Swings and Roundabouts

The last two (numbers two and three) of the Just Text Giving Fittest Fundraiser races could not have been more different.

I took the train to Gateshead the day before and met up with Grant (JustTextGiving Fittest Fundraiser), his wife Helen and their friends Dave and Kate.

I had to pick up my number on the day, which dawned cold and rainy. My warm up was perhaps a bit lacklustre and I got into the start pen a bit early. When we finally got going I set off too fast, not helped by the early descents. Hindsight is not a wonderful thing. Maybe these factors contributed to the mast cell degranulation, maybe they didn't. Anyway, my mast cells began degranulating and the familiar sense of dread overwhelmed me. I could feel my blood pressure dropping, my hands began to swell as the fluid began leaking from my blood. I was picked up by a man just before halfway - a friend for twenty minutes or so. He tried to encourage me to keep pace but I was beginning to get a bit disorientated. There was a long, steep climb towards the end and I got slower and slower. I couldn't get any speed back after that and was disappointingly slow on the athletics track. I had been looking forward to that final sprint on the track Mo Farah had taken victory on the day before. I crossed the line and hit the deck feeling frustrated and sick.

When things didn't go my way as a child, Mum often used to say 'it's swings and roundabouts'. That's one of those idioms that really is true. My experience of the Bupa Great Edinburgh 10K was nothing like the Gateshead disaster.

We woke to sunshine and walked down to the start about an hour ahead of time. I saw my coach, Ron Morrison, and he reiterated my race plan: 5K tempo, 5K race. I warmed up gradually and thoroughly (1.5 miles plus dynamic) in the beautiful parkland around Arthur's Seat. The Scots know how to do 'atmosphere' and the park was buzzing. I was feeling really good, so I had to keep reminding myself that the first 5K was to be fast but not flat out! I wasn't about to repeat Gateshead...

At the start I was proud to hear fellow Fife AC athlete Andrew Lemoncello announced. He trains in Flagstaff now but I think everyone in Fife AC still considers him one of our own. Zach, who also trains with Ron was also starting at the front, representing Scotland East in the Inter-District race. I was quite near the front at the start and we did set off quite fast but I soon settled into a comfortable pace. I felt really good and couldn't wait for the 5K point! I particularly enjoyed the lady bagpiper playing the theme from Star Wars. When my watch signalled that the first 5K was over I picked up my pace and began chasing after club vests. I've never run a race like this and it was a revelation. So much fun! I felt really strong up the final long drag and stretched out on the descent. Over the last 400m I finally got the sprint I missed out on in Gateshead. My time wasn't great but I was 19th woman and pleased with that. Best of all: absolutely zero symptoms of mastocytosis. The first person I saw was my coach, Ron. He was very happy as Andrew had won and Zach had run well, finishing 20th overall and 1st under-20. He was also, I think, surprised that I had run as planned!

Mum finally has some pictures of me running and smiling (instead of a face twisted in the agonies of concentration and pain).

Please consider donating - for this race and the final Great Runs - whatever you can to Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. You can Text TINY81 £2 (or any other amount) to 70070 to donate or visit my JustGiving page and read more about why I'm doing this and what I'm up against!