Saturday 25th February MARATHON 36

Very nice meal, dad had a couple of beers following the good finish to the day and started to speak loud and slur! He then told the waitress the meal was the best he had ever had! Back to the room, dad instantly asleep and I rotated the clothes drying on the very hot rad's! The room is far too hot, we have the window fully open and the air coming in is not cold! Up at 6:00 after a surprisingly good nights sleep. Strapped up left ankle and lower shin, kitted up and set off on my early morning run. Unlike the other early runs this started on main roads and was not pleasant. I set off at just before 7am heading west on the AC-301, large lorry's passing too close so I took a left down a small road with a few lights in the distance. It was a quiet little one street village, well it was until I ran through! You could of heard a pin drop as I bobbed along, in the distance there was a very large dog sitting watching me approach. He was behind a chain link fence and did not seem too bothered by my presence, he watched me for at least 50 yards, I passed him turned and said good boy, he then went nuts! This set off a chain reaction and at just gone 7am, it seemed every dog within a mile was barking and howling! I put my foot down and got to the T junction, turned right and pushed on down along a bit more of a  major road. I could still hear the dogs barking 15 minutes later. The route was all quiet with no Cafe's or any sign of life. Around the next bend was the biggest transport depot where all the lorry's, that were getting too close to me earlier, were headed. There seems no order to the layout of these places. Anyway I turned at 5k and headed back, I ran back through the street with the dog and it seemed a bit more awake than 20 minutes before! Back to the Hotel Scala at 8:13 and 10.26k done in 1'18, strapping was not good enough and Achilles sore! Back to the room finished washing clothes, showered and down to breakfast by 9am. Breakfast was ok until dad did not feel to good and had to leave, 5 minutes later and I had to make a quick exit also! Dad felt better after his visit to the loo and said this was the best place we have stayed in, I felt worse and disagreed! Dad and I started at each other over every little thing again! I could not get my strapping right, I felt sick and everything was taking twice as long! Eventually we set off at 11:40 with no real route sorted! We decided to head west on the AC-30. It looked a bit hilly on the map but not too bad, 2k fairly flat and my strapping was proving better than yesterday's and this morning's. I then started to climb, steady at first then steeper and more winding. 10k later we were still climbing! First 10k in 1hr, weather overcast but still hot and legs feeling it, achilles and calf holding up ok. The climb levelled out after 2k on the DP-7402, we then turned right, East, on the AC-543. I felt better at this point, the hard work sorted out my sickness, dad was happy and all was good. How quick things can change and unfortunately change back! Dad started to get concerned about going in to Santiago, I was not concerned and said so, may be a bit too bluntly! The AC-543 was mainly down hill and played havoc with my shin and knees. The scenery was ok but I did not look up too much on the climb or the decent! We approached Santiago and dad was not happy! I said just head to the centre and I will sort the route. We approached a roundabout and the Santiago centre was left, dad went ahead and we think got caught in a right filter lane completely cut off from the access to the roundabout! He was out of sight so I could not see where he went! I turned left and headed up towards Santiago centre. I could not see dad and with only 9k to go I carried on up through and out the other side, still no sign of dad! I thought it best to turn and finish the marathon down the same road for ease of finding each other. I did and completed the run 400 meters before the same roundabout dad went missing at! Marathon distance in 4'13"04, last 5k very slow, the early hills took everything out of my legs but pleased to have completed marathon 36 and also over 10k to the catch up. Anyway still no dad! I sent him a few texts explaining my position, I got a few back not saying anything! Very long story short, the Police picked me up as I was running back up the high street! They could not speak English, understandably, and as you know I speak no Spanish. I established that dad had panicked and gone to the station to see if I had been in an accident! I ended up in the back of the Police car, plastic hard seats no handles! being taken to the station to meet dad! By the time we got there he had gone and all the police were concerned for his health, he was in a complete flap! My phone does not work without headsets and all my headsets are now broken! School boy error I know, dad had pointed this out on more than one occasion! As I say this is the shortened version Dad eventually turned back up at the station. The police were great but wanted to escort us to the Hospital so dad could get checked over, he refused, we said our thank you's and we left. A quiet few minutes then world war 3 erupted! We exchanged our opposing views, talked a lot and agreed never to get that way with each other again. All now calmed down, we booked into the Hesperia Hotel which was the closest, very nice, more money than last night but with nerves a bit frayed a bit of luxury will not hurt. What a day, I tried to take a photo when I was in the police car but they did not like it!

Another day done, we may go back to the station before tomorrows run to say thank you. Legs now very jaded but injured areas no worse. Going to bed now to hopefully get a good long sleep before we start the Pilgrims way tomorrow from the Cathedral, 777k through the mountains to France! Goodnight.