Saturday 28th January MARATHON 15

2 weeks completed, feels like 20!

Left thigh not good! Tried to run too much yesterday. Had another late night diagnosis and action plan from Andy. Rest Ice Compression Elevation, I can do 3 out of 4, rest is a problem. Anyway dad slept in the big bedroom and I had the lounge and all went well. Dad up at 5:45 with a spring in his step, I think he is over the petrol incident! Scrambled egg on toast with Fruit, put together by dad was great, packed up and left cabin and campsite at 8:00. Drove to Boavista 14 miles from Ericeria, weather bright but cold. Blisters all popped and feet not too bad, set off from Boavista at 8:45 unfortunately hobbling due to thigh! Dad managed to take the start photos ok and only 3 takes to get video on record! System back to dad going ahead a few miles and stopping at all cross roads and roundabouts so no problems today! 12k in and no sign of dad at the 3 way interchange, I made the call and dad said straight on there was only one way, stay on the main road. 30 minutes later and I am going into the sun, south and no sign of dad. Another 45 minutes later and I met dad at the intersection at Maceira that only had one way straight on that dad went left at! All mileage but stop and start ruins my rhythm and at the half way mark felt too hot and ready to stop! I made the mistake of putting leggings on so I stopped and took them off and got rid of my jacket. Unfortunately to get them off I had to take running shoes off! Left foot was not happy going back and took a good 20 minutes to get bedded back in! I really felt low and struggled to get my head and body in gear to get it done. From somewhere I found a second wind and cracked on, running very slow up the hills I was covering 1k every 9.1 minutes. Not bad for a walk/jog! Had to work very hard over the last 10k and very relieved to finish in 7'08"58 in Consolacao. I have to bide my time before full running, I felt I could have broken into a full run at times today but glad I did not, leg not as swollen or painful now but right buttock is murder though and left foot blister family growing!

Road kill count was 3 rabbits, big and quite new, 1 cat and a hedge hog again quite new! A bit too many main road's today and a lot inland but great little villages and now in a strange town that I think may be the potato capital of Portugal! We pulled up to the corner cafe and asked for a campsite, we communicated ok, my Algarve Portuguese is not good but up here is hardly understood! Anyway established campsite next door in the "Sporting Club"? It was an old football pitch turned into a campsite and it was full! They said go round the back to the Motel. We did not like the look of it all but had to go round the back as we now had a crowd looking at the van! Anyway Hotel Neptune came into view, brand new and it turns out very cheap and very good!

Dad offered his medical opinion when I was icing this evening "I think you have a muscle problem"!

Hopefully will feel better and more positive tomorrow!