ACC Day 2 - Perranporth to Hayle

Saturday dawned, again I was up and wide awake well before the alarm. Porridge and toast for breakfast and due to short sleep I was almost dozing again by the time the bus had shipped us back to Perranporth. I fancied hiding under a few of the other runners bags, waiting while the other runners and VO2 team were distracted and then sneaking in to one of the many pubs I'd noticed here at the finish the day before.

But I didn't... I was at the line and off - very slowly - up the hill out of Perranporth. At this point I first met Stuart, who was one of the guys I'd been talking to on the forum about this the last few months. He seemed energetic and was well out of site by time I'd stopped to pee and take a few pictures - No! not of the pee, of the lovely scenery down this coast. I hadn't stopped to take pics the day before, but figured my legs could do with the odd break today. The picture to left is Perranporth, looking from top of hill back over the long beach we'd run the length of at the end of day 1. It was quite an up-and-down first few miles, lots of steps or trail descents and then ascents out of small bays. I quite enjoyed this as I was still going well both up and down, not as tentative as some down and willing to run more uphills than others. It was soon down to Trevaunance Cove and the first CP of the day - yeh!

Found some flapjack, gulped water and coke as this had hydrated me on day one well enough. Onwards and downwards, through Porthtowan. Feeling good and the average pace had dropped below 12's after the slow start, there was then a reasonably level section towards Portreath and CP2. Sandwich time, randomly grabbed a peanut butter which was a bit hardgoing and on to the beach under a high cliff before a shortish but steep climb back up onto the cliffs.

The sun was out now following the typical weather pattern of the weekend with overcast start and slow boil in the afternoon. Quite a long and flatish run now along higher cliffs with the odd twist to liven things up. I found myself playing random songs in my head - a good sign? Radio Gaga was good but I was surprised that "Jake the Peg" (Rolf Harris) was also in there, guess it suited the slow rythm of my plodding.  maybe I was distracting myself as the aches mainfested beyond halfway. The next CP at Godrevy head was a long time in coming. When I got there I was slowing, hot and had to walk awhile down into St Ives bay.

I caught up with a few other runners in the dunes as the path became multiple paths and four of us eventually abandoned the slow and hard dune navigation and headed for the solid sands of the 3 mile beach towards Hayle. This went on for a long time, my comfortable run pace now over tens even on the flat. The effects were different to the previous day, more stiffness, less energy, but no feeling of hitting the wall. Eventually the beach was left and the cliff climbed to head back on ourselves through Hayle Towans and towards Phillack. There was an extra CP here - ther to make sure we didn't cut through the dunes a mile back to the "back door" enterance of the holiday park. Like we would?

Running on the hard paths and roads through Phillack wasn't fun but at least the end was close, just up a small hill, a left turn into the camp, a steep drive I coul barely run up and then down the steps and the finish right at the holiday camp. A brief stagger to drinks, soup, food and massage if we wanted. This day was a bit short - ~24.5m - and I was slightly slower than the day before having never quite recaptured yesterdays pace after the steady start. 4:43, so 4 minutes down, but actually 2 positions higher in the standings. 20th for the day of well over 100 who had ran and walked these first few days. I was tired, but happy that all those long runs around the beautiful Yorkshire Moors, Dales and Peak district in the last few months hadn't just been a useless distraction. The 2 leaders had dipped inside yesterdays time of 3:37, to run sub 3:30.

So far so good, day two was probably harder than day one, higher cliffs meaning bigger drops and climbs when a bay or inlet was crossed, generally more rugged. It was also prettier and more scenic, more remote, no Newquay to cross ;¬) Certainly not as difficult as bleak Calderdale moorland, the muddy south derbyshire dales. Not in the same league as the higher parts of peak district, the Western Yorkshire dales, Sedbergh Hills or Lakes.

After a short massage I hoped would help I hit the sack for a few hours in a vain attempt to relax into a late afternoon nap. My legs were pulsing and twitching, trying to pump bllod around, clean out waste products, wanting to cramp, and did a few times later. I nibbled on snacks, took Ibuprofen, Glucosamine, dark chocolate - cos I like it, but did I heck have any cramp tablets in my medical bag of tricks.... grrr!

BBQ time, I seemed to arrive everytime they were waiting for more food to cook so only got one burger, lamb chop, breadbun and veg kebab. At least I got a chocolate banana and forced down a few beers. Most of us were all tucked up in bed by 11.