Monday 20 November 2017

Brighton 10K 2017

Hello biog readers.
Sunset at Brighton 2013

The alarm went off around 6:15 plenty of time I thought, to wake up, get dressed and walk to Petts Wood!  Of course, any other Sunday then I wouldn't be feeling like I had only just had a five minute nap in 24 hours.  You see, only the day before, Saturday I wouldn't have had my family around for a curry, a few cans, loads of tears and hugs, because that Saturday we were all together to remember and to raise a glass to our mum who had passed away exactly 10 years ago!  It was totally emotional, in fact the past 4 months have been a total emotional roller coaster.  What with my daughter getting married, my other daughter coming back, it's been full on!

So there I was, with the hangover from hell and preparing to think about walking to Petts Wood to catch the coach, thankfully the lovely Old Boy said he would drive me, boy was I so pleased about that!  The street lights were still on, it was cold and so very quiet out there!  We drove to Station Square where there were two coaches waiting to take around 100 PWR's to Brighton!  I was on coach 2, the party bus, although at 7 am on a cold Sunday morning, there wasn't too much partying going on!  As we were driving to Brighton the sun started to come up, it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day!  I sat chatting to Geraldine all the way, before we knew it we were coming into Brighton!  We had to get there early because our coach was allowed to park down on Madeira Drive, about 800 meters from the start/finish line!

We had plenty of time to use the loo, acclimatise to the cool sea air and to just warm up or relax before the run. The sun was shining but there was still quite a chill in the air.  We walked down to the start line, some had black sacks over themselves to try and keep as warm as they could.  I wasn't that organised!  Right on the dot the runners at the front started to go, it was a full 3 minutes before I crossed over the mat.  The PWR's that I was standing with soon disappeared among the crowd, I was running by myself this year!  My running buddies from group 1 wasn't with me this year! Just then Ruth and Rachel came up behind me, they usually run in group 2, so for a while at least I could run along with them. I soon started to fall back from them, I think the night before was definitely not doing me any good.

Running along I was warming up nicely, I decided to take my top layer off, I realised then that we are in November, the air was still blimmin cold!  Oh my goodness, but I didn't want to stand still and put my jacket back on, I just knew just a few more metres down the road, with the running and the sun shine I wouldn't even notice my arms feeling so cold.  I remembered what it was like the first time I did this run, just 2 years ago, we had wind assisted all the way down to the turn around corner, this year I had the sun shine.  Well, if I couldn't have the sunshiney smiles from my group 1 buddies, J,J., LittleJ and Wendimoo like last time, the the bright beautiful sun will have to do! Just a mile in, which was 13 minutes of running for me, I saw the first of the faster runners coming in!  Can you believe that? He was running so fast, the guys on the bikes were telling us all to stay on the right side of the road as the entourage made way for the front runners.  I couldn't image what time he would be getting in, the guy on the bike seemed to be totally amazed at the speed he was going.  There was a gap of about 20 to 30 seconds, maybe, before there was another runner!  I was totally amazed at this.  There was I with still five miles to go and they were heading back towards the start/finish line.  I knew that they had to run right down Madeira Drive and then do a u turn at the end, but in my mind at that moment was, "Wow, they only got one more mile to do!" I think with the extra bit up Madeira Drive though, it would be more than a mile.

Without my buddies though I forgot to take loads of selfies on route! I got to turn around corner and started the run run back, running along right by the sea, listening to the waves as the crash on to the pebble beach.  I started to get a bit thirsty, but in my memory from the last time, I felt sure they would have a drinks station at half way mark.  I was beginning to struggle a little from this point, and I thought about how it was in 2015 when we all did it in the wind.  We all had smiles on our faces, that's when I remembered I should start to take some selfies! This is just after I ran around 'turn around corner'

 And this is at the 4k mark!  Yeah I know, only 4k and I was struggling!  But, there was last night, did I mention that!?

I caught up with a couple of ladies I was talking to while I was running away from the start, a lady running for CRY, she said she had not run before this race and was only a couple of weeks in doing the couch to 5k!  Another lady that was just in front of me, she hadn't done any running at all, she said something about doing it because her sister said, or put her name down!  Mind you, they were still both faster than I was, because although I caught them up they still pulled away, just ahead of me.  It was just running down the prom that my knee decided to let me know that it didn't like what I was doing!  So now, not was thirsty but I had to deal with this knee wanting to just collapse and rest up!  It was niggling a bit too, I just chose to ignore it, the water station will be just up ahead, just before we go back on to the road. I took another selfie at the 5k mark and then carried on.  I was so going to enjoy that water!  Just a few more metres before we went back on to the road......and no water station! None, not even any evidence that there was even a water station there and they ran out of water! Nothing!  Have I remembered wrong, did I imagine it? I am sure I didn't, but then, my memory is not the most reliable thing in the world!

