Author: Becky Blain
The 2024 club trip had us destined for Palma once more. Those who know me well will know I was secretly very pleased to be heading back to Palma, having visited the city 4 times in the last 8 years! There was no disruption to our flights this year which meant we all enjoyed a very civilized coffee (insert gasp at the no pint!) in the airport. Fast forward a couple of hours and we were back in our familiar territory of Arenal. I think it only took 10 minutes and the first ‘Beer Captain’ armband was spotted!
A few of us hardcore lot decided to take an early evening run along the seafront in preparation for the enormous buffet. I have to say it did not disappoint once again and it is fair to say that everyone filled their boots. No judgment given to those having 3+ plates of food!
The hotel has a lovely roof top terrace so, given it was well past Aperol o’clock, the majority of us headed up to watch the sunset, indulge in a few drinks (I hear many Baileys were consumed by some!). I particularly enjoyed chatting to those who I don’t train with regularly and catching up with friends I haven’t seen for a while!
Sometimes on a weekend when you are racing on the Sunday, you tend to wish the Saturday away as you just want to get the race over and done with. I was determined for this not to be the case, given we were enjoying sunny Mallorca! So an even smaller group of us decided to get out early for another easy jog along the coastline. We chose to run in the opposite direction and I would not recommend!
Breakfast was another feast – no name dropping but the popular option seemed to be fresh pancakes with a heap of Nutella! Athletes breakfast and all that jazz….
The set up was slightly different this year. The race is now sponsored by airline Tui so it was a trip into the city centre to pick up our numbers from the expo. All races need the type of expo where you pick up your number and are also given a glass of Cava. Water was also available but I was keen to keep good hydration during the day, so a glass of Cava would perfectly achieve this right?!
There was a really good vibe and the sun was shining. Alasdair and I’s obsession with ridiculous running socks also continued. Spot the crazy socks over the next few weeks at training and you’ll know what I mean!
Some of us then took the opportunity to explore the city walls and head to the beach. As much as the sea looked inviting, I’m the type to have goosebumps in a sauna, so a sea dip wasn’t to be for me or, as it happens, any of the group 1 and 2 members of the group. Bunch of softies we are!! Tatiana and Georgina were the explorers of the group, venturing to Soller for the day. One crazy fella managed a 70 mile bike ride. There really was something for everyone to do!
The Saturday evening had an unexpected event – The Ian Pickett magic show. And what a show it was. I imagine by now, Will has figured out how he managed to do the tricks – but the rest of us were fooled. I’m sure he will be opening his calendar for bookings next week! One ruthless game of Uno later and we were all off to bed, the 5am alarm calling!
I don’t know if it was the end of the season and Arenal was a little quieter, or the fact that you just zone out to the constant tunes blasting from the German Bierkellar, but the 5am wake up didn’t feel as bad as the previous year. A quick breakfast and we were all on time and safely on the bus to the start. No flash flooding this time meant the half marathon and marathon got away promptly at 8am, and the 9km at 8.45am. There is something very weird about starting a race in the dark…in a morning!
I personally absolutely loved the half marathon this year. I always like to compartmentalise races, especially half marathons, as it makes the time pass a lot quicker and I have something to focus on.
As the 9km started 45 minutes later than the half, I knew that, by the time I got back to the start line, there would be lots of TBHers waiting to start and that would mean a big cheer! It really does help having teammates cheer you on!
It was then onto to Portixol, a place which my Mam likes to sea swim every year. The next ‘part’ had me howling. Earlier in the day, I had learnt that Lucy M (sorry Lucy!) had somehow only managed to pack one sandal for the trip. Along the road there was a rogue random one sandal and I really did laugh out loud thinking ‘ideal, I’ll go back for that for Lucy’!
The second half is a little harder; it involves a couple of hills and multiple cobbles. The hill didn’t seem as bad this year, especially when you’re thinking to yourself this hill is a hell of a lot better than Heworth! You then weave in and out of lots of the beautiful Palma streets. At this point, I’m starting to see all the lovely bars and restaurants I’m going to enjoy as soon as this run is finished!! The last ‘part’ I thought about was how good it would be if I was finishing the half just as either Meg or my Mam and Dad were finishing the 9km. That pushed me on to finish strongly, however sadly Meg finished at the equivalent 1 hour 22 mark, and I was just ahead of my Mam and Dad. No shaming them on the sprint finish!!
No matter how good the run is, it is always a relief to finish and the sun was really starting to shine, so I was very pleased with a 1 hour 25 run! In fact, it seemed pretty much everyone had enjoyed their respective runs, so big smiles all round!
With the race starting at 8am, we were ready for the bar before it even opened, but once it did it we took full advantage! Once again, we stood on the side of the road and cheered Sammie who was nearing the end of her marathon for a PB. This really was one of my favourite parts of the day, and TBH (with a few friends from Heaton Harriers) definitely brought the loudest and most enthusiastic cheers! I also even managed to get myself on the podium! Who knew they did top 5 in Mallorca!
The rest of the trip was full of laughs! Some highlights were
- Gavin Thompson and Vicki Deritis have started a new club according to the official results. If you fancy joining ‘Tyne Bride’ then drop them a message!
- Waking up to many ‘This message was deleted’ Whatsapps post 1am!
- Was it a gerbil or a jacket potato? Those who know will know!!
- Clarification that a certain group of people only walked through the Bier Konig & didn’t participate in the craziness…a picture never lies!!
- John Tollitt’s ‘Europe Endless Day’ reports
I can’t recommend these trips enough! Here’s to next year! 😊
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