Marathon 6. White Peaks, Derbyshire. Saturday 19th May

What a fabulous marathon to end my challenge with. Our start was at Thorpe, just north of Buxton. Apart from a strong cross wind, the conditions were perfect, and we even had a fair amount of sunshine.

We ran north along the Tissington trail, steadily, but continuously up hill for 11 miles before turning right along the White Peaks Trail towards Matlock. The stunning scenery helped take our mind off of what I felt to be more of a physiological run, as it appeared that we were continuously running up hill, even when we were running down. After a few more miles of undulation, we encountered our first serious down hill stretch at 23 miles …and god was it tough. After all of the uphill running you would expect that this would be a welcoming part of the marathon. Far from it! Believe it or not, it was so painful running down hill, that we were so much slower than our run uphill from the start. The same went for the second and last hill just before 25 miles. This was a continuous ascent of more than 500ft in less than 1 mile and that was even harder. However, our left turn along the river at the bottom of the hill, signalled our final half mile or so to the finish at Cromford and the way I was feeling over the final few miles, I never for one moment thought that I would finish this marathon in the time that I did, 3hrs 44mins. My body was definately telling me that I had done enough!

Paul and I (above photo), met at the Bath marathon. We bumped into each other and ran together in the Stratford Marathon and then at this marathon. Note the numbers. This is purely coincidental.

Thanks for sticking with me on this one Paul. Your company over the last few miles got me to the end.

To view the course profile, click on this image

Marathon 5. Dog & Hedgehog 1/2 marathon x 2, Sunday 13th May.

(The little red thing is a feather duster!)

I had been looking forward to this race as I thought it would be an ideal taper-down run. My friend Shawn “Badger” Wilebore had decided that he was going to run it twice…the second time in fancy dress! As it is soon to be his big 4 0, he wanted to do something mad to raise money for Children with Leukaemia. So he did, and muggins here did it with him (except for the fancy dress of course). Yes, we ran it twice, and it was pretty damned wet and cold on the second lap, so much so that even my wrinkly bits were wrinkled when we had finished!

We had both achieved fairly fast times the first time round so we had to dig deep to find the energy for the second, but we made it in a total time of less than 3hrs 50mins and what a reception we received from our supporters as we came round the final bend…all three of them! Thank you Linda, Christian and Shawn’s mum. It was the best part of the run seeing you there and very much appreciated, I can tell you.

Marathon 4. Neolithic-Avebury to Stonehenge Sunday 6th May

Not the easiest marathon that I would have chosen as my last one, but it was an extremely undulating off-road route with fabulous scenery for the first 8 miles or so and a couple of serious hills to warm us up. Then we hit Salisbury Plain and the Tank training area! Miles and miles of track, hills and dust which seemed to never end (at least 12 miles of it). Warning signs of “unexploded shells” ensured that we didn’t go off track. I didn’t even dare pop behind the bushes in fear of getting my bits blown off!

In all, a very well organised and marshalled run with plenty of cakes and goodies at the finish and a lovely individual medal. It was a relief though, as we turned a corner, to see the "Stones", signifying our last mile and as I approached the finish line, I couldn't overcome my emotions. My finish time was 4hrs 5mins and although officially it was the last run of my challenge, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Dog & Hedgehog half marathon the next week…watch this space!!

Marathon 3 - Stratford upon Avon, Sunday 29th April

Considering the weather forecast was very hot for the day, they most definately got it wrong for Stratford. As for running, the weather was perfect, but it was very cold towards the end and the strong wind extracted what little heat I had left in my batterd body after this one. I was pleased with my time however, 7 minutes quicker than London the week before, comming over the finish line in just over 3hrs 42mins. It wasn't the easiest of courses that I have ran either. I am not a lover of multi-lap marathons, especially when you have to run long demanding hills twice, as we did in this one. The worst part though, was the mentally torturing 6 or 7 miles or so on an old disused railway track.

