Pony and the egg are back on it…I’m at 69 miles now and still happy, excited and fairly strong. I’m eating and drinking loads and therefore feeling pretty epic.
I am having the odd wobble, one minute feeling like a butterfly with open wings gliding along the coast path without a care in the world…
The next minute finding myself in a bus stop wondering how I will make the rest of the way
We arrive at Church Cove where Carolyn starts her Saturday crew shift and pea head and Bert head home for some well deserved rest.
Spending time where we left dads ashes laying in the sun feels great. I don’t come here much, and I only come here with my brother, but because my time schedule was slightly flawed from the start it meant Kev couldn’t come out and run, but sharing this special spot with pony was another journey for me in itself.
Stoping again for fresh brewed coffee and homemade banana bread from Carolyn’s fair hands before the road section to Helston. This woman is a crew dream!
Arriving in Helston to see the lovely face of Laura Millwood once again while Popping into see Lloyd from at your pace before picking up our lunch order from the coffee hut. I had messaged and placed our order 6 miles ago! Over 74 miles in and I’m still organising and sticking to my plan. We sit on the street pavement next to the traffic lights in the town…eating avocado on sourdough, it’s hilarious!
Once we have eaten, pony tends to my legs and gets me a pint of coke, I’m feeling drunk, happy drunk, I have 20 miles to go, and I’m happy. Pony will be with me every step of the way pulling a 31 miler himself today to support me along my run. We head the road again, Carolyn is stopping with supplies along the way.
Just arriving into Troon and she greets us with coconut water ice polls and then the familiar little red Bert mobile arrives just in time for the ice lolly party at the side of the road.
Mile 90 and I find myself dancing deliriously in the street as pea head and Bert supply me with my own street party disco from their car.
1 mile down the road the-left IT band fails completely. I actually can’t move. This doesn’t feel good at all, I try not to panic nor worry, I can feel it’s tightness that is causing this and go to my trusty stretch that I know will help ease the pain. It does but only for a short time. Things slow up considerably now, but I can see Carolyn and know the Theragun is with her. Pony gets to work again…the next 9 miles are pretty much the same…I run, I can’t run anymore, I stretch, we walk, pony gets to work…etc…
Finically we hit tehidy, I’m greeted by my brother who is waiting with Carolyn, just seeing him thee fills me with more energy. This is my favourite place, this feels nice. No more tarmac. Running under a sheet of leaves and over a blanket of bluebells, this is heaven. I stop to lay in the bluebells and take some time looking up at mother nature’s kaleidoscope in the sky.
Hitting North Cliffs knowing it’s only 3 miles to go is unbelievable, but then the IT band turns a shade worse….I’m unable to run, walk or lift my leg. The pain is excruciating. ‘I can’t finish like this’ I shout out…I’m stuck, I can’t move forward. Pony turns to me, he looks worried….we are so damn close to the end. He reaches for my arm and pulls me up the incline, I’m crying out in pain, swearing my head off as this is not how I wanted to finish. Pony starts the leg maintenance again…we get me moving again but it’s slow. The interval training continues…run until IT band fails, stretch, walk, pony gets to work…repeat!
Laura Millwood, her husband Andy and Mickee Jelf are on the cliffs waiting to cheer again, how lovely to have this here.
We now run a bit more, the IT band is releasing slightly enough to run further in our makeshift interval session we have designed. Feeling confident that we can make it to the end and then the damn IT band goes again. Pony is now running along the trails with the Theragun in his hand for the final 2 miles, he goes to use it…the battery dies! DAMN! It’s another sweary, shouty moment, I’m panicking and there is only 1.5 miles to go but at this rate I can’t actually see myself even walking to the finish. It’s slow, but it’s progress. Lots of stretching and thumbs digging into various places to relieve the pain and we finally get moving again. Tears have turned into hysterical laughter.
Knavocks appears, the sun is setting, the lighthouse is in sight, this is home. Our home.
The crew are there, waiting at Godrevy, I’ve arrived home, I’ve run 100 miles, I travelled a journey on foot to shout about something that means a lot to me, with people that mean a lot to me, in a place that means a lot to me.
The bond between us 5 over the 2 days is almost indescribable. To put all your trust into people that you are already lucky enough to call friends is truly special in itself, but to all follow the same journey, for the same goal and coming together as this super power is something really special.
I ran with love in my heart, and was lucky enough to be surrounded by love from all that came along.
My passion and drive for the ultra life continues, and so does my quest to raise awareness for the small local independent businesses that deserve our support.
I feel lucky to have spent two days doing something I both love and feel so passionately about, my legs, body and mind have allowed me to live this life on the trails, when once upon a time I was told that life on my feet would be impossible, when the rehabilitation from my fall and multiple hip surgery enforced a long sedentary existence.
Would I do this again? Yes in a heart beat. It was bloody tough at times but isn’t that why we do this? Why we look at challenges that may possibly break us? To look fear in the face, to live our dreams even though they scare us? To find our wings and learn to fly….