Twitter, Illness, Injury and then the NRAS 10k

Well, I've not been on here for a while, and a lots happened recently.

Firstly the blog went crazy when we used twitter to get some extra support. Setting up Simone's blog as a link I blitzed a whole host of celebs, and amazingly got responses.

Retweets from personal heroes of mine Mick McCarthy (the Wolves manager for those that don't know) and Steve Froggatt, were followed by a good luck message from Andi Peters. To finish off an absolute God in my wife's eyes Michael Buble then included a link in his daily online newspaper, and before we knew it the blog had rocketed passed 1000 views all over the world - which has been brilliant in spreading the word. Now all we need is a bit of sponsorship to back it up!! (hint hint)

The last few weeks however, have been very tough, with a cough and cold that has made running very difficult due to breathing difficulties - especially coping with asthma as well. Added to that has been a tight calf and because of that absolutely no training for three weeks. Last Sunday I was determined to go for a jog to get back into it - after all, it was only 10 weeks to go at the time till the first of the half marathons.

It just happened that last Sunday was the NRAS 10k near to High Wycombe, and the idea that if I took part in a race I would have no choice but to complete, meant that I thought what the hell! It was described as an undulating course - not quite what I would call it. Hooves, bleating and horns would have suited the run better - yes that's right - a Mountain Goat would have stood a much better chance. Over 600 feet were climbed, but what goes up also has to come down! At times the hills were so steep I couldn't actually walk up them and had to hang on to trees!!! Although there was a fair amount of running, I have to confess there was a bit (ahem!) of walking too leading to the worst time ever for a 10k at 1 hour 30. The biggest surprise however - finishing and being told I wasn't last.
http://www.adidas.com/com/micoach/WorkoutDetails.aspx?WID=42f8e5d4-fda3-4fa5-825f-60fc3fa063dc
is the link to my run from micoach - shows just how hilly it was! I have to say though - amazingly picturesque course, really well organised event and lots of fun and support- would highly recommend anyone to take part (but maybe get some hill training in first)

The real highlight of the day, was that after being involved with raising money for the NRAS for a few years I finally got to meet the team that do such an amazing job at the NRAS. It was really nice to finally put faces to names and have a chat with them all, and I'm looking forward to seeing them all at the Great North Run, especially as the founder of the NRAS Ailsa (see pics below) is taking part as well in her wheel chair with a team of helpers. Should be an amazing day.

Thought I'd attach a couple of photos to finish the blog, and if anything the 10k has spurred me on again - time to get full on into the training. 30 minutes on Saturday, and a simple (ahem) 1 hour 35 to do on Sunday - lovely!!

Some of the amazing NRAS team (plus me!)

Olly, me, Ailsa, Emma, Val, Tracey

Yes that really is me - all alone on the finishing straight! (but not last - just!)

Thank you Mr Davies - for finding my motivation

Well, over the last couple of weeks I've really struggled. The runs I have been on have been difficult, painful, and if I'm perfectly honest, I have so many doubts creeping in about how on earth I'm going to firstly make it round one half marathon course, and then manage to recover, re-motivate myself, get over any injury niggles and three weeks later do the second half marathon, that I really think I have probably bitten off much more than I can chew.

But then, I see something today on the news that makes me realise just how important it is for charities such as the NRAS to keep spreading the word on debilitating conditions and make sure that everyone knows and realises how important it is to support people with conditions such as RA. MP Philip Davies has shown exactly how ignorant people can be of those with disabilities and exactly why charities need to continue to support and educate people.

Mr Davies has come out today and informed everyone that vulnerable jobseekers including those that are disabled should be willing to accept lower wages (lower than the minimum wage) so that they can work. So, instead of promoting the need for better understanding within businesses of disabilities etc, it appears people with disabilities, whether they be metal or physical, should just accept that they are likely to be discriminated against and therefore cut their value so that they can work.

As well as supporting RA sufferers and their families and setting up a fantastic support network, the NRAS are also involved in lobbying parliament, for fairer terms for the disabled, for lower or free prescriptions for those with lifelong illnesses. The sponsorship that you guys are giving helps the NRAS in so many ways, and the comments by Mr Davies today have helped me to re-find my motivation. To rediscover the reasons why I put myself through this and to help stop the ignorance that exists towards RA sufferers.

So Mr Davies - thank you for your total ignorance, you've helped me find my motivation to really step up the training and spread the word far and wide.

