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.".
