Tuesday 6th March MARATHON 46

6th March - Day 53. After the long search for accommodation last night we found Hotel Piedra, I think we are actually in Perlora. Anyway, down to the restaurant for dinner in need of protein and carbs! It was full of construction workers, it looked like they all went for the set menu that included wine. By the end of the evening I knew non of them were scaffolders, free wine no one drunk and no fights! The menu was fully translated to English! Dad had fish soup followed by an omelette, I had an omelette followed by a huge bowl of spaghetti bolognaise followed by dads omelette he could not eat after such a massive fish soup! Felt full and satisfied, dad amazed me again with his lack of short term memory and his detailed memory of a holiday 49 years ago in Italy, where my uncle got in a lift with my dad to go out, with one brown and one black shoe on! The place, the name of the hotel, the food they ate and the weather, all remembered! He could not remember anything about 3 days ago saying its all a blur! Back to the room iced legs below the knees and sat with them elevated again, both very swollen! Did more washing and in bed by 11:30, not too late considering the delay. Not a bad nights sleep, dad coughed a bit and snored alot! Up at 6:30, again ankles not happy to help in the trip to the bathroom but after a bit of massage and persuasion they reluctantly joined in the event. Kit on and out to the van, 10 minutes re organising the mess and eventually away for my morning run at 7:40. I headed towards Candas, downhill to start, my knees woke up at this point! A pleasant run along a raised promenade around the small bay to the working Harbour. Fishing boats were finishing their unloading of the nights catch and the cafe's were quite lively. A nice little place, I took a few photos of the sun rising, I do not know if they show how great it was! Anyway round the harbour and back up to the hotel, 37 minutes 5.3k done, I love to run at this time of day. Back to the room quick shower and down to breakfast. Normal buffet of not alot, we took shredded wheat and fitness fibre and honey and made it a bit more substantial. Nice tea though. Back to the room, tried to enter destination on the sat nav without too much success! All the names on the map did not register with sat nav, very frustrating, dad started stating the obvious and I started to get the hump! Eventually a name registered, Tazones. It also looked good as the mountain range ran parallel with the local road AS-256 and the VV-5, once we leave the N-632 at Vente de Las Ranas. Anyway, slightly edgy, we packed, kitted up, I tried again to massage some movement into my achilles and shins, did my warm up and stretch. Can only stretch where there are no injuries, less stretching by the day! Right calf, high up, is tight so massaged as much as I could. Packed, paid and in the van by 11:10. A good mark given for this accommodation, just not very personal. Down to the harbour in Candas to start. Quick video done, the weather was not as forecast, it was lovely. A local man approached and started talking to us, obviously in Spanish, we explained that we did not understand Spanish and tried to get on. He was having non of it! The odd reference to running and pointing at the 100 in our Logo and he kept on, he looked mid 30's and possibly a runner.  We took the English way of speaking when you can't speak the language, loud and slow! WE - HAVE - TO - GO - NOW - WE - HAVE - GOT - TO - RUN  - TO - LONDON! With that I set off with him still talking and waving, I think in friendship? The first kilometre was back towards our hotel and mostly flat, this gave me a chance to settle in before the 3 kilometre steady climb out of the valley. Left achilles area the biggest problem up the hill but once at the top the level or steady descent was good to me. Very industrial area approaching Gijon, I am not sure if the Spanish have the equivalent of our Health and Safety Executive, but the whole area looked very dangerous and unregulated! Anyway 10k complete in 57 minutes and I generally felt ok, with a modified running style! Dad was not looking forward to running through Gijon, lots of concentration, map reading and sat nav following required! All actually went ok, not the best place to run through, but dad did well. He did get moved on by the police once and told off by another for slowing down at a green light and waiting for it to go red so I could catch up. It worked though! Anyway through the town and heading out on the N-632. Sat nav decided to go off the main road and round a set of smaller roads and back on the main road! I of course blamed dad, he protested and said there were two roads with the same number N-632 and the sat nav chose the smaller! I disagreed whilst running up a very steep very short hill that tore into my calfs! We later checked the map and sat nav and I had to eat my words, there are two N-632's! Anyway pain started! 20k came, with my right leg hurting in my calf, the right side of my knee and my hip! The roads now however were much easier to run on, not so steep and not so busy. Quick loo stop at 26k and on I went, the scenery got better and better. To my right, were the snow topped mountains of Picos de Europa, glad to be avoiding those, as I ran along country lanes past Vente de las Ranes to El Gobernador and on to the completion of the marathon at the start of the very picturesque sea side village of Tazones. My right calf has now topped the left achilles as the most painful and debilitating! I do not think my achilles is that much better it is just that my calf ping is a new pain that I have not got control of yet! Anyway marathon complete in 4'09"14. Time is getting better but the running certainly is not! Our finish point was probably the most convenient and picturesque so far, right outside a cafe at the junction of 2 country lanes with the sun beaming on to the roadside tables and chairs. Dad parked opposite in an elevated parking area, I had my orange, stretched off, iced, changed and off we went across the road. You had to be careful, although a country lane, cars passed at speed! I hobbled up the slope to walk down to the cafe, dad decided on the steps. As I turned from the parking area down the road I watched in slow motion dad miss judge the gap between the curb and the road and fall flat across the road! I hobbled as fast as I could and two people got up from the cafe, thankfully no cars came and the extent of dads injuries were a swollen and grazed knee, elbow and hand! He got up, seemingly more embarrassed than hurt and crossed to the cafe. He started saying how stupid he was and that he was too old to help me properly. I agreed, but said if you were not here I would have nothing interesting to report on! Coffee, not too good, drunk and off we went to find accommodation. We thought an easy task as we had seen many nice looking places along the road. All shut! Not looking good we tried one more that had 3 keys, I assume a type of star rating for country places, a nice lady came to the door, not looking like she expected to see guests, and ushered us in. Very pleasantly surprised, the Hotel Rural El Gran Duque is very nice, recently renovated and very welcoming. Booked in, toasted sandwich ordered, kit all up to the room. Very nice people and a very nice place, touch! Quick shower and back to icing, this time not just me, dads knee has swollen and we are now having a hobble off! I think dad is winning! They have a full menu on so we will see what that's like later. Another day done!