So yesterday I went running in Brighton! I wasn't the only one from my running club to go running either. In fact, Petts Wood Runners had the 2nd largest number of members running. The Vegan runners had the most, but then they are based at Brighton and Hove! There were 111 PWRs in two coaches that were headed south bound. It was pretty early when we all met up, seven in the morning outside the Daylight in Petts Wood. Thankfully GetYourLegsUpTracy and Ade came and picked me up, so I could at least have an extra half hours kip!
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| Back of the Coach! |
Soon all the others began to fill the square, Joanne and Sonia were busy with the 'tick list' making sure that everyone was on the right coach. I was booked on the party bus, it wasn't leaving Brighton until about 4 in the afternoon, plenty of time for celebrations after the run and fish and chip of course. I sat up the back of the bus with G.Y.L.U.T. and Ade, RefMichael, CarolWithAnE and SnapperHannah. All of were doing the Brighton 10k for the first time, and SnapperHannah was doing her very first 10k! It was all very exciting!
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| Me, Orla, Tracy Hannah and Carole The boys were somewhere! |
We got to Brighton just after 8 am. Time for the loos and then back to the coach to ditch extra layers, or as some did, grab a bin liner to to keep warm at the start line. Now, when to put in my excuses, well, I think now is a good a time as any! November is a month with a lot happening in it, mainly my birthday, the PWR Winter party, and this time around, several other things. My MiddleDaughter wanted to celebrate my birthday with theater tickets and a meal, but as my birthday is around the PWR Party time, she bought tickets for this Saturday gone. That's right, the day before this run! My MiddleDaughter knew all about my race the following day so she was very thoughtful and booked a matinee performance of Bat Out Of Hell! A great show I must say, fantastic singers, and we bumped into one of them out side!
After the show we went for dinner, a nice beefburger with sweet potato fries, and then we moved on, back to the train station. Yes of course there was a little tipple, at the theatre and the restaurant and then at the train station while we waited for our train! We very wisely decided to make it a night then and was home by 10 ish! So getting up at a ridiculous hour in the morning was still possible, (probably not advisable) but there was no way I was eating food at that time in the morning! I just got dressed, got my stuff together and met GetYourLegsUpTracy out side!
Two excuses there, as you can see. This time though, I couldn't blame the weather for slowing me down, making it difficult because it was perfect! There was blue skies all day! If it wasn't for the temperature you would think that it was a summer day! There was the wind of course, but no where near as bad as the last time I did this race.
We all made our way down to the start/finish line, some of us were at the faster positions with me and my buddies all at the back. It was soon time to go, the throng of people started to move forward, the beep, beep, sounds started to get louder as we got nearer to the timing mats. Beep, Beep, our timing chips were activated as we crossed over. I couldn't wait to hear the beep again, signalling the finish of the race. Oh why didn't I just get up a little earlier and grab something to eat, or even a cup of sweet tea, at least that would have been fluids! I decided not to listen to the negative thoughts that ran through my mind. This was GYLUTs first time in Brighton, Ade, CarolWithAnE, RefMichael and SnapperHannahs too. Lets keep it all fun. I knew I would be running with GYLUT as she runs at group 2 pace, everyone else is running at 3 and above! They all seemed to created a distance pretty quickly.
Just about half a mile in there is a set of Traffic lights, just for a bit of fun I told Tracy to stop at the red light! She sort of did, I managed to capture this! I won't tell you what she said to me though, but moment and blond come to mind!
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| Stop GYLUT, the lights are red! |
I started suffering from about 5k onwards. I really started to think that maybe I shouldn't had the last couple of beers the night before. GYLUT started to pull away from me, she hadn't stopped running yet, not even to grab the photos that managed to get of her! If she was facing me then she was running backwards! I had already taken a few walking breaks! I told Tracy to just carry on, don't worry about running with me. I seriously wasn't feeling good. So I thought without the pressure of running to keep up with Tracy I could do my own thing and maybe just enjoy the scenery and ambience of the run.
All along the promanade and the streets there were snails, I don't mean little tiny slimey ones, I mean big giant colourful ones. I decided that I was going to be like a snail, just get this race done, put it down as a great big learning curve, and try do do better next year! Here, these are the snails, adorable things, are they not!
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| be more snail! |
Nearer and nearer the pier got, I could see Maderia Drive, with all the spectators just milling about. I wonder how long they will stay. Is it like the London Marathon, will they be staying right to the last person comes in Have all the faster PWR's gone for fish and chips already? I felt glad that I told my little group of running buddies not to wait for me at the finish line, they would be getting cold. I knew I wasn't the last person but I can't be far in front of the last person. I seemed to have been out for ages. My stomach was cramping up, is that lack of water? I don't know, I should have brought water. I really wasn't feeling good. For goodness sake don't puke Old girl, not now! I saw the cameras pointing at me, "Ok, now you need to smile, look like you're having fun, after all, isn't that why you run Old girl!" Negative thoughts started to come in my mind now. The finish line was just up ahead, only, I still had to run pass that, I still had over a mile before I can get to the finish mats and hear the beep when I cross it. Will there still be any spectators left?
