Day 17 - Marathon 17 - 8th April 2013

Day 17 8th April Daventry to Milton Keynes Heart Radio

Up at 6:30 after a good night's sleep. Left thigh still sore and with a lump! Still feel knackered but I ate loads after yesterdays run, also last night and will fuel up as much as possible this morning. Joel workout, quick shower and to breakfast. Just me and dad again today but I hope dad has sharpened his navigation skills with the rest over the last 2 days! Struggled to eat again!! Seems that one day is good and one bad. I still managed to consume a small bowl of porridge, 3 toast and a grapefruit half. Back to the room, steady warm up struggling to tense left thigh, lump now showing more and very sore to touch. Kit on, packed up, checked out, few photos taken, in the van and off to the start point. Thanks to Puma Hotels and of course Nick and Essential. Same problem again with the route, major A Roads and duel carriageways! Eventually plotted into Tom-Tom with two options, west of Daventry start or East. East looked a touch more navigationally tougher going through Northampton so west was chosen. All good we got to the start point at a place just south of the village Maidford. Legs now stiff as too long since warm up! Very windy and also a lot colder than I thought, quick video taken and we set off just before 11am. Great countryside again good roads to run on but the head wind was back! Mistake to go west, now running East and into the wind plus a lot more hills! Manufactured running style with short stride and no up lift, good to protect my thigh plays havoc with everything else! Hard work to 10k 48 mins, found a bit of rhythm through all the back lanes to half way, quite nice but not too comfortable. Dad doing a great job, stopping correctly, reading the sat nav correctly, and getting a donation from a farmer! all good. Legs packed up soon after half way and run on memory through to the completion of 42.2k outside heart Radio in 3'25"23 with 309m Elevation Gain. Energy levels better but legs have nothing to give! All good though, another marathon complete, 17 down 13 to go. Met Warren from heart radio, nice chap, said due to this mornings news we will have to be quicker than planned? What news? Margaret Thatcher has died! So, quick but good interview complete, which will hopefully go out over the next few days and get more people donating a little money. All done back in the van and off to Bedford for our night in the Swan Hotel. Checked in, quick shower then me and dad down to the nice reception area for coffee and cake. All very nice, all consumed quick, and we both nodded off! Woke by a waitress, too much time passed! joined by friends and family for dinner, nice evening. All good back to the room, in bed by 11:15, remembered washing was not done due to sleep in reception! Did washing, and to bed at 12:15! Set alarm for7am to get a bit more sleep. Thanks to John Graham and EC HARRIS for being today's shirt sponsors. Very much appreciated John but that does not get you out of running the Watford 10k! Goodnight.