Day 1: The Fortitude Key, Saturday 09.04.2022, Marathon
A weekend of running with Phoenix Running, down by the river. Blue Bridge route today. It's so pretty this part of the river, especially in spring. I love it so much. The flowers are all coming out, and the colours are lovely. It was still freezing cold first thing, but lovely and sunny.
Ran with Andrew and Sarah. Haven't seen Sarah for three weeks, so there was a lot of chat to catch up on....hurty hamstrings (fixed!), the recce weekend, stag parties and weddings. After all that (which took several laps), there was haggis chats, how much a tiny piece of land across the river costs, how many words there are that sound like prostate but are completely different, and squips (AKA Skips).
To the Weir for lunch....tomato soup and chips. And Grand National sweepstakes.
Stayed for the first time at the Walton Central Travelodge. This turned out to be the least relaxing place to stay, as it is opposite the Wetherspoons, which is open till 1am on Saturdays, and is quite the place to be in Walton on a Saturday night, it turns out. Also the people in the room next door had been to Wetherspoons, and then carried on the party all night back in their room. That's quite the night out, Wetherspoons, then a Travelodge room party. I also had used my new Deep Heat roll on earlier, which I think on reflection, you aren't meant to use as liberally as you are, say, a roll on deodorant, so my legs were feeling quite tingly. So sleep was quite scarce.
Day 2: The Gauntlet Key, Sunday 10.04.2022, 29.5 miles
The other way along the towpath today with Sarah and Andrew, so it was locks instead of the Blue Bridge, roots instead of pebbles, and a tiny mouse instead swans. Andrew almost knocked out Tiny Mouse when he threw away a peanut pretzel pillow into the hedge. Also, sitting on the dock of the BAY, boat face, and haggis/ Teletubby hills are included on that route.
Fitted in an ultra before our lunch time reservation at the Wier, which tragically had run out of soup, our staple post run food! So chips instead. In the pub (the best place to make decisions) decided with Sarah to enter tomorrow's event too (it's the Phoenix 10 in 10 and 12 in 12 on at the moment).
Day 3: The Dauntless Key, Monday 11.04.2022, Marathon
Monday marathon - my favourite day to run a marathon! Back on the Blue Bridge route today. The weather is really warming up, and it was a beautiful sunny day on the towpath. It was vest weather, and got a tiny bit sunburnt, woops. Sarah and I had a nice relaxed run in the sun, and we missed Andrew, but got to spend two laps chatting with Andy and also part of a lap with Dom who was finishing his half.
A few fly incidents, one flew into Sarah's eye, and I choked on one. The pet cockerel who lives in a boat was out for his walk. Lots of cute dogs out. The swans were in the Swan Spa first thing, and then moved down the river to the pub for lunch.
Lovely to sit outside afterwards in the sun, chatting to many friends, with orange and lemon squash cocktail and chocolate cake.
Huge congratulations to everyone who's celebrated milestones the last few days!
Good luck to everyone doing the Ten in Ten, or Twelve in Twelve. Have an absolutely amazing sunny week by the river! I wish so much I could stay and do it all, and I have never been so unenthusiastic and sad to go back to work this week! But will see you on Friday!
Thank you Rik and Phoenix Team for an awesome three days! 💙💙💚
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