I’m all packed, and althought I’ve got far too much food, I don’t want to get peckish over the 4 days.

So, am I worried & nervous?  Yes.  Probably more than that actually.  I ran 145 miles in GUCR last year, and I vaguely remember the last 10 miles being very very tough, both mentally & painfully.  My knees were absolutely buggered, due to the continuous impacting of going for 33 hours without stopping, and my buddy runner was having to stop me from taking more ibruprofen/paracetamol than was healthy.  Tomorrow I’m setting off on what will take minimum of 80 hours, probably more like 100, and I’m going to be pretty bashed up by the end.  It’s going to hurt.

I’m worried about the lack of sleep.  I’ll sleep at mile 75, 150 & 200.  But even so, I will still manage maybe 6-10 hours in the 100 hours.  That wil be rough, probably the toughest thing of all.  And I know my decision making gets dodgy when I’m tired.  Oh dear.  To deal with that, I’ve got a load of people from my runnnig club to call me at various times from about 38 hours onwards, to keep me awake.  I don’t know if this will work though.

I’m worried that my feet won’t hold up to the stresses I’m about to put them through.  I’ve had the worst blisters ever for the last 6 months.  Mainly due to my trying different shoes during the months or not changing shoes during 100 mile race in May.  Whatever, I’ve learnt more about taping up blisters than I ever wanted too.  I’ll be changing my shoes every 50 miles  during TR250, but it will hurt if the blisters start.

Check these pictures out of finishers feet from 2013 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/98532584@N05/sets/72157634531765874/  Hmmmm.  Don’t look great.

I’m worried that my left hamstring, which is unbelievably tight and has been for a while, will simply snap.  That’ll smart a bit, I imagine.

I’m worried that I’ll fall in the canal towards the end, when it’s dark, and have to walk for hours to ge to the next checkpoint.  This happened to someone in 2013.

I’m worried that I’ll get lost, as regularly happens.  Not because the route is complicated, but because you’re so disoriented you turn yourself round and start to go the wrong way.

I’m worried that the weather looks warmer than I want for the first few days, and then starts raining on Friday, when I’ll be wanting it to warm up.  Bugger.

I’m worried that after waking up from 3 hours sleep in 40 hours, stiff & sore, with 50 hours still to go, I’ve got to get my sleeping bag back into the holding sack, which I can’t do on a good day.  Hopefully someone will help.

However….

I’m very well planned.  I know exactly what I’m going to eat/do at all the various stages…I’ve just got to remember to stick to it.

I’ve packed everything I need and more.  You may thing that a bottle of tabasco sauce is not required kit for a run, but when my taste buds are rejecting all the dried food I’ve packed, tabasco will give it a kick.  I’ve probably thought of everything.  If I havn’t, it wasn’t that important.

I’ve been planned this for months, I’ve been packing for weeks, and all I’ve got to do now is run the thing.  This is the easy part.

My post-race recovery food is planned, together with a week off work to fix myself.

 

And what else?  Nothing else.  I’m ready to go.

And all I’ve got to do is keep moving forward.  For 4 days & 250 miles.  And keep eating.  And sleep a bit.  And enjoy it.