Two's The Magic Number

For those who have been tracking my progress so far this year then you will realise that this has been the first race write up in some time.  My intention is to work back over that the last few races and write them up (or what I can remember of them).  Anyhow, back to the present and today's run.

This race was to be in Portrush and what better way to arrive there than by train.  Since the family were heading up to Derry, I decided to catch the first train from Ballymena, run and then get picked up to make our way to the Maiden City.  Travelling by train is something I haven't done much of recently, not since my student days.  Therefore you can imagine my surprise at being charged £8.40 for a single??  A fellow runner from work picked me up at Dhu Varren with his young son and we made our way over to the East Strand.  Glenn is a great lad, a useful sub 3 hour marathon runner who is with North Belfast Harriers.  He does have a tendency to take his running vest off when there is any sign of the sun.  Quite often he can be seen running topless along the towpath near Cutters Wharf at lunchtime!!

Why Portrush?  Today history was created, nothing to do with golf or the Red Arrows but instead it was the world's first ever Parkrun event to be run entirely on a beach.  5K runs are difficult enough but to run this distance on sand can be leg sapping especially on the softer sand.  The parkrun in Portrush is free and entirely run by volunteers with a great deal of support from local club Springwell Runners.

Pre-race briefing complete and a group shot for the Coleraine paper taken, we were ready for the off.  Whether to run barefoot or not had been a consideration and I opted to run in a minimal trail shoe with a near zero drop from heel to toe.  What is he on about I hear you ask?  Barefoot running is very popular at the moment and the beach is a safe surface.  Although if done correctly you can run barefoot on tarmac etc as the foot is only in contact with the ground for milliseconds.  The idea of barefoot running or using minimal shoes is to encourage the runner to strike and push off from the front part of the foot.  In theory this aids propulsion and forward motion.  Some experts argue that normal cushioned trainers will encourage runners to 'heel' strike, which in effect is like putting the breaks on with each step.  On a short race like this I decided to try these trail shoes as previously on they had felt great.

The run started at the watersports centre near the Arcadia and the course was to Whiterocks and back.  Therefore there would be no excuse for anyone who got lost on the course.  After approximately 3/4 mile, Matt Shields (a very experienced and faster runner) passed me and I thought, oops (or words to that effect) - I've went out too fast.  This is one of the easiest mistakes to make when running as you will go into oxygen deficit and this is usually followed by periods of walking and being passed by loads of other runners.  I still felt ok and decided to keep running at this pace for as long as I could and hopefully I wouldn't completely blow up.  The run out to Whiterocks is spectacular with the Skerries casting their rugged gaze over the golden sands.  It's a fab spot and I've had many early morning runs along that stretch of coastline.  Whether it's the height of Summer or middle of Winter it really is a fantastic spot.

A few of the runners who had passed me along the outward stretch now appeared to be going into their 'oxygen' overdrafts.  This was good news for me as I realised that there was only one mile to go and I still felt ok.  The last few hundred metres involved a run across very fine sand which was hard work.  The usual push to the finish line resulted in my customary strange face pulling which undoubtedly will make the rounds on facebook later :)

Afterwards, it was nice to catch up with friends from our running community and discuss everyones' plans for future races.  Portrush parkrun provided great hospitality and the coffee afterwards was most welcome.  As with all the parkruns they are a great way to get into this sport and are suitable for everyone of all abilities.  An event where beginners are particularly made to feel welcome.

The title for this blog post was - Two's the magic number?  Why?  This was race #22 and although I'm not superstitious I've always seen that as a recurring number. A few of the occurrences are below.

22nd - date I was born
22.22 - time Ben was born
22 - house number where I was raised

Therefore you can imagine my surprise to receive the following results email from parkrun HQ today.

Portrush results for event #1.  Your time was 22:22

Congratulations on completing your 6th parkrun and your 1st at Portrush today. You finished in 15th place and were the 9th gent out of a field of 98 parkrunners and you came 1st in your age category VM40-44. You can view the full set of results here. As this is your first run at this event we have set your PB.   

