This is Anna’s diary for Sunday…
It occurred to me today that if I had run the Windermere route before, I probably wouldn’t have entered the 10 in 10, as it’s far too hilly for me to have liked it. But I think the many miles of training, combined with a bit of weight loss and some solid core work (press ups, crunches & Pilates-type stuff) have prepared me well for this course. Plus the physio team are superb. I’m doing my ten minutes in the ice bath horse box every day after lunch and have had some really good deep massages. My legs feel a bit like they’ve run a fastish marathon, but I’m not hobbling around the place just yet.
So I broke my own course record today with 3:46:02. Very happy with that. It was sunny again, but got pleasantly cooler for the second half (which is definitely the bit I find hardest: miles 13 – 17 have a lot of the toughest hills).
There were several Fetchies out today cheering us on at various points around the course – great to see you guys, thanks!
The plan for tomorrow is to try to take it slower but hopefully manage another sub 4 (3:59:59 would be ideal). There’s still a long way to go and I never like to count my marathons before they’ve hatched, but I’m absolutely loving it so far.
There’s a great camaraderie between the runners (all very different and interesting individuals) and we’re fully supported by a strong team of people pampering us. It’s a joy to be part of this event.