To Infinity....Groundhog Day by Keith_L

Just had a fantastic weekend up in the Lake District for the first time. Never been to the Lakes and they are absolutely beautiful - very lucky with the weather as although bitterly cold was dry and sunny all weekend. Reason for the 5 hour drive each way was that it was the training weekend for the Brathay ten full marathons in ten days challenge.

Met the other nutters sorry runners and what a mixed bag we are, all shapes sizes and a fair mix of ages. Clearly a strong showing from the middle aged men suffering mid life crisis brigade but none the worst for that.

Saturday morning was a jog around the Windermere Marathon course - glorious sunshine but bitterly cold about 0 or below. But coming out and seeing the mist over the Lake and the frost on the fields and hills was something you couldn't pay for (just had to run 262 miles for!). Run itself was very gentle, about four of us ran together including the legendary Steve Edwards one of the countrys most prolific marathon runners who is closing down on his 500th sub 3:30 marathon - but what  alovely bloke who wa sthere just to pass on tips and hints as he has done it before.

Course is hard - harder than I imagined due to the relentless hills, all but three are fairly normal but they just go on and on with very little flat. 

This is certainly going to be "fun"! Sure they will arrange for those hills to get bigger and bigger each day.  Anyway nice jog round and even stopped for a cup of tea a couple of times to record a gentle 3:52 for the full marathon course. Think that might even with the tea stops remain my PB for this course for sometime to come.

Rest of weekend was taken up with various support seminars, training, H&S, fundraising, nutrition etc etc and the very scary 2 hour session with the events physio support. Now if the Physio starts by saying in his professional opinion he has to advise us not to do this event its certainly makes you pay attention. Apparently over 65% of injuries on this event are on the left side of peoples bodies due to the camber of the road and other interesting stats!

Sunday morning started with a recovery run at 7 am with the aforementioned Steve Edwards. Now I say recovery but his idea of recovery was different to mine. Bearing in mind it was sub zero and pitch black with most roads having no street lights he sets off at a steady 8-8:30 pace before throwing in four 6:45 minute miles! I was holding on to his shoulder at the end to not get lost. Brutal but good fun.

So all in all I am now excited and terrified in equal amounts. Well thats not true at moment I am more terrified but know what I will have to do and thats half the battle. Sundays run rounded off a nice 70 + mile week.

Hope all is well in your sane worlds.