Day 8 - Rest Day Bristol

It's called a "rest day" but is perhaps more of a "regroup day". A chance to reflect but also a busy day of sorting stuff after the full-on week.

I was awake early so did the blog for yesterday before getting up.

First stop of the day was the "all you can eat" breakfast where like many of my running buddies today, that was quite a lot!😉

Then an 8:30am physio appt with the wonderful Lauren to loosen off the calf muscles and look at my slightly swollen left ankle. I was awarded one of the team cryo cuffs to use (a way to compress & ice the ankle).

After that sorting out washing. Now imagine this - 19 runners, deposit 7 days worth of used running kit (some of it has been festering in dry bags for 6 days) and then add in 19 pairs of trainers that are to be washed because of yesterday's field of slurry experience & deposit the lot at the hotel entrance between 9.50am and 10am. Now that is a welcoming aroma!😉

After that the first chance in a week to have a proper, unhurried conversation with Helen back home, before heading up to the room to use the cryo-cuff.

Then time to deal with a couple of blisters. Generally the feet / blister situation is improving as the feet harden to this type of load. No pictures of blisters or scalpel you'll be pleased to know!

I then headed off to Sainsburys, a walk of about 1km each way. It was hard work walking initially but the way back I was able to walk a little more normally.

Some more cryo-cuffing on my return whilst eating most of the food bought at Sainsburys.

Then much kit faffing before heading to the pool for a sauna, ice-bath (legs only not the full Vim Hoff) & walking in the pool. Followed by further faffing.

Reflections

We've been together as a group a little over a week. It is a privilege to be here and be part of this journey. It is great fun, sometimes "type 1" fun and sometimes "type 2". It is however quite a brutal event. We've all been preparing for this for a year or four, and yet we all know we are just a twisted ankle away from the journey ending.

21 of us started, 20 are still here of which around 1/2 have done it all. I think we are all having our own journeys (do you go round or through that estuary?) Some will end up running all of this journey, whilst others, through injury or exhaustion will do a reduced version but what is clear already is that a strong team is forming (runners & crew) Everyone is operating on the limit of exhaustion and there is strong mutual respect as a result.

If you want to know what that looks like, see the video below (taken by Kirsten) of Greg finishing week one.