I actually quite enjoyed the first couple of hours
of the run. The sun was out, there was a gentle and cooling south wind,
and most of the running was on reasonable tracks or smooth downland
turf. The atmosphere was pleasant and supportive and we even managed to
chat some of the time. Every nine or ten minutes we passed another mile
marker so at the end of three hours I was beyond Kings Somborne and had
covered some 18 miles.
So, only eight miles to go, but anyone who has run this sort of distance
will know that it the last part of the run which is really tough. As we
climbed out of the Test Valley and back on the downs, on the steepest
part of the run, I felt my energy rapidly draining away. My leg muscles
really began to ache and just putting one foot in front of the other
became a great effort. I was no longer in control of my speed and I had
to rely on will power – and the thought of how much money was raised
each mile that I covered – to keep going. It was very encouraging to
find Robyn and Juliet in Ham Green to cheer me on. By then I was within
three miles of the finish and I got a bit of a second wind. Even so,
those last eight miles took me two hours, so my final time was just
under five hours.
For the first few minutes after the finish both walking and talking were
difficult, but I gradually came round and once we reached our friend’s
house a hot bath and cups of tea and scones revived me – the thought of
those was the other thing that kept me going!
I am hugely grateful for the sponsorship I got. I have received some 60
individual donations already, with quite a few more to come. The total
raised should exceed £2,500 and there will be Gift Aid to add to that,
so it will be a significant contribution to Together for Sudan’s funds.
My warm thanks to all the donors who read this.
Please use the large blue button to reach Adrian's
page and donate there.
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this page .
Adrian did not run for his own enjoyment, he would dearly love to
raise funds for his efforts and for that he needs your help. Big or
small, one off or regular, all donations help. You can give anonymously
or leave a message. The key thing is to press the button and make a
donation. You can also donate directly to us via our
Donation Page or send a cheque to the
Treasurer in our Trowbridge office.
Adrian has been keeping us updated with his training and preparations through our blog site which can be found at : www.togetherforsudan.blogspot.com
