I am runner number 4166. After a 5:45am wake up, a cab ride to Barking Tube station, a district line tube ride to Victoria station AND a 2hour bus ride to Silverstone... We made it... at 11:00am. Race time: 12:00pm sharp. I hand in my bag to the drop off centre, Mel, Katie and I wander around the grounds for a bit... Then I do a light jog and stretch outside the track. Time to line up.
I am running at Silverstone Race Track. It's a Formula 1 race track... so it's MUCH bigger than I expected. There are MANY more people than I expected too! Probably around 10,000 people are lined up. I feel so insignificant in the croud of runners. People are dressed up for charities... 2 guys did the entire race in a camel costume... yep one of those guys had his head in the other guys butt the whole time... lovely.
They play some motivational tunes... The Proclamers "500 Miles" and YMCA. Finally it's time to begin. They wave the checkered flag... I wave to Mel and Katie in the stands... I'm off... Tunes in I am feeling good... only 13miles ahead of me. Who knows what will happen or how long it will take. Everyone is passing me... let them, I am in the zone and I don't care about anything but ME.
5 miles in... I'm doing good... but something doesn't feel right...
I see a marshal " where's the next toilet??"I scream. He looks confused "what my love??" he yells. "The toilet, the toilet where is it??" I bark. I doesn't know. A while away he says.... 8 miles later and in much pain I find a toilet.... I am angry because I am doing well and I am feeling really good. I stop for a very much needed break - I beat the rush of women.
Off I go again. Relieved. Good Charlotte comes on and I am feeling so good I sing (as I normally do when I am enjoying my run) "Don't wanna be YOUUU - Don't wanna be just like YOU!" I sing the Good Charlotte tunes... people turn to look at me... Yep that's right I don't wanna be you and yes I am singing... You're dressed like a knight so don't judge me! (yes a man ran in knight's armour!!).
Because I stopped so suddenly for the much needed emergency break my body decided to hate me at the 10mile mark. I got stiff. I stretched for a second... it felt glorious. I contemplated stretching there forever... maybe I could start a new record "Longest stretch ever at the Half Marathon". But on I went. Unfortunately my body hated me so much I had to walk/run the last leg of the race. A speed walker passed me at one point... Man he could move... and Sonic the Hedgehog passed me too... but that's fine have you seen that guy move in his video game?!! Exactly!!
The last leg of the race I got a burst of energy. I sprinted the last 100meters to the finish line. My knees felt like they were going to pop out of thier sockets and the tops of my legs didn't feel like they were properly secured to my body anymore, but I did it!
I finished the race. 2hours 30minutes but I did it. And I am proud of myself. I ran the Half Marathon.
Mel and Katie met me at the finish line. Mel had a sack of candy waiting for me! She knows me all to well "Here Katie, I figure you haven't had chocolate in a while now, I think you deserve it!" she laughs. Thank goodness because I was starving! 1900 calories I burned in that neverending run!!
So there's another adventure. One I never thought I would have in my England adventure!
Follow the dream...
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