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Writer's pictureDuncan

Pretty Woman - ‘Choons’

Yesterday ended on a high. Not even drug induced, no excessive consumption of ibuprofen either (read last year's blogs). Not quite down with the ‘kids’ but I’m trying, in that lame way only us older folk can. When you hear a great track, roll a ‘C’ with your fist as if wrapping your hand round a triple decker ham sandwich (which must have cheese Richard Rex, seriously, just ham and pickle, I think you now understand how wrong it is) and loudly, anthemically utter the chant ‘Choons’. Thanks for the education! Other good sounds are known as ‘bangers’, I think?




On to dinner and the education or re-education continued. There is a legend at Brathay, he'll remain nameless for the moment as I really don't wish to offend, especially after the support he provided me. He's pretty much seen it and done it all, but yesterday a pink t-shirt set me off. Tony Hooper and I were crying with laughter into our very cultured (look at all the different foods we eat) lamb tagine. Queue jokes which started off that the 'scores on the doors' or our marathon times were going to be read out following a crazy drum roll by a very skinny version of George Dawes



Further daft impressions and reminisces of 'Ulrikakaka', 'Uvavu' and Vic Reeves singing in the style of a 'Pub Singer'. Basically we are all going a bit bonkers and losing it.


Following dinner, in preparation for Ladies Day, several of the male runners had their nails painted (me included). This proved to be a distraction around the course today especially when I brought a banana up to my mouth to munch it, I'd noticed my painted nails and wondered when I got lucky? What was her lipstick like. Can't wait to meet the rest of her. These marathons, the experience it does something to your head.



In my own inimitable style I thought I'd be cheeky and tag a few famous people in to a tweet. Amazingly (I feel so lucky and I'm really grateful she did), Nell McAndrew tweeted me back, I was made up and ready for Tuesday. Day 5 of the Ten in Ten is traditionally Ladies Day, I think as a bit of fun just to take our minds of the fact that we are almost half way there, it lightens the mood, everyone has a good laugh and all the female runners start before the men. One of my favourite movies is Pretty Woman, as I woke I thought of Nell and her tweet, I certainly felt ready for today. From dreaming of one amazing pretty woman I arrived for physio to the waking nightmare that is this ...


Some things can't be unseen ...

The great thing is that all of the lads (all of the University of Cumbria physio students and lecturers) all help to make this event, they put us back together again, help keep our spirits high and fair play to them all for joining in with this fun.


Ladies Day, my trip to the 'Start Line'.

My big worry seems to be in my head. Yesterday and today I keep mentioning shin splints but I am in decent nick compared to the same point as last year. I managed to get a wee run in with both Pat Norris and my roomie Paul Bushby. Last year was solitary compared to this, I have to say I am loving it. That geriatric tiger, Dr Katie advised me to run like seems to be linked to my mood, I am bouncing around the course like 'Tigger'. As yet, I have not had a flat spot, a few miles here and there have been hard work but it has been a joy to run with some amazing friends, including the two I've mentioned, Diane Morris, Daniel Kershaw, Richard Rex, James Thomas, Vicki Hulme to name but a few more. We've all completed five marathons, we will all have good days and bad days. The amazing thing that should be applauded is that we are ordinary folks, we all have jobs, families and are all busy with life but each and every one of us digs deep to enter, to try to raise as much money as we can for Brathay Trust. This effort to run consecutive marathons in varying and ever increasing levels of pain and discomfort requires an immense effort to mine the depths of our characters and come out on Sunday, 19th May 2019 victorious; our prize ten medals, our hope is that we'll have helped change lives.


Back to today, we have a plan. We start steady, we walk hills, especially the downs (for fear of shredding the quads) and hopefully by sticking to this steady pace we'll remain uninjured. Finish uninjured. That's all I would like, oh and Liverpool to win the Champions League but for the moment, finish uninjured. Today's finish was comfortable, I hope I don't pay for it tomorrow


Whilst on the topic of pretty women, my saviour from Brathay 2018 was at the finish line today, the amazing Aimee McDonnell, who hopefully will graduate soon with a 2:1 or above (she better)! She put up with so much of my tears, tantrums and issues last year, she deserved a medal. In fact loads of the third years came to cheer Joe Morrell, who was a physio last year and is running the Ten in Ten this year. Which brings me on to another point, I passed a family today, Paul Bushby had just gone by them, I heard them saying how amazing it was that he (we) were running ten marathons and the lady mentioned that she couldn't run to the bus stop (about 100 yards away). Uninvited, I said to her, you could you know. And, you can. Please just get out there, walk, run but get out there, in so doing we might begin to appreciate the beauty in the world but equally the damage we cause and in turn do something about it, surely that's a win-win?


Our after-care following the physio was a dip in the lake. Thanks Sam! You have spheres of steel. Therefore I guess, today's disciple must be Peter (the Rock-s).

Day 5 is dedicated to friends, in particular, Kim, Debs and Mark who have pretty much been constant in my life for as far back as I can remember. Memories include a performance of 'Yesterday' in the Girl Guides, a yellow and black outfit so '1980s', sleeping in a Fiat Uno and chat up lines including 'impersonations' of Tom Cruise.


I don't want to forget other friends who I've been exceptionally luckily to accummulate and I'm grateful that they too have stuck by me. Paul, Steve, Derek, Mark O', Sakis, Nikki, Wolfie, we've all shared moments I'll treasure. To you all thank you.

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