Day One: The Great Car Park Escape

Day One: The Great Car Park Escape

Day One tried to break us before we even got started.

There I was, happily taping myself up when Cat called: the car wasn’t just blocked in. She couldn’t even get to it. Apparently, the car park goes into lockdown until 9:30 am. (with no signs to say so, of course). A perfect logistical nightmare.

But then came the superheroes. Lovely Sue Dorrington arrived. She was only coming to see me off, and yet she and Hallie swung into action. Within minutes, magnets were slapped on the doors, Hallie was thrown into navigating London of all places, and Sue was driving like she’d been preparing for this her whole life. Honestly, they were absolutely phenomenal. If they were terrified, you would never tell.

Meanwhile, Steve... a new friend from the Twickenham whistle ceremony, went full MacGyver and found a way to rescue our kit and safety gear. Thanks to him and Meg and Cat’s quick thinking, we made the start line only half an hour behind schedule. Miracle.

The day itself? Brilliant. Sue and Hallie were calm, fun, and absolutely nailed their jobs. No wrong turns, no stress, just smooth sailing through London traffic. I could have spent days in front of them. We were chatting for the whole 26km, and it was so much fun. Midway, Cat freed the original car and rejoined us for the second half, just in time for the sun to crank up and the hills to turn vicious.

At one point, Joel (our filmmaker in the back) casually mentioned that one hill lasted over half an hour of straight climbing. I hadn’t even realised. Apparently, it just went up, up, and up again. He was in shock! Though to be fair, he lives in Australia, where “hills” are more like polite bumps.

Despite the chaos, I finished the 50 km in 5 hours 13 minutes... quicker than my flat training runs, even with headwinds and monster climbs. Day One: conquered.

Compared to last year’s first day, this one was more relaxed and so positive. Even when things went wrong, no one panicked. Everyone just rose to the challenge, solved problems, and kept smiling. That’s the kind of team you want in your corner.

Now, I’m at the Premier Inn, fueled by curry (a serious upgrade from last night’s sandwiches), with tired shoulders but a full heart. Sue made a video for me that brought me close to tears. Its not everyday you have an incredible Ex Red Rose and England Rugby hall of fame following you ❤️

Oh, and for the record: Sue did not crash into me. She doesn’t think anyone will believe her, so I’ll make sure the world knows.

Bring on Day Two 👏