The day started at 6.30am after a lousy nights sleep as my stomach decided to blow up like a balloon after my late tea and it was giving me some serious stomach pains and I was starting to panic that it may of been the start of a bout of food poisoning or the like as the eggs I'd had were 2 days past their use by date.Luckily it wasn't.
So 6.30am and a quick shower to wake myself up and then start to get dressed straight into my choice of running gear for the day, which is always a challenge as I am often like a woman trying to choose a dress for a night out.
Compression top, charity vest, compression shorts and running shorts, Compression calf sleeves and a thick pair of socks all chosen eventually and my final choice and most important choice was my choice of running shoe as it was going to be wet, slippy, boggy and pretty hard surfaces at other times including an old roman road with rocks and stones jutting up all over.I chose the ultra padded Hoka One One's and a wise choice it was despite the stick I got of some of the other runners :)
A quick breakfast of porridge and a cup of coffee and I was all packed and ready to go, so downstairs I went to await my friendly and helpful runner Mr M who gives me lifts to races and events when he is also competing in them too.
After a comfortable drive and catch up on various running related things it was a prompt arrival in Bolton and at the start area for the days event.
A quick visit to the registration tent to collect our numbers and get them pinned on etc and then a quick visit to the all important porta loo's which already seemed to be out of loo paper, but thankfully I only needed a quick pee just to make sure.
A few quick hello's to familiar faces and then it was start line time, and pretty much just after 9.30am it was time for the off and off we went, firstly up through the park and then onto a road and a long slow climb for a couple of miles, and then onto another level road and then onto a footpath for a long slog up to the top of Winter hill and the highest climb and elevation of the entire run.
I surprised my self in the fact that I could infact run up the entire climb even if very slow at times as I had planned on walking up the biggest two climbs, but this one was slow and steady and everyone else in front of me was running so no way was I going to walk.
Shortly after we were at the top and onto a bit of road at last and this bit was quite pleasurable and a lot easier, at some point shortly after that we turned into a off road path which had some very wet patches and lots of mud and a submerged path at many points.I unfortunately took a bad step in what I thought was a shallow wet patch and my right foot disappeared and I went in half way up my lower leg much to the amusement of the runners behind me.
Shortly after this we hit tarmac again and I promptly managed to speed up and try and catch a few runners in front of me, and some how rattled off a 7 minute mile which is my fastest when I only do 5k so I'm not sure how that happened.
The first aid station came up at 5+ miles and a table full of goodies and smiling helpers, they were indeed a Godsend the helpers and the gels and drinks of electrolytes etc, a quick rest while I consumed my gel and had a drink and then onwards I went after thanking the helpers.
Onwards again several miles and now we hit an old Roman road which I thought was only supposed to be half a mile long but it went on for miles.....and miles or so it seemed anyway.
Finally I saw some tarmac and a road and as I approached the smiling marshal I smiled and told him I had never been so happy to see some tarmac :)
It didn't take long to end up back at a field again and the dreaded bog field I had been forewarned about, navigating this was a nightmare and it was basically a step and hope to see your shoes again routine as you minced across the field with your arms out for balance.
Onwards again for several miles through a very muddy path in parts and several disappearing feet moments in boggy/muddy bits and eventually some welcome road again and another aid station at 12+, smiling cheery helpers again and another selection of goodies, another gel and electrolyte drink for me and a quick paracetamol to stave off the start of the pain from my back which always starts at this kind of distance.A quick tighten of my neoprene back support which I was using to help keep my core solid and I was off again.
We now had a couple of miles of riverside trail to a check point where we turn around and head back.I was starting to tire now and wondering how I was going to do another 13 miles or so, but thankfully we headed into some woodland with some steep climbs but everyone in front of me was walking up them so I followed suit and this helped my legs recover sufficiently to go on.
Couple of miles of ups and downs and hillside narrow muddy and slippy paths and eventually we arrived back at the previous aid station which was now the 16+ mile point and this time it was `helllllo fllllapjacks!` time as I was now getting hungry so I had a gel, several flapjacks, another paracetamol and some more electrolyte to wash it all down.
Onwards and upwards and it was now several miles along a trail path alongside a reservoir and it was now again becoming a struggle but I was spurred on by the fact that no one was passing me and I was passing a few myself along the way.
After that long and tiring section it was finally road time again and a slightly nervy time of negotiating pedestrians and at times cars as it was a fairly busy area.A quick turn in to a park and a few little walks as I hit a few slightly hilly bits (ok probably slopes to be honest) and then back onto a road again and a longish run alongside a road and past a few touristy bits and loads of inconsiderate car parker's who decided to park on the pavement and make me and everyone else walk through muddy slippy areas with a barb wire fence to hold onto.
Finally a turn off road again and a trail with a steep slope so it was walk time again and I starting talking to a guy who had passed me a few minutes earlier and who had run the day one marathon at this event the day before (mad) and I ran with him from then on as he could advise me on how much incline and hills were left and where they were.
We walked up hill for a while and then back onto a road and then back onto the Roman road (my favourite,not) and promptly onto the last aid station at 22+ miles.The usual smiley faces again and a quick gel,electrolyte and little rest and then we were off again, this time up a long steep section and thankfully the last climb (whoopee!!) it was a long and hard slog even though we were walking as well and my legs were at their worst and just managing to deal with the effort required to get to the top.
Thankfully we reached the top and it was a long slow decent now off road again through rocky and muddy trail but with plenty of runnable softer parts.I was now thinking hopefully I can hang on and get to the finish in under 5 hrs, the last aid station I had hit 4 hrs roughly so was ahead of target but I wasn't counting my chickens yet as my legs may yet give up on me and make me walk in to the finish.
On we went with roughly 2 miles left and onto a road again before we hit the sign for 25 miles and a very dangerous muddy path (path doesn't really describe it really,more like a muddy trench) I had to walk several bits as I slipped all over the place and I did not want to fall over in the mud and possibly injure myself.
Out of the muddy trench and back onto the final stretch of road and back into the park, a little rise of a hill (slope) and plenty of encouragement and then a final bomb down the last grassy hill to the finish line and across in 4 hrs 36 mins and 50 seconds!!
A quick pick up of my finishers medal.......
........and a welcome addition to my tech t-shirt collection.
And then it was time to hit the coffee stall for several coffee's and a few flapjacks and then stand and wait for fellow runners to finish.
After seeing in Mr M and his co runner for the day Gillian it was time to go home, but not after changing my socks and trainers as my Hoka's were a tad muddy, as well as my socks and my mud caked calf sleeves..........
So all in all a thoroughly enjoyable day with many many people having a great but hard run, and many people saying they would do it again.It was greatly helped by the fantastic helpers at the aid stations and the friendly and smiley marshals who encouraged us along all the way, so a very big THANK YOU to all of you who made it the great experience and event it truly is.
So that's charity run #4 of my 14 run charity campaign and as ever I'm asking people to donate whatever they can afford to my two charities, as all this effort is not merely for fun (sometimes it is,but mostly it's bloomin hard work) .
Next run is #5 and is the btr Liverpool half marathon on Sunday 23rd March 2014, see you there fellow runners and supporters and hopefully see many off you at the best finish line you could wish for Rigby's pub :)
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