And it begins, again

Well, this constitutes my first post on the marathon in a month blog. Hello!

Let me introduce myself; I'm Jen, one of Simone's colleagues, and a 'i get points for trying' kind of runner. I'm not meant for running, really--i've got collapsed arches, wonky knees and a weekly hot date where I get manhandled by my physio. I trained for, then ran the London Marathon this year and then swiftly, promptly, quickly tried to bury the hitting the wall feeling of the last six miles by not running for the past two months.

The relaxing, sleeping in and copious amounts of wine tippling have been glorious, but i've been vowing to get my nine toenailed feet back into my asics for the past three weeks (what they don't tell you about long distance running tip #1: you may lose (several) toenails). And on Tuesday, it happened. I wheezed my way around crouch end, hornsey and up the neverending slightly sloping hill of finsbury park for a 4.2 mile run. I'm back!

As my first test of endurance, i've signed up for the Battersea Park Boutique Run 10k on 9 July. I will, hopefully, at this point, have already completed far longer than a 10k, but regardless check it out here: boutique run.

And if i'm feeling extra ambitious, I may follow this with the British 10k through Central London the next morning on 10 July. Note: the course does take you through some of the nicer bits of the london marathon route. Find info here: british 10k.

anyone interested?

Picture Time

Well over the last couple of weeks I've failed miserably to set up a slideshow gadget on the side of the blog, so instead, thought I'd post a blog with them in so you can see just what we have been up to in the past!!

Adrian and Darren - Sports Relief 6 miles 2010

Adrian - Bristol Half Marathon 2010

Darren - Royal Parks Half Marathon 2008

Dave and Darren Royal Parks Half Marathon 2010

A famous monument on the Royal Parks Route

Dave and Laura Greenwich 10K 2010

Dave and Laura Surveying the slopes of Greenwich

Jen - Edinburgh Marathon 2010

Jen - London Marathon 2011

Rachel and Neil Bristol Half Marathon 2010

Rachel Bristol Half Marathon 2010

Rachel Race for Life 10K 2010

So there you go - just a few pics of what we all look like. Im sure there will be more pictures emerge over time!!

Back to training

Well Tewkesbury half is complete and now onto training for London tewkesbury was a really good run starting in the town and moving out into the country side the run was going really really well with my pace owing as planned with 3 miles to go for some reason I sprung a nose bleed which is never good while running but I kept my head down and continued to power through while throwing water into my face to try and clear it. With a mile and half to go my legs were wanting to stop but knowing I was nearly there I upped my pace slightly. I turned the final corner and sprinted the last 150meters smashing my personal best by over 6 minutes bringing my new official pb to 1 hour 59 mins and 16 seconds so this has set my bar even higher than planned now the idea is to really hit the training hard try and get a stone of weight off and work on building up my core strength. The plan is to be doing a couple of 6 mile runs each week along with a Sunday morn run of at least 10 miles if I want to beat my pb again then I am really going to have to pile the miles in. I want to get into the mid 1 50s for London so bring on the pain.

And the team is complete

Well that's it - all you eager people itching to join us in our marathon in a month quest (I know you were all secretly queueing up even if you weren't openly volunteering!), I'm afraid its over - we now have taken the final Royal Parks place for the NRAS. So welcome to the team Jen Avila, a workmate of my wife, who managed to make it successfully round the London Marathon Course this year in aid of Shelter.

So a team of 25 are taking part in the Great North Run and 10 in the Royal Parks Half Marathon for the NRAS. And of those, the marathon in a month team have managed to get 6 places for each run, with 9 of us taking part. Our final target is set at £4,800. Please post these blogs wherever you can, and let people know about the blog, the virginmoneygiving page (link at top and bottom of the page) and exactly what a stupidly ridiculous challenge we are trying to complete.

To highlight the stupidity of the situation, I include below a picture of my celebrity body double! Just think how hard it would be to heave that mass round two half marathons! (Pleasant isn't it)

So please, spread the word, and if any of you can spare even a pound towards the cause - we would all be very thankful

Motivations back.....but the fitness isnt quite there yet!

Well, in the last couple of weeks, Ive failed miserably with any training at all! Knowing that the first half marathon is creaping up really hasnt helped and until Tuesday, I hadn't gone running for a good couple of weeks.

