How much sleep do you really need to run a good time in the morning? On Saturday evening I was looking forward to my first stab at the Royal Parks Foundation half marathon in London. I had avoided booze in the pub during the afternoon, eaten a healthy pasta dinner, drunk plenty of water and climbed into bed by 9pm. Eight hours uninterrupted sleep loomed. The magical PB was in my grasp. What could possibly go wrong?
Let me count the ways. Next door’s new puppy stopped yapping around midnight, and I could hear clearly our other neighbours’ house party. I last checked the time around two before finally drifting off to the sound of Billy Joel’s greatest hits. At 3.04am my four-year-old son woke in a terrible fever. We had no Calpol left in the house. I got dressed and drove to the 24-hour petrol station for fresh supplies. A Polish taxi driver berated me for not buying Junior Nurofen instead.
At 4.36am I went back to bed. I last checked the time at 5.07. At six my alarm went off. Two minutes later my brother-in-law texted to say that he’d been up all night with his kids and he was going to give the race a miss. I’d like to say I laughed at this point, but what I actually thought was, can I use this as an excuse to turn over in bed myself? Is it worth me bothering to run the race after a couple of hours sleep?
I lay there pondering the situation before my daughter padded into the bedroom demanding to know why her poorly twin brother was being allowed in our bed. The decision was made for me. I climbed out of bed, she snuggled up in my warm spot, and I started getting my kit together.
And how did the race go? Two strong coffees helped get me to the start line, where I found myself lining up next to Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim. A nearby runner took out her iPod earbuds and told him, “I’m listening to one of your songs!” We all laughed.
Hyde Park on a clear and crisp autumnal morning is a memorable experience and a lovely backdrop for this wonderful race. As I got into my stride and the iconic locations trundled by – Buckingham Palace, Whitehall, Admiralty Arch, The Mall, Green Park, St James’s Park, Kensington Gardens – I felt the familiar pleasure and joy of tackling a long run.
The sight of the sunshine on the Serpentine pushed me on when the travails of the night finally caught up on me after 15km, but I managed to grit my teeth for the final 6km and smash my PB by a monumental 27 seconds. Sleep? Pah! Who needs it?
I made a mental note to put earplugs and Calpol on the shopping list in early October 2016, and tackle the race again. And after collecting my wooden medal – eco brownie points for any Guardianista! – I felt virtuous, chuffed and knackered, all at once.
Source: Read Full Article