What next?  Waterside Half Marathon
When?  Tomorrow :)

1 birthday, 37,500 guests + 500,000 gatecrashers

N.B.  No feeble attempt of mine to put down in words will come close to what an amazing weekend we had and what a brilliant event the Virgin London Marathon is.

On many occasions I have watched the London Marathon on telly and imagined what it might be like to run it.  These thoughts were not only the driving force behind entering the ballot to run London but also inspired me to start running in the first instance.  The trip to London was to have a twofold purpose, firstly to run the marathon and secondly to celebrate?? turning 40 on the same day as the run.

My better half Julie had a few surprises up her sleeve and had organised the weekend activities, all I had to worry about was making sure I had packed my trainers and registration number.  Our first day in London, the Friday, involved making our way out to the Excel Centre at Canary Wharf where the Marathon Expo took place.  Wow, what an exhibition, everything from fashion shows, pasta parties, trainers and every gadget imaginable.  It is hard to describe the expo but if you imagine 3 King's Halls full of runners, their families and everything connected to this great sport then you are getting close.

Later that evening, my first birthday treat was to spend the evening dining at Heston Blumenthal's London restaurant.  Words really can't describe what an experience this was.  I love my food, watching cookery shows, but more importantly I love eating it.  The atmosphere was amazing and the menu was very different to say the least.  Every single mouthful was a taste explosion and the portion sizes meant there was no need for a gravy chip on the way back to our hotel.  Saturday involved a bit of sight seeing as it had been some time since Julie and myself had both been in London together.  Standing near the marathon finish line at Buckingham Palace we bumped into Ray, Stephen and Rodney, all fellow team mates from Ballymena Runners.  The 3 guys chatted with us for a while and were fairly relaxed considering they were racing the course instead of enjoying the craic as I planned to do.  My home club also had two others running, Iain Taggart and Tom Mills, who would both break the 3 hour barrier with Iain running an amazing 2hrs 48mins in only his third marathon!!  Later on Saturday, it was time for more carb loading, this time by having afternoon tea at The Ritz.  Again, an amazing experience and boy what a feed.  Everything was done to perfection and the attention to detail was amazing.  The staff even had made a miniature birthday cake for me, although I couldn't manage it as I would have exploded.  There wasn't even room left for 'one waaafer thin mint'.

Saturday evening we chilled out in Soho and the West end before having a nice Italian meal.  Back at the hotel, the pre-marathon nerves kicked in.  My concerns were about the logistics of getting out to Blackheath for the start on time and also whether my 'relaxed' attitude to running and training this year would catch me out over the big distance.  

The Sunday morning greeted me with clear blue skies and as I made my way to the start area the craic was great.  Most people were very curious about the two huge helium balloons I had with me in the shape of a '4' and '0'.  Once the usual 'toilet' stuff was out of the way I lined up in my start pen and was amazed that I was less than 100 metres behind the elite runners..  Immediately, my phone started to bleep with text messages from friends who could see the balloons on telly.  The gun went and we were off, I knew that the balloons would have to go early on and cut the ties after a mile.  The rest is a bit of a blur.

As I had the birthday cake hat on and messages on my vest, the crowds started to wish me a happy birthday.  This in turn had a Mexican wave effect with people further up the course picking up on it.  The effect of this was unbelievable and at a couple of points I had to run in the middle of the road as my hand was raw from high fiving.  This coupled with thanking people for their birthday wishes was actually more tiring than the running itself!!  The miles ticked by and I had settled into a relaxed pace, determined to enjoy every last second of my first ever 'London'.  The atmosphere was electric, mile upon mile of crowds roaring support, offering food/drink etc to help with the battle against hitting the wall.  The run was made more special when at mile 18, I was interviewed by the BBC's Phil Jones.  I had to do it twice due to a technical fault and in the end I'm pretty certain it didn't go to air.  It didn't matter because it really lifted my spirits and the last 8.2 miles have to be the most special I have ever run.  People of all walks of life coming together to run, many of them for very personal reasons.  Including the guy who I ran behind for a while whose t-shirt had a photo of his 9 year old son on it.  A son that he had lost to a brain tumour less than a year earlier.  Even as I recall this, the emotions don't take long to come to the surface.

