Day 8. 10in10 blog

Today has been a tough day for everyone. Unfortunately, one of our team has had to retire, which is the right thing for him, but always a hard and brave decision.My left ankle has become a ‘cankle’ and is currently twice the size of the right foot/ankle. Swelling of the feet is common in this event due to the constant pounding on the roads and I guess the achilles earlier in the week has just made that situation worse. Melissa has done amazing things to put me in a state where I could even think about running today, although the physio table was not my friend this morning and there were plenty of tears. It’s always a worry when Dr Katie is kind to you (!) but I needed her kindness and care this morning and it was very much appreciated. The support from everyone is so amazing, it can become a little overwhelming at times and this was one of those times. Thank you Melissa and Katie. You are brilliant. I put my game face on and managed to get Hobbit Gump into some sort of semblance of a marathon runner. We walked to the start. James asked me if I had spotted the 10in10er at the start…I hadn’t…and dissolved into tears as I saw Rexy across the road. He kept popping up around the course and saw me across the finish line today…it was brilliant to finally meet him and I drew on his strength in previous events to help keep me focused and not concentrate on the pain. So, I set off in pain and ran a marathon in pain. I enjoyed some bits , especially the magnificent views of the mountains and the lake…absolutely awesome, and at times I could quite happily have laid down in the road and gone to sleep. I spent a whole section of the lane towards Bowness looking for comfy spots to have a snooze! I had a giggle as I thought about the men in our team and their constant toilet talk. I have been to the toilet before leaving Brathay each day and had no need of a bush or a hedge. The boys however appear to have their own personal places along the route…it’s like they are turning into bears in the woods! It made me laugh a lot thinking about this…well after 8 marathons you get desperate for new material with which to entertain yourself! The first half was the worst, and once again supporters along the way gave me a boost and carried me to the end. Thank you so much to everyone who has come out to support or beeped and waved. My ankle/foot started sloshing around in the second half, so that was exciting…imagine a shoe on your foot in the lake and then running with it without the water coming out…it felt a bit like that, although it was all my foot! I had to stop thinking about that as it was freaking me out a bit. It’s less swollen now that Melissa has treated it again and it will be another legs up the wall night of little sleep!The physio room was a happier place on my return…warm and comforting with intermittent cheering as runners arrived beaten and battered from another day in the office.So, 8 marathons run and 2 to go. My family have arrived in the lakes and tomorrow I will see them along the route for the first time since Oct 2020. On Sunday, I hope to hug my mum, sister and nieces for the first time since Dec 2019. It’s going to be emotional! However, there is still a job to do, so my focus is still on the job in hand until after that final finish line. I think tomorrow is going to be a good day for team 2021.Not my happiest day on the course, but one of my proudest. I know I can do this and I have to keep pinching myself as I run round that bend from Ice cream mountain every day and think “I’m a 10in10er!”I really hope that by Sunday I can truly say that as I complete this epic adventure. Day 8 baby xhttps://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/michelle-woodcock9Don’t forget that you can track me if you enjoy dot watching, or to save you standing in the rain for ages waiting for me to pass!http://live.opentracking.co.uk/10in1021/