Sunday the 8th February was the date and a lazy 8am alarm call for me to get up as I live local so it was a huge bonus not to have to rush about and travel to the event.
A quick shower and some breakfast of wholemeal toast and peanut butter and a cup of coffee and I was ready to start the painful ritual of deciding for definite what run kit I was going to wear. I can sympathize with the ladies when they have to choose outfits to go out in or shoes a little here, difference is though men tend to choose sensible items that usually fit well, properly and comfortably and don't need taking off half way through the event unless we are too hot of course.
The previous day I was toying with the idea of wearing my new running shorts I got from the charity I am running for this year THHN Torbay Holiday Helpers Network they were a little shorter than I expected and I had misgivings about wearing them on their own without something else underneath because they were practically what a fellow running friend Keith called '80's porn shorts' and I must admit they wouldn't of been out of place in an Olivia Newton John fitness video from the 80's!
Anyway it was only 2C out that morning so a sensible pair of compression shorts underneath was in order and a compression top to help keep warm. I even had to put a winter running top over that to ensure I would be warm enough.
I had originally planned on wearing my dedicated 14runs running top that was getting printed up by Rungeek.co.uk but we had some issues with some of the logo's from the sponsors so more work was required on them prior to print and sadly this couldn't be completed on time.
So it was 9am and time to leave the good old warm flat and head out into town and onto the car park where the free buses would be.These are put on by Mad Dog every year for free inc the parking and are one of the many reasons the Mad Dog is often the winner of the best 10k in the UK.
On the walk down the Prom it was nice to bump into up and coming Ultra legend Darren Finnegan who is a fellow running friend from the Facebook group 'Running Discussion Board' and although he has only literally been running near on two years tops he has already progressed to Ultra marathons, he is an inspiration to us all.
Finally I'm on the bus and quickly at the school were the event is held, and of to the gym to collect my legendary Mad Dog t-shirt PRIOR to the event, a lesson many other events could learn from. Upon collection I was even given a free pair of More Mile running socks, how good is that? bonus.
Plenty of familiar faces seen in the gym after t-shirt collection, David, Jan, Vicky, Adele, James, Niamh and new fellow running friend Helen. Best thing about these events is the ability to make new friends that you have something in common with.
Next it was over to the sports hall to the changing rooms for a quick change and then to put my bag in to the baggage store area, as ever it was quickly taken from me and stored safely, another thing others could learn from.
Many more familiar faces were now appearing around the sports hall, Linda, Keith, Stan, Lyndon, Chris and many more and the usual hello's and best wishes were passed on, and then it was time to go to the start.
This year we had dedicated categories for our run numbers which were based on our expected run time and they were you guessed it 'breeds of dogs' all based on how fast we were or weren't. I was a Dalmation which was the second wave of runners so this meant not having to queue up with all the other runners who stood wherever they felt like at the start area and promptly got in your way when we all set off. The wave idea makes it safer for everybody because you pretty much run with people of your own speed and pretty much all set off at the same speed.
Top marks to the organizers for being brave enough to introduce this at a 10k, as it is not the norm for an event of that distance and length.
Finally we were off but only after Mad Dog himself had danced on stage happy and content with the Mad Dogs themselves for their enthusiastic howls .......
It was the usual route onto the seafront and strangely enough into the fog? this was a new one for the Southport Mad Dog and certainly a new one for me for an event, but onwards we went along the seafront admiring the golden san.....well, the field of beach grass that seems to of replaced the once beautiful golden sands of Southport Beach.
A couple of km's in and it was the treat of being able to hear the Batala Band from Liverpool, you couldn't see them though because it was so foggy. We soon reached the enthusiastic band members and onwards we went. Next up was the famous 'Pelvis Presley' by the Southport Pier, it's always a good laugh and a heart lightener to see him every year at that spot just when you need a lift to keep going.
Running around the outside of the Fairground was next and roughly the 5k mark and then onto the Promenade after passing another Batala type band or maybe even extra members of the other I'm not sure. Down the Prom we went and through the water station for those who needed refreshment, and then under the Pier again and the 5 million pound+ Marine Way Bridge and past my workplace the infamous Ramada Plaza Hotel, and then back up onto the Prom again.
The last two marshals at this point we have just passed were both wearing doggie fancy dress, so hats of to them for the effort.
Still along the Prom we go to roughly 7-8k and past the infamous Darren Finnegan who is taking pictures of friends, sadly I was too fast and he didn't spot me, or so I told myself jokingly as I waved at him too late for a picture due to the long lens on his camera, and by now I was practically in his face so way out of focus.
We now rounded the bend of the Prom and headed back towards the Seafront and the Batala Band again, double bonus and extra encouragement for the weary runners.
Down the seafront and fast approaching 9k and fellow Natterjack Fast Forward Running member Barry glides past me without any effort at all, at this stage I'm thinking either He's having one hell of a run or I'm going slower than I think! He was actually having a really good run and it's good to see friends doing so well in runs.
I did finally look at my watch just prior to the last corner just to see if I was going slower, but to my amazement I was actually on a decent time and at just over 43 minutes at that point. I told myself to push on a bit but I wanted to sprint in so tried to hold on a bit.
The final straight is a welcome sight but bl**dy hell it's long, and when the finish line is disguising itself in the distant fog time seems to travel at warp speed whilst the distance covered crawls past when your running fast to the line hoping to clock a late new PB.
I crossed in 45 minutes and 53 seconds which was a new PB at the Mad Dog course for me and only 7 seconds slower than my all time PB! I was happy with that though as I had tried hard and I looked fairly comfortable on the finish line picture.
So it was done, a quick high 5 of the Mad Dog mascot and a "well done" and it was off to get the infamous 'Doggie bag' packed with food,drink,samples and money off vouchers, always a good one at Mad Dog events.
Several well done's and how did you do's from fellow running friends including Tracey, Maddalena, Ben, Lyndon again and several more and then it was the race for the showers to beat the rush, another bonus that you don't get at other events.
Bag collected and it was the best bit of the post run event activity... the visit to the pub, it is the law!.....
The lovely and original Old Southport pub the Hesketh Arms is the traditional after run pub for Mad Dogs as it is the nearest good pub to the event. It had had a refit since we visited last year and when I got in there it was a challenge to find an area of good seating to fit the 30+ odd people I had invited from the Running Discussion Board for an 'Afters drink/snack meet up'.
Eventually after fellow runners started to arrive Adele thankfully took the helm and found a decent sized area of tables where we could intimidate the lunchers who had dared to beat us to the seats.....
Again hello's and well done's were said and how did you do's as well as "how do's" which is either typical Lancastrian or whatever you call Yorkshire people (other than tight fisted of course).
So that was it for the day,after several pints and relaxing hours with great friends old and new it was finally time to go home and put the feet up, and face the dreaded 200+ Facebook notifications we will have to trawl through when we get back :)
So that was run #1 of my charity campaign done and dusted and I'm already looking forward to run #2 at Edge Hill in Ormskirk at the 'Jacobs Leg It 10k' on Sunday 22nd March 2015, another fine charity event raising funds for the National Autistic Society, a bargain at only £9 for club runners and £11 for non club runners. Give it your support if you can by either entering or coming down to support.
http://www.bellevuehouse10k.org.uk/
And if you manage to get there, I'll see you there and hopefully I'll be sporting my dedicated 14runs running top with my sponsors logo's etc on it, and my 80's porn shorts of course ;)
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