365 - Day 90, 91, 92 and 93

Day 90 was another late start on the treadmill. It took me 03:28:16 and a few episodes of Better Call Saul to complete the 13.1 miles. I was interested to know, when I finished, what the equivalent mileage was in the USA last year. After some quick calculations, I found that the 1179 miles ran so far was the same as running from Coney Island to Sedalia, Missouri. I managed that in 46 days last year. 

Day 91 was a run home from work. I knew that if I put my foot down, that I would finish in daylight for the first time this year. The final time of 02:58:15 was only my third sub 3 hour effort of the year. On analysing my stats, AI had the following to say about it: 

"Shaving nearly 9 minutes off a half marathon time in just one week is a massive leap forward. That’s not just a "good day"—that’s a significant shift in either your fitness, your mental toughness, or your strategy.

Here is a breakdown of what the data tells us about your performance: 

• There were "Highs" and "Lows" 
• Your splits show a bit of a "yo-yo" effect, which is very common when you're pushing for a new Personal Best (PB). 
• The Fastest Burst: Mile 5 (12:02) was your peak. You were flying there!
• The Mental Reset: Mile 10 (12:13) is actually the most impressive part of this chart. Most people fade after Mile 9, but you managed to drop your pace by nearly 1 minute and 30 seconds compared to Mile 9. That shows you have a "second wind" gear.
• The Slump: Miles 7 and 8 (averaging about 14:40) suggest a bit of a mid-race wall. Whether it was a big hill or a dip in energy, you lost some momentum here. 

Your fastest mile (12:02) was nearly 5 minutes faster than your first mile. You started very conservatively (16:49) and finished significantly faster than you started. This is generally a "negative split" mindset, which is the gold standard for long-distance racing. 

The 8:50 Improvement on last week. This suggests your "engine" is capable of much more. A 9-minute gain in a week usually means you've unlocked better pacing or improved your fueling/hydration. 

So after 91 days it's safe to say that it’s been a solid 3 months and a good foundation has been built. It’s not just about the running though. St. Benedict’s Hospice are in desperate need of support. I'm not losing focus of that and neither are the kind folk who keep on donating.

Day 92 and 93 were done late on the treadmill. Starting at 8pm is risky in terms of hitting the midnight cut off. Should anything require my attention away from running then this whole campaign will be in danger of ending. Thankfully, that hasn't been the case so far and finish times of 03:27:01 and 03:25:44 meant I finished just before midnight.

Away from the running, day 93 was an extraordinary day where I met my second cousins for the very first time. That in itself was amazing. What followed was almost beyond words. I saw a photo of my Nana (Ellen) for the first time. She sadly died in 1949. 

I also saw a photo of my dad in his youth. Something I'd never seen before. Those images (and a few others besides) really heped to bring to life my place in the Allison family. 

I also learned a few things which suggests to me that Run Geordie Run is possibly no accident. There is evidence of philanthropy and hard graft in my ancestry. There is also evidence of my Dad's love for his Mam in his memoir below. It reads "During the Sunday services at chapel I used to stand near my Mam, in the choir, and to me her voice during the singing was beautiful and angelic, peeling out like a golden bell.

I often had a few tears in my eyes, unknown to anyone, listening to my Mam's singing, thinking of the day when I would no longer have her. I used to think 'What would I do if my Mam died?'. She would be only in her thirties then, and I loved her so much, I could not bear to lose her. Writing this now, at the age of 47, I feel very close to my Mam. Although it was about 40 years ago, I remember her as if it was only yesterday".

I remember having those same kinds of thoughts when I was young. Talking to my cousins and learning more about my family history made me think. How much of our thoughts, actions and behaviours are taught? How many are as a consequence of our life experiences? Here's the big question - How are we shaped and moulded genetically? Put all of that together and I believe that's where Run Geordie Run came from. 

