The Challenge: To run 100km in 28 days.
Organiser: Great Run – with profits going to NHS charities.
Here is a quick run through of Week 3 of this epic adventure.
Monday 25th May 2020
A warm and sunny bank holiday Monday, so off to Wicksteed Park again. Not feeling too sharp today and I had a slight headache. I somehow managed to squeeze out another 3km, then wended my way back to the start with a mixture of walking and jogging.
I fear I am storing up problems with future runs because I am falling further short of my daily target distances. It was lovely to see the swans on the lake in the sunshine. Almost balletic, like my running.
Wednesday 27th May 2020
Off to the park again! Today is the 2nd anniversary of my completion of the Edinburgh marathon. It is a bit disheartening to compare my fitness then with now. Today I struggled to run 4km, whereas in 2018 I completed just over 40km. I’m 10% of the runner I used to be!
Thursday 28th May 2020
The sunshine keeps coming in what will turn out to be the sunniest May on record. Today I returned to Titchmarsh Nature Reserve and completed a full circuit of the lake plus a bit more to reach my modest 5km target. At one point I was joined by a little dog. My new companion also had a bit of a sniff around while I was stretching – canine social distancing just isn’t a thing at present.
Friday 29th May 2020
I trailed a twist in the tale in my previous post, and here it is. Six hundred metres into my run in the park, when all seemed to be going well, I took a tumble. My right ankle gave way and I fell with a bit of a roll. So, with a twisted ankle, a cut on my right hand and a red abrasion on my right knee, I sadly limped home. The future of this challenge suddenly looked bleak.
Sunday 31st May 2020
After a restful Saturday, I tentatively set off for a gentle walk/jog in Wicksteed Park to test my ankle. To my great joy and surprise, I completed a fairly easy 5km in the sunshine. I also found a new stretching zone by the railings near the sandpit overlooking the lake.
My total distance for Week 3 amounted to a very modest 17km, giving an overall total of 45km. Only another 55km to go – in one week! The tension could not be greater, and even now at the time of posting, with one day to go, the outcome is unknown. This is the stuff of true drama.
If you can control your excitement, please continue to run free, happy and safe.
Thank you for following my story.
Psychologist on the Move 