Friday 16th March MARATHON 57 & 58

16th March - Day 63. Next door to the Italian Restaurant. Great atmosphere, great food, mixed salad and spag bol!. We sat down, on the table next to us were a very nice couple from Bristol. They spoke great French and helped us out with our order. Their names were Sion and Rhian Caddy, dad and Rhian talked continuously, Rhian went to university in London, lived for a while in Fulham, their daughter lives and teaches in Putney and she knew all the areas dad knew and of which his story's were based. I had a good conversation with Sion, he is a big Welsh rugby fan and will be in Toulouse on Saturday in a bar wearing his colours for the Wales France Six nations, Championship/Grand Slam decider, brave man! Anyway very enjoyable evening, dad enjoyed a new audience, and they very kindly donated 20 Euro's, which was very nice. Although I am obviously an England fan, I do hope the Welsh stuff the French tomorrow and Sion enjoys the day. Back to our very nice room for more icing. Still not feeling great, my stomach is not right, my legs ache to the bone from my hips down to my ankles and I have 2 swollen and sore toes, 2nd and 3rd on my right foot! Eventually got to bed at midnight, too late again but time just seems to disappear! Up with the alarm at 6:15 following a good nights sleep apart from I got a cramp or a spasm in my left leg and it pinged something behind my knee! I hoped all would be ok but it is not! I got ready and set off for my run just after 7:00. I know this area quite well and looking forward to a good run. The weather was overcast but the fog had lifted, I ran down to the main beach and along to the Hotel Du Palais. One day I will stay in there, it looks fantastic and apparently it is! It overlooks the beach, west facing set in fantastic grounds. Anyway on with my run, my legs felt dead but behind my left knee something definitely was wrong and not happy! I managed a 6.51k In 48 minutes Back at the hotel and up to the room, quick shower and down for breakfast. Very good breakfast, dad said best yet and he would be correct, also they cooked my porridge. All good and back to the room by 9:20. Very concerned about my legs, mostly my left leg. The new problem restricts me from using my thigh and my thigh is currently working overtime for my knackered calf and achilles! My achilles area is not getting better, probably a touch worse! Quick massage, legs elevated on the very comfortable bed and I fell asleep for an hour! Great hotel but we had to leave, so at noon we checked out and I set off at 12:15 from the front of the hotel. The route was easy - so bound to go wrong! From the maps it looked very flat, we were aiming to keep coastal as much as possible and our destination was Loustalet. Let's see if we can get there! I led dad through the town as I knew the roads, I instantly went wrong, took a left too early, got caught in the one way system and ended up back where we started! Take 2 worked and I limped through the town and out North on the coast road, dad never out of sight! All went well on the directions but I struggled to keep going! For the first time every thing that hurt at the start got worse and did not bed in as it had before! Very long story and day short, I got through to 16k, all flat by the way, stopped to stretch and try to relieve the tightness behind my knee! I stopped twice more before dad had an away day with 7k to go! I guided him to a church I passed and looped round to complete the marathon there in a place called Capbreton! 4'24"51 The worst I have felt mentally and physically, I had my orange and tried to be positive, without success. For the fist time I did not feel elated to finish! Still I have to be positive now, tomorrow will be better, I am icing now then going for a sauna! We found a beach front hotel, all campsites are still shut! Quite nice a bit funky, I think they are going for the surfer chic look! The building looks like an old sports centre built in the 70's, our room is big and overlooking sea. Going to eat, after sauna, in the hotel restaurant. I will kick myself up the arse and get back into gear tomorrow whatever niggles I have and focus on Marathon 59! Sauna was good, showers were down a corridor past other bedrooms, a bit strange! Meal ok, big plates small portions and not cheap! Back to the room to ice and stretch. During the icing I intended to finish my report. I fell asleep whilst writing this, woke up, the bed wet from the ice and now 1am! Cleared up and went to sleep on the left half of the bed as the right soaked! Up at 6:15 after a good sleep! Legs the same but attitude better, changed and out running by 6:45. The legs hurt alot but I enjoyed the run, north on the cycle track to a huge marina fed by 3 rivers. I ran all the way across 2 bridges and to the end of the track 200m up the 3rd river. Not a soul about until I returned to the 70's Hotel. Very flat so calf's ok, joints hurt but behind left knee now number 1 on the injury charts! 8.15k in 1'03"09. Back to the room, protein shake consumed, did well to keep it down! Quick shower and down for breakfast. Very good breakfast, no need for porridge they had clusters of oats and fruit covered in honey, lovely. Nice proper pot of tea, scrambled eggs and bacon and a few pastries! Sorry report not sent last night I just ran out of energy.