Day Nineteen – Shrewsbury to Craven Arms

Pawing Down

It had to happen one day: a solid downpour for seven hours and 20 knots of south westerly on the nose. Elaine, doing four (4) my dear old friend and ex boss (imagine?) Powell, the now veteran Mark and Andrew were utter bricks as were Chris and Andrea. Danny, who looked utterly chipper at the end needs to let me have her secret. We trespassed on 600 Shrewsbury Park Runners, fought with non existent paths on the completely unpopulated Shropshire Way (again) and battled with hazardous ditches, styles, prickly hawthorn bushes and a thousand nettle stings. And it pissed it down ... did I say that? A huge shout out to Danny's husband Eddie, not only is he impossibly generous and kind, he also drove over most of Shropshire with his fresh meals on wheels, tea and coffee urn and more treats than we could ever consume. A mobile larder, a medicine cabinet and a colossus who has ALWAYS supported these campaigns. Thanks E.L.

19 marathons just doesn't happen without this sort of commitment. Tendons are torched, shins trashed, muscles stretched .... torture starts again at 08.30 tomorrow ... you knew that.