The Start

Abbey’s school kids have prepared some motivational pictures for Barry and every runner. So, we did an official hand-over right before the start. We then took off for the start in the direction of the “Gardens of Colombes”.
Half way there, Barry decided to start running before all of us would get totally wet and cold. So, we took out the portable starting line – and Barry and David took off.

1st Check Point

The supporters returned to the hotel and finished packing the vans. We then drove to the first check point in a commercial area in Pierrelaye. As we had to wait for Barry and David to arrive, Kirsten put the kettle on making coffee for everyone. The runners arrived soaked but cheerful. David’s new shoes did not feel right and so he switched to an older pair. Barry got another power bar.

2nd Check Point

After sending Barry and David off again, the supporters went for a typical French breakfast – at McDonalds. We must have been sitting there for a while because we were still looking for a parking slot close to the check point when Barry and David came around a corner. David’s knees were hurting because of the first kilometres with his new shoes. But Abbey had of course the pain killers ready.

3rd Check Point

The last check point was at an airport. The runners had quite a steep hill to climb and were happy about filling up before the final kilometres to Marines.
At the same time, the supporters were planing on how to prepare the arrival at the hotel, getting David to the airport for his flight back and picking up Marc for Day 2. We decided to split up: Abbey and Aaron prepared the arrival at the hotel while Kirsten and Jan-Nicolas followed the runners to Marines.

Finish

The finish line was in Marines. When we left the country road, the last kilometres to Marines turned out to be a slope that turned straight into a gain – a psychological horror. But David and Barry did well and finished in 4:43h. An excellent result keeping in mind that there are 5 marathons still to come!
Funny enough: It was planned to start at the “Gardens of Colombes” what turned out to be a florist. The finish line turned out to be right next to a florist as well…

Getting ready for Day 2

Now it is all about getting Barry ready for Day 2. Program includes: stretching right after the run, having a proper meal, getting a cold bath, and putting on compression trousers to help his legs recover. The hotel looks promising for a good nights sleep, too.