I had told Julie not to worry about trying to watch me along the route due to the crowds.  You can imagine my surprise at hearing my name being shouted on the final bend.  I had heard it being shouted along the whole route, this was different though.  As I turned onto the final stretch, there was Julie, cheering me along. I'm pretty sure I waved over and then the emotions I had been keeping a check on so well were released as I made my way over the line in tears of joy.

The London experience is one I would recommend to every runner.  It is very powerful and for me was made even more special by meeting/seeing so many friends from the NI running community at the start and on the course.  These included Paul the Builder 'Gaskell', Ryan and Justin Maxwell, Nat Glenn, Donald 'DS' Smith and Michael 'MJ' Jenkins. Pretty amazing considering the field of 37,000 runners.  The whole weekend was fantastic from start to finish and was a truly memorable '40th'  My time was 4 hrs 37 mins and 18 seconds.  My slowest ever road marathon but by a large margin my 'personal best' marathon.

Thank you London and most of all thank you Julie xo

PS Both Julie and myself have entered the ballot for London 2013 Marathon.  Fingers crossed.

The morning after...

The next morning I woke up with the thoughts of having a nice rest day after the 13.1 miles run less than 24 hours before.  Then I remembered that I had another race to complete as part of my challenge.  This was the Sport Relief Mile hosted by Ballymena United in conjunction with Ballymena Runners.  What had I been thinking off?  Worse still, I had entered the 6 mile race, it must have seemed better value!  My intention was to arrive at the Showgrounds and enjoy a leisurely 6 mile run.  After all, there was no pressure, this was not a race, it was a charity event. 

The event was well attended and it was fantastic to see a great number of families at the event and more importantly many people taking part in their first ever running event.  Of course, friends who were marshaling at the event started the old wind up routines.  "Peter, you have a good chance of finishing in the medals etc etc'  There did appear to be some 'serious runners' who had turned up, although as it will become apparent, they opted for the 1 and 3 mile options. 

After the announcements, we were off and I decided to tuck in behind a couple of other runners and take it nice and steady.  After approximately 1 mile it was clear that this was gonna be a 2 horse race.  It was tough going and I could feel the time on my feet at Larne starting to make itself felt.  Thankfully, I had given Jonny Graham from my club a drinks bottle and he was able to provide water on two occasions during the race.  In true sportsmanship I offered the drink to my fellow runner who was still running with me at around the four mile mark.  With just over two miles to go I apologetically made a break for it and picked up the pace (only very slightly).  The run finished in the Ballymena Showgrounds.  I was leading a race, in fact I was going to win one!!  Entering the grandstand area I could hear the commentator announce my name and that I was the first 6 mile competitor home.  After crossing the line, I was interviewed on the PA.  I was absolutely 'spent' but have faint memories of saying how hot it was out there and congratulated everyone on such a great event.

For once when I got home and Julie asked me how I'd done, I was able to say I'd won!!  For a club plodder like myself, I'll treasure that win, although I doubt many others will :)

Peter Fleming - Sport Relief 6 Miles - 1st place. 

PS I won in just under 48 mins and most other entrants were 'walkers'

 

 

 

Mini Bus-ted...

The local racing calendar has several landmark events throughout the year.  The year commences with the fantastic Race Over The Glens hosted by Ballymena Runners.  Larne Half Marathon is another event eagerly anticipated by thousands of local runners.  This picturesque route along the coast towards Ballygalley and back into Larne provides runners of all abilities two opportunities.  Firstly, the chance to discover how the  months of hard (wet and cold) winter training have paid off (or not).  Secondly, it is a great social occasion for runners to catch up with each other at the start of the 'road racing' season.  A fabulously organised race coupled with superb hospitality afterwards guarantees fantastic numbers at this event with most participants viewing this as a 'must do' year after year.


My home club, Ballymena Runners had put on a free mini bus for members and the journey down was the usual mix of banter, advice and great craic.  It was also an opportunity to meet many of the club's newest members donning club colours for the first time. 


