Lara wanted a target to aim for and three months ago she decided a half marathon was a good challenge.  I had done the Glen Clova half 2 years previously and she decided it was a good one to as it was in a pretty place and not being the competitive type, meant she could race against my time exactly at the same place so I had no excuse if she was faster.  Rich being the good bloke he is decided he would be stupid enough to keep Lara company on the challenge.

It was a cold morning, and the nerves were high.  Lara worked herself up into a tither and spent most of the morning making fast trips to the toilet with a ‘nervous tummy’  The race was set to start at 11, it soon came about, no more procrastinating – time to put your money where your mouth is!  Off they went with the 300 other runners.

Glen Clova is a hard course, Lara had it in her head that she was aiming for a 1hr 45min finish time.  This is pretty fast for your first 1/2, let alone your first half on this course!  Well, she was off and Ellis and I had some time to kill,  we went for a walk up to Loch Brandy on the north side of valley.

She was really good, we sang songs all the way up.  Lorraine was with us to give moral support to Lara and Rich and administer any first aid required at the end.

Ellis not sure about this way to go, so she decided it was back down.  The Valley below is where the race was being fought out.  We decided we would go back down for about 1hr 20 to make sure we caught them and get a bit of the race atmosphere.  We lined the finish line and clapped on the truly talented fast runner ( first place was 1hr 14min!!) we were checking our watches thinking we had quite a while to go until Lara arrived, in the distance I saw what looked liked to be Lara, I checked my watch and it was 1hr 37mins, wholly cow the women was flying!!!!!

By the time she crossed the line she had finished in 1hr 39mins!  She had run a stormer and I was carrying serious egg on my face as she utterly smashed my time from two years ago.  I think I will just have to be a man and admit it, my wife is a better runner than me.  There, I said it.  ( kinda hurt).  She wasn’t too burst either, she went through her race with us and she said she thoroughly enjoyed it and wants more!!!! Oh I think we have created a monster!

Rich Finished in a very respectable 1hr45min taking 8 minutes of his previous PB, so another great effort on the day.

Well done to you both!