The Humber Bridge 10k made me wet my bed !

The memory of this story always make me and Jules giggle simply because it sounds like a work of fiction, but it is in reality totally based in truth.

To set the scene for this story, you need to know it was a hot day in June 2007 and I hadn't yet had very much experience in racing, and 10k was still a very long way for me. These were the early days when I was still getting nervous about a week before a race and would dream about it every night before the event, and then re-live every step in my sleep the night after the event. One of the symptoms to show I was dreaming about running was my legs would run in my sleep, and Jules found this very annoying as I would often kick her and wake her up. She'd wake me up with a sharp prod, then I'd have a sip of water which I always keep beside the bed, then go back off to sleep.

The day of the race had arrived, and we drove to Humberside and parked in the shadow of the Humber Bridge (photo) ready to be walked to the start line. After what seems ages, the gun sounded and we were all off. The run across the first half of the bridge is actually uphill because of the curve, so it was a nice relief to get to the midway point and begin the gentle downhill where we would run under the bridge and back up the other side. 

I arrived at the other side of the Humber Bridge and much to my relief saw 3 long tables stacked with plastic cups of water being handed out by little old lady volunteers. Now I didnt then realise the etiquette of throwing water over your head thereby possibly depriving other runners of refereshment. So I grabbed a cup at the first table and poured it over my head. Still feeling very hot, I grabbed another from the second table and did the same. At this point, I knew this would be my last chance to grab a cup to drink, so I ran toward the third table, whereupon the little old lady thought she was doing my a favour and found great delight in throwing the water in my face!!

Laughing hysterically, I ran the second half of the race across the bridge to be greeted by Jules and a new PB (personal best time) for that distance. I told her what had happened and we laughed and talked about it all the way home.

Bed time arrived and we laid there still buzzing from the days events and giggled again one last time about the little old lady and the third table. Jules suggested I should write that story down and have it published. 

During the night, I was running the whole Humber Bridge 10k again in my sleep. My legs were running like mad in bed and Jules was wide awake laughing at me and watching. Then my legs stopped and I laid quietly, still alseep. So Jules gently nudged me to see if it would set me off again, which apparently it did.

In my dream, I must have reached the halfway point over the Humber Bridge where the water incident occurred. How do I know this?? Because the next thing we both knew was, I'd grabbed the water from beside the bed, and poured it all over both of us and wet the bed.

YES! We still laugh about it, but just haven't told the story in public until now.

Stephen