Day 4! She said it would be easier!!!
Day 4 began after quite a good night's sleep in Lairgh hotel. It was a very tough day the day before, and I think, because of having my lovely medication which makes my bowel do what it should, I wasn't feeling too good. So the good night's rest was overshadowed by extreme nausea. So bad that I couldn't sit up or eat without every mouthful feeling as if it was going to pop back up again. This is a fairly regular thing for me. It isn't pleasant. I lay there in bed, just wishing I could go back to sleep and stay there, willing it to be my day off. But when these things happen,it's when the big girl pants need to be put on, and I knew I had to get on with it. Do it was baby steps. Sit up first, and then start moving slowly. If I could get dressed, then I could get to the zbut start line! So that's what I did.
I also knew it was to be my longest day yet. 47km. A marathon is 42km! So this day was set to be a marathon and a 5k rolled into one! But my wife, Cat, reminded me, if thing didn’t go well, I could stop and tack km onto other days. The problem was, all other days were this long! But I told myself that was an option, and it wouldn't be too bad, because it was a flat day! Or so I was told!
So I started out on quite a reasonable road. A few climbs and a boy of flay. Then about 5km in, I looked into the distance and what I saw filled me with absolute butt clenching, dread.
It was a mountain, with a small road right up the side of it! Another sink or swim moment! So I stopped, had a bit of flapjack, and a gel, and set about wheeling towards hell! The road surface was intermittently smooth and then, what I now call, cake road! (Basically imagine a walnut cake with loads of walnuts on top, that's rock solid, and you have the road surface!). The cake road was mainly on the uphills, just to be extra helpful! And yep, true to form, that's what it was! So I started climbing, and climbing and climbing. It seemed to go on forever. 3 songs in on the playlist, so about 10 mins, and I could see the top in the distance. Thank goodness! But then to my suprise, the top was not the top. It just kept on going, and going and going! Everything I thought I'd reached the top, there was more. This kept going for almost an hour and a half! 😫⛰️
My shoulders were burning so much, I swear if you touched them, you'd have scalded yourself! It was pure agony! When I did finally reach the top, I turned to me lovely wife and said, 'You said this was going to be flat!'. 🤣 Which was met with a shrug of the shoulders! She had told me that, because I was feeling so rubbish! 👍
The day went on, and I encountered more ferocious mountains, but there were also some downhills as well. Which were very welcome!
It was a very long day, but I managed the 47km I set out to do, regardless of feeling so awful that morning, which I was very happy with! I was quite sore though. Not really a suprise considering the terrain! I was pleased to be going back to the same hotel. No checking in to worry about, just straight in and into the room. Into a shower. Which is something I dread! No I'm not adverse to washing, I mainly have baths, because the water pressure of a shower hits my leg and it feels like acupuncture with 9 inch nails! (The DIY nails, not the band!). So thats another challenge! So far ive managed to sit on the floor, and use the shower hose manually! ( I think that's sounds a bit rude! But I'm sure you know it's not!).
So, yep, then downstairs for food, which was nice, but I struggled to get it down. Eating alot is not my forte, and certainly cramming down 6000kcals is not easy for me. So I do what I can. This is where a school report would say, 'Must tey harder, improvement needed!'.
This was day 4. I didn't get to bed early. I haven't been able to every night so far. Between, eating, drinking, stretching, showering, icing, then massaging. It all takes time! So I'm getting an average of 6 hours sleep, but that is good for me, so it's all good really. 👍⛰️
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Lexi Chambers