The Wall (part 3)

So after being advised not to run too fast over the cobbles coming out of the Castle as the may be slippy, I started off in may very familiar slow chug run.  As I was aware I hadn't trained sufficiently and been injured and overcome with a cold all the previous week I was just wanting a steady start.  Its easy to get dragged along at other peoples paces but from everything I have read it is very important to always remember its about you, its your race, you don't know anything about them or there history or why they are there.  Always run your own race massive bit of knowledge this as easy to burn yourself out going along with others as seems like a good idea at the time.  I was more interested in the fact I had my trainers on from York Marathon 2013, why, oh why, did I think this was going to be a good idea.  Then I had a compression top on and my waterproof, again this at the time was good to stay dry but wow it was warm.  I set off with the pain instant in my heel just letting me know its not actually recovered and I was a fool for trying to run 69 miles on it.  The in-house argument had already begun and I wasn't even at the delerias stage!

I don't actually remember too much from the beginning apart from the weather being a thin fog like rain which in my opinion was perfect we were still able to get a bit of a view so was ok.  Even by mile one my rucsack was really annoying me.  I just kept repeating to myself, ' when this bloody run is done I'm getting a new backpack or hydration pack' it was slipping down my left shoulder constantly. My thoughts were, if this is annoying me now whats it going to be like 50 miles in!  So the strap got tightened and I tucked some of waterproof under it, this later on would prove detrimental. We were running on the road the majority of the time which was really getting to my hips due to the impact, the soreness at the front just kept increasing as the time ticked away.  My hip flexors were really suffering, which actually diverted the pain from my feet at the time and gave me something else to think about.  We passed through a few trails which I was very pleased of as thought might relieve the hips, but if anything did it was the occasional uphill, I know I know, uphill is he having a laugh, it relieved the hips as started using a different muscle group.  Any way 15 miles I remember asking the next runner who was passing through a stile after me if they had seen 'The Wall' yet and they replied with a comprehensive 'NO', at least I was still alert then as I hadn't either.

After running into the first major checkpoint which on this run was call a 'Pitstop' I was able to refuel and get myself together.  My temperature had been going up and down like a yo yo so I was panicking that my internal temperature or cooling system was still affected from my cold therefore causing all sorts of problems over the next 18 hours of trauma to the body.  The sandwiches were very welcome as it was mid morning and I was starving, the greatest thing was the cut up oranges they were amazing and very addictive.  They were also offering Redbull so I was hoping it would give me wings as in the advert but not sure on that one ha ha!  Off I went sandwich in hand with sweets and a drink to consume slowly, but after seeing everyone else sat down having a picnic I just felt it was prudent to keep going and get the miles in the bank.  I soon met up with my next friend who I don't know his name but was a great guy very interesting.  He was 60 years old and had run this last year, he'd also run the Marathon de Sables in 2006 which I was just in awe of, but he continued to say how last year he'd managed to get to mile 62 checkpoint then collapsed and fainted after which he was pulled out of the race.  This was the second person that had said this as Mark on the train did exactly the same. I moved on and left him eating his sandwiches but this left me in a real quandrie as now I was panicking at either something at mile 62 or was it that bad getting there!  The game was on, and I was in the thick of it............