IC marrow fun run report

I’m back. Yesterday I did check that the tubes were running today and I could have sworn it said that the Victoria Line wasn’t running between Finsbury Park and King’s Cross but that didn’t matter to me because I was changing tubes at Finsbury Park but they must have been fibbing because today everyone got off the train at Seven Sisters and I was sitting there thinking why has everyone except me got off the train and so I got off the train and asked a man why has everyone got off the train? But he didn’t know and went and asked a station staff man and he said we had to get the replacement bus to either Manor House or Finsbury Park. Eek. Me and Bernard had to get the replacement bus to Manor House from Seven Sisters last year when we went to the free festival in Finsbury Park and that bus ride was the WORST EVER bus ride in my life. But today it was ok. Hurrah. Maybe because it was a Sunday morning and not a Saturday afternoon but the bus was empty and free of annoyingly noisy kids and other annoying people and the road was free of traffic and the replacement bus got me quickly and safely down the road to Manor House tube where I got on the Piccadilly Line to Hyde Park Corner.

When I got to the park, I went to the bandstand and I went to the van that had lots of goody bags in and said to the girl there are you Charlene? She said no. I said oh, Charlene said I could put my bag in the van, is she about? The girl said she’s around somewhere, she’s wearing a black sleeveless puffa jacket. I went up to a girl wearing a black sleeveless puffa jacket and said are you Charlene? She said no. I resisted saying, why are you pretending to be her then by wearing a black sleeveless puffa jacket and just said oh, she said I could put my bag in the van but if people are leaving them here then that’s fine, and I left my bag on the ground with all the other bags.

I’m going to have to stop getting to races early because a) I get v. bored standing around and b) I was BLOODY FREEZING. I wanted to get there early because a) I wanted to find Charlene and her van; b) I thought there might be a huge toilet queue; and c) I’m always early for everything.

Eventually everyone moved off to the start line. The 8k runners with numbers up to 350 went first, then the rest of the 8k runners, then the 3k runners went. I was in the second lot of 8k runners. Everyone sprinted off leaving me for dust.

I eventually got some feeling back in my left hand at about 2 miles (should have worn my free gloves that the nice people at Start Fitness gave me) and the wind stopped at 3 miles and at 3.5 miles I thought I vaguely recognised a feeling of enjoyment but I think I might have been mistaken as I didn’t enjoy hardly a footstep of the whole run. Although there was a comedy moment when I nearly fell over a pigeon and a marshall saw me and started laughing. I thought the pigeon would get out of the way but it just stood there and I could envisage a pigeon-based football incident happening, but I managed to get out of its way. I saw a squirrel too. Didn’t see any cows though.

I eventually saw the finish line and thought to myself thank fuck that’s over.

Over until next week anyway, when I’ve got another 5 mile race 🙂

Today’s race was supposed to have a superheroes theme and some people did make the effort and dress up. Here are the Musketeers. They won the prize for the best dressed.

There were some incredible hulks too and they looked v. cool but I’d put my camera away by the time they turned up. Shame. It wasn’t a huge turn out as you can see from this pic. People must have been put off by the cold and the rain. Lightweights.

In fact, there seemed to be more ambulance crew than runners.

The ambulance crew were also strategically placed around the route. Also strategically placed around the route were lots of marshalls. I would like to thank the marshalls for the brilliant job they did today. Not only did they stop me from getting lost, but each and every one of them had a huge smile on their face and cheered everyone on. Thank you 🙂

Here’s the route.

Stats:
Miles: 5.29
Total time: 54:43
Average pace: 10:20 minute/mile
Total calories: 461
Weather: bloody freezing
Music:
Rolling Stones – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Peeping Tom – Don’t Even Trip
My Bloody Valentine – Feed Me With Your Kiss
Mansun & 808 State – Skin Up Pin Up
Manic Street Preachers – Damn Dog
Sex Pistols – Who Killed Bambi
Ian Brown – Lions
Toyah – Masai Boy
Stereo Total – L’amour a 3
Goody bag:
Bottle of Tropicana
Bag of Haribo Starmix
Completion certificate
Flyer for a 10k in Hyde Park in March
Two Anthony Nolan Trust leaflets