So, after months of training on the track, I decided it was time to get back to where I really wanted to be – on the road.
This however, presented a whole new set of challenges. So many things were there to slow me down like uneven surfaces, kerbs, people and pet dogs, but one of my biggest fears…. downhill!
In Plymouth, you are hard pressed to go very far without coming across a hill of some sort, one of the reasons that the Plymouth marathon was reduced to a half marathon. Julian found the steepest hill he could and made me run up and down it until my confidence grew a bit. To be honest though, I still haven’t conquered that one completely.
After overcoming most of the obstacles I faced, I started training for the Plymouth Hoe 10K fun run. At only a mile and a half it really would not have entered my thoughts before my amputation but now it seemed like a whole marathon!
My husband, Tony, trained with me, picking me up from the floor a few times after falls and ran the race with me where I finished in 22 minutes. I was even more pleased that I finished before quite a few able body runners.
As you can see from the pictures below, it was hard work!
I am now increasing my stamina and distance and enjoying being able to just go out and run.