This half marathon would be different for me, I knew exactly the time I wanted (needed) to finish it in - just under 2 hrs 15 minutes.  Belfast City Marathon organisers had asked myself and other BCM pacers to lead groups around the Larne Half Marathon.  Many of the individuals running with me at Larne have signed up to be paced around Belfast by Jim Moore and myself.  Jim planned to race at Larne therefore I was assisted by Stephen Brown, club secretary of  B'mena Runners.  Balloons were attached and a short briefing provided to our 'group' and off we set.  The course had changed slightly bringing us through the town centre and I was very conscious of holding back and keeping strictly to the 10 minute 18 second average pace required.  The craic around the course was good with loads of support.  It was also great to see fellow club members racing their way back into Larne before we had even reached the 7 mile point.




The 'hill' at Larne had been shortened this year but perhaps made somewhat steeper?  The heat was really building up at this stage with clear blue skies and the sun beating down.  Thankfully there were loads of water stops and Stephen was doing a great job of ensuring our group had drinks and some of the jelly beans we had brought with us.  As we approached the 10 mile mark, some of the original group dropped away.  This is probably the toughest part of pacing - you really want everyone who starts off with your group to finish with you.  This is not always possible due to the level of training that may or may not have been done.  The positive flip side is that you start to gather runners who perhaps had set off too hard and are now struggling.  Many of these guys attach themselves to the pacing group and maintain a steady run to the finish line.


Normally in a race - you try to kick to the finish line, eyeballs out, hoping to pick up a few places.  At Larne, Stephen and myself finished the last mile in the same time as our first - 10 mins 18 seconds.  Afterwards we got the lowdown on our clubs performance - a bagful of personal bests especially from our ladies team. The heat had been tough on everyone and this was going to be a sizzler of a weekend.

Another great event hosted by Larne AC - thankyou.

Run #6

S Brown Ballymena Runners 2:14:48
P Fleming Ballymena Runners 2:14:49

The Grizzly!

"I've a scotch egg in my pocket, do you think I'll get it through airport security?"  This comment wasn't from my running partner for the weekend Robin Alexander, but from a fellow passenger at Exeter airport.  When I overheard this, I knew the weekend would be good craic.  Arriving at Exeter Airport (which is an oxymoron) Robin and myself were met off the plane by airport police.  This is something which surprised us slightly and was a tad concerning.  The question was "Gentlemen, may we ask you the purpose of your visit to Devon"  We answered "To run in The Grizzly".  To this reply, the security personnel burst into fits of laughter along with comments relating to our sanity or lack of it!"  One thing was sure, The Grizzly may not be well known back home but in this part of the world it's legendary.

What is 'The Grizzly'?  This is best explained by the organisers, Axe Valley Runners.
 
"Twentyish muddy, hilly, boggy, beachy miles of the multiest-terrain running experience you will find this side of the end of time"

http://www.axevalleyrunners.org.uk/races/grizzly.htm

Robin and myself were being hosted by Jeremy and Flo, who live in a beautiful hamlet in the rolling Devon countryside.  Jeremy is a colleague of mine and the person who first planted the seed of doing this race a couple of years ago.  The Saturday involved a nice long walk in the country and a 400 yard walk to the local hostelry were we watched the Scotland v Ireland Six Nations game.  Whilst we watched the game, Jeremy not only had tended to the horses but also prepared a super Spag Bol, so the carb loading was well underway.

The next morning we set off for the 45 minute journey to the South Devon town of Seaton, where the race starts and finishes.  The usual pre-race rituals of getting race numbers pinned on, vaseline rubbed on etc etc were complete.  That just left the final 'toilet stop' or otherwise known as the Poo Queue.  The usual banter was further enhanced by an impromptu game of Russian Poolette as one of the four 'sit down toilets' was not flushing.  I'll let you use your own imagination as to how that one pans out...