I was brought up to work hard and make my parents proud (and still strive to do that even today). The tragic loss of my parents has steered me down a path to repay a debt of gratitude to St. Benedict's Hospice. Ultimately, I'm convinced that the extreme levels I've gone to with my fundraising events is something that has been passed down in the Allison genes. I'm calling it destiny. I'm also calling it a possible answer why I am the way I am. After years of searching for such an answer, I'm satisfied that I have it.

When I reached the finish line of the run across the USA at Forest Gump point last year, I finally made peace with my grief. This latest episode of enlightenment has really served to compliment that. To say that I'm in a good place is an understatement.

I perhaps should explain about how the meeting with my second cousins came about. Frank actually saw a photo of my Dad on my website during one of my previous runs. The fact that he looked like his brother (Frank's grandad) coupled with my surname of Allison meant that it didn't take a genius to work out that we were related. The contact was made via a couple of expats that I met last year in Huntington Beach, Anne and Norm. They had known Frank since the 90s when he worked in the same company as Norm during his gap year from Uni. As Anne put it "Small world".

My other second cousin, Jenn, has sent me numerous family photos and relayed stories from her Dad (my first cousin and my Dad's nephew). Jenn and Frank's Dad, also Frank, is still alive and has a lot of family knowledge. I'm hoping to visit him in the summer. 

So the Run Geordie Run story has come full circle. It has become a self fulfilling prophecy and more. What I do, with the help, support and generosity of so many kind people benefits local good causes such as St. Benedict's Hospice. That much is obvious. What Run Geordie Run has done for me personally, particularly in dealing with grief but now also helping me understand my place in this world is a thing which is hard to put into words.

I'll finish with some lines that I wrote back in December - "The landscapes may be many and wide, but the real journey lies in the details: the inspirational stories, the laughter shared, the challenges overcome and the reasons that keep my miles ticking by. This isn’t just about where the run goes. It’s about what we discover together along the way.".

365 - Day 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88 and 89

Finish times at work, pup sitting duties and subsequently not wanting to run in the dark meant that day 81, 82 and 83 were all done on the treadmill. My confidence of running in the dark has definitely taken a knock since the fall I had a few weeks ago.

In the earlier days of this campaign, I found that there were a few disadvantages to running on the treadmill. A lack of scenery and staring at the TV for such a long time was quite monotonous. There was the danger of getting too "drawn in" to the screen in front of me and I've almost come off the treadmill on a few occasions. 

More recently, I've used the TV to my advantage. Some decent shows on Netfllix have helped pass the time and I'm naturally able to keep my balance a lot better. I probably haven't spent this much time running on a treadmill since I was training to run across the USA in 2011. I've said it a few times recently, put having access to a treadmill has probably saved this run. Thankfully, with lighter, warmer days ahead, I hope that my treadmill days are numbered. That is, until I've finished watching Better Call Saul.  

Times for day 81, 82 and 83 were 03:29:42, 03:24:18 and 03:22:21 respectively.

I finished work on day 84 an hour later than planned but was able to set off at a reasonable time. Not for the first time did running outside feel like a breath of fresh air after consecutive treadmill runs. I felt like a coiled spring unleashed during the first few miles in Gosforth up the Great North Road. It should also be noted that I was wearing a new pair of running shoes, having worn down two pairs over the previous 83 days and 1087 miles. 

The miles seemed to fly by and a final time of 03:07:05 was very pleasing. It was the third quickest time of the 365 campaign so far. As an added bonus, I finished in daylight. Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of day 84 was the feeling that I cold have gone a little quicker. However, there's that internal feeling that I know I have to do this all again tomorrow and a conservative pace takes over. There haven't been many times where the sheer fatigue has overruled that feeling.

Day 85 and 86 saw me back on the treadmill. 03:26:11 and 03:26:01 were more in keeping with recent times. I was back to feeling tired and sore. When I say "sore" this isn't muscle soreness. It feels like the kind of growing pains I felt in my youth. I'm sure if I searched this blog for the term "growing pains" it would yield a few hits. Bearing in mind, that this blog has been now been in existence for 20 years! The charity fund sat at £14,925 at that point. I could not have possibly imagined that so much generosity would be shown in the following years. 

