Great North Run - an adventure for us both

Waking up in halls was strange and hitting my arm so many times on the wall made me realise I don't suit single beds anymore. A shower in the tiny ensure where the shower is pretty much over the toilet, which is under the sink. We went for breakfast in the large dining hall, similar to old school halls. I felt a little out of place surrounded by very thing people in lycra. We were coached into Newcastle and I tried to hide my cold and surpress the coughing. En route we passed the Angel of the North.

It was quite a trek to the baggage buses, passing lots of people in costume. Apparently there was an everlasting smell of deep heat but I couldn't smell a thing! We passed Denise Lewis interviewing, and then stood in the longest toilet queue I've ever seen for 3 portaloo's! Over an hour, then Ali had to sprint to the start line as it was about to start. While queuing we were entertained by numerous men weeing in the bushes, and women concocting tents with their space blankets. In just an hour I saw a lot of bottoms!

I stood on a hill waiting to spy Ali, in the 55,000 starters! There were penguins, a mobility scooter, a gingerbread man and miraculously I saw Ali!!!!! We walked together to the start, I was walking over a line of clothing and space blankets abandoned over the fence and then she was off. Thus started my journey, walking to the metro, which turned into queueing for a bus becuase i went out of the wrong exit from M&S. Then I was just 2 people away from getting on the bus, to be told it's the last bus and I have to get the metro! But something good came from it, I met Hayley from Darlington, we then stayed together for the next few hours! While queuing in the Metro queue Lesley from Scotland joined us and we became the 3 musketeers. Lesley asked how long Hayley and I have known each other....20 minutes! The three musketeers waited for each other through paying, took on a relay when dodging the slow coaches after the metro. We had a real giggle and laughed all the way. There were people that had finished the run, and walked back to the metro before we even arrived!

Ali finished the Great North Run and was at the baggage bus even before I arrived! I must say, their advice for runners is fantastic but support for supporters is schocking! Ali and I found each other, she jogged all the way and looked the same as when she left! I told her my adventure, and how my legs were hurting :)

An epic adventure for us both. Ali did her journey in 2 hours, 22 minutes, mine was over 2 hours 37 minutes!

Durham - You're a wizard Harry

I'd always wanted to visit Durham, and as it's the cheapest accomodation within an hour radius of the Great North Run, it was our abode for the evening. It's strange staying in halls as an adult, we were in separate en-suite rooms, we had toiletries like a hotel, but a kitchen that you wouldn't want to touch. There was ood left in bowls on the dining room table and our corridor was a strange mixture of runners, students and elderly women at a conference. In search of dinner, we walked down an endless hill, passed a lot of punks with huge hair outside the students union and into Durham centre with it's cobble streets. Inside Durham cathedral I had strange deja vu of seeing it somewhere before, and it twigged! Harry Potter. I then had 'you're a wizard Harry' in my head on a constant loop.

There were multiple places to eat, but so many of them were full. I didn't mind where, I couldn't actually taste anything so I ordered chicken with chilli. Having the effects of chilli without the taste is an experience. After dinner, we walked back up the hill, attempted to use the TV in the kitchen but it didn't work. The remote was sticky! So, it was bed, in our separate rooms by 8pm.

London 2012 Paralympics - Closing ceremony

The last day of the London 2012 games, with the closing ceremony of the Paralympics. As we walked through London following the pink signs, seeing the games makers for the last time, queuing for water, I kept thinking how sad it is that all of the hype and thrill of the games will be over tonight. We entered the stadium and took our seats...one row from the back. In a contrast from the Olympics closing ceremony, the athletes came out before the start of the event. The team for the GB athletes was deafening, and being part of the circling mexican waves around the stadium warmed us up nicely.

The warm up of 'bedtime' was a little odd, but then as the sun went down, Coldplay started their set.The lights on everyones seats meant we couldn't dance, but they were so effective synchronised with the songs. Classics such as 'Yellow', 'Paradise' and 'Clocks' made me so excited that my legs were jumping up and down! Then Rihanna came out, on a big truck. The sequence of machinery was a bit strange, including a huge fish truck.

