Sunday 14th. I'm back in the UK for a long weekend... leaving behind problems to be solved, bills to be paid and so much work to be done on our new place and completion of Ste's Bathroom. Putting this all behind me I'm looking forward to seeing The Cinematic Orchestra at The Royal Albert Hall this evening... just in from a good run round the Essex country lanes near Lynda's home here in Little Waltham, 9.65 miles in 1:04:28.
Very enjoyable concert, though the journey there was hell.. stuck in traffic for nearly 2 hours on the M11 and the kayos that trying to drive through central London brings.
I must recap on the happening's since my last detailed blog.
Sunday 31st Oct, the morning of the Luzern Half-marathon, Lynda arrived early Saturday morning and at this point I was unsure whether I would still take part... the way training had been so interrupted with a combination moving stress, injuries and working on Ste's..I went out before lunch for an easy 4 miles to see if my ankle showed any reaction from a run I'd done on Thursday..everything seemed to be ok, so it was all systems go for Sunday morning.
Studying the map on Saturday trying to work out the how to successfully get to the start, knowing parking would be virtually impossible close by, tried to workout what nearby Town’s we might park up at then catch a tram, train, walk. We needn’t have bothered worrying it was so simple.. We got up early quick breakfast jumped in car and headed for Luzern. Because the race starts and finishes round the Lake at the Transport Museum all we needed to do was drive straight to the carpark at the main Railway Station (all familiar as I’d taken Dad and Catherine here 4 years ago) then join the throng headed down to the jetty to catch the shuttle Ferry taking competitors over to the Registration/Start Area… Breeze! Picked up my number found a toilet then relaxed a little at the entrance to the Planetarium. With 40 minutes we headed the long starting straight on a perfect morning for running, beyond the start line by the lake I did a few stretches started to warm up but really needed one last visit to the toilet…big mistake we headed back through the crowds of runners gathering for the start to the last set of potaloos and a big queue had formed, but I needed to go..just managed to get in one on time then quickly headed down the pavement to get nearer the front..kissed and said good bye to Lynda before getting back into the crowd of runners before the gun went off.. chip timing so my race time wouldn’t start till I crossed the start line but once I'd crossed the start line realised started to far back as the first 2 kilometres were spent trying to pass slower runners most by running on the footpath by the time 3km came up things had sorted themselves out and plenty of space to run and manoeuvre. Before the race I thought this was a pan flat course round the edge of the Lake…Wrong between 5 and 9km there are 3 steady little climbs as the route turned away from the lake a little but I was feeling ok and when we started to go downhill back towards the lake going through10K in 39minutes I was more than pleased with my time considering the up-hill stretches. With the idea that we’d have to go up hill again heading back to Luzern and unusually for me I started to hurt so early at the 13km mark and slowed dramatically in fact I think if I’d been anywhere near the finish I’d have dropped out. The were no up hill sections on the way back as we looped round, I latched onto two tall younger guy's as I seemed to get a second wind these lads dragged me back into Luzern City Centre till I couldn't go with them any more.. By now coming up to the 19km mark just keep it going and I'd soon be home.. Its a great finish as you run the last couple of 100metre's on a blue carpet inside the Transport Museum... I was really happy with the time at the end considering everything 1:21:43 We walked back to car around the lake it was a perfect beautiful autumn day. Once home checked the result on the internet, and then I was disappointed... I came in 6th out of 585 happy...but just 31 seconds behind 2nd place.
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