The support that I recieved on the day, however, more than made up for it. Thanks to my family, and Paulas, for enduring the cold weather. Thanks also to Anns Husband John, along with Sean, Martha, Bonnie and Isaac McCallion. You would not believe how my spirits were lifted when I saw you on the final stretch. And finally, thanks Rachel, Sam and baby Alfie for comming to support me. Just because you did a 20 mile training run in the morning Rachel, you could have still made the effort to run the second half with me!!

Another Big Thank you...we're past my target

Thank you all so much again for your kind donations. Your generosity has smashed through my target figure of £2000 and we are heading fast towards the £3000 mark. It goes to show what a popular and worthwhile charity LOROS is and also how many people have contributed towards Ann's memory. Thank you also from the many donations that have flooded in from friends of Ann and John and family, locally and from around the world.

Marathon 2 - London, Sunday 22nd April

Two down and just two to go! After feeling how I did after this marathon, I was just not looking forward to the next two, I can tell you. Well, I suppose it was a bit warm and considering it was the hottest London marathon ever, 8o deg. on the course, I could be forgiven for my feelings - and my legs were still tired from my epic adventure the week before. I finished in 3hrs 49mins and I was more than pleased with that. But my claim to fame…I SHARED A SHOWER WITH SALLY GUNNELL!! Yes, as true as I was riding my bike in yesterday’s event! Seriously, we had a short chat when she ran along side me and then I ran the last 4 miles with her and was even seen on TV running shoulder to shoulder along Bird Cage Walk, just before the finish line. The shower, unfortunately, was one of a number provided alongside the road for runners to pass through, as I did with Sally....unfortunately, I had forgotten the soap. Maybe next time Sal!

Now on to Stratford upon Avon this Sunday for my next marathon ….

Congratulations to Paula, my wife, for a fantastic run and an excellent time considering her circumstances. The old bird came in at 3hrs 56mins, just 7 minutes behind me. Well done Paula!

Marathon 1 - The Bath Beat, Satrurday 14th April

What an event this turned out to be! I arrived at the check in at 7.30 am for an 8.30 start. Expecting to be given a race number, I was given a set of directions, a map and a check-point card instead and told to start as soon as I was ready. What about the start? What about the number? Directions were no good to me…I had no reading glasses! The only thing I new about this event that it was for walkers as well as runners. Nothing about navigation and orienteering. This event was not just a marathon, it was to be an extreme adventure....and I mean extreme!

To start with, I had to run with a group of ultra runners, several whose times were below 3hrs for a marathon . I had no choice, as I couldn’t read my map, so I had to stick with them in order to get round. The course was all off road and followed trails and public rights of way. Ascent and decent was like I have rarely experienced before, but so interesting and so scenic. I just did not know that the area around Bath was so damned hilly.

We all realised after a short distance that a finish time for this event was to be totally irrelevant, especially after a number of wrong turns took us off route. My little mishap didn’t help matters either! After 4 miles or so, I slipped whilst crossing a style and a conveniently placed length of barbed wire ripped the seat out of my lycra bottoms exposing a not so pretty part of my anatomy. You could imagine the comments that I had to endure as we passed other participants, and members of the public. Not a pretty sight, I can tell you.

After 11 hours or so, we caught up with a slightly slower group of super-fit Tri- athletes, so I tagged along with them, as the pace with the others was just too fast. The pace with these lads remained sensible until we hit the serious hills just after 21 miles. Then I struggled! I had to push myself to my limits to keep with them, as I was relying on them to get me to the finish. And they were not going to wait! We had already dropped one of the group within the last few miles as he was off our pace. The last two hills were impossible for us to run and the ascents of both hills were in excess of 500 ft each and by now the heat of the day was at its peak and dehydration was increasingly becoming a possibility.

I finally made it back to the finish in just under 5 hours 30 minutes, more than two hours longer than my previous best for a marathon and the longest single time that I have ever ran for. After a total 27 miles and more than 3200 feet of ascent, this made the Snowdonia marathon seem like a walk in the park. But it made my suffering worth it for that cup of tea and endless supply of cakes and biscuits that was waiting for me at the end.

