeling at the moment it may just be a bit of anti-climax...the next real challenge is GYR in early Septemeber..a bit of score to settle there still..