{"id":1180,"date":"2021-10-01T21:38:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T21:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/runspoonsrun.co.uk\/?p=1180"},"modified":"2021-10-05T11:12:04","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T11:12:04","slug":"01-10-21-running-thru-a-crime-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runspoonsrun.co.uk\/?p=1180","title":{"rendered":"01\/10\/21 – Running Thru\u2019 a Crime Scene"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On Wednesday, we attended the London Marathon Expo at the Excel Centre in East London to collect our numbers. As usual, we also ended up buying something, despite saying we would keep our money in our pockets. This time it was a pair of bone-conducting headphones each. Oh, and some overpriced drinks and a flapjack, which cost almost as much as the headphones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst there, we saw the colour of this year\u2019s finishers T-Shirt. After our first LM, which was a lovely red and blue adidas number, it\u2019s fair to say we haven\u2019t had much luck since with the designs. York was hot pink, last year\u2019s Virtual was a weird neon red with gold lettering and a sandpaper fabric. This year it\u2019s orange, but not just any orange, this is fluorescent, luminescent, hi-vis orange of the kind that road workers and event stewards wear. Hey, at least we won\u2019t have trouble sneaking into any gigs or footie matches now.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also met up with my charity \u2013 Alzheimer\u2019s Research UK, who had a stand there – and we had a good chat with Kelly and the team about the forthcoming race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back home the next day, it was time to try out my new headphones on my penultimate run before the big day. The classic course was the route of choice, but as I left the house I realised that there was a Police Helicopter hovering right overhead, really low. Well, that’ll be a good test for the headphones.

Worringly, as I set off the helicopter appeared to follow me for a minute or so. Even the new headphones were no match for that clatter. The helicopter was joined on the ground by several Police cars and vans: blues and two\u2019s going ten to the dozen, along the main road, thankfully ignoring me… As I headed into the back streets, I encountered most of those Police vehicles stationary across the road and pavement surrounding an abandoned black Audi with doors and boot flung open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There has been a recent spate of burglaries from local sheds, vans and garages and the back and boot of the car was packed with several power tools. No sight of the driver though and the coppers were stood around on their radios. One even apologised to me for blocking the pavement.

Around the next corner were a couple more \u2018plain-clothes\u2018 Police cars in the middle of the road. This time the officers has apprehended a suspect, who was looking extremely sorry for himself. Not least because he was practically naked from the waist down, his trackies hanging in rags. It looked like he tried to scale a fence whilst making his escape and come off second best. The Police officers were trying to contain their mirth as they interrogated and cuffed him. A little further along, on the main road, more Police cars were on the pavement with a second, long-faced suspect sitting in one car. I couldn\u2019t help but cheer as I ran past, the suspect scowled, prevented from flicking me the viccy by handcuffs.

Back home after the slow and steady run, my final Marathon prep task was at hand: the LM21 playlist. I don\u2019t often run with music, but I always take headphones for Marathons for those harder yards towards the end of the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s songs are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n