Notfast Running Club
**Notfast on tour**
Day 3
Today was the day of the race we were all here for - the Poznan Half Marathon. With the clocks going forward an hour, our body times were all over the place already, so getting up for an early breakfast at 5am seemed reasonable... we needed to fuel up properly, after all! We did go back to bed for an hour after eating, so by the time we went down to meet everyone we were feeling much more fresh. After a few group photos, we started the very short walk to the start, which was across the road from the hotel. The crowd was huge and the excitement was building - 11,000 runners in one confined area creates quite the buzz! We did our final checks and loo stops and, wishing each other luck, went our separate ways into the start pens.
After a very enthusiastically led warm-up, the klaxon blew and we were off. We poured out of the start zone and into the roads, bathed in blazing sunshine. The weather was bright and mild, with a slight breeze - perfect running conditions. The course was fairly flat and fast, with a couple of small hills, and thanks to the course elevations and videos that had been shared by the organisers, we knew roughly what to expect. The route was lovely, too, with lots of support from the locals. The 'nutrition' stations were something else. Every three miles there were tables groaning under the weight of water, isotonic drinks, bananas, sugar cubes, and chunks of chocolate; while it seemed a bit odd, it worked really well. That said, trying to dodge hundreds of banana skins on a road that was slick with discarded water was quite an experience!
The miles ticked on. The other runners were really pleasant, many of them making an effort to chat when they heard us speaking English. (You may have gathered that the writer was in the 'debating society' section of the race and nattered with her companion the whole way round!) Having such a friendly crowd certainly helped the time pass quickly, and soon we were coming to the finish. This section was unusual as we finished indoors, so after turning a sharp corner into the building where the expo was held, we entered a huge hall and ran a hundred yards or so to the finish line. We were presented with our medals, and all of the ladies were given a single long-stemmed rose, which seemed like a lovely gesture on Mothering Sunday. After finding our friends and exchanging congratulatory messages, we went and got our free post-race pasta and beer. We sat in the sunshine for a while, munching and drinking and ruminating over the finer points of the race, which we all agreed had been very enjoyable.
Hunger and thirst temporarily alleviated, we wandered back to the hotel to relax for a while. Some chose to have a snooze, others headed up to the spa area to have a sauna and swim. We all met up again mid-afternoon for the most amazing post-race brunch buffet in the hotel restaurant, after which we were all feeling pretty stuffed, and perhaps a little merry, having taken advantage of the bottomless prosecco that was included in our meal.
England were playing later on and the hotel bar was showing the match, so some carried on the merriment and stayed in to watch that. A group of us decided to go for a walk to loosen up, and we wandered to the opposite end of the town to see the cathedral. By the time we got back, the others were in really high spirits, so we joined them all for a nightcap before retiring for the evening.
What a fantastic day we've all had! Early indications are that we've got a fair few PBs, but we'll confirm full results tomorrow.
