Happy Race Day to Me!

Good morning

I’d set Alexa and my phone to go off at 6am. They both go off together, birdsong from my phone and, initially, birdsong from Alexa as the prelude from the Sound of Music kicks in. It’s not a bad way to start the day.

Then it’s downstairs to make a coffee and feed the dog.

After opening a few birthday cards, I played with the dog in the garden. She always teases you into playing with her by offering her toy and then playing tug of war. It’s a thing of joy!

After a spot of porridge soaked overnight in oat milk – yum! Then I dropped the kids off at the pool (I wonder what Galateos will think of that colloquialism), followed by a quick shower. I wouldn’t normally bother with showering before running, but I have two hours in the car to get to the start line.

A triple dose of Testavan – I don’t know if it will make any practical difference, but I’ll go with a placebo that works!

I’m taking a chilled coffee and some flapjacks to keep me going while I drive, listening to my “Music that makes me smile” soundtrack.

It’s been a fair few years since I last ran the Bristol half and a lot of things have changed. The 10k runners all go first, which confused the hell out of me as I thought I was late!

I have never used a baggage bus (where you can store your bags) at Bristol either. That was new for me.

The whole city is buzzing!

There are all sorts of people here some are dressed up. So far I have seen a dinosaur, a post box, and a bunch of bananas (a trio of runners).

There have been races where I’ve worn a black bag to keep warm at the start line in the cold morning. Today, it is the opposite problem: it is WARM.

I have also broken one of my own rules: I have decided to wear a pair of the men’s compression undies that I bought to help me recover from the castration and scrotectomy. The men’s underwear is a little longer, but also just a shade less tight, than the woman’s compression undies. I felt that after my practice run the other day that I didn’t like that feeling of my legs rubbing together! I hope I don’t have to pay for breaking the rule of “do nothing different”!

Well, it is done.

So many people noticed the butterfly costume and shouted out “James” (my name was in my race bib), or “butterfly”, there were two who called out “papillion”.

There were only a few others in costumes, but the winners, in my view, were a bunch of four lads wearing a caterpillar costume! “Daddy!” They called to me! 🤪

Each person who called out my name was my mum, yet none of them were her. It was wonderful, but also sad.

An unexpected treat was seeing my husband not far from the finish – we high fived!

It was profoundly moving – it also completely prevented me from walking parts of the race. I might not have been fast (in fact, I think that it will be my slowest ever half marathon time), but I was certainly the fastest (and slowest) butterfly.

I wonder whether there were other eunuchs in the race?

My legs ache like never before! I have not ached so much in years!

That’s going to have to do for today – a final plea for sponsorship and then I’m in the shower!

https://ajbellgreatbristolrun2025.enthuse.com/pf/a-j-skingsley-ross