10k State of Mind

0k – Queueing up for the race at 9:00 am which is to start at 9:30.

Our adrenaline is pumping. The excitement is building. When we look ahead of us all we can see is 20,000 runners ahead of us with no beginning in sight. We look back and it’s 20,000 runners behind us with no end in sight. Incredible!

0k continued… 

45 minutes later we are still waiting in a sea of now anxious runners, some of which are beginning to get claustrophobic. I should have known it wouldn’t start on time seeing as everything else on this island takes a lifetime but oh well. Finally a man’s voice can be heard on the microphone and everyone’s soft talking fades as they listen in only to hear him announce some woman whose name couldn’t be heard as 40,000 groans drowned out the speakers, it was like a school assembly for elementary school when everyone ignores the principal for the first ten minutes.

The chatter and complaining instantly stops at the first tune of the national anthem and begins again as the signal for the race goes off through the crowd countdown. Yes! Here we go this is it! Lindsay and I look to each other putting our headphones on and starting our iPods.

“Good luck, Jess.”

“You’re going to do great Lindsay!”

Twenty minutes later we were still walking together as we had yet to approach the starting line. Lindsay is getting hungry and I now need to use the bathroom. When we finally did reach the start we began our jog. We had decided we run together as long as we could and break off when necessary by waving the other person on. About 50 feet in Lindsay waved and I went on ahead.

1k 

Not prepared for the slow start as you try to weave through the people to find you pace I finally hit my stride which was definitely aided by fellow runners. I soon discover various runners in different costumes along the way but my favorite is definitely the one I sprinting by me at the 1k mark. My reaction went a little something like this,

“This is amazing! I’m running through the streets of London! Oh, there goes a man in a bay watch suit. Op, there are his ass cheeks.” I instantly know this is going to be fun. Later, I find out Lindsay was running after someone in a Ginger bread costume. Nice.

2k Follow that man

After becoming comfortable with my surrounding runners, having assesed the situation, I have successfully strategized my run. Chasing after attractive men. It’s perfect, they are in shape so I’m automatically running at a faster pace trying to stay with them and I get a little eye candy in the process. When I begin to lose momentum and they get further away I find a new man to follow. It’s perfect! I should run a 10k every week.

3k H20

As I’ve been running for less than ten minutes I opt out of this water and keep going. But enjoy watching the runners who are already chugging the water, dousing it on their head, then launching the waters like grenades over the heads of the other runners towards the grass.

4k Penis envy

As we approach the 5k the path begins to narrow. We are going to be running through a tunnel underneath a bridge forcing the limited space on the road to become even more limited. Frustrated with my slowing pace as everyone bumps into each other and blocks my path I run up on to the sidewalk hugging the road and leading into the tunnel. I look down to watch my footing as get on the sidewalk and notice its color is darker than the rest of the pavement. That’s odd because it has been a clear morning and there hasn’t been any rain. Once under the tunnel, I’m still focused on the pavement as it still appears to be wet. We’re under a tunnel! How can it be wet under the tunnel? BAM! I ran into the reason and his reason ran onto my foot. As I screamed “Oh, Sh…shoot.” (I said, shoot. I swear. I mean I don’t swear.) I finally looked up to see men lined up peeing on the walls of the tunnel. I’m more upset that I don’t get this luxury then the urine on my shoe. Not fair.

5k

I pass the 50p port-a-loos. No thank you. I’ll hold it.

6k

“Damn it, 4k to go. Don’t stop. Just power through. Stupid 10k. I should have trained more then I wouldn’t be feeling this. Maybe I went too fast out of the start.”  Just then “Shipping off to Boston” comes on my playlist. I run a bit harder and get caught fist pumping to the song by the spectators at the good bits. I put my arm down.

7k  Sightseeing

I’m running towards the London Eye over the bridge and towards Westminster Abbey. It is a beautiful clear day in London. The sight is breathtaking. The energy of the runners and the crowd is addicting.

8k

Rounding Big Ben onward to Tralfalgar square. I wish I would have remembered my camera and took pictures as I ran. I could have printed them out and called them art or just laughed at the blurry resolutions later.

9k

Men our continually popping up out of the bushes and rejoining the runners. Apparently the tunnel wasn’t the only place to nature.

10k

Done! I ran it in an hour and ten minutes. Not too shabby. I feel like I could have run another 5k but was glad to be done. It was an incredible experience and a great way to see London and to start bringing my year abroad chasing my dreams to a close. This is just the start of many goals for me to achieve.

Cheers, Jess

p.s. it was a great trip to London and I will try to blog throughout the week about all the awesome things Lindsay and I did, plus my visit in Shrewbury. It’s getting harder and harder to blog as my dissertation nears and my writing has been focused on that so i’m not making too many guarantees

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