Reading Half Marathon - March 6th 2005

[El Gordo]

Sunday:

OK guys, what's the latest?

Here's my plan.

We're meeting up with Antonio in London on Saturday, and we're off to Eton where we'll be eton some pasta. Antonio is staying in a hotel a couple of miles from me.

Sunday, I'll pick him up from the hotel and we'll drive to the orange car park, which is the one between the stadium and the start.

If I survive the race I'll meet up with Antonio again in the stadium at the finish, along with another mate of mine, Kev, and his family.

We now have some options. If Sweder and SP are going to be around, we could go all go and have a beer together locally. This isn't as straightforward as it sounds, as the Madejski Stadium area is in the middle of nowhere. However, I do know one or two places which I can advise you guys of.

An alternative is that everyone comes back to my place for beer and food, and even a shower if you want. I appreciate that this might not be possible as S has an important birthday to attend to, but it's an option. I live about 5-10 mins drive from the Madejski, traffic willing. I also live next door to a pub, and I plan to have a large pot of something filling simmering on the cooker. If it's not eaten then, it doesn't matter. It will freeze.

If people want to eat, another option is that we meet for a pint nearer the stadium and have a pub lunch.

A final option is that none of this post-race stuff happens. We perhaps meet up and say hello, and then go our separate ways.

It's impossible to finalise things right now because there are so many unknowns, but my plan is to have all these things available as options, and we can play it by ear on the day.

Any comments....?

[Sweder]

A most generous and accomodating plan, Andy.
For my part, I would like to meet up post race if only for a swift half. The Pub Next Door (to your house) sounds like a good plan - that way you'll be back at/ near home, and SP and I can make our way from there at any stage.

As for meeting up, Orange car park sounds a fair option. SP and I discussed the possibility of collecting you and Antonio from your house & travelling in one vehicle. There's now a couple of possible options here:

1. We can all meet at the Orange car park via separate transport as per your suggestion above
2. SP & I could pick up yourself & Antonio from your house & go to the start
3. We could collect Antonio on our way in to town, saving you the hassle of driving out and back, and either pick you up from home or meet you at the start

Hmm, I'm probably not helping much by increasing the choices. Just as well we're not trying to co ordinate running colours as well, eh?
Let us know what suits you best and we'll go that way.

[El Gordo]

Hang on Sweder, I think you may have a plan....

You've mentioned something that I hadn't thought of. If you come to my house on Sunday morning, we can all go in one car using my car park pass. That's you, SP, Antonio, my mate Kev who'll be staying with me Saturday night, and me...

Kev meets up with his family after the race and they can drive back to mine in Kev's wife's car which will be parked at the stadium...

Antonio's hotel is actually out my way rather than on the way to me from outside town, so either I can go and get him earlier, or we can all go and get him when we leave mine.

The other advantage with this plan is that we can (I hope) get to the race via the back roads rather than try to get there from the M4 J11 which may be chocker.

What vehicle are you coming in? It's probably bigger than mine...

[Sweder]

The SP Love Machine - a Honda 4 x 4. Comfortable for 5 reasonably large chaps (modesty!) so should be ideal. Best soolution wd be to pick you & Kev up then Antonio - local knoweldge could prove invaluable, plus this gives A an extra half hour to have breakfast & do his 10 mile warm up

So next question is time. Again I would defer to your local knowledge. If you send me a PM with your address & postcode I can print off a streetmap and calculate route & times from Lewes to your door.

Logistics - I'm Loving It

[Seafront Plodder]

As neither Sweder or I have booked a car park slot.

My car is biggish and could easily accommodate 5 lardies.

Perhaps to meet at your gaff Andy, (and to return and have a swiftie in the local that you so regularly refer to in your diary), is the better option.

You have given me your address so I can multimap the route. Job done. Shame about my calf!

[Antonio247]

Don´t worry if you forget to pick me up! It will be the perfect excuse not to run the half marathon since I´ve still got a pain in my right heel.

