Day 4
On Day 3 at about 19m, my hip niggle came back, but once off road it seemed to disappear, but I was slightly anxious that it might make Day 4 very hard.
Day 4 initially appeared to have lots of road, but as it turned out not quite as much as I had expected . We started on quiet roads which undulated quite a bit. My general approach on all four days has been to walk anything going upwards and the runners surrounding me were doing the same. On the map it looked like there were two long straights which I was not looking forward to. The first was into Newmarket where we were told to give way to race horses and the second as we came out of the centre of Newmarket. We were also told that that bit rose gently upwards for almost 5 miles. My heart sank a little at this...
So once we had completed the undulating section, we got to the first straight, which wasn't too bad, but it did start to climb. Easily runnable but a bit draining and I found it a bit tough. However, it then veered off into woods close to the road and that was far more fun. Got through halfway and just before I got there I was overtaken by three faster runners who had started later. They slowed down for a chat, before heading onwards. There was an excellent atmosphere amongst everybody, the walkers were friendly as we overtook them (they usually started an hour ahead of us). I got through Newmarket and then started the long drag out and luckily the road wasn't straight, which I found easier. I ran most of it but also walked sections. Finally made it to the the third and final checkpoint before the next bit of off road. We were back in undulating country here, but it was good to be running through woods again.
Back to the road we had come out on and up the last two hills. I checked my watch and realised I had a good chance of my first sub-5 if I kept going. I got home in 4hr 56 which I was very happy with.
Would I do more than 4 in 4 days ? I don't think so. On the fourth day of the Quadzilla in February (which I couldn't do because of my Dad's birthday), I was buzzing and ready to run a fourth marathon. On Day 5 here, I certainly wasn't buzzing to get out there and do another marathon.
It is a good feeling to have done 4 in 4 and though I have one or two sore bits, I seem to have come through it in much better shape than I have been when I have completed some single marathons.
https://picasaweb.google.com/105792896882008304219/GreatBarrowChallenge2011
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