Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Six Days To Go

by Russell Turner - 14:54 on 02 July 2023

This time next week, barring disaster, it will all be over and both Matchgirl and I will have completed the Race to the Stones. I seem to have been in training forever.

A two-gig weekend ended the first two weeks of taper, during which I’ve run a sedate 15k and six equally sedate 5ks with an average heart rate barely breaking 120bpm; I’ve certainly not been overdoing it. Now the gigs are out of the way there’s nothing (bar two or three short easy runs) until race day on Saturday – it now feels much more real.

A long-overdue dress rehearsal with a fully loaded race vest revealed that the new Harrier 10L is slightly too snug under the armpits. While buying the head torch I’ll almost certainly also need, Matchgirl and I checked out what replacements were available in Inverness. Not many, it turned out, even if I was prepared to pay silly money, so the Harrier now has slightly larger armholes thanks to a couple of snips and some safety pins (as it’s more flexible than sewing). Hydration vests aren’t designed for tall people.

I couldn’t resist buying this.

Obsessive perusal of the Wiltshire weather forecast has also begun. Currently it shows no rain, highs of 24ºC and modest wind (although gusting up to 26mph at midday, which might help mitigate the heat). The Met Office also confirms that the sun sets 45 minutes earlier that far south. My head torch is a sensible buy, even if I’ll likely never use it again.

The Race to the Stones will be Matchgirl’s last run before she embraces the life of a solo runner. I’ve got more to come, as highlighted by several email alerts this week: five weeks to the York 10k; 100 days (now less) to the Royal Parks HM; no success in the London Landmarks HM ballot but I’m in the second draw. On top of that, results of the London Marathon drop on Thursday when we’ll be overnighting at Ex-ultramarathon Cathy’s so she’ll be able to share the celebrations or offer commiserations.

Being with someone who understands makes all the difference.

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