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| Jason now on the right side of the fence.......so that's what anti climb paint looks like. |
Perhaps
all marathons should be defined as "purgatory", I know I've always
found something oddly pure about the 26.2 mile distance and yet always
punishing.
None more so than at this weeks Liverbird Double Marathon.
A
very simple marathon where you start on the promenade in Toxteth and
run along it for 3.3 miles to where it runs out, touch the wall and run
back to the start. Complete four laps and your marathon is complete. Every once in a while you start a marathon and your body says 'no'. It's
not a "I'm injured and can't run" type no, it's more of a "if you
insist on making me do this I'm going to make it really miserable for
you. So,
no drinks stations (we were pre-warned) a concrete running surface, out
and back four times with a smattering of torrential rain and 35mph
gusts made for day one to be 'purgatory'.
Day
two started with the excitement of the gates to get onto the promenade
actually being locked. Being unable to contact anyone who could open
them it was decided we would run a mile along the inside of the fence
through an industrial estate to a gap which would allow us back onto the
promenade.
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| Fence installed to stop Jason falling in. |
The problem was when we got there none of the runners could find the gap.
The most direct route was to go straight up and over the 10ft fence which was the barrier between us and the race course.
So,
whilst all the others searched for a route out of the car park I
launched myself at the fence with all the enthusiasm of a 17 year old
scouser being chased by police dogs, a move in which I obviously
pictured myself leaping it in a single bound with maybe doing a 'par
cour' style somersault for good measure.
In
reality I'm a 46 year old man, who'd run a marathon the day before, was
carrying a pack on my back and a Christmas worth of chocolate on my
front and was now clambering 10 feet up a fence which unbeknown to me
was coated in 'anti climb' paint. (didn't have that in my day!)
I
paused briefly at the top to unhook my Lycra shorts from the sharp
pointy bit of metal whilst pondering how I would explain any injury
sustained to Jo before descending the other side and continuing my run.
By
the time I returned 5 miles later there was a man stationed slightly
further along the course directing us to the afore mentioned gap (but
thankfully no police)
There
was no rain on the second day but the wind was much more constant and
much harder than the first. It was straight in our faces on each of the 3
mile homeward stretches which made it almost impossible to run.
I
met up with some of the Cheshire Search and Rescue team who we'd spent
time in Greece with which was good to talk with them and have a brief
respite from the monotony of the race but in the end I was very
relieved to get the two days finished.
The
Liverbird Double is almost as flat as the Déjà vu but with the concrete
surface, wind and barely changing scenery it makes for a very tough
couple of days. I
did however learn that 'anti climb' paint doesn't do what it says on
the tin but does in fact take hours of scrubbing with a Brillo pad to
remove from your skin.
And of course, being the only Strider there it meant I was the...
No... just can't bring myself to say it!!
For more information, visit the website.
Jason
(Photos courtesy of Nozza Wales)
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