The insanity has started

Yesterday, I arrived at Brathay, got settled into my little room in our cabin in the woods and tried to prepare myself for today...the first day of the Brathay 10in10!! We all got a briefing, set about preparing our bottles and gels for the aid stations, and generally tried to relax in the bar and forget about what was to come! I left the bar pretty early and once I was all sorted, settled into my bunk bed with the laptop to watch half of a movie before going to sleep at about 10.30pm.

I can't believe I'm actually here - it's an amazing place, and even more beautiful than I remember. As I type this, all 15 of us have completed the first of our marathons, and lots of us are sat in the bar area at Brathay tapping away on our laptops and it's quite surreal to think this will be my life for the next week and a half, shared with this absolutely awesome and inspiring group of people.

If I hadn't really thought about it before, today it's really hit me just how privileged I am to be able to do this - to  have the money, and the understanding and support of my family, to allow me to leave everything behind and totally indulge my passion for running. Although that's not to say that's the only motive for being here - obviously this is primarily a fundraising event - and today has also made me think about the children who Brathay support and to be honest I think for the first time I'm realising just what an important charity this is and how life changing it can be for the children to have the opportunity to be helped by Brathay...something that the money we'll have raised doing the 10in10 will make possible for even more disadvantaged young people. If you have already sponsored me, or plan to, thank-you so much!! www.justgiving.com/naomi-runs-10in10

But anyway...I ran the marathon today in 4:38. I was aiming for a nice easy 5 hours but I was near enough to be happy with the pace I had and the amount of walking that I did...and that 20 minutes I saved will, without a doubt, be absorbed later in the week as my pace slows down even more! It's not got any flatter up here, but the run went well and it was definitely much easier than when I last ran it in January...well, easier probably isn't the word...less frightening would be more accurate! ;) It was a bit chilly and raining for most of the day but it was only light and the wind had dropped so near enough perfect for running.

We're all just about the head for dinner, and then this evening I have a session with the physio, before finishing the movie from last night, and then having what I expect will be another early night to give my body the best chance of recovery for the morning!