Peevo's Got A Brand New Hat! or Dexy's Marathon Runners!

Pic caption: My aching feet after three hours. Pic posed by model.


Regular followers of my travails may remember that I mentioned my trusty running hat had become quite disgusting by last week and in fact had become stiff with weeks of sweat and grime.
So while Amy got the tongs out and put it in the washing machine, I went down to MOTI on Whiteladies Road and bought myself a brand new hat. It was a good move even if, as it was pointed out, it does look like a swimming cap. Which is true. I only went in to get some new headphones after failing at Panasonic.
I don't know why I believe the crap that sales people tell you, I fall for every time. I've been looking for headphones to stick in my iPod which is an essential bit of kit, my current ones don't fit properly.

So the guy behind the counter recommended a certain pair for £15, which he swore had the best sound quality and fitted comfortably in your ear.
As soon as I got out of the shop I tried them on and after hooking them round my lugholes like a couple of hearing aids, my heart sank as the sound quality was woeful and I could have heard more standing next to somebody else and listening to the tinny sound coming from their headphones.
In a fit of peak I snapped them and huffed towards MOTI where the service was much better as I was at least allowed to try before I decided to buy, although at £36 I should think so. I can't really believe I paid that much for a pair of headphones, but while I was there I realised I needed the new hat and went off home to get ready for my run. Before I get into that though, what the hell is wrong with this city/country that I have to drive around all day looking for a garage that has a working car wash and air for tyres. I can't believe I live in one of the biggest cities in one of the biggest countries and that simple service evades me at every turn.
It's the third or fourth time I've tried to get my car clean and tyres pumped, but every time the clueless nerk behind the counter just shrugs his shoulders and says 'sorry mate, it's not working. I don't know when it will be working again, we don't operate it you see, it's another company that deals with that'. ARRRRGHGHGH.
Anyway, instead of punching somebody I channelled my rage and frustration into going for a run and somehow managed to go for three hours and three minutes, covering 14.3 miles.
I wanted to do a decent long run today, because I worry that it's only 2 months and 24 days until the marathon and I feel I should be able to run for three or four hours by now, because I want to get used to that ahead of the marathon.
On the masterplan I was due to 60 minutes, so have done three times that, which I guess is good but may mean I can't do much else all week, so perhaps I should have stuck to that. The plan for next week is about five running sessions in seven days.
I felt it was important to push myself just to see if I could cope with it and as a result ended up running further than I have ever run and for longer than even my slowest half marathons.
The route took some thinking about, as I keep having to invent longer runs. Started at my house, went up Cranbrook Road, up the hill through the lights, turned left at Texaco up North View past Up & Running, onto the Downs but straight down Coombe Lane. Then through Coombe Dingle, skirting Shirehampton before dropping onto the Portway where I turned right for half a mile or so, then turned back on myself and went all the way along the Portway into the city centre. At the Centre I turned back again and went the other way down the Portway until going right up Bridge Valley Road, up past the zoo and back onto the Downs, down along the edge of the Downs until going right down North View again and down Cranbrook road all the way home.
It was amazing to run all the way, and I did neck an isotonic gel half way round which was a good idea, but I felt really buggered by the end of it, I won't lie to you, I was properly knackered.
I've never felt quite as utterly ruined and in as much pain as I did hobbling up to my front door at the end of the run. If I'm honest pretty much the whole of the last hour was an horrific painfest, particularly as I had to get my ass up Bridge Valley Road, one of the steepest hills in Bristol, which is saying something for a very hilly city.
That wasn't really running in the actual sense, my feet were barley lifting off the ground long enough to count, but they did keep pumping away and I definitely didn't walk.
I nearly phoned for a medi-vac, or Amy as she's known, to come and rescue me as I crawled up the hill. But once I got back onto the flat I was able to find a bit of strength again and Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache, Dexy's Midnight Runners' version came on at that point and gave me a timely boost. Other tracks that got me home included Oasis single Lord Don't Stop Me Now and You Got The Love, by the Source, of course.
My feet really ached from the constant pounding and I generally felt like I'd been bundled into a huge washing machine for a spin cycle.
I had the best Radox-heavy bath of my life while I stuffed bananas and chocolate into my mouth to replace all those minerals and sugars that had sweated themselves into my new hat. And I went for a protein rich dinner as well to help my joints and muscles recover - burgers in pitta bread.
I know I will sleep well tonight.

Still a bit galling to think after all that I'd have probably another three hours to go. What the hell am I doing this for again?