Rat Race Run Britannia - Week 2, day 4 - Martin GK's day off


Martin GK's day off

According to the schedule, this was the day I ran from Bishop's Castle to Ellesmere. It hasn't worked out that way.

There are two ways of looking at an event like this. One is as a massive endurance event, cranking the miles with the eyes on the destination and success being defined by getting to the finish and how much of the route you can complete. Some of the team will be looking at it that way, and there are plenty of events that I have run that way.

But that's not what Andy and I wanted for this - this is our adventure, our chance to see the country from one end to the other. Its an overused cliche, but this is about the journey, not the destination. I'd managed to do that for the whole first week of running, and the first two days of this week, but I lost it yesterday. A combination of simple tiredness - the constant 5:30am alarms catching up on me - and not getting properly on top of my blisters meant that the half of yesterday I did do was done just by grinding the miles, not experiencing them. To quote a lesson I learnt on the third morning of "The Isles", I wasn't taking in the moment.

So today is reset day. I had a good opportunity, as we are in the same accommodation two nights in a row and therefore I could lie in this morning and have a base for the day. I've wandered into town, had a very nice, very slow breakfast, and grabbed some supplies (more blister first aid!) that we needed. I ambled back, chatted to a couple of others of the team who are currently hobbling wounded (we don't have any walking wounded!), and I've done some blog catchup and generally rested.

I'm hoping this will mean I can take on the last two days of this week with proper interest - I'd very much like to get back in the saddle and complete them both. I catch up with an old friend tomorrow, somewhere on the route, which will be good.

So no, not as fun a day as Mr. Bueller, and no Ferrari. But a good day off. Normal service will hopefully return tomorrow!

Last: When the wheels came off
Next: Back on the road again

 

Comments

  1. Chris11 June 2025 at 12:41

    Looking forward to catching up with you tomorrow x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Andrew in Knossington17 June 2025 at 12:46

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Andrew in Knossington17 June 2025 at 12:51

    Hi both, followed blog from 1.1 to 2.3. I assume 1.2 and 1.3 are 'missing in action'.
    Mrs Poole was asking for an update 2 days back. Today is Tuesday.
    I shall have to produce some orange triangles for future dramatic effect.
    Enjoy being in the moment.
    A x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Runderings - running reports and musings from Andy and Martin GK18 June 2025 at 09:57

      Hi Andrew - yes, I'm afraid there are going to be holes in this - there's sometimes not a lot of free time in the evenings. I'm trying to do a page on any day that was either significant or just fun, and some of the missing days are just going to get photos, I'm afraid

      Delete

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