Im happy to say, that with persuasion and pushing from friends and family, Tuesday and Thursday I've done training runs of 30 and 35 minutes and finally am starting to feel the motivation is coming back - the next step, two weekend runs of 30 and 40 minutes to see if Im really starting to get somewhere.

You will see on the right of the blog, some vital stats have been added, admitedly with TBC's on a lot of them for the time being. This is so that you guys that are sponsoring, watching, reading and following can see the levels of past running we have all done - we are all true amateurs, and although a lot of people may find doing one or two half marathons in a period of time easy - it's certainly not for any of us.

Over the next few weeks, Im going to share not only the training, but also a few past experiences from the runs I've taken part in, along with some of the more memoriable moments - for good and bad.

But to start - an example of the level of fitness currently being displayed by such fine atheletes. I wear a heart monitor to check everything is ok when I run. The idea - get your heart rate over the 80% mark to get a good work out. Over 95% and it bleeps to tell you to stop as you are pushing yourself too far. So........when preparing for a run a couple of weeks ago, I was shocked when it started bleeping telling me to stop........especially given I hadnt even started running yet - all I was doing was bending over to try and do my shoelaces up!!!! Hopefully - the training and subsequent weight loss will ensure I dont suffer this sort of embarrassment again!!!

Good luck with the training everyone.

Sponsorship request

Hi all hope the training is all going well I have had an ok week I did a 11 and a half run on Sunday and then a 6 mile one on Wednesday. I am planning on doing another 6 tomorrow and hopefully have a full on week this week as I only have 2 weeks today until the tewkesbury half marathon. I am thinking of putting together some sort of official letter to ask some companies for sponsorship I would like to include a picture of each of the members of the team wearing there NRAS running vest I know that we are not going to be able to meet up for this so if everyone is happy with me doing this then could people send me a pic Darren has my email address there are a few big companies who I work with alot that I know would love to put some money towards this great cause. In the letter I would like to include a quote from simone if she is happy with that along with information on exactly what we are doing all of this obviously on propper NRAS headed note paper. What does everyone think? Please let me know.

Hot summer, hot, hot summer...

.... so the song goes.

Not conducive to running at all. My times have suffered somewhat in the heat I must admit. I think I'm a winter sort of guy - non symptomatic S.A.D they call it.

Personally I thrive in the cold and dark. Mainly because no one can see how drained of energy you look and also my running style, I have been told, resembles the gait of a pregnant goat. It's not an attractive sight.

However, what I lack in grace I make up for in a new training diet of BBQ's and light refreshing summer ale that has seen my weight travel in the opposite direction. Not good.

Bring on the winter.

Marathon running and the blog gets popular

Well I've just got back from a few days away, and am shocked to see the blog has lept in views, which is brilliant news. 350 views - may not sound much, but for the team running this, knowing that so many people have already read it, its brilliant, and motivational. Also amazing to see just how many countries are now viewing - the stats are brilliant and the countries visiting so far are: UK, US, Germany, France, Cyprus, Hungary, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore.
So hello to all our friends round the world that are checking up on us and supporting us as the training starts (slowly for some of us!) And for all of those passing on the blog for others to read around the world thank you too. Now all we need is some sponsors ;-)

While sat in the sun, thinking about running (ahem!), taking a break from work for a few days (yes I know I should have actually gone running! And I did think about it........was lovely countryside for running too! but very hot!.......and I was on holiday), I got to see the London Marathon. Seeing the achievements that those taking part in it did makes me realise that running two half marathons in a month really shouldnt be that difficult! (but for us it is!) Some guys on the day of the marathon actually ran from the finish at 4am to the start, before running the main marathon - now thats just stupid!

So we may not be doing a marathon, but for those taking part, this is a massive challenge, and seeing all those runners taking part in the London marathon certainly is inspirational. I know I will be applying again this year and hoping that I manage to get a spot!! Special congratulations to Peter Sharp and Jen Avila, friends of Simone and I that took part and raised loads of money for Dreams come true and Shelter. An amazing effort by both of them especially given the very hot conditions on the day. Their next challenge - avoiding me as I try and persuade them to join team NRAS for the Royal Parks Half Marathon - come on guys you know you want to :-)

Anyway, only 173 days and both events will be completed hopefully!!! Better go and do some training.....

And if anyone has any ideas of additional things to add in to this blog, widgets, gadgets etc, please drop a comment or a note and will see what we can do.