Week 29: Essex – Coming Home

Essex was a special week for us.

We headed back to Finchingfield, where our family story really began. It's where Amy and I spent two wonderful years together, where we experienced some of our happiest memories, but also where we went through our miscarriages. It's a place that will always mean a huge amount to us, so returning as part of this challenge felt particularly fitting.

As my dad likes to remind everyone, it's also renowned for always being sunny!

It was lovely to be back in such a familiar part of the world, catching up with good friends and seeing plenty of familiar faces along the way.

This week's running partner was Amy, an incredibly accomplished marathon runner who earned a Good for Age place at the London Marathon earlier this year, where she also raised an amazing amount for SANDS, another fantastic charity supporting families affected by baby loss.

We were brilliantly supported throughout the day by Amy's dad, Dave, who not only planned the entire route but also spent the day cycling alongside us, keeping us fuelled, hydrated and motivated from start to finish.

We began at Amy's parents' house in Gosfield before heading out on a lovely loop through the Essex countryside. The route took us along quiet country lanes through Sible Hedingham and Toppesfield before bringing us home to finish on the village green in Finchingfield.

The biggest concern heading into the day was the weather. It had been a scorching week, and we were expecting another baking hot marathon. Thankfully, although the morning started bright and sunny, some cloud rolled in just before our slightly delayed 7:45am start (after some questionable navigation from my mum on the drive over!). That cloud cover, along with a welcome breeze, made the first couple of hours much more comfortable than we'd feared.

We made good progress and reached halfway at Sible Hedingham in just over two hours feeling strong. Essex isn't mountainous by any stretch, but it's certainly not flat either. The roads constantly rolled up and down gentle hills, making for an enjoyable route that never quite let you settle.

Halfway brought a reunion with the support crew. Amy's parents, husband and son were there waiting for us, alongside my mum, Amy and the kids. My mum then spent much of the rest of the day leapfrogging us in the car, appearing every few miles armed with snacks, drinks and, at one particularly important moment, paracetamol to help keep my troublesome ankle under control.

As we headed towards Finchingfield for the final stretch, the heat eventually caught up with us. We'd made it to nearly 11 o'clock before it really became noticeable, but the final hour certainly required a slight easing of the pace as the temperature climbed and the rolling hills seemed just that little bit longer.

Amy was brilliant throughout. She hasn't been able to do a huge amount of training since London earlier this year, but she looked strong from start to finish, and together we crossed the line in 4:07 – our third-fastest marathon of the entire challenge so far.

A lovely crowd welcomed us onto the village green before we rounded off the day in one of our favourite pubs, The Finchingfield Lion, enjoying some very well-earned pizza.

Returning to Finchingfield made this one feel about far more than just another county ticked off. It was a chance to revisit somewhere that holds both incredible joy and difficult memories, and to celebrate how far we've come since those days.

A huge thank you to Amy for running with me, to Dave for expertly guiding and supporting us all day, and to my mum for keeping us both going when we needed it.

Essex was a very special one.