Skier & Writer
Much like a person on drugs, my mind was consumed by the frozen dairy treat. I could only make barely understandable comments about how fantastic the dessert was in between licks, oblivious to the world around me, losing track of time and space as I became one with the food. Little did I know evil forces were spying from above on my every bite, every movement, and calculating their attack.
Cheddar Gorge is surprisingly similar to a lot of the touristy places in Colorado: the main attraction is nature, which brings a lot of people walking and driving around dumbfounded by the incredible natural beauty, but also lots of sporty folks, drawn in by the nearly endless sport climbing and vast trail system for walking and running.
Running to see places is great in that it combines both exercise with tourism, and one can see sights more in depth from the ground rather than from the second story of a double decker bus. Yes, I do arrive at somewhat crowded places wearing bright synthetic shirts and sweating profusely, but it also creates a nice halo of space around me at all times as most people don't like to touch visibly sweaty people.
After the marathon, Davinia's dad took us on a small road trip all around the Lake District, with stops in Barrow-in-Furness, Kirkstone Pass, Glenridding, and, as a perfect post-marathon walk, Easedale Tarn by way of Grasmere. The rocky green hills and lakes were awesome to see, and definitely got me excited for my indefinite time here in England.
What I did not anticipate was that I would lose feeling in my toes during the mountaineering mission in Kyrgyzstan, so I ended up running this marathon without feeling in most of my toes, except pain when I ran downhill, especially on asphalt.
