Stockholm Half Marathon 10/9/05More of a turnip than a Swede.
Well, how not to undertake your first ever foreign race after 23 years of running. Book the race, flight and hotel (well youth hostel actually), get injured 2 days later, run 6 times (nothing over 4 miles) in the next 3 months, then try running a half marathon in near 80 degrees in Stockholm. Outcome - from 1.27 in May to 1.47 in September. The most excruciating experience of my running career.
However as I was passed by wave after wave of beautiful slim Swedish girls, there was at least some consolation. This was the S:t Eriksloppet half marathon on 10 September. 10000 runners, where my previous time of 1.27 this year would have placed me about 250. Instead I was somewhere around 1750. However Portobello is clearly a world famous club. After 5k I heard this voice saying "Is that a Portobello Running Club vest?" Here it was a guy from Kirkintilloch.
The race is brilliant for a fast time, as from the lowest point to the highest is only 18 metres. I was hoping to just get round. I was going ok (but slow), nursing my dodgy hip over the first 10K. I reached 15K and then the wheels came off. Having run 5k splits of 22,24 and 24 approx, I plummeted to 30 for the next......
Still I was able to celebrate my demise with a beer at £5.60 a pint. God willing I will piece myself back together and hobble down to Portie in a few weeks......
report Phil Cunningham
