Why Why Why Delilah?

WHY????? I say this to myself all the time. But of course there’s a reason. In fact there are a few. I need to keep them in the forefront of my mind.

I guess the main reason for doing this is to get fit. I don’t do any exercise, I’m overweight and hurtling toward forty. But it’s easier said than done. It would be great if I just woke up one morning and said, you know what, today is the day I’m going to change my lifestyle. I didn’t do that though. I dragged myself to that point kicking and screaming making many, many excuses along the way.  So I looked for motivation. I looked for someone or something to give me the kick up the arse that I needed.

I needed a goal and I needed help to get there.

My goal is to complete the Great North Run.  The GNR has been a big part of my life since it started. The route runs past the top of where I used to live and we always thought it was great that the roads in and out of our estate were blocked. We felt special, like the world stopped turning that day. Well, for us it did anyway. We didn’t even have a car so how it had any impact on us, I don’t know!! I suppose we didn’t see many famous people in South Tyneside so camera crews, celebs and the Red Arrows turned it into quite the event!

The best bit was trying to get on the tv. The camera crews always follow the elite men and women so if you timed it right, you could be at the side of the road waving and shouting and hopefully your chops would end up on the BBC! I managed a few times. The trick was to watch it on TV until they got to the Robin Hood, then leg it up the street and frantically jump up and down. Great stuff!

The last few years we’ve taken the kids along and bought hundreds of ice -pops and lollys to dish out. The atmosphere is just electric and I can’t wait to be a part of it.

When the run moved from July to September, it always landed around my birthday. I actually spent one birthday sat by the finish line in the rain when Tim did his first run. A lady next to me gave me a foil blanket as she felt sorry for me!!

I’ve always said I’d do it but never actually thought I would. This year the run falls the Sunday before my 40th birthday. It’s now or never………