Training - Day 20

Every Saturday is a big training day - and today is the biggest so far. I've followed all the recommended techniques - stayed up late - check, drank loads of wine the night before - check. The alarm went off at 8 and I was eating my porridge by 8:30. At least that part went to plan. Run time was 10:15 and we needed all of that time to get me, Joss and Betty the bike ready. Weather was perfect for running but today's 11 miles would be the longest I'd ever run. Betty has a basket on the front and it was full of water and carb gels to get us through. The hardest part for Joss was balancing whilst holding out a drink or gel for me - we had a couple of handovers dodgier than the the UK relay team but no casualties. We went from home, to Upton, through Hamworthy, back to home then around Creekmoor to finish. With 3 miles to go my over-confidence spilled over and I thought I could have a little bit of a sprint finish. That lasted a creditable mile and a half before my legs asked "Excuse me, but what do you think you are doing?". So that last 1.5 miles was blooming agony, not helped by a steep inclined finish. But I am alive and only slightly walking like the 100 year old that my legs feel - tomorrow's a rest day - thank goodness!