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Half Marathon in Jersey Sunday 19th May 2002 |
Report from Janice Tweed  |
IT’S TURNED OUT NICE AGAIN, and other stories from Jersey
Saturday 18th May.
Now in duty-free! Girls spot Next, so shopping has to be done.
Plane is delayed so Wendy dishes out Portugal photos to remind us all what fun we had.
Board plane and eventually hurtle down runway until suddenly brakes slammed on! Take off is aborted and we head back to stand to get an engineering check-up. Wendy is now sweating! ‘Not happy with that!’ Finally take off 2 hours late. V bumpy flight - poor Wendy! Land in Jersey to blue sky and sunshine, yippee!!
Join queue for car hire and are dealt with by plain speaking Scouser.
By now in need of food, so head off in search of somewhere with outside seating, to make most of sunshine. Fall upon Jersey museum’s outdoor café. Music playing is ‘Chill Out Ibiza’ food is great. PERFECT place to chill.
Sunday 19th May
It is a beautiful day. Very warm for a ½ marathon! Do my first ever warm-up jog!!!! Race profile is very misleading, as it suggests first 3 miles up hill then all down. WRONG! Continued undulating all the way to finish, with a very mean down hill near the end. Spot Andrea ahead between 7 and 8 miles, but walking!
Unknown male runner took the time to admire her bum!
She is not happy! Has hurt her leg and cannot run, but as usual is determined, and insists on walking to finish, having first kicked a wall.
Marshalls sing Happy Birthday to me, which helps to lift my flagging spirits. Run along side and chat to a really nice guy called Graham for a while. (clearly we’re not working hard enough!) Then along side a guy called Richard, or Dick! who tells us he swims round the island for fun! Lose him as quickly as possible!
Go through 10 miles at 1.21 but last 3 miles are hard. Wendy jogs back for us, and coach us to finish.
1.48 on clock Yippee!!! PB on my birthday.
Wendy finished in 1.30, 2nd in her age group. And 6th lady overall.
Meet up with Sarah and then anxiously await Andrea’s return. She walks over the line but is clearly in pain and unhappy. We walk down to beach and have some team photos taken. It is a beautiful day and a spectacular setting. Wendy, Andrea and Sarah decide to cool their legs in the sea. Not for long, the water is freezing. Andrea and Wendy get wiped out by a freak wave. You have to be soo careful!!!!.
Back to rooms to shower and change then feel the need for food. Call museum to book restaurant for dinner only to find they close on Sunday nights, so head there for lunch instead. Find a table in the sun, eat brunch and seriously CHILL.
Take puddleduck (boat/ lorry) out to an interesting history but crap castle and wander around. Wendy has been here before and tells us about dungeons and stocks, so we look for them, and look and look! NO DUNGEONS!
Monday 20th May
Drive to St Brelades for a 5 minute chill on the beach, just long enough to put a towel down! Head to airport for return flight. Very civilised airport, no queues, and very quick process. Before we know it we are on the plane. Short delay, then v short flight (35 mins) lady driver, great flight!!!!
THE END
What a great weekend. Great weather, great company. Thanks guys for making my birthday memorable.
PS. I’m now a female SUPER Vet. I am NOT happy with that!!!!
FOOTNOTE:
Janice achieves a 1.48 Half Marathon PB on her Birthday and a 47.19 10k PB two weeks later – we think that makes her SUPER! And we are VERY happy with that! Keep on running!