Week 6: Bring on the Wall....

Weeks 6’s Thursday saw the panthers running together for the first time, and with Simon’s casual urban wear, Lee’s sophisticated scarf and gloves and my hi vis jacket we looked like the evolution of man (I’m not sure in what order) running along the promenade. Anyway the run was a nice 1.2 hrs and spirits were high.

Sunday = 16 miles along the Brighton coastline. This was the furthest either Lee or myself had ever ran and following on from a night out, was typically horrendous. The problems started from the beginning, where after careful planning to establish where to meet Lee went under-cliff while I went over-cliff. The only fun part of the run now eliminated we were left to think of each other’s fate, either A) waking up and not being bothered, B) injury, C) death.

Luckily we bumped into each other about 10 miles in and rejoiced, laughed and regaled stories of our adventure so far (through grunts and accusing looks).

This aside the run was ok up until about 12-13 miles, when, with no water or energy supplement planned we experienced what is often described as ‘THE WALL’. This was no garden wall either, more a Berlin Wall, but one that couldn’t be knocked down, like the Great Wall of China or the one from Hole in the Wall.

After a punchdrunk Lee nearly attacked a dog for walking in front of him and finished, I was left to crawl back towards Saltdean. I knew I was in trouble at around 15 miles when an old lady in Rottingdean started to clap me…as she overtook me while walking her dog. She must have been 80.