Wings For Life World Run 2017 - # a beautiful race with a noble goal in Breda

Disclaimer: Automatically translated from Russian

Wings For Life World Run is an event that I have been licking for a couple of years, but it always coincided with spring school holidays and holidays. But this year lucky.

There was no preparation - the race was held a month after Amstelveen Marathon therefore, I counted on a good result due to the remaining physical form. There was a calculator on the site, according to which it turned out that if I run at the target pace of the past marathon, I can run a little more than 50 km, well, for the marathon distance it was enough to keep the pace at around 4:25 min / km. This, in fact, was my program maximum and minimum.

Two words about the format of the event: a charity global race held this year in 25 different locations on all continents. At the same time, ( somewhere night, somewhere, it doesn’t matter ) a starting shot is heard and people start running ( to go, go, crawl, who can ) on the established route. After 30 minutes from the start, a car is pushed forward and, gradually accelerating, begins to catch up with people. The moment the car passes by you - your race ends. Who ran the most is well done.

In the Netherlands, this race is held in Breda. The route is a circle 25 km long that you can run several times:

Arrived a couple of hours before the start, walked around a waking city, received a starting bag, changed clothes, handed over things. When registering, he indicated the estimated distance a little more than the marathon, so there was a sticker on the number, giving the right to start from the front rows:

It didn’t work out, as it was cold and seemed to drip. Therefore, at first he basked in the building, and then when the people began to pull themselves up into the starting zone he went out and stretched out, shaking his legs and arms. The atmosphere, of course, is incendiary - music, leading sportsmen from the rostrum carry out universal heating, catcher-cars are, in general, all cocked.

Start shot:

We ran:

I started well, but too fast. It was necessary to slow down, but somehow it didn’t work out very well. As a result, by the tenth kilometer, the natural braking process began, and I reached the target pace. On the tenth kilometer, Carl! This is despite the fact that I always tell myself - ok, about 500 meters you can run in the overall burnout, but right after that - we slow down to the target one. In the end:

And this despite the fact that it was planned to run at least a marathon. Oh well.

There were no pins, the coating is always asphalt and bicycle expensive. Part of the route passed through the city, part past some villages and on some wooded roads. Cycling support groups rode next to some runners. From time to time, bicycles / motorcycles / escort cars drove up to organized groups. One of these machines spat in front of me on a narrow wooded road, smoke with exhaust gases in the nose.

At some point, he heard the cries of the audience behind his back and bicycles and escort motorcycles began to appear - a leading girl was approaching. She ran a little faster than my target pace and I thought that you could try to run with this group. Before her, some guy ran, a few more behind, well, I also sat in front of me. Periodically ran from one side of the road to the other, so as not to block it from a video operator shooting for live broadcasting from a motorcycle. I ran through a couple of kilometers with such a macar, but then I began to pout - after all, it turned out to be faster than my target pace. In general, the circus left, and the clowns remained. I had a bite of gel and continued to move on.

On the first lap, when they ran past some farm, I saw a sad picture - at the farm gate lies a dead horse covered with tarpaulin, on the other side of the road under the trees sits a sad master and looks at this whole holiday of life and running. Apparently, the man was waiting for the tractor to take out this case, but the roads were closed in the morning and he was waiting until evening. It is hoped that the beast fell even before the event began, otherwise it would be doubly offensive if the vet did not have time to reach it due to closed roads. This farm was somewhere in the middle of the circle, and so I had a new goal - not to be caught by a car next to a dead horse.

With such thoughts he ran and ran. Exactly up to 29.5 kilometers, when the leg suddenly fell ill - the thigh on the left side (where the leg is attached to the body). At first it just dined a little, and then it got sick so that I had to stop. I try to go - it hurts. I’m turning my pelvis and I’m thinking what to do. And the people are running - come on, they say, dude, don’t give up. Well, what am I - there is strength, but I can’t go. I try to go - it hurts. I tried to run quietly - it also hurts, but it seems like less if you run with a high cadence. I decide to run further at the most painless pace. But from time to time I still go one step, stop at water stations, water the ill-fated place with cold water, apply wet sponges (those foam rectangles) - but it doesn’t really help. In short, the matter is bad. Thank you at least not next to the horse.

The next 7 kilometers in short flashes of 1.5-2 kilometers continued to move towards the finish line. At first there was still hope that I would have time to get to the marathon mark, but then it became clear that no - she died so. At the mark of 36 kilometers, some movement began - motorcyclists began to overtake, indicating that you need to stay on the right side of the road, they say, they will soon come for you. At this moment, I was really waiting - well, when, when? And constantly looked back in hope. But the catcher was gone and was gone. Finally, at the 37th kilometer in the distance it seemed. And the beginning to approach. Well, I think, here he is a solemn moment - now she will drive us out of the window, and we, doused with tears of joy, will wave to him in return. Figs there - drove through without even blinking an eye. Well, oh well - there are a lot of us, and he is alone.

I catch up with the recently caught man ahead and together we go forward along the highway to the nearest bus, talking about life and marathons. A couple of kilometers had to pass. And it’s cool, it seemed to rain, well, it’s already tired by then - after all, 38 km had run. We came to the water station and began to wait for the bus. The bus arrived after 10 long minutes, took on board all those who climbed, and took to Brad. And those who did not fit did not take it. And those who were caught after us and who now also spat in the direction of the city and desperately waved the bus - they also did not take them. Although they are cooler, they passed through the marathon.

About 30 minutes later we arrived at the launch site. And there’s a holiday right there - they give out medals, they sell food, everyone looks at the big screens on which the race is shown live. The comrade with whom we went said that they also showed me at the peak of my fame - when I ran in a leader group. He also began to look at the race. And then he waited until the winners were brought (the guy ran 71.3 km) and awarded with awards.

And then I thought that I should take things. Well, that is, I thought about it before (it was cold not May), but was afraid to miss the most crucial moment. In short, he ran to the dressing room parking. And I run into it literally to applause the guys who were involved in the issuance of things. And there were 5 bags left, and people obviously already hammered to wait. You won? - they ask. No, I say, I just watched a movie for a long time, litter. It turned out so uncomfortable.

Well, then we got into the car and drove home. And so I liked this event that I really wanted to register on the same day the next year in order to run in a normal way. I even watched the entire 6-hour official broadcast the next week. But then it seemed to let go with registration. It will turn out - I would have run with pleasure, look and see what is there for the 50th kilometer, but no - so no.

Result: 38 km in 2:55:17 1193rd of 155,288 participants worldwide, 74th of men in Breda and 13th in the M35 category. So-so result, in general. But still it was cool: