Amsterdam Marathon 15/10/06
Having decided only to do this 4 weeks before the race I dont know if it was a good idea; but anyway... It was with a running tours company that I decided to go with, so everything was well organised. As they were leaving early saturday morning on the coach I stayed overnight in Dover. After looking at prices for flights and trains to london I settled for the bus so after an eleven hour journey (including another 2 hour trip on the train to Dover) I finally get to the b&b at 11pm. Saturday morning up at 6 for breakfast - another early start (you would think I would be used to it being a postie for 17 years), and then on the coach, on the ferry over to calais, then on to Amsterdam arriving at 3pm. Martin from Nice Work sorted us all into our rooms then he was going to pick up everybody's numbers at the expo. At 8pm we all went out for a meal (all 28 of us) which Martin had already booked. Sunday morning up at 6.30 for breakfast then off at 8.30 to the stadium for the start. The route is entirely flat, well almost, starting off in a stadium packed full of spectators is something else - hearing everyone cheering. The route takes in a 7km loop and then back into the stadium and out to do a bigger loop. One by one the kilometres are getting ticked off and even at 30k still feeling fine, until 34k; there is a slight rise which just knocked me for six. From 34 to 37k it was just a jog then on 37 everything came to a halt so from then on it was a walk/jog but I still managed to run the last kilometre back into the stadium and round the track (not a full lap thank goodness) to the finish in 3.32.20.
Low points - having to stop with 5k to go, not beating my london time, first half 1.38 second half 1.54, the coach having to get two new batteries (someone forgot to switch the toilet light off) and not leaving Amsterdam until 8.30pm.
High points - after the disappointment of Edinburgh this more than makes up for it, seeing a runner giving another dogs abuse for cutting across and hearing him shouting, couldn't understand him but I think every 3rd or 4th word began with an f, having a beer while waiting for the coach to get fixed or was it more? can't remember! we finally get moving and arrive back at Calais at 12.40am then on to the ferry giving us time for a few more beers and arriving at Dover at 1.40am.
Final thoughts apart from the coach down to london (I think we had Victor Meldrew driving the coach) it was a really enjoyable weekend.
Report John Pickard
Photos courtesy of Startpagina (Good quality high resolution photos to download for free!)
