Despite feeling tired (Garmin was telling me I should have 58 hours rest), the lure of the finish line helped to get me going on the final morning. I had one mission; to complete the run and catch the 5:11pm train from East Runcorn or a stretch target of the 4:11pm train (a quick game of corporate bingo there).

I was lucky that this Travelodge had a Greggs next door and research the night before found that it was open from 6am. So with breakfast sorted I was away by 7:15am.

Even with very few marbles left, I had worked out that I would need to maintain a pace of @4mph (including stops) to catch the 4:11pm train. This would be difficult given how my performance had dropped off yesterday, but worth a go.

The first challenge was to navigate my way over Harecastle hill to the northern entrance of the 1.7 mile tunnel which was fairly straightforward. There are actually two tunnels; one that was closed in 1914 due to mining subsidence lowering the roof, making it unnavigable, and the main one, wide enough for just 1 boat. After that it would be (nearly) all downhill given that this was the top pound of the canal.

With the sun is shining it was a lovely morning for a run / jog / plod, passing the junction with the Macclesfield canal, double locks and going under the M6 motorway.

With time important, the milestones were really useful to gauge pace and monitor progress (sorry more corporate PM jargon). Being huge lumps of cast iron, individually made (as the distances are cast), I don’t think any were missing, unlike the plastic trail signs of the 21st century which some people regard as souvenirs. Passing the 26 miles to go point was significant – just a marathon left.

Checking my 1970s Nicholson’s Guide to the Waterways (North West), I was targeting my first stop in Middlewich and to be honest, after 15 miles at 11am, I needed it for a number of reasons. After a frustrating wander round, I finally found a bakers and a coffee shop few doors up. The coffee, fruit cake and facilities were just what I needed. On leaving, surprisingly and disappointingly, the bakers was shuttered up, but a Tesco Express came to my rescue with a meal deal (although I didn’t appreciate how important this would be despite being difficult to carry – cycling jersey pockets always come in useful).

Cracking on I passed half way for the day, went through Northwich and then over a very dilapidated aqueduct that looked like an original from 1777. (The Canal and River Trust (a charity) has a huge liability with ancient assets as evidenced by the recent canal breach on the Shropshire Union).

Nibbling on my meal deal, the miles were ticking down nicely. However, burning an extra 2,500 – 3,000 calories daily, I was ‘jogging on fumes’. There were few paces to purchase food.

Then in the distance I notice a huge  industrial complex which turned out to be the Tata Europe Chemical plant, manufacturing salt, soda ash and sodium bicarbonate, which must be a big employer in the region.

It’s strange as each trip, and sometimes each day has its own memory. Day 1 was the long straight sections; Day 2 was the pairs of Canadian Geese and today was dog mess. It was only when I noticed an approaching dog walker in the distance bend down to ‘bag some poop’, which he was not carrying when I passed him, that I realised that he had left it in a bright yellow bag on the towpath. Through the rest of the day I noticed a lot of the unbagged stuff, so does that mean that the people who ‘bag and leave’ are doing others a favour, by highlighting where it is ? I did want to talk to the bloke but I had a train to catch.

I was now in the final quarter of the day and approaching the Anderton Boat Lift which transfers boats from the canal down onto the river Weaver. Built in 1875 (and admiring it over some of my remaining meal deal) it’s an incredible structure.

However, time was ticking and I still had 3 short tunnels to pass over in the final 6 miles and 1.5 hours until the train. The first of the tunnels was Barnton, followed by Saltesford. Both had vent columns on the surface showing that I was on the right route.

The final one, Preston Brook marked the boundary with the Bridgwater canal and technically the end of the run. It was fantastic to have completed it, as planned.

However, I still had another 1.5 miles to the station and given the twisting route through a housing estate I’m not sure how I would have managed before Google maps. I arrived at the station with 5 minutes to spare to find out that the train was actually delayed til 4:28pm. Mission accomplished and expectations exceeded anyway. There is nothing like a departing train for motivation, and to return me to my car with the added bonus of a shower and a meal. Thanks Martin and Louise.

So that made it 34.5 miles for the day and a nice round 100 miles for the trip. It had been great break and a good training session to prepare myself for the 100, but first I was really looking forward to a day off !