My Running Buddy
7.00 am - The Car
'I'm tired,' I say, as I step into the car. 'And we haven't even gone anywhere yet.'
'Yes,' my buddy says. 'I've had a cold all week. Still not feeling good.'
7.10 am - The Off
Have I got everything?
Have I eaten enough?
Am I wearing the right shoes?
Are we going to be late?
I need the toilet, will there be any toilets?
Oh God, oh God.
'I've got to take a crap,' my buddy says.
8.00 am - A traffic jam
What's that pain in my thigh?
Did I train enough?
Did I train too much?
My legs are seizing up, they're seizing up!
'Look at this lump on my knee,' says my buddy.
9.00 am - The bag queue
'Banana?' my buddy asks me.
Should I eat?
What I feel sick?
What if I run out of energy?
What if I need the toilet again?
'Can I have half?' I reply.
9.15 am - The Runners Village
People stretching everywhere - bendy, flexible people.
Should I warm up yet?
Is stretching bad?
What if I use up energy?
What if I injure something?
'Quick jog?' my buddy suggests.
'Yeah,' I say.
9.55 am - The Start
I'm not ready. My muscles are tight.
Look at these people in their club vests.
Why aren't they worried?
Why is it only me?
'Just enjoy it,' my buddy says. 'I'll see you at the finish.'
10.00 am - Go
Oh God I feel awful.
Oh God I'm tired
How can there be 13 miles to go?
I hate it. I hate you all.
10.20 am - 3 miles gone
This isn't so bad.
Just keep the pace
I feel fine.
Breathe in, breathe out.
10.40 am - Half Way
7 miles to go. 7 miles to go.
6 and a half miles. 6 and a half miles to go.
Is that a hill? Tell me that's not a hill.
10.47 am - 8 miles
It's far. It's too far
I can't keep up. I can't keep going.
Slow down. Rest. No need to hurry.
Breathe.
10.50 am - 8 and a half miles
Come on, come on! Come on, go.
This is it. This is the marathon.
It's now or never. Glory!
10.58 am - 9 miles
Try and stay with the guy in the red shirt.
Just try and stay with him.
11.06 am - 10 miles
I've gone.
I can’t think.
Nothing.
Keep running.
Running is all there is.
Nothing else.
11.20 am - 12 miles
Oh God, this is it. One mile to go.
I'm going to be sick, I'm going to crap myself.
Just one mile to go.
11.27 am - 400 metres
Still...all...that...way.
Don't faint. Don't be sick. Not now.
Just beat him, beat him.
Yes!
11.30 am
What was I worried about?
12.00 pm - The finish area
I'm cold.
I don't feel well.
My leg hurts.
Cramp, oh God is this cramp ever going to go?
12.15 pm - The Runners Village
'How was that?' my buddy asks me.
'Yeah, okay,' I say.
'Bit tired though now,' he says.
'Yeah.'
'Shall we go, it's getting cold?'
13.15 pm - A traffic jam
'I was thinking of doing the Reading Half next month?' my buddy says.
'Count me in,' I say.
'I'm tired,' I say, as I step into the car. 'And we haven't even gone anywhere yet.'
'Yes,' my buddy says. 'I've had a cold all week. Still not feeling good.'
7.10 am - The Off
Have I got everything?
Have I eaten enough?
Am I wearing the right shoes?
Are we going to be late?
I need the toilet, will there be any toilets?
Oh God, oh God.
'I've got to take a crap,' my buddy says.
8.00 am - A traffic jam
What's that pain in my thigh?
Did I train enough?
Did I train too much?
My legs are seizing up, they're seizing up!
'Look at this lump on my knee,' says my buddy.
9.00 am - The bag queue
'Banana?' my buddy asks me.
Should I eat?
What I feel sick?
What if I run out of energy?
What if I need the toilet again?
'Can I have half?' I reply.
9.15 am - The Runners Village
People stretching everywhere - bendy, flexible people.
Should I warm up yet?
Is stretching bad?
What if I use up energy?
What if I injure something?
'Quick jog?' my buddy suggests.
'Yeah,' I say.
9.55 am - The Start
I'm not ready. My muscles are tight.
Look at these people in their club vests.
Why aren't they worried?
Why is it only me?
'Just enjoy it,' my buddy says. 'I'll see you at the finish.'
10.00 am - Go
Oh God I feel awful.
Oh God I'm tired
How can there be 13 miles to go?
I hate it. I hate you all.
10.20 am - 3 miles gone
This isn't so bad.
Just keep the pace
I feel fine.
Breathe in, breathe out.
10.40 am - Half Way
7 miles to go. 7 miles to go.
6 and a half miles. 6 and a half miles to go.
Is that a hill? Tell me that's not a hill.
10.47 am - 8 miles
It's far. It's too far
I can't keep up. I can't keep going.
Slow down. Rest. No need to hurry.
Breathe.
10.50 am - 8 and a half miles
Come on, come on! Come on, go.
This is it. This is the marathon.
It's now or never. Glory!
10.58 am - 9 miles
Try and stay with the guy in the red shirt.
Just try and stay with him.
11.06 am - 10 miles
I've gone.
I can’t think.
Nothing.
Keep running.
Running is all there is.
Nothing else.
11.20 am - 12 miles
Oh God, this is it. One mile to go.
I'm going to be sick, I'm going to crap myself.
Just one mile to go.
11.27 am - 400 metres
Still...all...that...way.
Don't faint. Don't be sick. Not now.
Just beat him, beat him.
Yes!
11.30 am
What was I worried about?
12.00 pm - The finish area
I'm cold.
I don't feel well.
My leg hurts.
Cramp, oh God is this cramp ever going to go?
12.15 pm - The Runners Village
'How was that?' my buddy asks me.
'Yeah, okay,' I say.
'Bit tired though now,' he says.
'Yeah.'
'Shall we go, it's getting cold?'
13.15 pm - A traffic jam
'I was thinking of doing the Reading Half next month?' my buddy says.
'Count me in,' I say.
Comments
Post a Comment