Spot the SG

Yes, I did it again. I didn’t train as much as last year but, on the other hand, I had already done it once and so knew what was in store for me. Last year I started from the back and took things easy. My time was a more-or-less respectable two hours and thirteen minutes. This year I wanted to get under two hours, if possible. I ran a fast first ten kilometres but cramped twice in the second ten and so was delighted to come in on one hour and fifty-three minutes – a twenty minutes improvement! Last year I took my preparations seriously, laying off the booze the night before, getting an early night, eating pasta, and so on. This year, my preparation consisted of beer, wine, a barbecue and a late night. Who knows how much faster I might have been if I had drunk and eaten more and gone to bed even later? As to the atmosphere, it is a very special experience to be running down rue de la Loi in the midst of a sea of thousands of runners. The staggered start (an innovation this year) worked well. The race was as cosmopolitan as ever (click here to see a list of all of the nationalties represented) but most of the runners were Belgian and were doing what Belgians are best at; not taking themselves too seriously and having fun. Roll on 2011!