28 Days Later..........

Just a 6 mile run to complete on Tuesday night (28th September) and I'll have completed the first 4 weeks of the challenge and should see me at just over 91 miles of running done in 14 hours.

I had a nice surprise waiting for me when I got home from work tonight, so a big thanks to Lanacane for sending me some anti-chaffing gel.  It is great stuff and makes running much less painful in places that chaff.

I can only hope that some of the other companies I have written to will be as generous as Lanacane (especially Rolex......!!!!)

Nottingham Marathon Pics

Hamish wishes me good luck

Guinness is Good For You

Hamish admires my medal



New Shoes, Shiny Shoes

I'm sat in the office looking at the pouring rain as lightening streaks across the sky and thunder is rattling the windows and I've got everything crossed that it clears up before my run tonight.

I managed to get 4 miles in last night in a time of 33:11, which is not quick by my usual standards but I am still feeling a bit wheezy.

I was at Up & Running yesterday lunchtime and got fitted up for a pair of Saucony Jazz.  They are so comfortable and incredibly light, I can't wait to pick them up and take them out for a trial run.

A big thanks to Up and Running and to Saucony for their fantastic generosity

It Had To Happen Eventually

It had to happen didn't it?

I've come down with a bit of a cough and cold, so no running for me at the moment.

I really should have expected it, I always feel a bit run down after a full marathon.  I did plan to do less than 26 miles this week, just to give my body some time to recover, but I've only managed 6 so far and I'm got 6 more planned tomorrow.  Even if i miss tomorrow, I shouldn't be too far behind and there is plenty of time to make up the miles I've missed.

Warrington Guardian

I've finally made it!!  I'm a star of local press.

http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/whereilive/nt/penketh/8395803.Dad_takes_on_year_long_run/

A huge thanks to Hannah at the Warrington Guardian for an excellent story and also to the photographer (Sorry I've forgotten your name) for taking a cracking picture of Hamish & I.

Hopefully this will get a few more pennies in the coffers of Vision4Children.

I've been really surprised at how well my legs feel after the Marathon at the weekend.  I'd planned to take it easy this week, but because I've felt so great, I've done some extra miles.

My current mileage stands at 60.22

Nottingham Marathon

Yahoo, Yippee etc etc

I finished the Robin Hood Nottingham Marathon yesterday in a new personal best of 4:50.10 knocking just over 2 minutes off my previous best time (Set last year in Leicester).

The Nottingham Marahton is so good.  Really well organised, great crowds and a brilliant course that really shows off the best of the city.  Especially around the Nottingham Uni boating lake and up towards Wollaton Park.  The course then heads back to Victoria Embankment and on to the 2nd half of the marathon out past Meadow Lane and further on to Holmepierpoint Hall and the National Watersport centre before following the River Trent towards the County Ground and under Trent End stand and along the river for another mile before crossing the river at the Wilford Bridge and back towards the finish and the grandstand finish.

Just brilliant!!!!!!!

A big thank you to all the organisers, marshalls and support for helping boost me along all 26.22 miles and an especially big thanks to my long suffering wife for putting up with my running habit and my whinging about how sore my legs are and for being there at the end with a Guinness.  (Who needs energy drinks!!)

All ready for Sunday

Everything is set and ready for Sunday and the Robin Hood Marathon.  I can't believe quite how excited I am for this.  I'm feeling really giddy.

I had a great chat with Martin at Up & Running (http://www.upandrunning.co.uk/shops/manchester.php) in the Triange Shopping Centre at lunchtime and they are willing to loan me use of a treadmill to use, so I can run a marathon on a treadmill within the centre which is just fantastic.

I am just staggered at the generosity that they are showing.

End of Week 1

1 week done.  Only 51 more to go.  That's 26 miles run and I'm bang on target for getting all 1363.38 miles done on time.

I've got 1 more run before the Nottingham Marathon on Sunday (Lets hope I get a more restful night than last year) and I feel in as good a shape as I've been for a long time and I'm feeling pretty confident that I can beat last years time of 4:52:31

Warrington Guardian

A very nice photographer came round yesterday afternoon to take a few snaps of me to go into (hopefully) this weeks Warrington Guardian (Hamish really wasn't for smiling, but he'll be looking as cute as always).

Just a 3 mile run yesterday, I was only planned into doing 2, but extra miles are always good.  Not sure I'll be able to do the full 10 miles that are scheduled after a late night and a few beers at Glastonferry last night.

I'll maybe leave any running until Hamish is in bed and do 8 miles.  I'm already ahead of where I need to be, so there is no stress.

This time next week i'll be an hour and about 6 miles into the Nottingham Marathon.  My number arrived yesterday and I'm all excited about it.

Day 2 of The Big Challenge

My new trainers arrived yesterday (2nd September) and they are so comfy, I couldn't wait to get out and give them a test run.

The original plan was to run 4 miles and stick to the very well though out (cough, splutter) plan that I had devised, but it was such a lovely evening, warm setting sun with just a few patchy clouds that I thought that my new Mizuno Wave Ultima 2's deserved a decent run and decided to go for 6 miles.

Every extra mile that I do now, Is a mile that I don't have to do when the weather is less kind.

To my surprise, I was actually quicker last night than I was the night before.  My legs felt pretty heavy by the time I got to around 2.5 miles and the hill between Bold Heath Garden Centre and Rivendell Garden Centre, but from 3 to 3.5 is a gentle downhill, so I managed to make up any time I lost on the climb.

1st Day Done

It's official.  I've started on the challenge and run my first 6 miles (Only 1357.38 miles and 363 days left).

The sun was out and the weather was warm (maybe a wee bit too warm) but it was a lovely night to be out running.

My first 6 miles was run in 52mins 54secs - Not the fastest I've ever run, but I'm happy enought with my start.  I'm sure I'll get quicker (I better had).

Roll on tomorrow night and a 4 miler