Marathon number 36 was completed over at Centre Parcs in Sherwood Forest.

So it was at the end of last week that I had the idea that instead of running on Wednesday, I would take the opportunity to run somewhere new. We had a Team day coming up at Centre Parcs so I that sounded alright as I had done a few mountain bike and orienteering races around Sherwood Pines. I looked up the details of the place and saw the intricate web of paths and roads linking all the different activities and accommodation and thought that a couple of laps of that would be good. As the days ticked through the week I then thought about the idea of trying to cover atleast all the tracks at least once. As it would be getting dark through the challenge this added a whole new dimension.

But I would need an accomplice. Someone who was crazy enough to give up their free time and potential flume time or spa time to help out with navigation and hold the food and water. The man who stepped up to the mark was Malik. So I decided to bring in a bike for him to help with the challenge. So on the day, he still agreed to help out and I gave him lots of opportunities to back out if he wanted, however he was happy to lend a hand. So Team day out of the way, we got changed and got the bike ready and then.. well started. No fanfare just started randomly in a car park. We opted to get a loop in of the place just to get some idea of the layout and distance and try to interpret the map. We found some extra paths that weren't on the map that disorientated us a little bit but apart from that started to crank through the mileage in the last of the sunshine. Back after our loop we set out tackling all of the wiggles through the carpark and towards the end of this that brought the mileage out to about 15k. This is when the puncture happened. Dammit!! no more bike assistance. But after a quick change Malik was up for a run. So back on the mileage we ran through the dusk and into the nighttime. It became tough around this time, not just because of the dark, but pretty much every hut, tree house and chalet we ran past was cooking so the air was thick with all sorts of mouth watering smells. There was also now a chill in the air.

So every marathoner knows that there are tough parts of each marathon, some people talk of hitting the wall, others talk of a switch over of fuels to the body. For me this happens pretty regularly somewhere between 25 and 30k. I know its coming and I expect it and with a fair wind behind I'm able to remain one step ahead of it. Image then my surprise and horror when Malik decided that after about 10k of running he had had enough and couldn't help anymore. He was therefore off to the flumes and then for food and a pint. Yup you've guessed it if you've done the sums, I was left in the dark at 25k with 17k left to run on my own knowing that everyone else I knew would be enjoying a nice sit down, food and drinks. Suddenly the full stupidity of this challenge was brought home.

Morale at an all time low and legs starting to ache, a little dark voice whispered something faintly audible into my ear. "Look, its dark, no one will know, nip back to the car and just drive round for the remainder with your GPS out of the window. Make sure you go slow enough so that Strava doesn't flag it up..."  What a stupid idea, no I was stronger than that. If I was going to stop, I would stop and go for food and then just come back and do another one some other time.  Thats stupid, to get this far and then just stop.. No I need to finish it... Well my GPS needs to finish it, it is dark, they're in the pub, no one will see.. OK but can I pull that off? What happens if that I get seen.. There will be sarky comments in the morning like "Did you enjoy your run last night did you?" Nah stupid idea!

So within a couple of kilometers this whisper had grown into a shout and by the time I got back to the car I decided to stop but still a little undecided as to whether to 'carry on' or go to the pub. It was only 30k by this point and back at the car some idiot had blocked me in! Out of a massive carpark with loads of spaces this idiot had blocked me in and there was no getting round it. After several minutes of shouting and cursing, I had worked out one loop at about 6k so came to the solution that I would trot off and then they had better be gone by the time I got back!!! So off I trotted muttering under my breath and working out whether there were enough lads going to still be around to help bounce the car out of the way. It was a tough lap but I was somewhat spurred on by seeing if that car had the cheek to still be there!

I got back and 36k clicked through on the watch. The car had gone! Ha, what a tosser... but actually that lap hadnt been too bad and actually I only needed to repeat that lap again and I would be there! A quick biscuit and a swig of water and off I went into the darkness and with the headtorch fading! Malik had also gone off with the spare batteries! Infact it was fading so much that I had to turn it off for all but the off road sections, but it gave be something else to grumble about. An then with even less of a fanfare than when we started, I finished. Number 36 completed and suddenly with only 4 left to go! Wow.

I finished at just after 9pm and then had a listen to the answer phone message and then hooked up with the girls after their spa and head us to meet the others in Huck Diner for one of their massive burgers and a pint of Guinness. What better way to recover? https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/40in40