Monday 18 October 2010

A Premier run

Cardiff swans completely unaware that 15,000 runners are pounding past them.
That that was the weekend that was. We went to Cardiff, stayed in the City Centre Premier Inn and I ran the half marathon on Sunday.

This weekend is becoming a favourite family annual trip. We do Cardiff, have pizza, watch the X-Factor on the hotel TV, fall asleep ridiculously early and wake up to scoff a hotel breakfast. Then I run for a bit while Brian and the kids watch, hang around and do stuff and then we all go home.

Last year I dithered over entering the half marathon and by the time I did city centre hotels could not be had for love nor money - unless you were a single smoker which as a non-smoking family of four we weren't. This year I didn't dither and I booked the whole thing way back when, including the room in the Premier Inn having seen Lenny Henry on TV promising comfy beds and a good night's sleep.

Admittedly parking was costly but for the convenience factor it was worth it. The car, hotel and John Lewis were all cheek-by-jowl with just a short walk down to the Bay area for the start of the race.

The hotel was lovely which came as a huge surprise. Last year's Express by Holiday Inn was a bit University Hall of Residence by comparison. The room was quiet and comfortable - especially the beds which were a double and - hallelujah! - TWO singles. My children hate sharing a double and it usually involves some kind of bed swapping in the wee small hours. They didn't budge out of the Premier Inn beds and neither did I having fallen asleep somewhere towards the end of the X-Factor when Tesco Mary sang something soporific.

Breakfast was good too, properly good, so Brian ate two.

R6 said, surveying the room: "Can we come and live here?"

The pizza the night before was good too. We had planned on Pizza Hut but Pizza Express was but a short escalator ride so we plumped for that instead. We were attentively waited on by friendly staff. H8 knocked her knife on the floor and a clean one magically reappeared seconds later. I like restaurants with that sort of service. It had proper front of house too and the food was lovely. I'm sure the bambinocinos contributed to the kids' good night's sleep.

Race day was sunny and cold - perfect conditions. A happy crowd of runners walked in an orderly manner to the start, queued and ran. The race with a field of of 15,000 runners is like a tube train emptying at rush hour through an underpass at running pace. An interesting experience but you get used to it.

I ran the 13.1 miles in two hours 17 minutes and nine seconds which is eight minutes faster than last year. If I could have found those two extra minutes to finish in two and a quarter hours I'd have found them but I spent too much time looking at the view from Cardiff Bay barrage and dodging slower runners.

I collected my medal and goody bag and even found the jumper I threw at a tree just after the start. The 'tree' turned out to be a whopping street lamp which proves just had madly hallucinogenic the start of a half a marathon can be.  I was convinced it was a tree...

I was proud of my time though. I ran the first three miles in a burst of enthusiasm in 27 minutes which is an unheard of turn of speed for me. If I had kept it up I might have caught up with Chris who was in her usual position which is in front of me. I narrowed the gap this year though - if I do the same next year I might just catch her up...

10 comments:

  1. It was great, wasn't it? I've been trying to catch my thoughts too - (and a video that's taken ages to play). So glad that our families enjoy it too - it makes me feel very fortunate - especially when I read the tee shirts! Well done on shaving so much off your time - that really takes some doing! Remember, I'm standing still now! Here's to Llanelli!

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  2. So well done and such an enjoyable event for the whole family. I´ve almost travelled with you through your twitters and blogs. Keep the medal shinny!

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  3. Bravo Mags!

    Wonderful that you bettered your time, and that your family had a great place to stay.

    Our New York City marathon used to take place in October, but the runners felt that the weather was still too warm, so now it's in early November.

    I bet that the route of your race is splendid (except for those crowded bits!)

    Best wishes.

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  4. Well done you Mags - just read Chris's version of her sunday too. Improving your time must be a bonus and I am greatly in awe of anyone who can run at all, let alone so far! Me, I just walk...

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  5. Well done, Mags; well planned, well run, and much enjoyed it seems.

    I've never understood the virtue of giving oneself a run-around like that, especially when politicians are so good at that sort of thing (as in giving you the run-around). Shaving eight minutes off last year's time was very good. You're becoming proficient at this.

    Looking forward to next year's report.

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  6. So. Much. Admiration.

    Congratulations.

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  7. Well done, sounds like a fab weekend.

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  8. Chris - It was great, here's to Llanelli (with hailstones etc. What fun!)
    Pauline - Thank you. STill stroking my lovely medal.
    Frances - Thank you. I'd love to do the New York marathon, that would be amazing.
    Flowerpot - I'm going to shave off more time next year and catch Chris.

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  9. Rob-bear - I loved it so much I'd do it again next Sunday.
    Jennie - Thank you. I can't quite believe it myself either.
    Posie - Thanks, it was fun.

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  10. Well done you! Such an achievement.

    But do you really think the swans were oblivious to the thousands of people pounding past them? They could just have been thinking "It's autumn already; the humans are massing to leave for the winter...."

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