The race would soon be underway and the clear blue skies and already warm temperatures gave an indication of what was to lie ahead.  There were around 2500 runners lining the promenade and it took around two minutes for Robin, Jeremy and myself to eventually cross the start line.  The first mile was along the sea front and through a boat yard before stepping onto the shingle beach which was a bed of large pebbles.  The noise of thousands of runners on this surface was deafening and has to be experienced.  Jeremy made a break early on, whilst Robin and myself were still getting to grips with this leg sapping surface.  After a mile of running on this we were then to wade across the small estuary and onto a short road section.  Already I  was concerned at my heart rate and how hard it was working after such a short period of time.  The climbing then started and for the next 6 or 7 miles we were up and down the rolling countryside, climbing from sea level to the cliff tops and then back towards sea level.  There was no way around this, it was going to be brutal.  At one of the stile crossings both Robin and myself discarded the t-shirts we had worn under our race vests as the temperatures were now soaring.  My fitness or lack of, was certainly being tested and Robin had moved ahead on one of the descending sections.  My phone rang around the 7 mile mark and it was fellow clubmate Jim Moore.  I normally don't take calls during races but I was already having to walk some of the runnable sections and I was glad of the distraction.  I relayed to Jim that I was struggling already and that I still had over two thirds of the course to run.  Not finishing the race was something that was creeping into my mind although I was determined to complete it.  Especially when I thought of the real suffering which many of the young children with various forms of cancer have to endure. 

It was at this point I decided to eat the 'Magic' beans I had bought from the a local running store in Exeter.  They were more expensive than the usual Bassetts Jelly Babies, but boy did they work.  The effect was immediate and they helped me through this first mini wall.  My recovery was further enhanced at around mile 10 when I struck up a conversation with a lady called 'Dot' who was running in aid of families who had suffered from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  She personally was involved in helping eight families dealing with the awful trauma that must inflict. 

I was glad to be feeling strong again, because the amount of climbing was unreal.  This year the name given to the Grizzly was 'Every Hill Has A Silver Lining' and myself and Robin have agreed that we have never been in any race with so many climbs.  Up ahead I could hear screams and this was the infamous bogs section where the organisers thought it would be funny to have everyone run (walk) through nearly thigh deep mud.  The brave could go for it through the middle but risk losing footwear and any sense of dignity.  I decided to use the guide rope at the side and still managed to make difficult work of the section.  After the bog then we had to cross a small river which not only cooled the calf muscles but also provided an opportunity to wash the mud off your body.  The next few miles consisted of, you guessed it, more steep climbs and brutal descents.  It must be pointed out though that the scenery of this Jurassic coastline was stunning and the support from spectators and marshals was heartwarming.  A real cross section of running abilities were alongside me from grannies to top club athletes, this was a true representation of everything that is great about running the the running family we belong to.

Back to the task at hand, I was starting to think about my time.  Yes, I know it's ludicrous, several miles earlier, I was hoping to just finish.  Now, I was working out complicated maths to check if I could finish the nearly 21 mile course in under 4hrs 30mins.  Deep down, I was also wondering if Robin or Jeremy had maybe went off to strong and I could catch them.  My hopes of this were dashed when I entered the town of Beer (yes Beer!) for the second time and faced the steps back up to the cliff top before the final drop into Seaton.  This is possibly the toughest climb I've ever done and half way up a spectator told me another Ballymena Runner had just gone before me.  "How long ago?" I asked.  The reply was "About 10 minutes ago."  Forget Jeremy and Robin, this was going to be a straight race against the clock.  The last couple of miles was littered with people giving out sweets, biscuits etc.  The local Baptist Church were handing out water and sweets, there was even a lady dishing out recycled jelly babies.  I later discovered that these were the sweets that runners had either dropped or couldn't quite fit into their mouths whilst running.  They tasted fine to me.  I was in the zone now and could hear the tannoy and the cheering crowds.  Would I break 4hrs 30, the answer was yes and I even summoned up a sprint finish, picking up a few places along the promenade.

Upon crossing the line, I received the finishers t-shirt, which will be worn with pride.  Robin and myself were duly cleansed by the local firefighters who were hosing everyone down afterwards.  The 3 of us had all finished within around 20 minutes of each other and had a complete blast of a day.

Jeremy/Flo, many thanks again for your super hospitality and remember our offer to you both.

