When there are 18 of you on  a trip it can be hard for everyone to agree to do the same thing. However, all who ran the Paris Marathon decided to do the same thing and that was give it everything and in most cases get a PB.
Some of us flew from Exeter and others decided on the Eurostar from St Pancras but we more or less ended up at the hotel at the same time. It looked as though I may have used all my energy carrying the luggage, referred to at the time as the cricket bag, and when the lift arrived and was no bigger than the bag I was carrying, the stairs tested my training to its limits.
The Expo, while short on freebies, was certainly organised very well and the pasta meal as good as a restaurant. The personal envelope with your running number etc also contained a bag with, I quote “2 small bandages for your tits” ! Unisex of course. A small session at a local watering hole on the Friday evening was the prelude to the usual, I’m relaxing the day before but in fact walking miles program. Visit all the sites and feel that you are relaxing because you’ve sat down for a coffee.
Watching a group of young Japanese ladies posing for photographs outside the Notre Dame kept us amused for some time and took our thoughts away from long distances on the same roads.
Bob and Marilyn got lost at the massive roundabout known as the Arc de Triomphe and it must have been like a Keystone Cops movie as I was walking round one way and they were staying ahead of me! The melee of sorting out who ordered what was superseded by who was paying for what.
A restless night frequently interrupted by young Frenchmen no doubt full of 1664 and the type of pillow that a micrometer would probably measure as slightly thinner than an After Eight mint was ended by yours truly trying to carry on a conversation with an automatic wake up call. I did sound very Gallic though. We had taken our own porridge so the traditional breakfast was adhered to and we assembled for the photographs before the off.
£150 a night is a bit steep for a hotel room but its value was soon illustrated when we only had about 300 meters to get  to the
start area. Its value would be even further demonstrated at the finish. The organisers had provided everyone with a kind of giant Tesco bag to wear to keep warm but of course those of us who were a few thousand back from the start line had to wade through miles of plastic as soon as the gun went, which none of us heard as I Got A Feeling the organisers thought the Black Eyed Peas at 4MG decibels would be a better signal to start. Glynnis saved the day for Wendy by rehooking her bra which had pinged open. I don’t even think the “small bandages for tits” would have prevented a major disaster there.
It didn’t take too long before you were into a reasonable running pace and the long boulevards, avenues and rues meant you could bump and barge past people whose ambition had outweighed their ability. A very welcome cycle lane took you out of the weaving for a while until you had to return to the main road to go over the chip timing mats.
The scramble for water was very militaristic. Everyone knows its every 5K but that doesn’t stop the panic stricken who haven’t had a drink for nearly 3 miles abruptly chasing across to the right had side to barge in for their last chance for the another 5K. Had the rues turned into Death Valley? One poor runner was knocked completely over the drinks table and ended up jogging the rest of the race.
Turning back along the Seine brought you to a tunnel were the walls were clad with men relieving themselves and the noise was deafening as the local French runners responded to a cadence from one of their pacers. Out through that and on to the famous underpass where some familiar faces were waiting to take photographs as you left. 20 miles came and still felt pretty strong and decided to inject a bit of extra effort and see what happened. Unfortunately at 23 the thighs said that’s a bit quick so it was back to a more realistic pace.
A couple of cruel bends and there’s the line, but someone is moving it away from me. Gotcha at last and it’s a PB by the monstrous amount of, check him for drugs, 39 seconds. It takes an awful long time to get through the finish area and then the welcome 300 metres back to the hotel.
A quick shower and get to the bar where Jackie and Mike are, get a pint of the Black stuff and wait for the others. Bob has managed to sneak out of the finish area without the Foreign Legion security guards noticing and is back before the others and his best time for yonks.
Then there’s the blond bombshell and yes it’s a big big grin hugs and kisses and a 4.12.12 which is a PB by 24 minutes. A glass of Bordeaux is the best I can manage for her and then Glynnis appears beaming far more than any Cheshire cat and its another PB of 4.27.38, this time by well over 40 minutes.
Then in comes Kathryn who has been looking out for her son Jonathan who has had a bit of injury out on the course but she announces yet another PB, 4.20.51 which is 20 minutes better.
We dash back to the hotel to get the lap top hooked up and search out the times.
And here they are for those of you still reading this after that lot.
Steve 3.51.02 Carn
Wendy 4.12.12 Carn
Glynnis 4.27.38 Carn
Kathryn 4.2051 Hayle
Jonathan 4.44.32 Hayle
Mike 5.35.10 Hayle
Tom 5.33.00 Hayle
Val 5.33.20 Hayle
Rob 4.15.54 Hayle
Bob 4.25.41Edmonton
Marilyn 4.53.51 Edmonton
Tom beat Val as he rounded the last bend and sprinted to the finish to preserve the bragging rights in the Brennan household.
I need to comment on the great efforts put in by Wendy, Glynnis and Kathryn. I bullied, cajoled and moaned at them for 15 weeks and tried to convince them that they could achieve their goals. Thanks for putting up with me and I am very proud of you all and I got as much satisfaction out of your huge success than I did my much smaller one. I think its in your heads now ladies. And as the crowd chanted, I offer you a Bravo!
A great weekend with some good company and a popular one with the Brits of whom there were some 5000 taking part. it’s a bit pricy but organised properly could make it cheaper and maybe a good one for the club to consider for next year.