Sunday 8th April - MARATHON 85

8th April - Day 86. Happy Easter, I hope you all have a good one.
On the way back yesterday we found a Boulangerie and Patisserie, waited ages to be served, I think the lady in front had a lot of grandchildren! We ignored the eggs, bought some pastries and 2 big baguettes. I knocked up the biggest ham, cheese and tomato baguette, we all sat in the van due to it starting to rain and was freezing! All eaten we headed on to Dieppe. We found our way to Hotel L'Europe, parked outside with a thousand camper vans. Easter has arrived, everything now open which is good, too many people and everything full, which is not! Up and in the room later than planned, lots to do, first the watch download, very frustrating! All the wifi routers seem to have no security and my laptop likes a bit of security! Eventually information down and up loaded and on to the treatment. Nice hamstring and calf soft massage followed by, I am told a soft, massage of my achilles, not so nice! All done, quick change and out to find food. Now absolutely freezing out, we wrapped up and set off to the Port just behind the hotel and the row of restaurants. Found a pizza place, first one we came to, and ordered. Starters were great, salmon on avocado, sat on a rice cylinder and salad! Main course chicken Tagleatelli ordered as a carbonara with chicken instead of ham and no cream. Turned up dry pasta and ham! My knees started to ache and my little toe was not happy so I left the table with the others tucking into desert and hobbled back to the hotel. Could not get ice! Quick rest, the others turned up, ultrasound on my knees, watched the golf for too long and went to bed at midnight! Far to late. Four of us in two double beds next to each other, cosy, lots of strange noises, dad asleep ages ago and I could not get to sleep. Room too hot, my toe caught the cover every time I moved, my knees ached and my glutes just hurt whatever way I laid! Up at 6:00, on my own this morning, Andy had a repetitive strain injury from the last two mornings, I think the pull he had was only the cover over his head! Anyway, I set off for my run in Dieppe. Freezing morning, dry but with a bitter wind. I had a good explore, found the hospital, the industrial fishing port, the marina and the ferry port. I also ran past a very large war memorial and the only shop open, a Boulangerie! Smelt fantastic and although still only 6:45 on Easter Sunday, it was open and busy! Bobbed along back to the Hotel, 8.37k in 56 minutes, legs were lifeless, I had no energy and for the first time in nearly a week my knees and right hip pains were worse when I finished than when I started! Had to cut the run short to do a Radio5Live phone interview. Rang as discussed at 7:50 French time, asked me if they could call me at 8:20, 2k I could have run! Radio interview done, still struggled to get my message across that we need people to go on our site and donate! It is great to get on national radio to raise awareness of my challenge but, it is the result of the challenge that is so important.

I am just ordinary people trying to do something extraordinary, fulfil a promise to Phil and raise lots of money for Teenage Cancer Trust and the Hospice of St Francis. It is great that we are getting some good sponsorship and donations but we need to get recognition from a much bigger audience. I would never expect to raise the money that a celebrity would raise for doing something like this and fair play to those celebrities that do put themselves through personal pain to raise charity cash. I do however intend to try as hard as I possibly can to raise awareness and in turn, raise as much as I possibly can through the efforts of me, dad and the team. I will keep trying! Back to today, showered and down for breakfast, not great but did get Scotts Porridge cooked! My pre start mood is getting worse by the day! Nothing seemed to go right, eventually at the point to kit up and go when we are told we have to move rooms! Re packed all our kit, then told we cannot move in until mid day! Bit of argy and the hotel agreed to move them for us. We eventually set off in the van to our start point north east of Dieppe, persisting down with rain and freezing! Rain eased, video taken, I could not find my hat, no dry gloves so used thick Seal Skin pair, basically all over the show! I set off and the rain started within minutes, got out of the village and the wind hit me! I knew at this point it was not going to be the best of day's! The route took us through the hills on minor roads through lots of very quiet villages. I got hot up to 10k, 10 to 14k up hill, hotter, contemplating taking running jacket off, my thick gloves knocked my watch off, did not realise, ran at least 1k before I noticed! Watch back on and extra running to do!! Hill took what little energy I had, out of the woods at the top and hit the wind and driving rain across very open plains of ploughed fields. I froze within 10 minutes, the rain was horizontal hitting me on the right side, knee and hip seized! Long running story short, tough and horrible day! Finished not a moment too soon in a village, I can't tell you the name my laptop cannot get internet access and I cannot download my watch! in a time of 3'57"40, felt more like 5'37"! Still, marathon 85 complete, enjoyed my orange, freezing cold, complete change and wrapped up in the back of the van with baguette. Dad drove back to Dieppe, Jamie and I fell asleep in the back, Andy helped navigate in the front. Back to the hotel, fantastic hot bath, little toe, sore and smaller than it was yesterday morning, treated with iodine and antiseptic spray. Jamie and Andy went out to eat, me and dad stayed in and chilled/slept. Pizza brought back for us, dad not hungry, result! Now eating the Easter Eggs given to me by Tony's children Hattie and Charlie, thank you. Hopefully tomorrow will be more together and enjoyable!