OH well we did it. It wasn't nice. A 20 miler, bashed out at a faster pace. We're in danger of putting ourselves off running to North Berwick so we actually varied it a bit, running from Musselburgh, up beside the Esk and along the Pencaitland Cycle Track.
Because we were only planning on running 20 or so and Amanda and Scott were going to come along too we planned for everyone running at different speeds. I was going to run for 10 miles or 95 minutes, whatever happened first. (10 miles). They were going to run? Goodness knows. Everyone ran something different.
Amanda and Peter hared off. Amanda's in great form and I think Peter had had enough of being "girled" yesterday so was wanting to stay ahead. Scott steered a steadier course and I was glad to drop off the back at 3 miles, because at the pace they were jogging along talking to each other my life was beginning to flash before my eyes and I was getting closer and closer to the light. Okay, that's an exaggeration. It was just a bit quick and my legs were stiff from yesterday...
So at first it was nice running on my own. And then it got a wee bit dull. And the Pencaitland cycle track is very straight and long, or at least until it turns off up the more interesting but hilly bit past Macmerry.
I tried getting jelly babies at the Scotmid earlier but they didn't have any so in a hurry I got some chocolate brownies. They went down fine and account for the odd 10 minute mile.
I turned around at 10 miles and never saw any of the team again until I got finished. Because there is a loop round the woods at Macmerry it was still possible that they were behind me on the way back - in fact I thought I heard them from time to time and I really didn't want them going past me too soon. That would be demoralising. "I hate my boyfriend and my friends" I thought to myself darkly as I plugged along into the wind, on the sandy soil, with the heat all around me, and smiled to myself, and at the undergrowth and wiped the annoying flies off my face.
Still no-one by the time I came out off the cycle path and started down the steep road past Carberry and all that. The road there is narrow and fast, but the pavement is lumpy and painful so I hopped on and off the pavement depending if there were any cars or not. I started to regret hating my friends and my boyfriend as I was getting there now and them going past wouldn't be a disaster.
But there was still nobody.
Time passed and I didn't lie down in the Esk like I wanted to and I arrived at the Quayside. I had planned for a 3hr 10 min 20 miler (although I really wanted to go sub-3hrs, but I was just too tired.). I arrived at 20 miles at 3hrs 9mins and 46 seconds. Amanda and Peter were sitting on a bench there and shouted out to me. They had taken diverse routes towards the end so had done different distances.
Scott was still AWOL but he turned up a couple of minutes later having carried straight along the cycle path to Pencaitland and not turning off at the woody, hilly loop. He had run 25 miles and had visible salting.
Now to get tapering. I have no idea how to do this, so will just make it up as I go along. I'm suspecting the fresher I go into the Fling the better.
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