After walking in 2013 due to shoulder injury, I had trained the whole year to be sure that I was strong enough to run this time. A few months before the 2014 race I was able to run 5 kilometres at a good pace (10 kilometres per hour) and was planning on steadily increasing the distance. A combination of over-training and flu meant that I took a month or so off and after that my shoulder pain flared up to the point I could only run for 5 minutes at a time. I carried on going to the gym and including running training but had resigned myself to the fact I was not going to be fit enough to run the whole distance. I did a practice 5 kilometre race the week before at Highbury Park Run and managed 37 minutes with a combination of running and walking. On the day I went in with positive mental attitude - anything was going to be better than last year's time of 1 hour 54 minutes. My race plan was to run for half a kilometer, walk for half a kilometre, and keep running every time I reached a race marker (spaced every kilometre). It was a beautiful hot sunny day and I had a saved a strong painkiller for my shoulder to get me through. I ran through the start line and got into a comfortable gentle running pace. I felt strong. I decided to change tack and keep running until I was forced to walk. I got through a few kilometres, then to the halfway mark, and after that I felt it would be silly not to keep running to see if I could actually make it. I stayed in the shade where possible and kept hydrated. As I got to 8 kilometers or so I could almost see the finish and I kept going. For the last 500 metres I ran with a St Mungo's team mate and he helped me keep a good pace - we crossed the finish line racing side by side. I was thrilled to run the whole distance in 1 hour 17 minutes . This was a landmark in my shoulder recovery and was highly motivating. I will continue to practice in the gym and at regular park runs. Will be back at Bupa 10k in 2015 to try to beat my time and to continue fundraising and raising awareness for St Mungo's Broadway.