Facing the inevitable

It has been creeping up on me, almost stalking me, until it seems inevitable that I must do it; the A Coventry Way Challenge (strange use of the indefinite article there). 

It is a few years since I first came across A Coventry Way.  The A Coventry Way Association had a stall in the ‘Lives & Times’ tent at the Godiva festival.  I must admit my first reaction was ‘why?’.   Why create a 40 mile long circular footpath route all around Coventry?  Nobody is going to take a holiday to walk the whole thing like they might with the Pennine Way or the Devon Coastal Path; at the same time it is too much to do as a single afternoon walk. 

Of course that initial reaction missed the point.  Not only does the Coventry Way form the basis of whole number of circular walks, which lots of people might want to do, but it is an idea around which a group of enthusiasts can come together to improve footpaths and promote walking, and what can be wrong with that?  And of course some people do complete it as a single walk (or run): the A Coventry Way Challenge.   

Another thing that has been creeping up on me is running.  It has been about six years since I began seriously running, wanting to put some purpose into my workouts at the gym, it seemed best to focus my efforts on an activity that required no skill (as I have none), not much money (as I resent spending money on sporting equipment that could be spent on wine or holidays), and did not involve making arrangements with other people (not because I am anti-social; just because I have a very busy life). 

So now I have completed five Great North Runs and three other half marathons, a couple of 10ks and in October my first marathon in Toronto (see picture - 4 hours 10 minutes since you ask).   What next?   Why not run an absurdly long distance, for almost twice as many hours than I have ever run before, across terrain that I am totally unused to?  It’s a logical step. 

I have submit my online entry.  It asks me how long I expect to take.  I have no idea but, after some back-of-an-envelope calculations, I eventually plump for 7 hours 30 minutes.  I get a nice welcoming email back from Bob Carey.  Now there is no turning back (only some running round in a big circle).