Leg 7: Brooklands Hotel, Weybridge to The Bridge House Hotel, Reigate (17.2 miles approx.)
Starting this post just before Midnight after a very long day- the longest yet. I didn’t get in until about 7 and it was already dark. I don’t know if it was long because of the difficulties I had to encounter (several false turns and detours and a really long encounter with some brambles), or whether at day 7 I’m starting to slow down, or a combination of both-I’m really starting to feel it now. Also struggling at times to keep up my morale as I’m pretty tired (I also didn’t sleep too well last night- my limbs, particularly my calves felt really stiff and tight and I couldn’t get comfortable). Although I’m really pleased with the way the project has been going, it’s getting tedious now and I’m losing my momentum and enthusiasm that I had at the beginning. I just want to finish now and I will- only two more runs left to go!
The day started well enough, although I knew there would be several junctions, some of them particularly tricky or envolving some lengthy detours. The worst was at Junction 9 outside Leatherhead, an extended dual junction where although the approaches were A roads there were no crossings or paths to speak of. Generally the whole day was quite difficult with very few accessible pathways through (designated or not) and several dead-ends. The warm weather was not helpful either as I need to keep layers on to protect myself from sharp encounters with thorns and barbed wire. (having already ripped my shorts and my jacket sleeve and made a hole in my leggings- I need to preserve what I have left).
Contrary to previously however, the last part of the day was alot better and I managed to find a way through some interconnecting woodland for the last few miles. Slow, but at least there was a way through- that is, right up until the last half mile when I had to clamber over some fencing. Because of all the detours I’d had to do in the earlier part of the day and also the long fight with the brambles, which also wasted a significant amount of time, it was getting dark as I made my way through the last wood. I wasn’t scared, just concerned about my visibility if it got too dark. By then all my equipment had started to pack in with the batteries running very low or not at all. It seemed like I was never going to get there.
I was so relieved when I finally caught a glimpse of the motorway sign for Junction 8 and for Reigate indicating the turn off a mile away.
Tomorrow thank-goodness is a shorter run at an estimated 13.5 miles- I really hope it’s not much longer (most runs thus far have been at least 2 or 3 miles more). At least I only have 2 junctions to negotiate- a major one at the M25/M23 interchange (junction 7) and relatively minor one with an A Road at Junction 6.
Right now, i’m going to have a second bath just to ease my poor aching body before I go to bed. Goodnight.
