| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| lincsfella |
Posted - 07 Oct 2008 : 3:12:29 PM
Now there is something I hadnt realised before.... according to Garmin, during my 4th GNR, I climbed (without a rope though) a total of 1933 feet!! so a huge rasberry to peeps who try to tell me its flat  . Bizzarely, however, when I did my first one back in 2004, when i finished, one of my comments was "what hills". So i have a theory, the faster and harder you try and run this superb event...... the more organisers (Brendan Foster et al) pump the hills up..... just as i come along. They are buggers arnt they ha ha.
Well I got dropped off nice n early, partly cos I like savouring the atmosphere and also so that me Bro in-law can get back out of Newcastle before all the roads are closed.... DOH!!!!!! Too late Marvin.... use the Tyne Tunnel instead and go the long way round  Have to admit a small bit of liability here as i changed my mind where i wanted to be dropped off and i made him stop at a garage on the way in so i could have one of my infamous pre race wee's. (sorry, just thought i'd share that with you)
A bit cold but the sun was shining and a glorious day was in prospect, even the threatened wind was in hiding. Crowds were buzzing and mingling about, some lost, some waiting and some just being stupid and not listening to directions being handed out via megaphone from one of the stacks of race volunteers who help make this such a fab day. For example.... Man asks, "wheres the baggage buses?" Megaphone man replies.... "just down there mate (pointing)"
"Where bouts down there?.... I cant see them, ive just been down there" "oh" says mega man "didnt you see the long row of double decker buses?" "oh yes" says numpty man.... "but arnt they for the runners?" "NO" says mega man.... "there for the runners baggage..... the idea is for you to run to south shields, not take the bus!" "trust me sir, they are for your bags" Numpty man walks off in a huff whislt me and mega man swap glances but obviously thinking in unison..... "what a To***r"... a little smile to our selves and i continued to the baggage busses my self, must admit they were easy to miss...... there was only about 30 of the flippin things.
So, i strip down as much clothing as i dare without catching my death of cold (had planned to wear an old fleece to throw just before the start) before i avail myself the use of said buses. Rang the wife.... "if you miss me at the finish, try and meet me by baggage bus number 1" ok she says "you cant miss it sweetheart, its the big yellow one" ok she says "oh, hang on, there ALL yellow" Doh! my turn to be numpty man. "i'll be by the big bus with number 1 on it" sorted.
There are times that being a bloke is a bit of a bonus, trendy urinals with no walls were there too, never seem them before, but hard to explain them but there dead clever, you can stand and use them but no matter how close folk are to you..... they cant see your bits. Sorry, simple things please simple minds.
Just over an hour to go, so i get in my starting pen, quite close to the front of the race so crowds wont be a problem. A few pleasantries with other runners, the rendition of "obide with me" comes and goes (yes i get watery eyed as i think of folk that arnt there or arnt around anymore full stop. And when it finishes I try to gather my thoughts about what im about to do. Wheel chairs go off, then the elite women (no Paula this year  but cute Jo Pavey is there so a big cheer for her goes up, they go off too. and 25 minutes its our turn.... 52,000 nutters with nothing better to do on a sunday morning than to run to the seaside whereas normal folk take the car. Emmy Simmons, Chris Hoy, Becky Addlington all wearing gold medals.... and Tony "the bronzed one" Blair hit the klaxons and off we go. And off i go...... toooooo quickly but never mind. Not gonna bore you with mile by mile, split by split etc like i normally do. But ran well if not a bit too fast early on but settled and enjoyed the race, over Tyne bridge is always special, crowds seemed bigger here this year, a wave to my first camera after the start and on i go. 5 miles and im pleasantly tired due to effort and this is the highest point on the race I tell my self, easy from here i think...... ha ha ha what tosh, yes the hills are smaller but your tired so they dont feel any different to the others but you are getting nearer the finish. Its fab tho cos if you feel a bit tired or having a bit of a bad patch all you have to do is concentrate on the crowd, high five the kids, wink at the mums, lookmout for the little horrors trying to squirt discarded lucozade pouches at you, avoid the firemen trying to blast you across the road with a high pressure hose, and smile sweetly at the old dears handing out oranges. Fantastic. Nearly made a bit of an idiot of my self as i spotted a lovely looking st Johns lady (she had uniform and everything) as i approached she lifted her dainty hand in a "please high five me" fashion...... only for me to suddenly realise she was trying to give out a palm full of vaseline!.... so i just waved and said no thankyou..... damn, blown out again, and i had my tight shorts on today! Got passed at around 10 miles by wonder woman, that cheesed me off..... until i noticed it was Nell Mcandrew, she is damned quick on her day so lust replaced the cheesed off feeling, i kept quiet though cos the guy running with her was bigger than me.  So, down the last hill which always hurts simply because its a real shock to the legs. Along the sea front, I am flagging now but im in the last mile, crowds are huge, i remember someone saying in the build up bout aiming for the tv crane thing high in the air.... and thats where the finish is, i spot it and try to step it up only to realise the one i had focused on was was the wrong one and was situated at the half mile to go point!!.... Ahhhh theres the other one so i go through it all again. I knew ages ago no pb was on but it was going to be respectable, saw the finish clock and it said 1.31 something "oo sub 1.32 is a posibility" so manage a small sprint over the line. phew, done it. A new course best of 1.31.25 and a position in the top 800 (not bad out of 52,000) Will i be back again next year?...... damn right i will be.
