Sunday, March 20, 2011

Consistency - consistency - consistency..16 MILES DONE!

Well - the weather has been gorgeous all weekend and today was a big milestone which needed reaching...so Annette arranged to meet us before 9 am in Les Laveurs Car park (opposite Jersey Pearl)..
Chantelle met me at my car at 8.30am - left her swim kit in there and off we went - into the sunshine to st Ouens - IT WAS GOING TO BE AN AMAZING DAY!

Little did we know however, that there was a 15k Spartan race - which was due to start from the same car park at 9am!!!!!! Grrrr - OUR car park was not ours today!
So - it was choc-a-block when Chantelle and I arrived!
So many people I knew - all thinking I was also participating!!!!!ha ha ha ha!!!!! one day maybe!!!!

So we set off just after 09.10 - usual course, heading towards Green Island (yikes!)
The enormity of what I have let myself in dawned on me this morning!
Never in a million years would I have thought that 3 weeks in a row (did 12miles 3 weeks ago) - and twice in a week in fact, I would be doing 2 half marathons!!!!
By the way - last week I did 14 miles - in 3hrs 41....
I suggested to Sam that she parked at the end (Green Island) and run towards us and then run back in the same direction as us....
I ran pretty much all the way to Corbiere hill with a little shin problem (the cramp sort of feeling at just about one mile) but that was short lived thankfully..
Heading towards Le Braie - some of the very fast runners ran past us on their way back to the finish!
REALLY NO NEED to go that fast!!!!!
Anyway, as we got onto the railway walk - I bumped into Mauro Fumigalli - who is also doing London - and he offered me a piggy back!!!
Off we went topping up my water at Les Quennevais (Thanks Annette) and then met up with Sam at the bottom of the Railway walk - she was finding it hard ..
sunglasses out today; the sun was strong and hot - it was lovely.
Passed so many people I knew - it was great.
Marcel, Leigh and Michael Chaytor passed us - among many others..
today I stopped a few times to remove stones from shoes - and took the opportunity to massage my toes - which were still giving me the usual issues - but after stretching and massage, all was ok..
I also decided that instead of having carb gels on the 3 miles - I would do it on the hour instead. This seemed to work better - just needed a little extra at the end...
passed Fitness First and topped up my water for the last time (thanks Chantelle) and we carried on passed the harbour towards Mount Bingham - where we found Lisa Biddlecombe running towards us. Lisa has a calf injury on the mend now thanks to Morag - so she was trying it all out; and off we went up over the hill towards Havre des Pas (HDP) - passed the pool and then onto the 14 mile mark - in EXACTLY the same time as last week - 3hrs 41 mins! Amazing!
Off we headed towards Green Island - and the turning point (after much 'discussion and disbelief'(!!!) was Avalon!
Back for a 'Triumphant finish' (Annette's words not mine!!!) in
4 hours 14 mins - Annette predicted between 4hrs 10 and 4hrs 15 - so not bad really!

THE RESULTS FROM "GERALDINE" ARE NOW IN.....
m1 14 min 19 sec - being chased by 15k race runners
m2 15 min 58 sec - stretch stop
m3 16 min 16 sec - pee stop
m4 16 min 23 sec - Corbiere hill climb
m5 15 min 34 sec
m6 16 min 39 sec
m7 12 min 50 sec - ignore this one, Annette catching up to Sal with water refill
m8 15 min 53 sec
m9 16 min 41 sec
m10 16 min 12 sec
m11 14 min 57 sec
m12 17 min 13 sec
m13 16 min 45 sec - Mt Bingham hill climb
m14 15 min 3 sec
m15 18 min 14 sec walking and stretch stop
m16 15 min 15 sec - walking

We then all went to the car, had a few snacks and then went to HDP pool for a wonderful sea dunk (after a lovely stretch as well); this does work wonders on tired legs..and hips eh Chantelle????

Thanks to Annette, Chantelle and Lisa for your continued support and also well done to Lisa and Sam - you both also did very well today!
Drove Annette and Chantelle back to their cars and then home for a well earned chill and shower..and DINNER!

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