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Octathlon and car accidents
27/06/2008
Athletics can kill
I drive a keyboard for a living. If I fall asleep on the job I may well make soame hilariars typos, but I am unlikely to cause a massive pile up car accident on the M40, am I?
I'm tired because I have been running around the country watching my son running! And having been out virtually every weekend for the past two months is beginning to take its toll.
Don't get me wrong, I love watching my son and his friends from the local athletics club compete in their matches, but long hot summer days, and the apprehension and excitement of watching our stroppy teenagers win or lose, is absolutely exhausting, never mind the fact that someone has to drive home again afterwards.
This week my son and I are off to Reading for an Octathlon; that's eight events, over two days. We will have to be up at 6am on Saturday to get to the stadium by 9.30. So, my lack of sleep from the night before (due to worrying about whether I have enough bananas for a two day competition) will be compounded with my loathing of driving to new venues, my anxiety about his performance and then having to observe him doing the shot putt (which he hates and refuses to practice).
I have taken the safe option; we will be staying in Reading overnight - Travelodge twin beds with a teenager angry that he fouled up the javelin. Should be fun! The following day though, we will only have to drive 15 minutes to the venue. That's good.
Of-course, when it's all over and the medals have been handed out, we will have to face the return journey. The weather forecast is mixed - sunny intervals are predicted. So, it could be hot, we might have a touch of sun burn. We may be elated, we may be devastated. But I still have to get us home.
I will be tired. There is no getting away from that fact. What can I do?
My brother swears by those drinks that "give you wings." Personally, I think they taste so foul I would rather have my son poke me all the way home with a rusty pitch fork than have to drink one can.
A Department for Transport Driving when tired - Factsheet" suggests sharing the driving. Do we think that the police will let me off when they catch my 15 year old son behind the wheel, doing 70 mph down the M3 with his mother snoozing gently in the passenger seat at 6.15 on Sunday evening? Mmmm! Methinks not.
They also state that opening the window or turning up the radio does little to prevent a driver from causing a car crash by falling asleep at the wheel. Good, because due to some very dodgy wiring, we don't have a car radio and, the price of fuel as it is, I point blank refuse to drive above 40mph with the windows open - Jeremy Clarkson said once that you might as well drag an elephant behind your car, such is the effect on fuel consumption.
So, it will be down to the good old art of conversation for the prevention of a car accident for me on Sunday evening. Oh dear, hassled mum and teenage athlete in one car and a two hour journey home. Now that could be painful.
