[caption id="attachment_189" align="alignleft" width="150"]Justin Logan with running medals Justin, our Leeds Store Manager[/caption] In my previous blogs, part 1 and part 2 I revealed my journey towards my latest half-marathon – the Liverpool Rock & Roll. So after all the training – including an unfortunate set back in the form of a frustrating ankle injury – how did I actually perform on the day? Well that's that! 13.1 miles around what turned out to be a very sunny Liverpool DONE! And you know what, just three days before the race, I didn’t think I was even going to make the start line, let alone the finish line… I attended a Boot Camp training session on the Thursday before the race (a great group exercise combining strength training with high intensity interval training) and within one step of the warm up run, I twisted my ankle - again! The frustration I felt at doing this so close to the run was sickening but I couldn’t give up after all my hard work. I treated the area with ice and compression and by the following evening I was feeling much better. Thankfully, the injury was nothing in comparison to my previous one which prevented me from training for two weeks. This time, I strapped my ankle up (very early) on the morning of the race and headed to the start line feeling as prepared as I could be after my injuries. The course was undulating to say the least for the first 5 or 6 miles but very good and scenic. As much as I couldn’t get by without my treadmill, it does feel great to run in the great outdoors. From the 7 mile point I was cruising and as the course flattened out I was really enjoying the run. However, from miles 9 to 12 that did change. There were several cobbled areas that really took their toll on my already throbbing ankle and my pace slowed down quite a bit unfortunately. But with the finish line in sight and the crowds (my wife and daughter amongst them) cheering loudly, I sped up considerably and came over the line in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 27 seconds feeling like Rocky running up those steps in the iconic scene from the movie! It’s certainly true what they say – there’s nothing like the atmosphere of a group race. The adrenalin you get from the crowd and the other competitors really does spur you on. And that feels great! It felt even better to be presented with my finisher’s medal and t-shirt before I headed out to the finish line festival with all of the other runners in the sunshine to enjoy The Christians & The Farm do their stuff. (They were great by the way - it really took me back to my teenage years!) There was a great sense of camaraderie amongst all the runners which was really great. I couldn’t recommend an event like this enough. It’s a great way to get fit and focused, meet people and, in the case of this event, raise money for a worthy cause. There are loads of running events going on over the summer. Why not give one a go? If you’re new to running, you could start with a 5 or 10K for example. Just make sure you train beforehand and build up your stamina gradually. [caption id="attachment_280" align="alignnone" width="600"]Justin with his marathon medal Me with my finisher's medal[/caption] I am absolutely thrilled to have exceeded my sponsorship target by quite a way (money is still coming in but I'm over £500), so thank you to everyone that donated to The Yorkshire Air Ambulance fund. Overall I honestly believe that all of my training paid off as even with my ankle injuries I was able to get around the course without too many problems and totally enjoyed it. The only question left now is …………….. WHAT'S NEXT? Justin is our Leeds Store Manager and a keen amateur runner. Tell us your stories Have you got a health and fitness success story to share, or are you starting on a new fitness journey? Whether you're proud of a goal you've reached or are training towards one, we want to hear from you. If you'd like to share your experience with us, please  comment below or contact Laura.