Looking forward to meeting you soon


Antonio

[Sweder]

Never mind car parking tickets . . . perhaps I should pre-order space in the St Johns Ambulance? Still, it'll be fun to stand and cheer Andy on. What a bunch of wrecks - we're like a stricken bomber crew; our pilot's still there, fighting manfully at the controls, as the rest of us dodge the flames of pain and injury, looking for the best place to bail out.

[El Gordo]

It doesn't stop there. My mate Kev, who's coming with us to the race, called last night to say that he has a dodgy knee, has done hardly any training, and is doubful whether he will finish the race.

Me? Apart from a slight, twinge in the old hamstring, I feel fine. That bottle of Rioja and selection of fine creamy cheeses late on Sunday night took it out of me for a day or two, but I think I'm back on track now.

Of course, you know what this means, don't you? I'll blow up after 10 miles and you guys will all storm to PBs and indeed, to the very fringes of international recognition.

Mark my words, tis written in the stars. (Where's William Shakespeare when you need a decent quotation from him?)

[Nigel]

Lurking under a pseudonym in West Berks, methinks....

[Sweder]

Funny, I always had him down as an emigrant, possibly Southern Hemisphere. Something to do with the time of his posts . . . unless he's an insomniac?

[El Gordo]

He certainly seems to do his best work while we mortals are long abed.

[Nigel]

Whilst studiously saving my abject lack of form for another battlefield in Bath next week, there remains an outside chance that this other Stratfordian might be looking for some critical training advice from the RC faithful in the pub after your heroic exploits on Sunday.

If you drop me a line with the details, perhaps I'll see if I can negotiate an exit pass across the blasted Berkshire heaths to find you all.....
Cheers
Nigel

[suzieq]

All these messages about the upcoming race makes me wish I could join you guys. I'll be thinking of you though and might even have to have a Guinness in your honour (or maybe a glass of Rioja!). You guys are lucky that you live so close that you can easily bop around (except you Antonio). Makes me envious.

Have a great race everyone and remember, it doesn't matter how fast you are, just try to enjoy your time out there.

Suzie

[El Gordo]

We'll raise our glasses to absent friends, Suzie, don't worry.

Thanks for your good wishes.

SP/Sweder/Nigel:

I'll email you separately with directions if you're thinking of coming this way.

Let me know if you have a better plan than the one suggested earlier.

Cheers,

Andy

[El Gordo]

BTW, have emailed you at the mail addresses I have registered for you here. If you've changed email since then, mail me and I'll forward.

Andy

[Seafront Plodder]

Andy can you email me and let me know the email address to which you have sent an email?

Thankee sai.

[El Gordo]

I think that was a joke...


.....but it was the Hotmail one.

[Seafront Plodder]

Andy if you can don your logistics hat, and let me know what time Sweder and I need to get to yours to pick you and Kev up (before going to get Antonio), then we'll be there!

[El Gordo]

I've got a busy day ahead, so just a few notes, and will check in later...

I'm sure everyone - paricularly Antonio - will be delighted to hear that Reading is coated with snow this morning.

Sunday's forecast, according to the BBC, is for a sunny day but cold - max 5 Celsius. Pretty ideal for running, I'd say, but do give some thought to what to wear while waiting for the start. It might be worth taking some old shirt that you don't mind throwing away, or a plastic bag. I can provide the latter, but not the former...

Timings... Hmm, hard to say. Race starts at 10:05. If traffic was not an issue, we could comfortably leave at 9:30 and get there in good time. But traffic may well be a problem, so I think we should aim to leave here at about... 8:15. If you Ash and Andy could aim to get to my place by 08:00, that would be good. If you need food, let me know in advance.

Cheers

Andy

[Antonio247]

I´ve seen London with snow on TV. I can´t bring the sunshine since it is rainy here lately but I expect to bear the cold weather tomorrow and Sunday will be warmer.

Hasta pronto See you soon.

Antonio