Wedding Day Run

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Hinks www.variousstuff.co.uk

Just for the record this entry is about my wedding day run. I had always had visions of a 'break of dawn' run across the hills before my wedding but I needed to be first in the barber's queue so the run had to wait until after my post dawn haircut and  my planned route wasn't going to be very hilly!

The night before, I stayed in the Angel and Royal Hotel in Grantham. I didn't get much sleep due to my 'best man' trying to get into my room for 'just one more' drink and a further attempt to lure me back to the bar via the internal room phone some thirty minutes later. I finally went to sleep at about 1.30am. I awoke nervous and apprehensive just before 6am. After a haircut at 7am I was ready to run just before 7.30am. My friends had asked if I was going to do a 'Forest Gump', it was never really on the cards.  

Belton Folly seen on a different day

I left the Angel and Royal in heavy rain and ran through Manthorpe to Belton Village after which I ran along the road up the hills towards Barkston Airfield. By the time I turned East to run across Barkston Heath the rain was driving across the exposed fields of crop. I kept a good pace to keep warm as I was only wearing a vest and shorts and was grateful to reach the shelter of the woods. I soon reappeared by the Belton House folly and took a moments rest to appreciator the view. I was particularly interested to look at the weather movement through the sky. We had booked our wedding in July in the hope of sunshine. Looking across towards the Vale of Belvoir the rain seemed set in for the day, there was a grey cloud as far as the eye could see. I decided to try to not let it spoil the forthcoming wedding. I descended to Five Gates Lane and ran hard towards Londonthorpe Road, on towards Alma Park and through the Sunningdale Estate before hitting Belton Lane back towards the town centre. I was tempted to extend my run. I was running free, relaxed and refreshed by the driving rain. I was aware that the end of my run signalled the start of stress and plenty of it! I knew however that it was time to face the music. Despite my apprehension I was looking forward to the day and so ran back to the hotel.  I was met by my best man who asked "are you off your head?" I quietly remembered that I had been asking him the same question a few hours earlier. With not a moments dignity I took my rain soaked body into the breakfast room to meet some of our guests who by now were eating breakfast. Five hours later I was walking into a church in Rutland in bright sunshine for the start of a fantastic wedding day. My wedding morning run had helped me to relax, focus and refresh me and I was glad I had made the effort to get out of bed. Thanks for coming folks...