Just keep running....just keep running..... by legs_of_lamb

Set the alarm for 07:15 & awoke to Kanye West’s “Stronger”  (a vague effort at psychological motivation!) & sunshine streaming in around the curtains.  After making sure of good hydration & carb loading last night my morning pre-run nutrition was a wholewheat bagel with loads of honey & a cup of coffee about 2 ½ hrs before setting out.  I knew I was really well hydrated as I couldn’t stop going to the loo before we set off, I even had to make a quick stop in Tesco’s before heading off!   And I STILL needed to make use of a convenient “wooded area” at about 5m!   Today’s plan – Ellon to Peterhead along the old railway line – 22m.  Armed with 1 litre of fluids, jelly babies, vaseline, iPod (loaded with an assortment of podcasts & motivational playlists) & smeared in copious quantities of factor 30, I started my plod.   All went really well actually up until about 17 miles when I really started to feel it.   I had managed to avoid getting my feet wet at all for the first time in about 6 weeks and I was even managing to stomach the jelly babies & lucozade sport.   The sun continued to shine and I continued to plod.  I have a feeling I am more than a little fried,  I dare say we shall find out later on when the full effect will reveal itself!  The pace was pretty consistent up until mile 18 when it steadily deteriorated 11:17, 12:02, 12:06.  By now I was at mile 21 & determined not to finish on my knees, so I phoned the Hubby Taxi to let him know where I was & tried to kick up the pace.  I managed to claw it back to a reasonably respectable 10:59, completing  22.03m in 4:03:32.   EVERYTHING hurt, and I mean REAL pain!  It took me about 10 minutes before I could even think about getting into the car.  I have also found a new muscle, the peroneus longus (I had to look it up) it feels like it has been kicked by a horse!  Let's hope today's ice bath does it's usual trick.

Ok, I am probably not going to break any records in 3 week’s time , and if the pace drops any further in the remaining 4.2m I may struggle to get it under 5hrs.  But I have now done all I can to cross that finish line on May 22^nd.  The mainstay of my marathon training is done.

The wildlife count today was quite impressive including 4 buzzards (at close range) one was right next to the pathway on a fencepost and  it didn’t move until I was right on it, then it looked me up & down before flying off in disgust!  I terrified at least 6 rabbits, one of whom ran frantically along the path right in front of me before deciding that turning into the bushes was a better plan.  The wildlife prize however goes to the two deer I rudely interrupted while they were happily minding their own business, who bounded elegantly out of my way and into the forest.