There’s a new name in the world of running today: Andy Commentary.
That’s what it says on the front of the envelope that arrived this morning from the organisers of the Adidas Half Marathon at Silverstone. Quite a bizarre coincidence that it should arrive at my house, as I’ve also entered this event.
With just 2½ weeks to go, it seems churlish to defer my excitement any longer about this, the first race of the season. Hurrah! Hurrah!! Hurrah!!!
It’s true that I didn’t enjoy it much last year, but I’m giving it another chance. The location is unusual, though it can hardly be accused of being unsuited to racing: it’s a Formula One circuit. Last year I found the setting a little on the bleak side. It made me realise just how important an ingredient scenery is in a race. “Scenery” doesn’t have to be craggy hills, spectacular gorges, scented dales and blossom-filled avenues. It can, a là the Reading Half, be the town centre, the bridge over the motorway, a circuit of the recreation ground, the red-brick campus and that inspirational climax:- the never-to-be-forgotten panorama of light industrial units adjacent to the A4. Something to look at. Anything to look at.
Silverstone’s uniqueness provides some temporary fascination, but the emptiness of the place, the total lack of peripheral diversions (not even a spectator, or a tree) made it a strangely soulless event last year. I hope they’ve learnt some lessons from last year’s inaugural race. For example, at one point last year, we all ran past a loudspeaker blaring out the London Marathon theme tune. It provided a rare moment of warmth, a splash of personality to the race. Why not have more speakers round the circuit, and more music? It really does help.
But the main reason I’m looking forward to it this year is that we’ve organised a coach up there which is now just about full. It adds a vaguely stressful edge to the day, but so be it. Nothing wrong with a spot of danger here and there. Should be enjoyable, and I’m looking forward to meeting some of the people we’ve been corresponding with over the past few weeks.
Out this morning for the usual 3½ miles. My weight has been acting strangely recently. After that extended binge a couple of weeks ago, I found myself suddenly 9 pounds heavier than the lowest recent mark I’d reached. But since last Saturday, 8 pounds have re-vanished, so that today’s run amounted to a physiological sigh of relief, with my least slow average pace for a few weeks. Others will have different triggers, but for me, nothing makes a quicker impact than losing weight.
I feel like a different person.
Yours, Andy Commentary
