Semi de Paris

So today it’s the Semi de Paris, as they call it around here. We are up for breakfast as soon as the breakfast room opens. It is surprisingly busy for so early on a Sunday but only one other person admits to having entered the race.

Then it’s back to Chateau de Vincennes along with 37,000 others. I have been given a start time around an hour ahead of L, so having found the baggage drop its soon time for me to head to the start.

The race itself starts off well. I settle into a steady 4:45 per km pace but after only 6k in disaster strikes and my troublesome left calf decides to become troublesome. It locks up and I am faced with another 15k of jog/walk/hobbling to the finish.

I suppose I theory this gives me more time to admire the sights of Paris but we don’t really go past many of them. We twice head through the Place de la Bastille, which is where the most vociferous crowds are and where we’ll probably be getting slaughtered later. There’s also a nice section down the side of the Seine but other than that it’s not even as good as a Big Bus City Tour.

As I head towards the finish we are urged to wave at a multitude of photographers. I wave at one, give a thumbs up to another and then perform a mobot for the third. 

I finish in 2:06. Shoot me now. I hobble off to get my bags back before finding a good spot to watch the rest of the runners come in and to decide who to invite back to the suite.

When L comes in she is a bit miffed as I still beat her time, even if you submit the generous head start I had. I invite her back to my suite figuring that might cheer her up,