45. The One Where It Was The Second Day

3 October 2015

Today was genuinely one of the toughest days I've ever had. 

I hadn't expected it at all – I woke up feeling really good, and the only really bad tightness was in my biceps.  I'd noticed that the day before and I'm pretty sure it's from pumping like a sprinter, but over 42 kilometres.  My knee was also really stiff again, but I'd expected that and slathered it up with voltarol gel before kinesio taping it.  I also chucked my cho-pat strap in my bag as a precaution. 

After a slightly later breakfast – a sleep in til 05:45, woooop! – we set off in three groups today.  I was in the slowest group, which left the earliest, and then there were two others after us.  

It was only a half-hour drive up to Perranporth to start the run and – luxury – there were proper loos there!  It was another absolutely stunning morning, but it was sooooo cold!  

I have never been happier to start running.  Sadly, however, the run started straight up the same hill on which we finished yesterday!  Cruel!!!  Quite a big group of us started together, including Elaine, Bernie, Laura and me, plus a few others.  

Laura

The terrain was immediately completely different to yesterday – straight up steep hills, with shingle and scree on the downhills.  This meant that we separated fairly quickly, although Laura, Bernie, Elaine and I stuck together for a while.  Laura – our handy local – explained that this part of the coast had all the old tin mines, so we had some beautiful views of them on the way up and down. 

For the most part, we had to go really slowly today.  The coastline there is super-dramatic, and even on the downhill you have to go slowly because it's so shingly.  Both Elaine and I fell – luckily on both occasions we managed to catch ourselves on our hands, but it was tough times.  However, it was so beautiful all the way from the start to CheckPoint 1 at 11km that we genuinely didn't really notice the pain too much ... well, I didn't, poor Elaine really hurt her finger but she was uber-hench about it and didn't complain once!

CheckPoint 1, at Chapel Porth, was at the most stunning beach.  We could see it coming down the hill and it really gave us something to aim for – especially as we could also see the steepest hill yet on the other side!  

Laura burned through CheckPoint 1, so we lost her at that point as we took a bit more time to brace ourselves.  Then it was up and over!  My knee was really really beginning to hurt at this point so I stopped and pulled out my ChoPat strap, which initially worked wonders.  However, as the hills got steeper and steeper and the terrain more and more dramatic (even the Cornish had felt the need to cut steps into the path at most points!) it began to hurt more and more.  

I was really really reluctant to lose contact with Elaine and Bernie and they were so good about waiting for me!  However I knew I was slowing them down, so I tried really hard to keep up.  I've never been so grateful for photo stops and/or stops to allow faster people to come through from behind!  We finally got to a flatter spot, and it was about three kilometres of pretty flat running before we headed down  the twentieth kilometre into Portreath for CheckPoint 2.  Just at the top of the descent I'd felt a blister forming on my left foot – I knew they were caused by my dodgy right knee! – and Bernie had a few rocks in his shoes, so we spent a good half an hour at CheckPoint 2 refuelling and doing a bit of first aid. 

Once we left, it was across a small beach and then straight up – yet another – steep hill.  At the bottom there was a sign warning that Shetland ponies roamed freely, and no sooner had we read it than we bumped into these guys!

They were perfectly chilled about us going around them, so we kept going and met our toughest challenge yet.  All I can say is that kilometres 20 to 28 were my absolute nadir – I really considered the edge of the cliff as a viable option (which was just as well, seeing how tightly against it we were at some points!).  After the two really horrendous ups and downs, we did hit a flatter point where we could run steadily for a while, but my knee was killing me so much at that point that I'd let Bernie and Elaine go ahead for a bit, then I'd run up to catch them before falling back again.  This worked because I could run faster, which meant that my stride was longer and the pressure was off my knee a little more.  Plus walking.  Walking was good!

Just before CheckPoint 3, I remembered a lifesaving point.  PANADOL IN MY POCKET.  I scarfed it down and, by the time we'd gotten into CheckPoint 3 – mmm marmite again – I was feeling like a whole new person!

I should say that part of the reason for the fact that it kicked in by CheckPoint 3 is that CheckPoint 3 is cruel ... you can see it from over the headland and it's maybe 200m away, straight down a nice easy grassy hill.  However ... you have to go all the way around the headland to get to it!

Once we'd gone through the checkpoint, my knee was still sore, but not nearly as badly and I managed to run down the hill to the next challenge – the beach.  Elaine was feeling it a bit more by this point so once again Bernie left us to it, and Elaine and I walked across the beach.  I say that so nonchalantly, like it was nothing … it was the most never-ending beach I've ever been on.  Sand sand SAND … for 5km … and then, finally, we waded across a little stream to head back onto the road.

After a very very quick dib in at 40km, it was the final push back to the campsite.  We met Matthew and Sophie at this point – both much quicker runners than us, but Matthew had broken his fingers really early in the race, and then, after carrying on for a bit, had fainted with the pain and fallen down the cliff.  He and Sophie were still continuing, however (HENCH) and the four of us fartleked the last three or four kilometres back into the campsite, where the run finished for the day.  I have NEVER been so happy to be home!  Even though I'd had a spurt of energy at the end, I was absolutely ready to be horizontal. 

After collecting a cup of hot chocolate and a massage token, I headed back to my caravan for the most blissful shower ever and a torq recovery drink before hitting my massage a little later.  Then it was supper time for the most enormous roast ever!  The food is amazing and we got to follow up with rice pudding.  Mmm rice pudding!  Sadly, the torq didn't agree with me (what a surprise) so I was a little sick, but the roast was still delicious.  To make up for being sick I bought an Atlantic Coast puffa jacket.  I just hope I now manage to finish up tomorrow so I can wear it and my hoodie – otherwise they'll be consigned to the recycling!

I'm now in bed with my hot water bottle and hoping for an amazing night's sleep before tomorrow.  Tomorrow is a full 50km and apparently it's incredibly technical (including climbing boulders, hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm).  However, it's the last day and it involves a Cornish pasty at the end, so we've just got to get through it and we'll be ultramarathoners!  EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!