Running Apes

 

It was cold and the local fashion was a figure hugging black bin liner.  This may have been a typical Sunday morning in Reading but it wasn’t for the three running apes.  We converged on the football stadium in nervous anticipation.  Although Jess and I had covered the distance before we had never participated in a race before and for Louise, due to injury problems, had not yet reached 13 miles in her training.

The Reading Half Marathon is second only to the Great North Run for 13 mile events.  We had looked at our numbers and realised that Louise and I were in the green section and Jess was in white.  The difference being the green runners should be faster.  This did not help Louise’s nerves but as it turned out didn’t matter in the slightest.

As the race time drew nearer (we were there 2hrs before the start) the need for the girls to go to the toilet grew, so they went, again and again and again.  I hope London has enough loo roll when the apes turn up on the big day!  

With numbers fixed on, chips attached to legs and in my case Vaseline applied we were ready to go.  15 minutes after the starting gun and listening to some idiot on a PA system saying things like “oh look at him over there” and “there’s another superhero” we reached the start and our race had begun!

What instantly struck me was how difficult it was to get into any kind of rhythm due to the number of people around you in such a small pace.  I was trying hard to keep an eye on the clock and not to go too fast.  I started at 8mins 30 seconds a mile and tried to stick to this.  All went well for the first 3/4 of a mile and then the pain started in my knee that I had first felt after the Dulwich run.  I carried on, being the stubborn so and so that I am, and I hadn’t come all this way to stop before the first mile.  Desite missing the first Lucazade stop somehow I was exactly on my pace and it was now a glorious day.  As I approached Reading town centre I couldn’t wait to Anna and the boys who I knew would be at 6.5 miles.  Unfortunately I missed them and this was the biggest disappointment and I wanted to stop.  After 8 miles the pain in my knee was getting worse but I kept going, one mile at a time.  It was amazing how the crowd kept you going and I can only imagine how good this will feel in London.  After a final push I was at the finish in 1hr 51 mins and 26 secs.  After collecting my medal and clothes I made my way back into the stadium to watch the other runners finish.  I saw Jess run in plugged into her ipod and then about 10 minutes later Louise followed her home.  One race, but three very proud apes!