Sunday 20 September 2009 - Race Day! - NOT SO FAST! - perhaps it best to describe the days leading up to the race! Bare with me as we step back down memory lane....
Friday -Saturday 18-19 September - We've rented a car and drove to Paisley (West Glasgow) and to the coast. Yes, that's the opposite direction to Newcastle, from Edinburgh, we should be going south. But we decided to distract ourselves and go to the Island of Arran for the day. It's only an hour long ferry ride from Androssen to the small island. It's a birthday surprise for Greg's friend, Jay, who doesn't live on Arran either - he was just visiting for the day as well! I know it's sounds bizarre.
The REASON for this detour was that I really wanted to distract us from thinking about the half marathon, prevent us from getting nervous, worry about injuries blah blah and instead, do something new and see more of Scotland (having been here a year and a half now)! And so it was a great day. The small island is only 20 odd miles long, but with big presense -big mountains!!! Everyone seems to cycle around the island. Great beaches too. Plenty to do for a weekend trip.
Same day and five hours on the road later, it's 10pm Saturday and we pulled into Newcastle. Crammed some pub cannelloni into our bellies. (I was conscious we were eating too late and too cheesy, but it was the only place open!) and straight into our friend Chris's cluttered, but snuggly apartment and passed out on the ground in a 3yr olds room. Job done.
Sunday 20 September 2009 - RACE DAY!
7am -woke up, ate Fruit and Fibre with banana.
8am- out of house drive to...
8:30 - ... Metro station (guided by Chris), and it was stuffed full of people in little running outfits and numbers...must be the right direction and line!
9:00- get off at Haymarket stop and we do the lemming thing and follow someone with the hope that they know where they are going. They did!
9:20- found and dropped off stuff in baggage bus, realize left toliet paper in the car...keep a newspaper sheet in case, start walking to loos
9:25 - forgot our timers that strap to our legs and return to baggage bus
9:30 - get in line for the loos
9:45 - still in line for the loos - Greg check line progress, debate whether we got in correct line
10:00 - still in line for the loos - a lovely announcement about the reasons we are here today, for our loved ones.
10:15 - still in line for the loos - Caite checks line progress, debate whether they will let us run if miss the start
10:20 - still in line for the loos - announcement to get into your positions - Caite locates a field that seems to be being used by every other runner and so we squeeze though fences and use the field instead of loos. Job done.
10:25 - In the start area and it's packed solid full of lively souls. Everyone looks really excited and happy! There are bits of clothes everywhere that people have stripped and abandoned! We walk along side the start area all the way to the back. Loads of people are dressed up (bananas, roll of toliet paper and poo, witches etc) and a lot of people carry collection buckets (doh!) too.
10:40- RACE BEGINS!!! Everyone gives a 'hurrah!' when we lurch forward a bit. Here follows a series of start and stops for the next half hour! Lots of people running into the forest for a last loo break! Myself included...and sooo...we are....
11:10 - ...the last to cross the START line! (minus a clown) Yeah running finally! OMG it's Sting- he's the GNR celebrity. Greg sweetly reminds him by yelling "IT'S STING!!" at Sting. lol Well what would you do?
From here the times get a big fuzzy...
Starting off the weather is clear and bright, and we runners have loads of room to manoeuver and get settled in. I'm interested in checking out the other runners - lots of regular souls like me, some walking, some running, some tougher individuals, using wheelchairs, people pushing wheelchairs, and a man pulling a cart. In fact the majority of people are running in support of other charities which was impressive. Lots and lots of cancer research UK, motor neurone charities, Macmillan support, MS superstars, Yorkshire cancer research etc. There was some support for social or environmental causes, Christian Aid, but and large, a lot of the charities appeared to be people - health related charities. I saw quite a few Meningitis Research Foundation folks and tried always to give them a bit of a 'whoop!' as I passed (oh you passed them did you? lol not always).
The race was constantly supported from the sidelines, it was packed on Tyne Bridge of course, but even along the rest of the race there was always a few people and kids around hollering for you! It made a real difference to have them there. Though next time I will write me name on my vest, so people yell it! :) Particular stand out sideline support was a man standing on his shed spraying us with water from his garden hose - it was a sunny hot day - well needed, ladies serving watering and biscuits outside their house, BUPA people handing out waters and powerades which seemed continuous, finally the BUPA bands, drumming, flutes, a Darkness tribute rock band (complete with leopard tights), and finally an Elvis impersonator who set himself up to howl for us (not part of the BUPA bands, just an individual). Fantastic, but also so many kids standing on the sidelines with hands out for a high five, I must have given 50 of them. :D Absolutely brilliant! And nearing the finish the Red Arrrows were amazing - swooping through the sky, attempting terrifying things with speed and ease! It clearly is a well loved race and you felt that as you were running it.
The energy was fantastic, I felt buoyed by the people running alongside me, Greg, the people on the sidelines, and the people that we were running for, it was a really emotive and uplifting experience!
Before I knew it there we had made it to the 10 mile mark!!! This was the farthest I had ever run, but I was delighted because I felt fantastic and knew I would finish the race running.
Soon after that we saw the sea and so knew we were close to our finish. Seeing/feeling the sea was great boost, plus the spectators had thickened as well, all of which made the air electifying and the runners run harder.
I was accepting all waters by that point and trying to stay safe and keep my breathing even, as I had already seen a few people passed out on the side. I tried to take it easy but I was so excited and picked up the pace at the 1 mile from finish line mark.
Miraculously at the 200 meter, I picked up pace even more and managed to sprint across the finish line!!!!!
YEAHHHHHHH!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so proud of myself and Greg, I probably haven't worked this hard to achieve something and quite a while, so it's got me thinking about what is next...:)
It was amazing to be surrounded by such positivity and energy, I'll try to summarise what Greg said because I think it is true. (SAPPY ALERT - read at your own gag-reflex-peril) You know, we are constantly told that people do not come together to do anything positive anymore, that everyone/thing is a danger and it's all negative. But that's not true, here is a huge, 54,000-strong example in Newcastle of how much people do care, they gave their time, money and bodies; created and said something really BIG and POSITIVE for people - their lives and futures.
If you don't believe me or go for that sort of weepy thing, run the Great North Run 2010.
Thanks for reading my last GNR blog! Job done. :)
Caitlan x
You can sponsor Caitlan by visiting her Justgiving page
Posted in Fundraising by Caitlan Dula on 28 September 2009 at 12:00 AM
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