RACES
the bank of the Danube, serves as the permanent seat of the national assembly. The building complex, the biggest of its kind in Hungary, was erected between 1884 and 1904 on the plans of Imre Steindi. So, an impressive tour which, due to the relaxed run I was having, I was able to take in more than usual!
TThe heat is on!
attempts to train up for the trip she had won. I suggested she practice the run/walk strategy, 8 minutes run then 2 minutes walking – right from the outset, which would give her body a smoother flow and allow the adductors not to tighten. She seemed interested in taking my advice, which surprised me as usually people balk at the ‘not running all the way’ strategy… The morning dawned with a clear
blue sky and as hot as predicted. I met Tamryn again at breakfast and she had borrowed a stop watch and seemed all set for plan 8/2! As we all gathered outside, Malcolm said to me “relax” - he had noticed my sudden anxiety, the race up the Glacier hadn’t been kind to a still healing knee and although my knee felt strong, I hadn’t put it fully to the test. It had only stopped hurting completely about ten days previously. I was resolved to run on HR and allow whatever my body dictated as my fitness wasn’t as it can be - but my anxiety was suddenly as to whether my knee would be happy. “It will be alright, won’t it?” I responded to Malcolm, pointing to my knee – he was reassuring and I relaxed. The atmosphere at the start was
electric and alive, music and sun and 7000 runners!
TReady, steady, go... he gun went and we ran out of the
park, crossed Heroes Square and then ran along the side of the Danube for much of the race, from 4-16K before looping back to finish where we started. That is the simple version of a run that
The atmosphere at the start was electric and alive, music and sun and 7000 runners
was truly a history tour throughout the whole race - after just 2K on the right side we ran past the House of Terror Museum, which pays tribute to two tragic periods – Nazism and Socialism in Hungarian history. At 2.5K on the right side I spotted the Hungarian State Opera House, it had a look and feel of Paris and indeed it was modeled on Paris, after a rehab of the City took place at the turn of the X1Xth Century. At the 3rd drinks station we ran over the Liberty Bridge, built between 1894 and 1899, which links Buda and Pest and was opened by Emperor Franz Joseph. After 9K we ran between Corvinus University and the Market Hall, and at 10K you could see Hellert Hill with a citadel on the top, built after the suppression of the uprising when the Hapsburgs decided to build a fortification on the top of the hill. It’s now a leisure complex offering a wonderful panorama of the city. At 11K we ran over the Chainbridge, which was the first permanent bridge across the River Danube and was opened in 1849. It has asserted an enormous significance in the country’s economic, social and cultural life. It became a symbol of advancement and national awakening and the linkage between East and West. At 16.5K the parliament, built in Neo-Gothic style and located on
he temperature rose as we ran and I stopped at each drink station to make sure I drank a whole cup and ran through all the showers - total brief bliss! Malcolm was along the route offering encouragement as usual, which was very welcome, as he has a knack of saying the right thing as you pass. He has a great generosity of spirit and a seemingly boundless energy for being present to the needs of all his crazy runners. I crossed the line in 1.38, very happy
with my body and as always impressed with its restorative powers and return from an injured state. I wandered about looking where to hand my chip in – and received a welcome ice cream in return. I found Pete Walters and his son Jordon, Pete was delighted to have finished ahead of me making it 1-all in our private league race. I finished ahead of him in the Edinburgh Marathon - he is now keen to make it 2-1 to him and so am I to me! As I was leaving the park I saw
Tamryn finishing the race. I was delighted and later, as I was leaving the hotel, we bumped into each other and went for lunch and exchanged race stories, she had done the 8/2 and was delighted with her run. Then, back to the baths for me. That evening saw us all gathering
again to eat and drink beer and watch the video that Malcolm had created of the race.
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