I did do it!

Well I DID IT! YEAHHHH! I completed 10 miles, double digit figure. The most overwhelming emotion I felt at the end was relief. Relief that I can and will be able to do the distance. Now having said all that there was nothing graceful about my 10 mile performance, at the end of it I looked and felt shattered.
John dropped me into Killarney, I was to meet Brenda at the demesne at 5.15pm. I arrived early, the evening was fab, there was blue sky which is always a bonus. As Brenda arrived so to did Mags and Tina, Brenda handed us a little bag of jelly beans, they put them in the pocket of their running leggings. Of course mine, had no pocket so I put mine in my running bra, the Glamour of it all.
Soon Aidan appeared, Brenda said Susan was coming but being a bank holiday weekend  the traffic had held her up a bit. We all ran on together Susan caught up, we stretched together and then we all set off. Everyone was nervous about this run, its the psychology of the double digit. Aidan I should point is doing the full marathon, he was doing a 15 mile run.
So I was off, on my 10 mile run. I let everyone off, in fact I didn't think about them for the most part. I headed off on the path towards the Castlerosse hotel, I had never used this path before. So when I got to Castlerosse I had to have a look around for the rest of the path which I did see and I continued on towards the Killarney Golf Club. At this point I hadn't walked. I kept looking ahead and as I turned into the Killarney Golf club driveway I realised I wasn't really sure which way I was to go next. I had google mapped it, Brenda had explain it and Mags & Tina had explained it, yet I was a bit anxious. I went down the driveway and I turned in to the road by the lake. There were golfers were on the greens, you know the way your suppose to be quiet I could hear the bag of jelly beans in my bra as I ran I was hoping the golfers couldn't hear. At one point the road breaks off to the right nearer the lake, I thought maybe I should take this but I realised quickly this was not the way. Having gone on the right road I asked a group of cyclists if this road took you to Killarney, they answered yes. So I continued, I went through black gates and found myself at  the back of the Castlerosse Hotel I met Aidan coming against me smiling. At this stage of my run I was smiling myself. I saw the cottage then there was a fork in the road one going slightly downhill the other going slightly uphill. I like an eijit (I'll explain later why) chose the slightly uphill path, it lead out into a familiar part of the demesne. I then turned right down to the end, followed the route left and kept going until I turned left again up the hill towards entrance to the demesne.
And then I started again, I heard Brenda shout out my name in  encouragement she was out at her car waiting for the rest of the group who were starting at about 6.30. I should say I had no watch etc.. on me. I continued on, now I needed to talk to myself a bit more at this stage which was 'I can do it, I have done it, I will do it'.
I was definitely slower this time round and as I turned into the lower road at the Golf club, Lisa and Caroline passed me they really do make it look easy but as usual they give words of encouragement. Not long after them Duracell Liam passed , Brenda came on her bike she gave me more water which was welcome, she also told me to have some jelly beans, which I didn't. But I should have, my tired legs needed the boost. LESSON LEARNED. As I passed the back of the Castlerosse hotel Assumpta and Joanie came up behind me and passed me, now remember the fork in the road uphill or downhill, the road to take was the downhill one I had added to my first journey, not by much but still what an eijit. I continued on, at this stage I have to say I had walked in patches but remarkably not as much as I thought I would. As I reached Brenda heading in to the last two miles, I felt heavy but I knew I could do it. I had to go out to the horses crossing and back in again. As I went out I met Michelle who was doing some of the run.  I was walking as I saw Susan heading towards me nearing the end of run. We ran on, at the horsescrossing I said goodbye to Michelle and wished her well she is doing the womens mini marathon on Monday. I was reciting my mantra all the way back, I met Liam I was smiling. I passed the children's playground and  I put myself into the highest gear my legs could find and ran to meet Brenda and Susan. I HAD DONE it wasn't pretty but I HAD DONE IT.
As I did my stretches my legs felt heavy.  I couldn't believe it a few months ago I was smoking 20 cigarettes a day I couldn't run 500m without coughing & spluttering. Thanks to Brenda and the support of the group  I had changed.
Its the day after and I drank plenty of water last night to get rid off the acid in my legs, so I have to say the legs aren't too bad. Now I have to a small twinge in my left knee but I mostly feel relief as I said at the start.
I am taking a rest day today and I'll get back to training tomorrow.