Cadbury Marathon running festival

 

Cadbury Marathon: 10kays.

 

They have changed the start time to 9:15a.m. That’s bad. Much worse running in the heat. Got to come up with a plan. A way of coping.

 

Before the race. I drink water. Water over hair and bib.

I bump into a familiar face.

He says: Thought you were a sprinter.

From memory I said something like: Sometimes I pretend to sprint. Today I am going to pretend to run 10 kays.

In the milling crowd a scared possum then bumps into me.

 

The crowd walks, shuffles then jogs. When I cross the bump in the road my race begins. Where is the first drink table? I stop, drink water and pour water into my hair and bib. I am not taking any chances.

 

Half way. Turn around and push hard. With most races the hard bit, mentally, is the bit after half way, The third quarter.

This run is dragging. It’s hot and hard. Not enjoying this at all. Got to plug on. Keep moving those legs. This race is different. It’s too hot and today the hard bit is the last quarter. The hill at Cadbury’s.  

Just have to cross that finish line. Then I can lie down and recover.

I mount the top of the hill. Can see the finish line. My legs can’t. They decide to think for themselves. I can’t control my legs. Got to somehow finish this race.  My legs take me off the road. Onto the grass. Through a group of females. I trip over the grass and fall onto the ground. I pick myself up.

A guy wearing an official vest says: Sit down. Now drink some water.

I tell him: Just got to finish.

He says: Sit down. You are not going anywhere.

I say: Just got to finish.

He says: Sit down. I can stop you. You are not going anywhere.

I shut up.

I drink some water.

Melissa appears.

I rise to my knees and look at the finish line.

I keep on saying: All I have to do is cross the finish line.

They eventually hear me and say: We will walk with you across the line.

We cross the finish line together. For walking 50 meters Melissa is given a medal which she gives back. The official vest guy leds me to a tent.

I lie down on a camp bed. They prod, pock and take blood. They keep on saying to themselves: Looks alright.

I ask them their names. I have the funny habit of wanting to know the name of someone taking blood from me.

The guys keep on saying: Lie there. Rest. Looks alright. Drink this.

I ask for the results. He tells me everything.

They finally let me depart. 

Melissa holds me up and takes me to the tennis courts.

Melissa says: Saw a guy collapse. He looked worse than you.

I think: Thank God for that. Someone looked worse than me.

I realise I have missed out on chocolate.

We met Wendy. Wendy says: You steamed past us. You were going well. I introduce her to Melissa and say the wrong name. Sorry Wendy. I complain to her about the start time. I complain to everybody who will listen about the start time. On such a hot day way too late.

 

I lie at the tennis clubhouse while Melissa fetches her car.

 

Back home, my medal disappears amongst others, and I check my heart rate and temp. Back to normal. I then enjoy an ice-cream.