YES I CAN!!!!!!

But before I tell you about the Kent 50, I need to introduce you to Henry. He is my running companion. (in a plastic spider running companion sort of way)

We met on day one of the 10 in 10, he was just lying in the road and I rescued him. We agreed that he should accompany me on the rest of the marathons. My shorts have a special pocket for him so it was a bit like fate. He travelled with me quietly being my good luck charm until 10 day when he wasn't feeling very well (I lost him).

We were reunited last week when I wondered what on earth was poking into my bum when I put my running shorts on :) He said he wouldn't hold it against me and that yes, he quite fancied the Kent 50 too.

A tiny bit about Henry, he is named for Henry II, who he admires for being a proper king, and the first Plantagenet king. This period of history is of particular interest to him. He likes running (spiders are good at it) but not girl spiders, as they tend to eat you (I thinks he's gay) He also glows in the dark, which he finds quite embarrassing and him less than keen to go to evening social arrangements.

Anyway, Kent 50 (actually 52.4 miles) in 10 hours 24 minutes.

I am massively pleased with this as it was a bit of a foray into the unknown. My longest ultra to date was 40 miles and I think it was 2008. The course was not new to me as I have completed the moonlight challenge twice before which is 5 laps (kent 50 is 8 laps) but it was nice to see it in the daytime.

I knew I had plenty of miles in my legs, so I guess this was just an attempt to put that together with a strategy to get me through 50. And I guess I must have come up with that cos it worked. Basically I had some water and a gel at the end of 5 laps and then a bit of mars bar at the end of 6 laps then paracetamol, ibuprofen, water and proper coke at the end of 7.

Only one bad lap and that was 7 (see drug count above) with hindsight I needed to take something earlier it would have made that lap less awful. But I kept to my 25/5 plan for 7 laps and then on 8 it was run to the mile marker and then walk for 5 minutes. My first mara split was 4.45 so I obviously slowed up on the second half but I guess you expect that.

Anyway, I take a lot of confidence from that and don't think that 100 is out of my reach.
I do have a sore foot today.