Wednesday 11th April MARATHON 89

11th April - Day 89. Last full day away from England, we left England 94 days ago! Late to bed last night after all jobs complete! Dad did the washing and with the good radiators in here, all the washing is now dried. Lots of emailing, finalising all the crossing logistics, a phone call to home that lasted a bit too long but was nice! I also found a chemical ice wrap bandage which I applied to thigh and waited to go dry. Net result, bed by 12:30! Set alarm for 6:50 so I could have a bit of a lay in. Woke without alarm at 5:50! Tried to get back to sleep with little success but I did not get up until 7:00. Right thigh tight and legs generally knackered, kitted up for my now very short morning run. I need to though this morning due to the fact that my porridge is in the van, in the car park, half a mile away! Grey, wet and miserable! Boulogne does not look good in the rain. Very quick run through a busy town, every one setting up and people hurrying to work and school. Across the bridge to the south side of the dock and back to the garage to pick up my porridge. Back to the hotel and 1.8k complete, not a lot more to say! Up to the room, dad ready, quick shower and down for breakfast. Very nice breakfast room, very good and helpful service (porridge cooked well) and not bad food. Back to the room at 8:35, record! Heart FM's Dan Fox rang, we did a quick phone interview, I think the message was put across that we need donations and how to donate? Chilled for 5 then packed up, paid and pinged, room was ok, hotel not great. We set off to Beussent, which gave me a full marathon into our already booked accommodation for tonight, 5 miles south east of Calais in a place called Guines. An old Forge, sounds good. By far the worst weather we have experienced so far! Lashing down with rain and 4 degrees! As we drove out of Boulogne and into the country, the edges of the fields and the roofs of houses had snow dust on them! We drove, with wipers on full speed, to Beussent. We found a spot in the middle of the village by the small but fast flowing river. Raining not so heavy but still very cold, I did my final preparations in the van and eventually and reluctantly got out, did the very quick video, dad was freezing and wanted to get back in the very warm van as quick as he could! I set off well after midday very slowly in the same style as I finished yesterday, hunched, pigeon toed and very short stride! I felt controlled and kept my body tight to restrict movement, saps energy. Everything hurt, my body gave me a run down reminder of all the injuries so far! Achilles tightened, both calves pinged and popped, my little toe rebelled, my original left thigh problem nagged, my knees hurt, my hip joined in and of course my right thigh and groin felt very insecure! All good, I cracked on through some great villages and countryside an the D127. The rain eased and the traffic was minimal, I felt a bit better after 4k with most of the old problems subsiding leaving only my right calf, thigh and groin. I kept the same running style, very stiff, and got to 10k in 55 minutes. Long one short on the run, I hit a lot more hills than planned, the weather cleared up and I sweated for England, again! I did not need to stop for Voltarol but I finished with a lot of pain in my knees and a very weak and insecure right thigh! Glad to finish though in a time of 4'24"32. Everything ached, my hamstrings suffer the most with the restricted running style and my knees just hurt! Not in the joints, it is more on top of the knee cap and up towards the thigh! Very sweaty clothes off, changed ate my orange and baguette with ham and peanut butter, and of to our accommodation just down the road. We could no find it! The sat nav had it at a crossroads, we gave up and went to get more food and water. Just baked baguette, chocolate eclare and a mini Pan au chocolate, heaven! Water and fruit from Spar and we were good to go and find our bed for the night. We found it, on the crossroads! I could not believe it, and at first would not go in. Dad went in to the run down shack with a car on bricks with no bonnet, on the drive, I took pictures! Dad came out with a very nice man, who might of had a glass or two of wine! Dad said I would love it inside! I reluctantly got out of the van and hobbled into the back/front/side door. What a lovely big room! Formally the forge part of the building, it had a log fire burning, built 3ft off the floor, a small kitchen in one corner, big old leather sofas along two walls, three old oak square dining tables by the fire and a pool table! Fantastic atmosphere, he showed us to the room, ground floor massive, big en suit and funky decoration. There were bits and bobs all over the place, a leopard skin looking loo seat and all sorts of oddments. Orange, blue and green stripped paintwork and a tiffany lamp shade, but  not a spot of dust anywhere! It was the perfect place for dad and I to spend the last night of adventure abroad! Never judge a book by its cover! It felt just right, I had a quick shower and iced my legs with the ice the owner had gone out specially to get before we arrived! Dad had a quick half hour with Katherine and then we set out to cook our food in the Forge. It was brilliant, they actually cooked our pasta in their kitchen and we cooked the soup starter and had the fresh baguette with it. Soup and Pasta was the best we have ever had, the place was the best so far and we had a fantastic evening on our own, in a run down perfect shack on a busy crossroads somewhere near Calais! We rounded the evening off with a quick game of pool then back to the room for more icing and clothes washing,  Lots of emailing and phone calls regarding tomorrow and the crossing and ready to go to bed at 12:15! Very late but we have got a late start tomorrow, our crossing with P&O is not until 15:20, so my 5 or 6 mile run to the port will not start until 13:00. End of a brilliant but painful adventure in Europe, now for England and another 10 marathons before the Virgin London Marathon on the 22nd! I have spoken to a lot of people over the last few days and some are in training for the VLM. They have now stopped running any sort of distance, just short runs and lots of rest, not for me!