3 weeks and counting.

I have to say that this weekend has been a good one, far better than I thought it was going to be.  It started on Friday with a day off which was lovely.  I went to the shops and stocked up on ingredients for my 'bake-athon'  I made a flying visit to the doctors where I discovered that I have done nothing that should stop me running (forgetting of course the pain), I now have some anti inflammatories, advice to stop running as much as possible (3 weeks to go ??????) and the suggestion of a visit to a sports physio - unfortunately this won't be happening, I simply can't afford it.  I got some pretty interesting results though when I went for the DIY option and searched 'deep penetration massage' on you tube!

The rest of the day was spent destroying my kitchen whilst attempting to make a few cakes.  I'm not much of a cook and I don't really have all the required baking tins etc. which resulted in endless greasing, flouring, filling, cooking, emptying, washing, drying cycles.  The whole thing took hours and hours and the five rather pathetic cakes that were the result didn't, I felt, reveal the full story but I had done my best.

Saturday morning was the coffee morning that mum and dad hosted.  Jan came over, Michelle and Elly, Malcolm's wife and daughter came along to help and to supply the posh cakes.  Val and Brian who had lived near us in Stansted many years ago were also there as were Tim and Jenny, Malcolm and Michelle's good friends, also from Stansted.    There wasn't a huge crowd but they were an incredibly generous group of people and we raised £316.00 for the 2 charities which is brilliant.  After lunch at mum and dad's Jan came back with me and along with Andrew we had a lovely evening infront of the fire, 'carb loading' watching the telly and having a laugh.


This morning the schedule said we should do our second 18 miles, we were yet to do our first!.  It took us some time to get out the door, preparing the bag for the support vehicle takes for ever, there's plain water, lemon water, gels.  Paracetamol and lip balm.  Phones, tissues and wet wipes (the gels are very sticky and I hate sticky fingers!).  Oat bars, jelly babies and jelly beans . . . it goes on and on.  Eventually after several visits to the loo, a stretching master class and a fit of the giggles over which hats to wear we finally got out of the door.  At 2 miles the pain kicked in and I started to walk, we were on a tiny county lane and the road is really uneven, I just couldn't find a flat bit to walk on.  Jan waited for me and I had decided that as soon as Andrew arrived with the car (he wasn't on the bike this week - the bag is just too big now!) I was done, I just couldn't go on.  I limped on hoping he wouldn't be long but then I thought I would give it another go, very, very slowly.  I surprised myself because it almost felt easier running slowly rather than walking.  We went the rest of the way walking and running but I had done so much more than I ever expected I would, I couldn't be disappointed.  In the end we did around 10 miles, having done so little all week it seemed daft to push it too much in one hit, I need to be able to get out again this week.  I had proved it was possible to keep running even if it did hurt.  This week should be the start of the taper but I am going to have one more high mileage week and next Sunday get at least 18 miles.  then I shall have a 2 week taper to marathon day.

We rounded off the day by taking a leaf out of the book of all the best runners and we climbed into an iced bath!!!!.  Not the most comfortable experience of my life but it definitely increased my vocal range, I swear I hit top C as I lowered myself in.  It's one of those things that you never really know if it worked because there is no way of knowing just how much worse you would feel if you had gone for the conventional warm shower.  Hopefully it was worthwhile and I shall have a good week.