The November Nightmare - Day 4

After a reasonable amount of sleep I woke up to find my legs didn't feel as bad as expected but I was still feeling quite anxious about my planned half-marathon.  After a long soak in a hot bath I spent a long time taping up my feet for extra support and adding extra tape to my knee to keep the previous taping in place (KT tape does not survive baths and showers as well as they claim - or maybe I'm just doing it wrong).  I followed various You-Tube films to find out how to use the tape. I decided not to bother with breakfast. I'm used to morning runs on an empty stomach so I planned to fuel when I felt I needed it during the run.

The route for today was the out and back laps on the track to Bridgnorth and I was glad to see friend George at the start. She had offered to join me for the first lap of 9 miles.  The first mile or two were quite uncomfortable and I was worried my feet wouldn't be up to the task in hand but they gradually got more comfortable. We chatted a lot about all sorts of things and George stuck to the pace I was comfortable with, accommodating my meanderings from one side of the track to the other as I tried to avoid the worst of the camber.  I took a few walk breaks on the sections where the camber was harshest but I think I ran a lot more than I walked. We got to the fuel station at the far end of the track and chatted for a while. I nibbled on a couple of Doritos and sipped budget Cola.

We carried on at a similar steady pace on the way back, chatting away.  I stopped to take a few photos for a Running Photograph Scavenger Hunt I am taking part in (a Facebook event). At times, I wondered if I should attempt a full marathon again today as I was enjoying myself and not feeling too much pain. I reluctantly told myself off and got back to concentrating on just completing a half-marathon.

We got back to Race HQ and said our farewells. It felt like breakfast time now so I grabbed a 9-bar and set off back along the track, walking and eating. By the time I had scoffed my brekkie, I was past the harder surfaced section of track and back to meandering between fallen leaves, mud and potholes. I knew the turn-around point for half-marathoners was about 150 metres past the former railway station at Linley but I couldn't see the red and white tape that should have been there.  I had seen the  tape on each of my three laps on Monday so I knew it should be there - unfortunately, someone must have removed it !  I turned round and headed back. It felt like a very long 2 miles or so and it was very much a mental challenge to tell my sore feet to keep going.  . Once I'd seen the finish, I perked up a bit and managed to speed up a little, eager to collect my medal (and to give my feet a rest).

I had run 14.04 miles, fueled by a few dried cherries, a few Doritos and a 9-bar. I celebrated with a cup of tea.

Things I've been surprised by today:

Being able to run at all

Enjoying the run

Still not feeling weary - just held back my painful feet ! :-(