What happens next?

After the epic, exhilarating but very exhausting experience of completing the 100k London to Brighton Ultra Challenge, what next?

What happens after posing for those finish line photos and drinking the celebratory fizz?

We were lucky that we didn’t have far to go from the finish line to our awaiting Airbnb, even luckier that we were staying in a ground floor apartment. I’m not sure I could have made it up a flight of stairs at that point.

Extracting myself from my dirty trail shoes was the first challenge – it didn’t take quite as long as changing my socks at Lindfield, but not far off. Then it was time to wash off the mud and crawl into bed. Sleep came fairly quickly, but it didn’t last long (just over 4 hours according to my Garmin).

And then I crawled out of bed – gingerly, but with not much pain. Definitely lots of aches though. Standing upright was challenging. My right ankle was a little bit unhappy. No attempt at shoes for a while.

A cup of coffee was much appreciated. I make it at as far as the sofa. I’ll just sit with my feet up for a bit before doing anything else. Malted milks (cow biscuits) make an excellent first meal of the day. I’ll probably have a little doze.

Eventually, after several cups of coffee, some toast and managing to get on a pair of shoes (thankful for wide-fit sandals), and I was ready to face the world.

First stop, brunch/lunch at Moksha’s – I recommend the ham hock and poached eggs. Then it was time for a very slow/slightly achy walk – active recovery and all that!

So we went to the pier, played some arcade games and then headed for the beach – it was cocktail o’clock. Then it was wondering in the Lanes, until we found Twisted Lemon – and it was happy hour! Lots of cocktails later – time for more food at Fatto a Mano. It wasn’t too much longer before energy levels were repleted and it was time for bed.

On Monday, it was posing for photos on the pier, arcade games, crazy golf, a ride on the tourist train (legs too tired to walk back), ice creams and then time for another nap, before venturing out to see a show at the Brighton Fringe – don’t ask me what it was about; even without current levels of fatigue, I had no idea what was going on. It was a grapefruit wheat beer moment though – we were handed a flyer on our walk back home earlier in the day.

By Tuesday, I could get shoes on again – progress. And we spent the morning at the Brighton Pavilion – opulent design, lots of patterns, history and definitely worth a look. Lunch, a big piece of cake and a much needed nap.

Energy restored (a little bit) – more cocktails, this time at Julie’s favourite whiskey bar, before more recovery food (and more cocktails) up the road at The Pond – highly recommended. I’m enjoying the post-run celebrations.

On Wednesday, we walked without too many groans and grumbles down to Hove for breakfast at Oeuf – thanks Gary and Anne for the recommendation. I had the trademarked Frumpets – French Toast meets Crumpets. Amazing. And obviously incredibly beneficial to post-ultra recovery! Back in Brighton, an afternoon at Brighton museum for the Abba/Eurovision exhibition (and some singing-along), a final wander in the Lanes before ending our stay with Fish and Chips at the award-winning Bardsley’s.

And that was that – an excellent few days in Brighton to celebrate our achievement. And then it was time to come home.

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50 for 50 #44: 50 posts for my 50th birthday to be posted before I’m 51.