Marathon Day 4, Saturday 19th March - Wakefield, Pugneys Park

That's a good fit, isn't it!

Early wake-up cos don't know how long it will take to travel to Wakefield in RV.  Left home at 6.15 in bright sunshine and with little traffic and clear roads, arrived at our destination at 8am only to discover that the gates were locked until 9am. So, a cup of coffee and chill out until the man arrived!!!

Waiting for the man

Another narrow entrance but safely negotiated - quick setup and ready in good time for start of marathon.

Pugneys Park is a beautiful location and the 1.5mile route had been mapped around the lake,There was tremendous support for Andy from runners and spectators alike and once again the Lord Mayor started the race at 10am.

Passing the time away!

Ready for the off

Busy morning planning - and lovely lunch prepared by Libby, an old friend of Barry's. Libby also proved to be a domestic Goddess around the RV kitchen - what a wonderful help she was!!

A very tired and sore Andy completed the marathon in 6:47 and left immediately for Sheffield chauffeured by Sophie in the Yeti.

Andy,painfully cooling off, post race

We followed in the RV, heading for a car park recommended by, and just around the corner from our Jurys Inn Hotel.  We found the it on our second lap of the city centre, grounding the tow ball and scoring the asphalt as we bridged the heavily cambered road and  humped entrance to the car park causing me to worry already whether we would be able to safely extricate ourselves in the morning.

As we left the RV to walk the 100yds to the hotel, I looked back and felt a sense of foreboding which, as it turned out, should perhaps have been called premonition.  I met Barry in the foyer and almost as one, we  agreed that the RV needed to be manned that night.  So after a by now very familiar Jurys Inn evening meal, Jim, an ABF representative, and I retired to our domicile for the night . . . . . . . and then the fun began.

The first indication of our predicament came when I was woken up by very loud "garage" music, seemingly eminating from somewhere very close by.  This was accompanied at increasingly frequent intervals by raucous shouting, screaming and singing representative of people who had imbibed more than was good for them!!  Finally, drifting in and out of sleep, I was  woken up by the sound of someone beating a tattoo on the side of the RV from the front all the way to the  rear!! . . . . . . then silence!! Was I worried? . . . .Was I scared?  You'd better believe it.  It was 2.40am for God's sake! The noise continued intermittently until about 4am, when the Clubs obviously closed and the revellers eventually returned to their pits!

To be continued.

Benji's blog

Well my little bobajob, I hope your black eye is a bit better and I hope that you are enjoying playing on MarioKart on your DS.  I bet you will be very good at it when I see you tomorrow. Maybe we can play a game together using mummy's DS.
I know that you've been swimming with Aunty Katy today and I hope you've been practising the things Mr Glenville taught you.  I think that you will be swimming better than me when I get home.
Uncle Andy ran another race today and did very well - he's very good isn't he.
I know that you and mummy are sharing things together while I am away and that makes me happy.
I love you little man.
See you tomorrow.
Lots of love,
Daddy. XXXX