Handing over the flag to Brazil was quite sad and I had a tear in my eye, I'd like to keep the games forever. Brazil's national anthem is quite addictive though and their set included Samba and singers. We had more Coldplay, Rihanna, Jay-Z and then speeches by Seb Coe and the Chair of the IPC declaring it the best paralympic games in history!.

At the end we sat waiting for everyone to leave as you can't go fair when you are one row from the back. The queues were huge for the javelin train and we were rammed in. Late train home, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It was stimulus overload for the eyes, the atmosphere can't be described, we were part of history. 

London 2012 Paralympics - Gold for Wales

Day Two of our epic Paralympic weekend. After just 6 hours at home, we were back on the train, back at Starbuck and Ali got her name right today. On to the javelin train, to the Olympic Park but this time we were into the Olympic stadium for the first time. We saw the amazing cauldron. We have a habit of getting to venues very early, and today was no different. We were the only ones in our section but we were in row 4, it felt like we were sat on the track! So, what did we do? We did the bolt and Farah trademarks J We had a great view of the long jump and saw Stef Reid get a silver, they jump like antelopes!. Then we saw Aled Davies get the gold in discuss. The roar of the crowd was amazing! As were the mass Mexican waves going around the stadium. Later when we watched it on the TV, we saw Ali on the TV!  

We saw shot put, wheelchair racing, running events with the visually impaired, one of the long jump athletes didn’t have any legs, we saw the mini’s that transport the javelins and discuss back to the start and for the start of the 1500m, it was right in front of us so we could see the start gun.  It was an amazing atmosphere in the stadium, loved every minute of it. 

Lunch in Park Life lying in the sun and then off to swimming again, this time in row one, directly behind channel 4 interviewing all the athletes. And gold for S14 swimmer Jessica-Jane Applegate! She was interviews directly in front of us J Yet again, the atmosphere is addictive, especially with so many medal ceremonies and we got a close up view as they walked the aisle of TV crews. 

We were shattered at the end of our epic weekend but it was oh so worth it. The Paralympics focus on ability rather than disability, and I’m proud to have been part of history.

London 2012 Paralympics – Companion horse

Our first day of our epic Paralympic weekend started at 5am with the train to Kings Cross (we are getting used to this routine). However, Ali must have been half asleep because when the person at starbucks asked her name for her cup she said ‘name? oh Ali’. So on her cup, they called her Naim! And then shouted ‘Naim’ when it was ready. Off we went to Greenwich park on the Docklands Light Railway giggling each time we thought of them shouting ‘Naim’!

Before the Olympics, I didn’t get dressage and couldn’t understand why points were awarded to a horse walking around a rectangle but now I get it and find it mesmerising the different movements they do, especially when the Paralympics have no feeling in their legs, one athlete didn’t have either leg. Some of the horses are scared by the crowds and have a companion horse in the arena, I’d like to be a companion horse, Ali is my companion horse.

What I loved about the Equestrian was that they gave you the information on why the athletes are disabled, some through illness, some through riding incidents, one was a stunt person and one person was poisoned by insecticide! All had day jobs too, I thought being an athlete was their job, but one was an anaesthetist, one an orthopaedic surgeon… The arena was smaller than what it looks like on the TV, I really liked the glass sheds and the flower beds. Sadly the Australian and Italian athlete was disqualified as their horse just wouldn’t calm. They left the arena in tears which was heart breaking.

We witnessed our first GB gold, for Natasha Baker and got to sing the anthem. Unless other events, applause scares the animals so instead of clapping, we had to wave. Singing the anthem gave me goosebumps, a once in a lifetime experience. 

After lunch, we went to the Olympic Park to see swimming. It’s so nice to see the familiar beige and purple games makers, I missed them in between the Olympics and Paralympics. We were in seat 1, so directly in line with the medallists. The roar when Ellie Simmons overtook the gold athlete was deafening, it went up to a whole new level. I shed a tear! Gold! And we got to sing the anthem again J The Italian anthem was one of the favourites, so many people singing along, it’s really quite jolly. 2 golds, 1 silver, 1 bronze and 1 gold for Ireland. An amazing day, so pleased we were part of it.