There is so much more I could write about this weekend.  The stash of rifle bullets we found whilst out walking in the country lanes, the enormous amount of coffee Robin and myself drank, the fact that we had to share a double bed....  What I will say is that Robin has already committed to running next year and I for one intend to be there with him although hopefully in front this time!

Results
Jeremy Atkins 4:08:44
Robin Alexander 4:19:07
Peter Fleming 4:28:12

Robin, please can you add your report under comments as I feel this event deserves more than these few words.

A great big shopping centre in Ballymena, hey!!

No, not that one, the other one.

Welcome back.  This is a genuine expression made on two fronts, firstly it's great to be in a position to update those who have supported my challenge to date.  Secondly it's great to welcome back my running mojo which had taken a bit of a backseat recently due to the dreaded lurgy.

Run number 4 was a strange affair indeed.  Ballymena Runners (my home club) were supporting the Belfast Marathon/NI Hospice 'Runathon'.  This event involves touring shopping malls, promoting the marathon and also raising money for the Belfast Marathon chosen charity - The NI Hospice.  Another early start was the order of the day and it involved helping the marathon team set up displays and the treadmill.  Yes, a treadmill was placed in the Tower Centre.  From 9am to 5pm different runners were invited to assist in completing as many kilometres as possible.  My intention was to hop on for a gentle trot.  In the end I ran 1 kilometre in under 4 minutes.  In defence against those who feel this run is a bit of a 'cop out' it must be noted that it was done in a busy Ballymena shopping centre on a Saturday, whilst wearing normal clothes including jeans.  The 'gravy' was running everywhere and many a shopper stopped to look at this frightening sight.  Thankfully, they also donated whilst marvelling on this unsightly spectacle.  The effort was for a cause very similar to that which I am supporting in my FortyAtForty challenge.  A significant amount was raised (no jokes about Ballymena generosity please).  It was great to meet one of the Belfast Marathon organisers Stephen Pearson and the race ambassadors, in particular, Damian McGreevy.  Damian completed the race in 2011 after gruelling chemotherapy sessions and is a great testament to the power of the human spirit.  He is looking to smash his personal best this year on May Day.  Visits to the runathon also came from my lovely wife, my sister and two of my nieces.  None could be persuaded to step onto the treadmill.  I'm still working on that one.

The rest of the day involved taking the boys to the Rugby Schools Cup quarter final at Ballymena Academy on the Galgorm Road.

Unfortunately the result went Campbell College's way, although the visiting teams chant of "You all live in caravans, we all live in mansions" made me laugh.  A wily Ballymena man suggested we should have chanted back something about "negative equity".  I'm not sure what you can get that to rhyme with (all suggestions welcome).

That whole day I was worried that the treadmill run was perhaps not the most challenging race to date, did it actually count etc etc.  You can only imagine my delight to discover that at the very time I was on the treadmill, I received a single online donation of £100 out of the blue from another 'old' face.  This was another great 'snapshot' of the generosity I've been witnessing from everyone on this journey.  Mysterious ways and all that! 

As it turns out, if this was to be my easiest run out of the forty, boy was I in for a shock at the next one - The Grizzly!!!

Pete Ran After Van The Man...

Live music or the prospect of it was putting a spring in my step last week.  In October I had purchased two tickets to see the legendary Van the Man in the Odyssey Arena.  Unfortunately, Julie had picked up the flu bug (more on this later) and was unable to attend.  What to do in such situations I ask myself?  Stay at home and nurse her through the fever?  No, the answer was to find someone else who would want to go to the gig.
After meeting up with Darryl (my best man & unexpected owner of a Van Morrison ticket) we headed to meet Andy & Linda, great friends from college, in McHughs.  The buzz was great and there was much pre-concert excitement surrounding the gig.  Would Van turn up?  If he turns up will he speak to the audience?  Will he play the hits or self-indulge by only playing his 'new stuff'? 

After a warm-up by his daughter Shana the great man opened up with Brown Eyed Girl and played a fantastic set.  Not only does his talent shine through on stage but his band are arguably some of the best musicians around.  And boy did Van put them through their paces, demanding only the best performance from them.  Watching him on stage was like watching the leader of an orchestra not only conducting but also singing all the choral pieces. 

