Run The Date - Day 24
Distance: 24 miles
Motivational quote: "There will come a day when you can't do this. Today is NOT that day."
Sponsor: Anon
Song: Stairway to heaven - Led Zeppelin
Running partner: John Lawrence, Kevin Whitby, Neil Adams
Weather: Wet and windy then dry and sunny.
Fuel: Cereal, 3 bananas, coffee, lemon cake, veggie pasty, muesli, nuts.
Route: Football pitch loops, Radnor park loops, Hythe and back.
Comments:
Day 24. I decided I would give an honest account of this challenge and so it’s fair to say I just want it to end now. I am incredibly tired, mentally as well as physically and I want it to stop.
That said… once I’m out running I do enjoy it. This morning the wind and rain slamming against the window woke me up at 5:30am. I allowed myself 30 minutes to snooze and then began preparing for another day. Compression socks and shorts on. Shorts and Run The Date t-shirt on. Rainbow wrist band on. Coffee, cereal and a banana on the toilet. Grab the keys and phone. Trainers on and out the door.
By 6:45 I was at Kevin W’s house and we ran together to collect John. Three Bald Monkeys out for a run. The rain was a steady drizzle by now and the wind had let up a little. We headed for the park and did a dozen or so laps on the soft, wet grass.
After that we made a b-line for coffee and cake at Butty’s. Ten miles complete. We accompanied Kevin home and then John and I continued for another four miles. Once again, the encouragement from John was vital. He made sure I was drinking, planned the route and kept my head up.
At one point I completely bonked – running term for hitting the wall or completely running out of energy – I stopped and sat down on the floor feeling faint. Thankfully we were opposite the entrance to the medical drop in centre so we went in and sat down for a few minutes. Suddenly I realised I had not taken any salt. When you sweat and pee a lot all the salt is washed out of your system and needs replacing. I had eaten lots of sugar but no salt.
The shop was cash only and we only had cards. Then an angel stepped in. An elderly lady called Stella offered to buy me some salted peanuts - but no Belgian lager - which I shovelled down my throat and immediately felt much better. We told her about the challenge, and she apologised that she didn’t have more money to give a donation. Truth is her pound had got me out of a deep hole and at the time meant more to me than any donation (of course now I would say donations not peanuts please!
I arrived home soaked to the skin but happy with the fact that I only had 10 miles to do at lunchtime. I ran a hot bath and soaked in it to warm up. After a vegetarian pasty and a protein shake I laid on the bed for 45 minutes and then… Compression socks and shorts on. Shorts and Run The Date t-shirt on. Rainbow wrist band on. Toilet. Grab the keys and phone. Trainers on and out the door again.
Just two hours after finishing the first run of the day I was back out but this time the sun began to shine. Neil – another Bald Monkey – met me in Sandgate and came with me along the sea front and canal to Hythe. He turned back and I continued to track the canal for a couple of miles before retracing my steps to Hythe.
I had a physio appointment with Lizzy Strand at Physiologic. My quads and right shoulder were very painful, so she worked on them for me. I then followed the sea front back to Folkestone. It was a welcome surprise that the wind has turned from a southerly to a westerly and so I had it on my back all the way.
My watch hit 10 miles as I reached Mermaid Bay, so I walked down the beach and into the sea to give my legs an ice bath. Then it was time to go to work.
This evening my legs are very sore. Both thighs are painful as is my left ankle. No doubt this is down to the fact I had a massage which puts pressure on the muscles. My IT bands and glutes were tight too and whenever they are stretched out it leaves them uncomfortable. Hopefully a good night’s rest will help.
I have now completed 300 miles this month. Just 165 to go and only 6 days until the end. ‘Only’ six days……
Day 24. I decided I would give an honest account of this challenge and so it’s fair to say I just want it to end now. I am incredibly tired, mentally as well as physically and I want it to stop.
That said… once I’m out running I do enjoy it. This morning the wind and rain slamming against the window woke me up at 5:30am. I allowed myself 30 minutes to snooze and then began preparing for another day. Compression socks and shorts on. Shorts and Run The Date t-shirt on. Rainbow wrist band on. Coffee, cereal and a banana on the toilet. Grab the keys and phone. Trainers on and out the door.
By 6:45 I was at Kevin W’s house and we ran together to collect John. Three Bald Monkeys out for a run. The rain was a steady drizzle by now and the wind had let up a little. We headed for the park and did a dozen or so laps on the soft, wet grass.
After that we made a b-line for coffee and cake at Butty’s. Ten miles complete. We accompanied Kevin home and then John and I continued for another four miles. Once again, the encouragement from John was vital. He made sure I was drinking, planned the route and kept my head up.
At one point I completely bonked – running term for hitting the wall or completely running out of energy – I stopped and sat down on the floor feeling faint. Thankfully we were opposite the entrance to the medical drop in centre so we went in and sat down for a few minutes. Suddenly I realised I had not taken any salt. When you sweat and pee a lot all the salt is washed out of your system and needs replacing. I had eaten lots of sugar but no salt.
The shop was cash only and we only had cards. Then an angel stepped in. An elderly lady called Stella offered to buy me some salted peanuts - but no Belgian lager - which I shovelled down my throat and immediately felt much better. We told her about the challenge, and she apologised that she didn’t have more money to give a donation. Truth is her pound had got me out of a deep hole and at the time meant more to me than any donation (of course now I would say donations not peanuts please!
I arrived home soaked to the skin but happy with the fact that I only had 10 miles to do at lunchtime. I ran a hot bath and soaked in it to warm up. After a vegetarian pasty and a protein shake I laid on the bed for 45 minutes and then… Compression socks and shorts on. Shorts and Run The Date t-shirt on. Rainbow wrist band on. Toilet. Grab the keys and phone. Trainers on and out the door again.
Just two hours after finishing the first run of the day I was back out but this time the sun began to shine. Neil – another Bald Monkey – met me in Sandgate and came with me along the sea front and canal to Hythe. He turned back and I continued to track the canal for a couple of miles before retracing my steps to Hythe.
I had a physio appointment with Lizzy Strand at Physiologic. My quads and right shoulder were very painful, so she worked on them for me. I then followed the sea front back to Folkestone. It was a welcome surprise that the wind has turned from a southerly to a westerly and so I had it on my back all the way.
My watch hit 10 miles as I reached Mermaid Bay, so I walked down the beach and into the sea to give my legs an ice bath. Then it was time to go to work.
This evening my legs are very sore. Both thighs are painful as is my left ankle. No doubt this is down to the fact I had a massage which puts pressure on the muscles. My IT bands and glutes were tight too and whenever they are stretched out it leaves them uncomfortable. Hopefully a good night’s rest will help.
I have now completed 300 miles this month. Just 165 to go and only 6 days until the end. ‘Only’ six days……
