Tuesday 17th Jan MARATHON 4

Up early good breakfast, 2 toast, Alpen and a banana and a lovely cup of tea at the right temperature! Dad takes the kettle off before it boils saying he is saving electric! Result warm tea not hot! Anyway we should have left our base in Luz on the Algarve yesterday but with all the people here over the weekend we were not ready so now packing the van, hopefully better than the journey down so we can sleep! It has been great having a guaranteed bed, bath and kitchen. A soft start to a long hard challenge!

We set out at 8am, fuelled up and left to travel to Zambujeira do Mar. Journey went well got to yesterdays finish point in glorious sunshine. Set myself up and realised I left my water bottle holder back at the ranch!

After a few minutes panic and realised there was nothing I could do, I set off with my bottles in the van and set the van stops only a couple of miles apart. All went well on the water front through the run without a crossed word! I tried the ipod shuffle and earphones for the first time, I, or rather Paul, had loaded it with audio books and learn Portuguese in 12 hours and itunes. I set off, legs feeling like my thighs had just been punched like the meet in Rocky, listening to Trial by James Patterson. Chapter one caught my attention and 6k went by without noticing, the ipod thing then

shuffled and I was listening to learn Portuguese! I did not know what was going on, I thought I may have touched something so I carried on learning about words ending in ible in English are evel in Portuguese. It then did it

again and I was listening to chapter 14 of the Trial! This carried on throwing in the odd chapter of the Hobbit and Sherlock Homes Memoirs for good measure! Actually was not too bad and by the end I should be able to read the Trial, Hobbit and Sherlock in Portuguese!

Back to the run, much flatter but long straight open and windy roads, again great countryside combined with big lorries! I ran on the N393 to Fataca, just past we turned left towards Cavaleiro. Nice quiet road, turned right to

Almograve then right and rejoined the N393. A very long and straight road led me to Vila Nova de Milfontes, took the N390 to Brunheira and our finish was about 3k further on.

Completed marathon distance in 3'49"23 again not a bad time but really hurt my thigh muscles! I am very concerned they will get worse, I find it hard walking down the stairs now! I did a good warm down and now icing thighs and having a bath later. About to eat now.