Quite simply - Superb. 

After the gig I was heading back down the M2 when hunger attacked and was subsequently defeated by a half and half with sweet and sour sauce.  On Saturday morning, Zack's rugby at Eton Park was cancelled again due to frozen pitches.  (Soft game that rugby??)  This provided a very 'small' window of opportunity to mark off race number 3 from 40.  Those with kids know that it can be tricky to get everyone out the door at the best of times but on this occasion we managed to make it with time to spare for the Parkrun at the Belfast Waterworks.  I have ran this venue twice last year and this was the first Parkrun to set up on the island.  This time Julie and the boys waited in the car before venturing out to see Dad cross the line.  Julie is an expert at gauging when to do this and realises that there is no point on waiting to see me cross the 5K line 15 minutes after the start when she can enjoy the heat of the car for a few minutes longer.

As I made my way to the start line it was great to meet up with more familiar faces and friends from the running community, including Alan Ritchie (the eventual winner - remember Parkrun is not a race!!)  It was also great to get a quick catch up with Mags Mathieson, a fine example of someone whose passion for running shines through even when faced with injury.  A remarkable girl who has also taken volunteering at events to a whole new level. 

"Why am I here?"  "What was I thinking of?" "I need a pee (again)"

These regular thoughts were going through my mind before the race start and then suddenly we were off.  This run was bringing an element of pressure as I was racing it.  No fancy dress, no dog, no kids running alongside, therefore NO EXCUSES...  My plan was to set off steady and listen to my body,  a steady start led to me feeling fairly strong after one lap and I was able to hold a reasonable pace right to the line.  This was where being met by Julie and the boys was really heartwarming.

I hadn't looked at my watch during the whole 5K and was pleased to receive the text message from Parkrun detailing my time.  Everyone enjoyed a coffee, juice and biscuit afterwards.  Although, this was not sufficient reward for Julie and the kids following me up to North Belfast - breakfast was on the cards.  Nobody was in the mood for soup and sandwiches at the Culloden.  Something more substantial was in order.  Having lived and studied in Belfast for over 15 years I am fairly familiar with many establishments in the University Area.

This seemed the ideal place to search for a bite to eat and it was in Maggie Mays on Botanic Avenue where we all tucked into breakfast.  French toast, a fry, bagels with peanut butter and jam washed down with steaming coffee.  I'll let you guess who had what, anyways I can highly recommend it.



Check out the new running shoes ;)


As it was Chinese New Year we went down to Belfast's very own Chinatown, Donegall Pass.  This road is full of characters and it was great for the boys to embrace this culture.  Not only Chinese but also a large contingent of Japanese and Thai people have made this part of South Belfast their home, bringing a richness in cuisine and culture.  The traditional Chinese dragons were dancing in front of each shop door, something which represents a clean start and the bringing of good luck.  This seemed alien to me until I remembered that a good friend of mine insists that I am the first visitor through his door on New Year's Day.   Not only that but I must bring a piece of coal.  Party-goers were also giving out fortune cookies and there were as many free sweets and maltesers as you could eat.  The only snag was that you had to lift and eat them using chopsticks - a challenge that the young Ballymena men took to like ducks (in plum sauce) to water.  Events took an hilarious turn when a lobster decided to make a break from a customers shopping bag in the Asian supermarket.  Ben and Zack were in disbelief and shock at the sight of it body popping across the shop floor in their direction.

Sunday morning arrived and this would normally be my long run of the week.  Instead I luxuriated in a lie-in followed by lunch with Mum and Dad.  It did dawn on me that I still need to get the long runs done as I do not want to be suffering in the latter stages of either the Belfast or London Marathons.  15 cold and miserable tea time miles later I'm done.  Quite literally.

Post Script:

Race #3/40 - Waterworks Parkrun 166 runners -

25

Peter FLEMING

20:13

PPS Julie no longer has the flu, I have.  (Obviously the more deadly manflu strain)

XIN NIAN KUAI LE