Day 5 is also affectionately known as Ladies Day. This title was given to the day from some years ago when the male runner’s let the female runner’s dib and go off first, a sort of gentlemanly thing to do.
Later in 2012 this evolved as Jim Meta and Jeff Prestridge started having their nails painted. A few years ago this took on another turn as the male physios ventured to a local charity shop in Ambleside to get some ladies dresses and conducted their morning physio session dressed as women, very surreal! This has now become the norm and this morning I wasn’t disappointed by the effort they all put in with their dressing up. They do say what goes on in the physio room stays in the physio room and generally I agree but here’s a sneaky photo to share with you. I have others but don’t think it would be fair to upload them on here! I’d like to add we did let the ladies start first this morning.
I was feeling strong this morning so planned to put in a bit more effort and try for one of my slightly better times. By the time I got to Hawkshead I was several minutes up on the previous day. I continued at this quicker pace to 8 miles where I started to feel the warmth of the day. It had been sunny and warm from the start and was now getting quite hot. By the time I got to half way, just before Fellfoot Park at the bottom of the lake the sun was beaming down. I could feel myself sweating far more than normal and elected for self-preservation and slowed the pace a bit.
For the second half of the race I think I managed to run at a pace that just about kept me hydrated for the quantity of water I had out on the course. Knowing what I know now about the day’s heat I wish I had put a bit more out there. I thought yesterday was one of the hottest days I’ve ever run around this lake but today was far hotter.
I’m very pleased how my legs are holding up and I’m not suffering any injuries. I do however have a problem with the second toe on both of my feet. The bruising from pounding the tarmac is causing a blister to appear on both toes and in each case is lifting the nail. I’m been down to the lake after I finished today to dangle my feet on the cool water to hopefully reduce the swelling, it worked yesterday so hopefully it will work again.
Finishing time today 3:46:22, not as fast as I’d hoped but happy enough. I might not be injured but I’m getting more physically and mentally tired each day. Time to quickly finish this blog and get some needed rest.
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