LIVE - Alloa Half Marathon 2011

Morning all. It is 7.30am on Sunday 20th March and the Alloa Half Marathon is just a couple of hours away. I'll be leaving the flat shortly so I'll sign off now and leave the content up to you lot. Exciting.

Check back regularly from 10am to see LIVE updates on my progress.

Not much to report so far this morning, other than that I've eaten some breakfast, consumed coffee and vitamins and reckon I'm more or less ready to go! Look out Alloa, here I come...

If you're entering a race report, click on 'Comments' at the bottom of this post and type it in the box that appears (if it's not already visible). You can choose to post with an existing identity/account from the drop-down box, or you can just choose 'Name/URL' from the list and type in your name.

Happy blogging,

Dave

2011 to date - miles run: 260.39, parkruns: 3, races: 1, miles biked: 12.85


P.S. Following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan last week, I've decided to use today's race to participate in Run for Japan, which means I'll be donating a pound a mile from my run to the British Red Cross. I urge you to do something similar.

Coming soon - live blogging!

On Sunday I will be running my third consecutive Alloa Half Marathon.  Despite the less-than-inspiring location of the race, this event means a lot to me - it was my first serious race in a University of St Andrews vest back in 2009, and was my main warm-up race for the Paris Marathon. Last year I recorded a massive 7:40 PB there, finishing in 1:37:03. It’s supremely well organised and run over a challenging but really quite enjoyable course. In short; it’s a great event that I hope to do for  many years to come.

However, I won’t be publishing a review on this blog, since I’ll be reporting on the race for Runners’ World magazine. To avoid duplicating material (and to avoid infringing copyright on my own work) I’ve decided not to blog about it in the usual way. Instead, I’ve come up with an even better idea. Introducing:

I run because... LIVE

Here’s how it works: On Sunday morning before I leave for the race I will publish a blogpost to let you know that I’m leaving the flat, probably including such fascinating details as what I’ve had for breakfast and how annoying it is to be up early on a Sunday.  From there onwards, the blog content is entirely in your hands.  Readers of I run because..., particularly guest bloggers, will call my mobile during the race for an update, then scurry back to their laptops to leave a comment on the LIVE blogpost.

They can write whatever they want; something completely factual and serious, mocking and rude or even largely fictitious, could be just a few words or a chunky paragraph – the only thing I’ll ask them to include for definite is my approximate mileage and race time. Hopefully four or five comments will appear during the hour and forty minutes (ish) it will take me to finish the race, but who knows? Could be none. Or dozens. Once I’ve crossed the finish line, I’ll call a reader who will round off the post with my finish time. Exciting stuff, eh?

If you would like to participate in I run because... LIVE then you’ll need my mobile number – send me an email or message me on Facebook to get it. Absolutely everyone is welcome to join in. The race starts at 10am, and I will be carrying my phone and running earphones with me throughout.

So tune in – I run because... LIVE from 10am this Sunday, 20^th March, right here on I run because.

Happy running

Dave


2011 to date - miles: 260.39, parkruns: 3, races: 1