Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
A Day Of Rest
by Russell Turner - 11:22 on 27 April 2019
One day until the start of my second London Marathon. The prospects are promising: Storm Hannah will pass through today, leaving tomorrow still a little breezy but dry and mild (according to the Met Office); I remain uninjured and healthy; my fundraising total is at least 91%.
And I could soon be a TV star. An appeal at the end of a marathon round-up on the BBC website asked for marathon stories. I sent mine, and was asked for more details for use on the site’s Be Inspired section, which is planning a big song and dance about Couch to 5k, probably to be used from Thursday.
The details were also passed across to the TV people, who proved equally interested. The result is that I should be one of the sweaty interviewees on Tower Bridge, where I’ll be quizzed by Radzi Chinyanganya (sport and Blue Peter – the guy with the wild hair) about how I come to be there. I estimate, based on my red zone 7 start time of 10.48, that I should be on the bridge between 1.15 and 1.30. But who knows.
One slight disappointment is that I no longer have the option of tagging along with a 5:00 or 5:15 pace group. They both start in zone 6, and promoting yourself to a higher zone is strictly forbidden. So I’ll have to pace myself, unless I can keep track of them half a mile ahead. Attempting to catch up would be a foolish idea. Anyway, I’d get left behind on Tower Bridge when I have my big interview, even though it’s likely to be no more than a minute or so.
Even with a brief halt (or maybe because of it) I still hope to knock an hour off last year, beat my Yorkshire best and maybe get close to 5:15. Unless the wind picks up. I hate the wind.
The trip south began on Wednesday, The Pride left in the capable hands of Soo and Tony. The A9 was even slower than usual, but things picked up south of Glasgow when Matchgirl and I enjoyed a sunny jaunt down the scenic M74 and M6 to Shap. It’s a shame that not all motorways are so picturesque and unbusy. Overnight was in The Greyhound Hotel: nice place, good food, cold shower.
Next day took us to Chez Richard at Leamington Spa where we impressed him by immediately shaking 520 car miles out of our legs in the gym (her) and with a two-mile trot around Newbold Park (me). The hail which had pelted the car an hour earlier was gone and I returned to shelter 30 seconds before a brief but nasty cloudburst. The Gods were on my side for a change.
More travel yesterday: train to Marylebone, taxi to Grange Rochester Hotel, tube to Expo to pick up my running number (35838 – follow me on the London Marathon app) and wander around too many crowded stalls filled with all things runnery and listen to some presentations by expert speakers, then tube back to hotel for brief rest before dinner in a rather good Italian opposite the Victoria Apollo where we watched Wicked. Which was also good. In all we walked around five miles.
My plan today is to do nothing. Matchgirl’s currently braving the wind (it should drop by the end of the day) to do a 40min run and later in the day may indulge in cultural pursuits, if she can be bothered. I’m resting my legs, reading, hydrating, and may do some carb loading later. I am an athlete.
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