After completing this event, I now know that this was not the ideal event to have chosen to start off My Four Marathon Challenge, but its 1 down, and 3 to go. So bring on London next week!

My route & route profile
(click on image to enlarge)

A Big Thank You...We are Past The Half Way Stage

A big, big thank you to so many who have supported me so far. Friends, family, neighbours, customers and businesses (sorry if I have left anyone out). I have only been fund raising for around 3-4 weeks and I am truly amazed at the response, and the the generosity has been overwhelming.

A special thanks goes to Graham Milne of Just Keepers Ltd in Hinckley for the printing of tee shirts and the overprinting of my running vest. To have art work dropped on you in the morning and the printing finished by the afternoon was tremendous. Well done Graham and thank you so much for your time and generosity.

What The Papers Have to Say

Hinckley Times 12th April
(click on image to enlarge)










Leicester Mercury Saturday 7th April
(click on image to enlarge)

My Running Companions

Thanks to my running mates, Rachel "Rascal" Riley and Shawn "Badger" Wilebore for the company during training, especially on those cold, wet, and occasional, snowy mornings. All of my training runs during the week have been early in the morning and believe me, there has been many a morning I could have stayed in bed. So thank you Rachel for your dedication and determination in getting me up and out during the week.

6 o'clock on a Sunday morning certainly isn't an ideal time to rise in order to be out running and on the road for 7. Thanks to you Shawn and to you as well Rachel, for getting me up at such ridiculous and unearthly hours of the day.

Finally, thank you to my wife Paula, for putting up with me!!

Training

My training for this challenge started immediately after Christmas. The Charnwood Hills race was set for the beginning of February, 13.2 miles of tough and undulating off road running over Bradgate Park, Broombriggs, Beacon Hill and back. So I decided to enter for this one, as I had done for the past three years and the training for this race over the preceding weeks before the race was tough as we were running the course, on average, twice a week.

From then on, my early Sunday morning long runs have been around 17 miles. My run has taken me through Sapcote, on to Croft, over Croft Hill, (sometimes 2 to 3 times, depending how much energy I had), round the back of Calor Gas at Stoney Stanton, on to Earl Shilton, The Common and then home. A tough but rewarding run.

Today, Sunday 1^st April, I completed 19.5miles. An undulating and tiring course of cross-country, canal towpaths and roads saw me back in 2 hours 50 minutes.

Over the next couple of weeks I will be taking things a little easier in readiness for my first marathon – The Bath Beat

My Marathon Running

Running is my passion, and there is nothing more rewarding than to rise to a challenge that can benefit others whilst enjoying something that you love so much. I have ran in a number of marathons before, but over the last few years, I have twice ran two marathons back to back while raising money for Children with Leukaemia. In 2005 I ran in the Paris Marathon and then the following week in the London Marathon. Last year I ran in the Rotterdam Marathon and again followed on with the London Marathon the week after. So, after two back to back marathons, it seemed obvious for my next challenge to be three....or even four back to back marathons.

I suppose this wild idea of mine was bourne last year. Paula, my wife, and I were due to run in the New York Marathon, again running for Children with Leukaemia. Sadly Paula had contracted the Epstein-barr Virus (EBV), a very debillitating virus, which saps your body of energy and renders the sufferer with permanent tiredness. This meant that her training for a marathon was almost an impossible task. We had no choice other than to cancel our places and forego a wonderful oportunity.

In the months after, I continued my marathon training and decided to run in the Leicester Marathon in October as preparation for the Snowdon Marathon (very scenic as seen in the above photo) two weeks later. In this race I achieved a PB by taking 13 minutes off my previous marathon best and finishing in a time of 3hrs 23mins. Two weeks later I ran in the Snowdonia Marathon and finally in one of the last marathons of the year, I took part in the Luton Marathon at the beginning of December. I was now looking forward to my next challenge in 2007.