Sunday 1st April MARATHON 76 & 77

1st April - Day 79.The Cooker triumphed! Dad knocked up, pasta bows in a great sauce, potatoes and beans. Fantastic. Motel is a box surrounded by motorways in an industrial area, the room is terrible, the car park outside is used as a gathering area for up an coming Alan Prost's, yet I get a good nights sleep, makes no sense! In bed well before 11:00 after an evening with my legs up, no ice but a bit of TLC and volterole! Hopefully all good? Read my FaceBook messages, thank you all for your support and thank you Karen and Hollie, I will do my best to complete this. Phil and I met and got on straight away, we became close and I respected phil as much as he did me. I miss him, we miss him at work and our clients that are supporting me so well now, is due to how much they liked and respected Phil.

Up with alarm at 6:20, one stride and into bathroom pod, kit on and away for my run at 6:55. I did not know whether to go left, down into the industrial area or right, up into the industrial area? I chose right and off I went. A bit of a hill then it levelled out, I found a cycle path so followed that through the estate past, a big Sport 2000 warehouse and an odd warehouse called "The Love Club", not sure what they did? The road entered a housing estate that was quite  pleasant. It rose again to unveil a fantastic view of a lake, town beyond, I assume Angers, and the rising sun. I made my way down to the lake, throwing the odd left and right, hoping I would remember the way back! Eventually I got to the Lake and surrounding woodland. I made my way to what looked like a big restaurant on a peninsula, turned out to be the boating club. Still getting light, there were a group of kids getting their canoe's into the water and a group about to set off Windsurfing! They did not look too keen, the weather was much colder than previous mornings with a fair bit of high cloud. Anyway, on with my run, anti clockwise round the lake to a bridge over a river, I assume the source. I stopped, took a few photos, turned and headed back. I eventually got back to our Motel, after a small detour! Most enjoyable morning 9.65k in 1hour 5 minutes and 17 seconds. Quick stretch, of what is not injured and in the pod for a shower, really too small for me and as you know I am no giant! Into the reception pod for breakfast, packet factory made croissant, bread and jam! Not enough for me so cooker into action and big bowl of porridge produced, consumed with 2 tubs of honey borrowed from the breakfast pod! All good we packed, dad smuggled the cooker back to the van, kit loaded and we left as soon as we could at 9:40! We travelled to today's start in Cande, the sun was out, clear skies but with a cutting cold wind! We found a good place to start from, I got out and started getting ready. It was freezing! Yesterday short sleeve red top was too much, today I put my ice breaker thermal ski top, with a short sleeve on top. All done, little stretch session, quick video, dad was freezing and off at 11:35. We headed up the D6 through Pouance, up the D11 through St-Aignan-sur-Roe and St Michel de-la-Roe to La Roe. A lot of Roe's! We turned right at La Roe on the D25 to the finish, just before Ballots. Summary of the route and the run, constant cold head wind, lovely but deserted villages, lots of Cows, some standing some laying down. Very tough day, my knees and hips gave me grief from about 9k! I controlled the pain to 14k then just looked down gritted my teeth and got on with it! I got to 29k and again had to stop, I felt sick and empty with the pain, so I had a banana and a pain killer and set off again. As dad caught up and drove past my nose started to bleed, I managed to get his attention and he drove ahead, stopped and passed me some tissue. I did not want to stop again so I did "repairs on the run" resulting in blood all over my gloves, glasses and shirt! It finally stopped bleeding after the fifth bung came out with 3k to go! I hobbled to the completion in 3'56'16 plus the stop. Slightly miss timed the completion point with dad so I re set my watch and ran on. I got to dad having completed a further 800m which fortunately covers the 635m required to complete another catch up marathon! All good, tomorrow is day 80 and I will be only 2 behind running marathon 78! Back to today, I felt sick with the pain when I finished! I must treat the problem tonight, I cannot get through pain like that every day! Dad parked out of the wind and in the sun, so orange and 2 kitkat's consumed sitting in the sun in the boot of the van, very content and relieved today's running was over. Quick rub down and change, back in the van, destination of nearest accommodation plugged into sat nav, a motorway service station hotel! We arrived not looking forward to it but it was fine. The motorway to the front and lots of country to the rear. We went straight in the cafeteria, I had a ham salad followed by steak and chips, dad had steak hash (a burger) and chips. Felt much better, back to the hotel, nice chap on reception, very friendly and helpful. He got me ice, I had a Chocolate and Banana Crepe while waiting, as you do! Up to the room, dad already asleep listening to Barbara Streisand! I put tubey grip on both knees and filled them with ice. Unbelievably painful 15 minutes! Moved ice down to achilles area on both legs and another 15 minutes of pain! Last area, right hip, 15 minutes, no pain? Slept on and off for an hour and now going down to find more food! 3 weeks today London Marathon!