This is me just before where I thought the water would be.



The next 5k was the hardest, running on empty, dehydrated, dodgy collapsy knee, running by myself and the most horrendous headache going! Hmmm.  I started to think that I shouldn't have drank so much the night before, me and my family do love a get together.  Then I started to remember why we were all together last night,  well, that started the tears again.  From that point I forgot to take out my phone to get any more selfies.

I kept looking towards the pier, that's where the finish is, that is where I will be ending up, all though I will be running pass the finish line, running towards the marina!  Such cruelty, but I guess it's better than throwing a hill in there some where! I started to think about the fish and chips that some of us are going to, Harry Ramsdens, which is just almost opposite the pier.  We won't have far to go to be fed and re-hydrated!  Apparantly they serve beer there!  That's what I shall think of, that is what I shall think of, that is what I shall think of!  It was tough going for me.  The pier was just by my side now, oh thank goodness, it's nearly all done!  Last time we did this the official photographers captured a brilliant picture of Wendimoo, J.J., LittleJ and me by the Big Wheel, although I was kind of hid behind the girls!  This time however, there was no big wheel and just me!   I tried to do a little jump in front of the photographer, I think I managed to get two feet of the ground at the same time, but looking through the photos he didn't manage to capture it! Still, I felt pretty proud of myself that I could give a little jump around that point!

And now I was at the point where there would be loads of spectators, loads of PWR's either walking to their lunch place, running down the road on the right of me towards the finish at the coaches, which I will have to be running pass, twice!  I have to look good, I have to try and look good! This stupid knee was hurting, but I just pushed through it, my hips were aching too, but I know that is because I just have not done enough training!  I need to get my head together and get back to it!  I wasnt wrong, I saw so many black and white shirts, quite a few called out to me to keep going, that spurred me on even more.  I could do this.  I managed to pass the girl who had never done any running before this race!  That spurred me on and of course I gave myself a telling, "Don't feel proud you passed her on this bit, Old Girl, you should have done that way back there" I said to myself.  I got to the second turn around point, and now at last I was heading back to the finish line.  This is it, just keep going now.  KevTwoBalls got his phone out and started to take some pictures of me as I was running passed he coaches again.  This is what he captured, at least I was still smiling!

our coach just
on the right there!


I ran passed the finished PWR's with cheers behind me, I kept going for a little longer and then slowed down to a walk, I thought maybe they had all stopped watching and started getting read for their lunch, but I head them again, "Go on Old Girl, keep going" Just then Nicola and Sacha came along the side of me, one on each side.  They ran with me for a little bit telling me to keep on going.  Then they left me to finish.  I still had a hundred metres to go, then another PWR came along side of me, I think it was Ange, but this time I was feeling nauseous but I didn't want to slow down, she just ran next to me keeping me going, then I could hear the announcer and my escort left me along to finish.  I decided to try to just get this finished and picked up the speed slightly, well as much as I could.  I was praying I wasn't going to throw up in front of everyone, but just push a little bit more, just a little bit faster, I can do this, I can do this!  I finished it, I crossed the mats and just bent over and almost threw up.  I burst out crying for ony a few seconds before I realised where I was.  I stood up quickly and became dizzy!  What have I told everyone at group 1 to do when we do that lovely bend over stretch, "Come up slowly, slowly, let your head be the last thing that comes up!"  I had to hold on to the barrier for a few minutes, just to recover a bit.  I could see in the corner of my eye that I was in sight of the ambulance people!  "Not now Old Girl, for feck sake, don't throw up now"  I didn't want to be the first PWR to be seen by paramedics in the history of Brighton 10k, I am not sure if there is anyone with that particular  fame!  I just remembered then to turn my Garmin off, but when I looked I had already done it!  Runners instinct, before you collapse, turn your Garmin off!

Then,  picked up my bag of goodies, wanting a nice banana and some water!  Well, no bananas but the water was there, and some other stuff!  But I was handed a banana by the lovely PWR that ran with me, I am sure it was Ange!  I am dreadful with names!  Then it was time to recover, refuel, rehydrate and rejoin all my running buddies for a fabulous fish and chip lunch, a few beers at the pub All Bar One before we all headed back towards the coaches where there was this fantastic singer on board! Ok, it was me, getting my buddies in a singalong!  I think KevTwoBalls was so impressed, he is thinking of getting technology for next time so that we can load up music for a karaoke on the way back! A couple more beers at the Daylight once we got home saw the end of a perfect day!

I got my medal, (well, I have had much  better medals.) Here, this is it
I can only think that the medal designer was on holiday when they designed it, but its bling, it's my bling and I think I earned it! These are some of the pictures that were taken of the day, it was a beautiful day and I had a great time with my running club, the best running club in the country!

Yeah, we hit the beach after!
Just a couple of beers!
Sunset at Brighton 2017


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