Day 3 at Devils Gallop with lovely Autumn colours
After a very good day 3, I had a spring in my step this morning and a smile on my face. The race started and I felt quite energised. Darren, Rachel, Paul and Lee had all started before me and I felt in the mood to try and hunt them down. I put in a pretty fast first few miles to Hawkshead at about 8:30 minute miling and enjoyed the morning. By Devils Gallop at mile 7 I had caught Lee and Paul and wondered if I would ever catch Rachel. I knew the pace was even faster than yesterday and wondered whether I could sustain it.
By mile 10, Paul had regained his position in front of me and I knew I was going too fast and started to consciously slow a bit as I didn’t want to suffer too much latter of pick up an unnecessary injury. The weather so far had been a mix of dry and a few short showers which was fine for me.
At about mile 15, I needed a pit stop and found a secluded gate way. While I was there Lee came past me. I got back running and thought I would follow Lee from about 100 yards behind him and see how the next few miles went.
From here on the day quickly went downhill. The weather turned for the worse with lots of heavy rain, the roads were flooded in many of the dips along the second half of the course. I think my early faster pace was had an effect and my mood dropped. I decided it was a matter of grinding the rest of this marathon out so zipped up my jacket as high as it would go, pulled my hands up my sleeves out of the weather and dug in at a slow steady pace.
By mile 23 I felt cold and exhausted and had a couple very short walks while I ate a Twix bar (food of athletes). In the end I was just thankful it was all over, I could get out of the rain and into some warm, dry clothes.
Lovely to see Michelle out in the rain again at the Swan Hotel at Newby Bridge and also see previous 10in10er’s Paul, Trudy, Vicky and Patrick out and about around the course.
I am starting to pick up a few niggles, left quad, left IT band and left calf, nothing major and pleased my right knee has only had the slightest of twinges. Thanks to Zak my physio for treating them this afternoon, it was a bit painful on the physio table and left me very tired so I snoozed on it for a few minutes afterwards to before I could muster the energy to go for a shower.
Some mildly interesting stats for the day:-
340 marathons completed
73 official races around Lake Windermere completed, made up of 68 10in10 laps and 5 Brathay Windermere marathons. More laps than anyone else ever!
A bit of Manchester music trivia, Blue Monday by New Order (the first 12inch I ever bought) was the 73rd Factory Records release, known as FAC73. The same as the number of laps I have now done. Hopefully this stat will only last 24 hours!
Day 4, mile 16 in the rain
