Day 2 of 10 - a quickie

3:49:27. A 10 in 10 women's course record! Shiny.

I wasn't sure what to expect today. I figured 3:59 would be sweet, anything under 4:07 would be great as that would make a sub 4 average. But I felt pretty good and ran comfortably. I think the combination of ice baths and massage must be working. There was some strong wind in the second half, which didn't make those long uphill drags any eaiser. But it was very warm again, so at least there was a cooling effect. I walked the 3 worst hills that I'd selected yesterday as the ones to walk. I may add to that list later in the week, but I'll try to stick with just those 3 again tomorrow. I'd remember all the uphills, but forgotten that they were inevitably followed by downs, so had lots of pleasant easier sections that I wasn't expecting. I followed it with plenty of food and another ice bath.

So I managed just two sub-4s in my first 100 marathons (back in 2006) and have just done another 4 within the last month, including two on consecutive days. I think 'athlete' is still a misnomer, but I'm starting to feel like a real runner now.

I popped into Ambleside this afternoon to pick up a few things from the shops. It's a nice town to visit and thankfully small enough not to involve too much effort to wander round it. Dinner soon then massage later. Looking forward to another go tomorrow.