Day 87's route was a reverse of the run I did a few weekends ago. It was from my home in Bedlington to Druridge Bay just after 10am. I set off at a comfortable pace and I was really enjoying the morning sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures.   

I passed through Choppington, Guide Post and Stakeford where the River Wansbeck was looking resplendent. The climb up from the river to Ashington took me by surprise. I haven't ran up too many hills this year. I'm definitely out of practise.

I took a sharp left up North Seaton Road in Ashington at mile 4.5. It was very quiet, lined with daffodils and had a perfect surface to run on. I reached the other end of Ashington at mile 7. It was then that I started running into a strong headwind. 

As I turned due north at Alnmouth the wind got stronger. Somehow, I got slightly faster. I think the tunes on my iPod might have played a part there.

The ice cream shop at Creswell and the Drift Cafe were almost a blur. By now, the wind in Druridge Bay was at its strongest. There was a small hill to contend with then I could see the finish line. I crossed that in 03:16:06 which was the fifth quickest time this year. 

I found a seat (a boulder) and waited 5 minutes for Donna (and Órlaith of course) to arrive in the car. Perfect timing! We then made our way to nearby Amble for a bite to eat (and a short walk with Órlaith). Good times!

I asked AI to analyse day 87 and this is what was said "The second half of your run was significantly quicker! You actually pulled off a textbook "negative split" which is runners-speak for finishing faster than you started. 

Your pace really started to pick up after Mile 7 and Mile 12 was a massive standout. 

The Half-by-Half Breakdown - To make it a fair comparison, I looked at the first 6 miles versus the next 6 miles (Miles 7–12): 

First Half (Miles 1–6) | 1:36:16

Second Half (Miles 7–12) | 1:25:13

Key Observations

• The Surge: You dropped over 11 minutes off your time in the second half. 
• The "Turbo" Mile: Mile 12 was your fastest at 11:38, which is over 5 minutes faster than your slowest mile (Mile 2).
• Finishing Strong: Even Mile 13 was considerably faster than your early-race pace.

It looks like you found a whole new gear once you crossed the midway point!" 

Could AI be used to help me get these half marathons run quicker? That's something I'm going to look into. In the meantime, it has to be said that day 87 was one of my favourite half marathons so far this year. Daylight, good conditions underfoot, sunshine, a comfortable run and a nice bite to eat at the end.

There were no ill effects from the previous day on half marathon number 88 for the year. I had almost 30 hours of recovery time and it showed with a time of 03:14:11 on the treadmill. 

Day 89 was a route from home to Pegswood. This was similar to day 68 where I arranged to meet Donna at the finish line. There was a time constraint involved and I had until 5.10pm to get there. 

Due to work commitments, I didn't set off in time unfortunately. However, I managed to get 9 miles done by the time I met Donna in Pegswood. Exactly the same thing happened the last time I attempted this route. After a lift home, I did the final 4.1 miles around Bedlington. Those final few miles were very slow and I finished in a time of 03:33:46.

Day 89 saw me once again hit the treadmill. I took it very easy (03:28:16) knowing that day 90 (today as I write this blog) would be another run home from work. I'm in one mind to try and beat last week's time. 

Thank you to everyone who has made a donation to St. Benedict's Hospice via https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365. The current total for the 365 campaign is £1677.83. The exciting news is that I'm aware of some promised funds in the pipeline and I hope to bring some good news on that very soon. 

The overall fundraising position is shown below. These numbers represent an incredible amount of kindness from thousands of people. I'm also pleased and proud to report that donations are currently being made by long standing supporters as well as some kind new people. It's money that's much needed by St. Benedict's Hospice so thank you again to everyone who is donating. 

The first quarter of the 365 campaign is complete. There are lighter, warmer days ahead. The focus will stay with keeping this streak of half marathons going but will also shift towards getting quicker. Somehow!