Run Day 2 - Dartford to Faversham

Struggling through the Garden of England

Sandra and I were back on Watling Street at 9.45 this morning waiting for Dan, Rob, Stephen and James to arrive. The 2 runners emerged gingerly from the car and spent some minutes stretching their tired limbs before setting off at a steady trot towards Dartford.

I joined Stephen in the support car whilst Sandra and James drove ahead to our pick up point. Having run through Crayford and Dartford, the route ran up and alongside Bluewater Shopping Centre before joining the busy A2 dual carriageway. It was here that we picked up Rob and Dan and fast forwarded them to the old A2 on the outskirts of Strood. We parked alongside the Three Crutches pub and, like last year on the walk, hoped that they wouldn’t be needed. Today’s marathon continued through the Medway towns, past Rochester Castle and up Chatham Hill with a short stop for a drink and applause at Tesco, Gillingham.

Here the Medway Branch of Leukaemia Research were collecting donations, assisted by our good friends, Ted and Billy Herring. Ted is a talking, fund-raising machine and in 2 hours at Gillingham and the same time at Tesco Faversham, there were few customers who didn’t make a voluntary donation with Ironmen badges and red and white balloons on sticks, additional enticements.

Meanwhile the boys were grinding out the miles; through Rainham and on the ruler-straight A2 past the orchards and hop fields to Sittingbourne, Teynham and Faversham. They continued their pace for 20 miles and then alternated between a walk and slow jog, the occasional uphill providing a relief from the agony of muscle pain. James joined them on the walk-jog and then Billy Herring joined in for the last 4 miles to provide more company and conversation. Today’s marathon time was 4 hours 56 minutes – 30 minutes slower than yesterday.

Both Tesco stores provided excellent hospitality and the guys were cheered into the Faversham store for a very well-deserved sit-down, drink and food with ice provided to cool those legs.

Tonight we are staying back in Sittingbourne and will be thinking through options for tomorrow’s run. The rule of thumb assessment of Dan and Rob’s condition during the cycling was that if they felt no worse than the day before then that was good – I guess it’s the same now.

James is providing his expert ‘beating up’ now before an evening meal. Tomorrow we have more company joining us.