Gannin' alang the Scotswood Road

So here it is race day. Wanted to get a good night's sleep before the race but things didn't exactly go as planned. Fell asleep on the couch watching Seinfeld at 8:30 and went up to bed just after 9 o'clock. A good start. Got a few hours sleep and then was awoken at midnight by a funny little tune emanating from downstairs. It stopped after a while and I dozed off. Five minutes later and there it was again. I ran downstairs to investigate. Checked my mobile phone and there was a text message from Scott about Billy Ocean (yes, really). Switched off the phone without actually realising my phone doesn't play a long tune when I get a text. Off I went back to bed and dropped off to sleep. Five minutes later, there it was again. This time the wife came down to investigate with me. She checked her phone and it was switched off, so I unplugged just about everything electrical in the house. Then just as I was about to get back into bed it started again. Turns out it was some kind of rogue alarm on the wife's phone that plays even when the phone is switched off. Problem solved, settled back into a deep sleep again before being woken by my daughter climbing into bed with us at 5:00am and by 6:30 both kids were bouncing up and down on top of me.

Anyway, having established my excuses beforehand I can now relax and concentrate on getting the job done tonight. Planning on running an even paced race at around 6:10 min/miles. Its always a bit crazy at the start as we go 'Away alang Collingwood Street'. Winding through the streets around Newcastle's Central Station, past the Centre for Life and along the Scotswood Road. Although its a very flat course and the atmosphere is great, the route is so dull and boring it can be a bit tough to stay focused in the middle part of the race. Last year's race was run in quite difficult heat (for Geordies like me anyway) and the forecast for around race time, 6pm, is 18C - so a little warm for my liking.


My PB is a good one (35:27) but I feel in good shape and have practised running at the desired pace so I'm hopeful of breaking it. Failing that I'd like to go under 36 minutes for only the second time in 6 attempts.

History of the Blaydon Races

Blaydon Races lyrics
I went to Blaydon races
Twas on the 9th of June
Eighteen Hundred and Sixty Two
On a summer's afternoon
I took the bus from Balmbras
And she was heavy laden
Away we went along Collingwood Street
To see the race at Blaydon

Chorus:
Oh me lads, you should've seen us gannin
Passing the folks along the road
And all of them were starin'
All the lads and lasses there
They all had smilin' faces
Gannin along the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon races

We flew past Armstrong's factory
And up by the Robin Adair
But gannin ower the Railway Bridge
The bus wheel flew off there
The lasses lost their crinolenes
And veils that hide their faces
I got two black eyes and a broken nose
In gannin to Blaydon races

Chorus

Now when we got the wheel back on
Away we went again
But them that had their noses broke
They went back ower hyem
Some went to the dispensary
And some to Doctor Gibbs
And some to the infirmary
To mend their broken ribs

Chorus

We flew across the Chain Bridge
Reet into Blaydon Toon
The barman he was calling then
They called him Jackie Broon
I saw him talking to some chaps
And them he was persuadin'
To gan and see Geordie Ridley's show
At the Mechanics' Hall in Blaydon

Chorus

Now when we got to Paradise
There were bonny games begun
There were four and twenty on the bus
And how we danced and sung
They called on me to sing a song
So I sang 'em 'Paddy Fagan'
I danced a jig and I swung me twig
The day I went to Blaydon

Chorus

The rain it poured down all the day
And made the ground quite muddy
Coffee Johnny had a white hat on
The old wife stole a cuddy
There were spice stalls and monkey shows
And old wives selling ciders
And the chap on the ha'penny roundabout
Saying 'Any more lads for riders?

Chorus