Well... that's it!

This morning I had one problem after another trying to get out for my run.
As I got into Graeme's car (we were driving down to Middlesbrough ready to run home) I shut the door on the bite valve of my Camelbak. Completely smashed the end off. Graeme said I could probably get away with it by just having to bring the water back up the tube every time I needed a drink (it appeared to go straight back into the bladder when I stopped drinking). So, I decided to give it a go.
About halfway to Middlesbrough I happened to look down at the floor of the car to see my feet were swimming in about 1cm deep of water. Turns out the water was just pouring out. We decided to go to Go Outdoors to buy a new bladder. It was only about half a mile from the starting point of our run.
To cut a long story short, we basically could only get a new valve which would need to be fitted at home with the aid of water from the kettle. Gutted. So I decided to run tomorrow instead, as the weather was awful.

We popped to a couple of shops and got some bits and bobs, and as we were almost home I saw a couple of runners as the sun came out and I thought, Sod it... I'll go today! So Graeme fitted my new bite valve, I got a bottle of flat coke and off I went on my own. Graeme's knee was a bit painful today, so he was pleased not to be running at all.

I got to Middlesbrough and picked up my Camelbak. I almost fell sideways at the weight of it. There was around 4 litres of weight (I normally only carry around 2 litres... including the weight of the Camelbak itself). Straight away my HR was around 5 beats higher than normal, which I put down to the heavier bag.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed most of the run. I had to stop about 5 times in the first 5 miles to put my gel toecap back on. I may need to invest in a new one, as it seems to have had it's day. At 8 miles I stopped to put it on again and accidentally dropped in onto a gravel footpath. Took me ages to get all of the grit and stones off it and in the end I washed it with some of my water. That was probably the best thing I had done, as it stayed in place for the rest of the run because it was so wet.

The road that is very open and normally very windy, was lovely today, if a little too hot as the sun beamed down and I had to take my jacket off. I was saving my Coke for the end of this long open road, and at 16 miles as I hit Seaton Carew I drank it. God it was gorgeous.... just as nice flat as it was fizzy last week.

It was around this time that my right hamstring first started to ache. It felt a bit crampy but not unbearable. I stretched it a couple of times and just carried on. The last 5 miles were really tiring and I had 4 little walk breaks from 19 miles to home. I was pretty good though, and only walked for around a minute and then I made myself go again.

Getting home, my hamstring was really hurting. I realised it was probably the extra weight I had carried that had been so strenuous on it.
I've stretched, rollered, iced and ibuprofened and it's feeling loads better. I finally had some tea about an hour ago (after Graeme took me back to collect my car), and I feel human again!
So... that's it. What I haven't done in the run up to VLM and Fife 50K now can't be done. All I have left is my taper. Here's hoping I've done enough!