48km for 48 years

340 min
Start 6.20
The forecast was wet. Very wet. Biblically wet. Wet wet wet in fact. And although I could have done with perhaps slightly less wetness at least I didn't have to worry about it being too hot for me to run in, which was my biggest fear when I planned this epic run for my birthday. It was actually an ideal temperature for running. The rain varied from drizzle to nigh-on torrential but ach, once you're wet through you can't get any wetter so at some point it doesn't really matter any more whether it stops raining or not. I was wearing 'technical' running clothes so they didn't get heavy with water like cotton does. Only slight problem bit was a small patch on the inside of my upper right arm which is a bit irritated by the wet sleeve chaffing. (So a sleeveless shirt would have been better - remember this for next time. No sleeves are better than short sleeves in the rain.)

I started in Hoek van Holland just as the sky was starting to turn a lighter shade of grey. (No spectacular sunrise as a birthday present to start the day.) Because of the rain I didn't wear mYpod. I thought that running for hours without it would be boring but somehow the time just flew by. The noise of the waves and the wind and my steady running pace seemed to produce a kind of meditative state. The running never really seemed hard at any point. Klaas popped up at various points along the way with bananas and encouragment but as I still had a gel and 2 drink bottles left at the end I could have theoretically done this run unsupported.
There was a bit of drama at the end when we missed one another at the final meeting point due to various factors and Klaas had left his phone in the car so I couldn't reach him for a wee while. I consequently spent some time screaming and kicking at walls on the seafront in Noordwijk but ach, I'm sure that there's some law which states that you're allowed to be tired and emotional at the end of a 48km run in the rain. Then it was back to Den Haag to shower and change before going off to a reception in the afternoon. The revitalising showergel I'd got as part of my birthday present seemed to have done the job as I felt fine. After rubbing tigerbalm into my calves and lemon oil into my feet the half hour I could lie down feeling clean and dry was sheer bliss. Then it was into my good frock and shoes and off to the next event of the day.

Next day: I'd never have thought of it myself but actually I think wearing heels afterwards is probably good for the calf muscles. Something about the position they're held in? I have no problems at all with them today and usually after a marathon a few days of 'careful' walking is par for the course.