I looked over to the finish line, I could hear the tannoy calling out the names, telling them that is all done for them. Why do I feel so bloody tired. My legs were hurting, my head was hurting, my stomach was hurting. I decided to run beside the all those on the return leg. Let me see if I can see any PWR's that will be finishing. That will keep me motivated, I will be able to finish then. I saw quite a few of my running buddies as they ran towards the finish, with me running in the opposite direction. But then the marshal ushered me to run behind him, further left away from the runners finishing, I guess so that I don't bump into any of the other runners by mistake. I felt out on my own, I could see the duck! The duck was ahead of me, could I get the duck? I didn't feel like I could, I was really feeling spent, nothing left!
Just then a runner grabbed my arm just as I could see our coaches further along the road! "Come on just keep on going, you can do this" I looked up and it was a PWR! He had finished his race, the red bag in his hand suggested that! I started to run again, everything aching now, really feeling very sorry for myself, and very annoyed at myself for not training properly! "Don't worry, I will run with you the rest of the way" he said. We still had about a mile to go! Well, that was it, if he was willing to run that extra mile with me who was I to give up now. I have never given up on a race before! Well, actually, tell a lie......only the day before, on parkrun day, it was the Beginners Graduation day. I had to go and run it with them, didn't I? It's only 5k, besides the last time I ran was on Tuesday.....oh actually it was on Thursday, at track! Pushed maybe a little bit hard that dad too! But parkrun, I only did around half a lap! I decided to pull out, save my legs for the race and go take pictures instead. Sensible! It was the only time I was sensible!
All the time this PWR, Cliff his name is, Cliff ran with me, he was telling me not to stop, just slow the pace down, one foot in front of the other. I must have looked like I was really struggling! But Cliff stayed with me. If I walked he counted to twenty and got me going again, occasionally with a hand in my back to gently encourage me to start running. Just up ahead I could see that blimmin duck! Dare I even think about getting passed the duck. With my running buddy next to me, talking to me the whole way I was thinking maybe it was possible. I started flagging again and Cliff handed me a gel thing. I took it and ripped open the packet and took some of the gel. It felt gooey I couldn't quite get what flavour it was, I was thinking it was like a chocolate flavour. Chocolate flavour goo! I took another bit of it, hoping that I wouldn't think about the sensation of the gel as I tried to drink it. Nope, it wasn't working. I didn't like it, I was hoping that I had taken enough though, just to get me through to the finish. Just a little boost of energy. I burped and the flavour came back to me, I really thought I was going to throw up then! I should remember, I don't do gels!
The duck was just in front of me, I could see it. I really can over take the duck if I keep on running. The duck was slowing down! I can take the duck! I can take the duck! Boom! Did it! The duck was done to a crisp, crispy duck! I felt pleased with myself! The turn around was not far now, Cliff point out some lady in blue! It looked as if she had just turned around and was doing the last leg, "We are going to have her" he said confidently "You are going to run pass her" I looked over at the other side, I really didn't think that was possible. No way! She was too far in front of me! I didn't even think about trying to catch her up, all I thought about was finishing. It wasn't going to be a pretty finish.
Cliff stayed with me all the way back down as we turned around for the U turn. He was still insisting that we could 'take' Blue Girl, "I promise you, we will" he said. I noticed then that she was doing a lot more walking that I was, she didn't have a Cliff in her ear, running next to her! I wonder if I could get there. With each passing minute I was getting closer to Blue girl. I was thinking maybe he was right! But I also knew that I was right, it wasn't going to be a pretty end! We passed her with still quite a fair way to get to the finish. Would I be able to keep the lead! I ran and walked some, with Cliff counting the seconds, I looked over my shoulder and I could see that Blue Girl was getting close and would over take me if we had reached the 20 second rule so I started to run again before he finished. It looked such a short distance now to cover, but if felt so hard.
The crowds were still there cheering, the PWR's were still there, getting ready to go for lunch and celebrations, I am going to finish, there is no doubt about that! I struggled on through and I heard KevTwoBalls our resident super snapper, he managed to get this photo of me!
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| Even managed a thumbs up! (photo from Kev) |
No flying feet but at least not puking!!
I finished the face, I had to just stand for a few minutes, not moving, head almost between my knees! All I could think about was "Thank f..k for that, I finished!" Not my finest hour, I am sure I felt tons better after finishing the London Marathon in 2013 and 2015, and both times I was on my feet for run walking for 7 hours! But I finished, everyone says I should be happy.....yet? But I finished it!
Geeky stats.
Photos from Hannah and Kev Howarth and me!
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