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Training on course
By Tony | January 8, 2008
Xmas was upon me very fast and the will to train was very minimal.. But with a couple of tick over run/walks I was more than pleased. Honest!!
Not being one to mess about it was straight back into the saddle when we returned to work. After arriving back late Friday I was up bright and breezy to conquer checkpoints 2-4 on the real-time TM08 course..
So it was the same routine as before in that my running partner met me at CP4 (which has a very nice tea room if you find the time to have a brew lol). We left my car and used hers to drive up to CP2. The weather was nice and chilly but not too bad. The route to CP3 was very mushy in parts due to all those ungratefuls who walk on the Tow path each day. But we jogged and tabbed our way along the route, which is easy to follow taking you past Cookham and through a part of Maidenhead into Bray Locks… Here you will find a couple of benches to rest on and a wooden hut for a quick change of clothing and the call of nature. (If required). This we did in 2 hours (not the call of nature the leg) which was way too fast for what we had planned, this being due to the two of us thinking we were Seb Coe and Paula Radcliffe. Not Arthur and Martha Higginbottom from Slouchville.
The next stage, after taking a nice 30 min break saw us then heading for the gatehouses and welcome teahouse at the finish. This leg, like the CP2-3 one has areas that are very mushy/muddy and slippery under foot. In some areas you can keep off the beaten track and run on firmer ground but for certain areas you have to put up with what is a slush pit type short bridal path.. The scenery is picturesque in parts, if you take the time to look. Especially when you get near to Windsor Castle. Going through Windsor (although only a small part of it) makes you stand out in a “Where’s Wally” style way as the shoppers in their normal wear are affronted by folk in lycra and muddy shoes carrying packs trying to look like athletes. Once again this leg is well sign posted and can be done without the use of a map (although one by the rules HAS TO BE CARRIED). So after sight seeing in Windsor and from Victoria Bridge we cracked on and completed the leg in 2 and a half hours. So all in all 5 hours including the break..
No aches were felt as we went in to collect our nice warm cuppa and a bite to eat.. Admittedly when I returned to my home and tried to get out of the car I had to remind my brain and body that the concrete blocks below my waist were in fact legs, and were needed to get into my home..
So Start to CP4 now complete and no issues at all. We are going to complete the shortest legs CP4 to finish in the next couple of weeks and intend to do them at the time we reckon we will do on the day. So head torches will be out and a late finish is anticipated. But as this will be when we know the Mong rats (private joke) will attack our bodies we have decided to just tab rather than run/tab to see how we fair time wise over the 16 miles..
If anyone has any questions about the route from the Start to Check point 4 please ask and I will answer as best as I can. For those who do not know the route there are toilets at each of the locks as far as we have noticed and anyone can use them. Some require a key from the Lock Keeper all have been friendly when we have approached them.
Happy new year to you all.. See you very soon….
Tony
Topics: Tony |