Today's run was with Saturn Running at Runnymead, and the medal was Rafa Nadal, as it was Priya's 100th Marathon, and Nadal is her favourite tennis player! Congratulations on 100, Priya! I love the medal, and the mini Nadal pin is super cute!
The weather was fabulous; warm and sunny. The river (Big Riv) was looking shiny and spectacular in the sun, the trees were a thousand different shades of green, and the sky was bright blue. It was wonderful to be immersed in the bright colours, and feel the warm air wafting over my skin.
Having been abandoned by my partner in crime Sarah (away) and also by Andrew (who did his own run), I missed them both! There was a nice crowd of people out though, and it was such a friendly event, and felt a happy and relaxed atmosphere, so I enjoyed the 6 laps of 4 and a bit miles each. I also got chatting to a runner, Steve, who wasn't doing the event, but was out on a training run, and we discovered that we had both been at the White Horse 100 a couple of years ago!
My favourite thing on the Saturn aid station is watermelon. Being such a fan, it occurred to me that I actually don't know very much about it. I thought this would be a good activity, to spend a lap recalling all the facts I knew about the fine fruit. I made it to the ice cream kiosk (100 metres or so from the start of the lap) and had exhausted all my watermelon knowledge by this point, which were limited to: 1) it is a type of melon, 2) it is 91% water.
Following further research, I have added to my list of known facts of watermelons that:
1) there are approx. 1000 varieties!
2) botanically, it is a "pepo" - a large berry, with a thick rind and a fleshy centre
3) watermelon seeds have been found dating back to 3500 BC, but they originally weren't sweet tasting, but bitter, and the flesh was yellow/white
4) they were originally cultivated for their high water content, so as to store water during dry seasons
5) other than water, so being good for hydration, it doesn't contain a great deal else nutirnet wise. Eating 100g would give you 30 kcal (which would fuel you for approx, 1/3 of a mile) and the only other thing in any kind of useful amount, is a bit of vitamin C. I also find it refreshing and tasty, so is useful on long runs, when struggling with nausea.
Other nutritional side notes from the day:
1) I have started putting a sprig of fresh mint in my water bottles, which also helps with nausea I get during /after long runs
2) I tried a fancy beetroot juice smoothie drink the afternoon before, forgot about it, and had a massive panic that I was gravely ill when my wee was bright red in the morning. Having remembered the beetroot, I calmed down, and looked it up. The medical term is beeturia, and it is caused by the betacyanins pigments, and the phenomenon occurs in 10-14% of people.
I did a marathon, in 3:55:57. Thank you, Saturn Running, for a fabulous day! And well done to all!
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