"Always aim for the moon...... because if you miss, you'll still land amongst the stars" |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| MattThomas |
Posted - 14 Oct 2008 : 8:14:22 PM
Well done again Dave, great running and a nice calm finish at the end (courtesy of Mark's video clip!).
"There's no such thing as losing, only learning.", John Beck, ex Lincoln City manager |
| colinhewes |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 9:26:47 PM
Well done Lincs. Great run and report.
Hope you do the GER cos I'm looking for a somemone to keep pace with (at least for the first 500 metres). After that I might need a pacemaker.
Colin
Colin Hewes
Stage 5 vet. |
| Smout |
Posted - 08 Oct 2008 : 11:06:10 PM
OK so I'm no quite a club member but well thought I'd join in anyway!
Good going Lincs! And the wee video of you strolling along is great
I've never really thought about that race yet..... congestion sounds tough... maybe if i get a wee bit faster first  |
| Mij0 |
Posted - 08 Oct 2008 : 10:26:11 PM
LOL Wicked - are you taking crampons?
Fit Fat and Hedonistic |
| deano |
Posted - 08 Oct 2008 : 4:13:22 PM
WELL DONE DAVID GREAT TIMEand great report...hope to see you on sunday .....deano
Chin up and keep on running! |
| Ian B |
Posted - 08 Oct 2008 : 12:48:10 PM
What dya mean cold?, spoken like true southern softies, you want to try living here permanent, why do you think i work in London
Seriosly though great run Lincs
Ian B |
| StephenPrice |
Posted - 08 Oct 2008 : 09:04:21 AM
Well done Lincs.
Am hoping to run it myself next year after hearing your fantastic views on it (and seeing you on telly) |
| DaveM |
Posted - 08 Oct 2008 : 08:13:53 AM
Excellent report and run Lincs!
I've never been that close to the front to realise they do 'Abide with Me' I'm normally a kilometre or so further back up the crowd! I also had to walk about half a K to my baggage bus, which was 23 buses away from yours!
DaveM
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| fishyweb |
Posted - 08 Oct 2008 : 08:09:11 AM
Great run and report, mate! Top 800 is tremendous!
Not sure whether the headline should be "Lincs does great in GNR", or "Lincs turns down offer of being lubed by fit-looking nurse"!
---
Steve |
| Lazybones |
Posted - 07 Oct 2008 : 9:22:40 PM
Brill run Lincs - well done. You must have needed the straw bales on the corner at the bottom of the hill - I never did !! I always aimed at the TV crane but I swear that seafront is more than a mile long - AND that course is hilly whatever anyone says.
"The only losers are those who quit" |
| domstevens |
Posted - 07 Oct 2008 : 7:55:17 PM
Great run and a great time. Well done
Our Greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall - Confucius |
| Wicked D |
Posted - 07 Oct 2008 : 7:55:03 PM
Mij0 - Lincs Knows how to tell a story of how easy or cool things are, he's got me to run loads of events on his say so EVEN got me to get my passport out to run in "Lochaber Half-Marathon" which is right next to Ben Nevis!!!!!!!!!!! he told me its nice and sunny and flat with great views, how could i resist ............reply after 2nd November 08 lol bless him 
"If you're going through hell, KEEP GOING"....W Churchill |
| Mark |
Posted - 07 Oct 2008 : 7:52:10 PM
Lincsfella,
Thats an amazing time especially for a congested race like the GNR!
Nice work fella!
Mozza |
| Mij0 |
Posted - 07 Oct 2008 : 7:37:16 PM
great run mate well done ...... just one point to pick you up on .... a bit cold! I thought I was going to loose a limb or two from frost bite whilst waiting for the metro.
Fit Fat and Hedonistic |
| MarkWillcocks |
Posted - 07 Oct 2008 : 5:42:25 PM
HE BLINKING WELL SUGGESTED IT DIDNT HE???
i,m sure you,ll feel fine come the weekend....
He who dares Rodney, he who dares. |
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