No.11 I hope there are still some of you keeping an eye on the running total (no apologies for the awful pun)... as you can see, we have raised £2,700, including another £100 raised in Crewe: Thankyou Morsi, Stella, Dec and PJ. Thanks also to all of you who have sponsored me in the past few weeks: Atik, Ann, Alan (triple A donation there!), Sally and David, Keith and Lorraine, Joan and Daniel and not forgetting my other bro, Kieran. If you add it all up (including the gift aid) we have hit well over £3,000. Which is just awesome.

Some of you may already know that I intend running again the London Marathon next year. I feel I have a measure of it now! If you go to my pictures you'll see a couple of pics of Eric and myself.  If you go to the following link, you'll access the Motor Neuroine Disease Association Video compiled on the day of the marathon.  I think I make my first apearance around 1'.09", but you should watch the whole thing really in tribute to all the people who ran in aid of the MNDA, but also so as to see more of me, Eric, Cristina, Dillan, Michael and my wife Cristina's fundraising buddy, Gemma.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe-r1hNrcDU

Many of you will also know that Eric and Davina had a visit from the BBC's DIY SOS team last November. What a truly wonderful team of people they are. Well, you can see the episode featuring Eric and Davina and all the incredible tradespeople and volunteers (like ourselves) who helped make a difference to the Rivers household. It is an amazing programme, it was an incredible privilige to be involved in helping making a difference and it is a programme you must watch this coming Wednesday evening on BBC 1 at 8pm (check your TV GUIDE TO BE SURE).

Thank you all once again for your most amazing support. Please talk about what you have done to your friends and families. Raising awareness is just as much a part of the reason for doing the marathon as raising funds. Let's talk about it. Let's raise the profile of MNDA. It is amazing the dialogue you will have with people.  I have met several people these past 12 months in particular who know somebody affected by MND. Only the other day, one of my students came in with a DVD of the life of Celtic footballer, Jimmy Johnstone, who was also affected by Motor Neurone Disease.

You wil hear from me again, I am sure. Once again, may I thank you all for your generous support. Not just financially, but the encouragement, interest and continued effort you are contrubuting to raising awareness of MND.  You can on ly begin to imagine the difference you are helping make to people's lives.

Peace and love to you all, Colin oxo

 

No 10: My dear dear friends, colleagues, neighbours and well-wishers, thank you so much for your generous and heartfelt support of this cause. Yesterday, you and I, all of us, contributed so much to an enormously important charity. Thank you so so much.

Do you want to know what the run was like? Well.... it was the most amazing, moving, emotional, inspiring, life-confirming, humanity affirming, incredible testament to the power of positive thought, human spirit and selflessness I have ever encountered. It was also bloody hard work at times. But that absolutely pales into complete insignificance compared to all that has been achieved as a consequence. The raising of much needed money is one thing and so absolutely wonderful that between us  we have raised over £3000 (including gift aid) and rising! This is going to make such a contribution to the efforts of the MNDA in funding research and providing support to the men and women living with MND and their families.

So, what was it really like? Amazing! It restores your faith in humanity to be running in the same direction as 35,000 or more people, each with a story to tell as to why they willingly would put themselves through such a physical and mental test.

But what was it like???? The crowds of people that lined the route... I don't know if they are aware of the enormous contribution they make.  The shouts of encouragement - by name - your name - my name - is/was overwhelming at times.  I was moved to tears that people on the Isle of Dogs (for example) singled me out, to call out my name and shout words of much needed encouragement. Children holding out their hands for a high    five! Made you feel like a 'real' athlete! But more importantly, they were conecting with one of the most amazing events London has to offer and so much of the intent behind participation was to make a difference to other people's lives.  I became aware of so many charities that I was unaware of previously.

But what was it like?????? The first half marathon up to about Tower Bridge was amazingly good. In fact I think I hit the half marathon point in 2 hours and 2 minutes. Maybe I peaked too early, though I didn't feel  I was pushing myself unduly. If anything I was surprised at what my split times appeared to be up until maybe  mile 16 or 17.  After that though it did become very tough. I was only spurred on to mile 21 by the knowledge that Cristina and Dillan and Michael would be there to cheer me on at the MNDA cheering post outside the Railway Tavern on Commercial Rd. That gve me such a lift. To see then there and to be able to throw my arms around them and hug them  al and kiss them was just amazing. I needed to see them.  With only 5.2 miles to go... I have to say it got progressively harder and harder. But once again the crowd picked me up every time I fell (metaphorically speaking of course). The last 800 metres though, were cruel. Every time you came up to a marker it indicated that you had only travelled 200m. Whereas I would have been happ just to have a finish libe.  The count down just made it harder!!!

Big thanks to the MNDA for having their team line the course to the reception, whereupon Eric himslef was waiting outside the recption (by this time the weather had started to get cold, wet and drizzly). He wouldn't go in to the building until I arrived. That has to be one of the most humbling moments of my life; that Eric insisted on waiting out in the cold and the rain until I got back was just.... humbling. And that is why, that is howm Eroc has been my wong man throughout all of the training since November and through every step of this Marathon. Thank you Mr Rivers! Will I do it again? If you'd asked me yesterday I probably would have said something in the vernacular. Or something like ... let me sleep on that! Now I have the mneasure of the course... you know ... i JUST MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER CRACK AT IT!

I made it in to work today.  Thanks to the wonderful massage I got from the healing team who MNDA orgainsed for us at the wonderful reception they organised on our behalf. But also, thanks to Eric, who drummed into me the therapeutic benefits of an ice cold bath.  This I duly had when I got home. And, I have to say, I know I am feeling a lot better today having taken Prof Rivers' advice.

I'll try and add some more recollections over the next day or so and one or two picture. But, I have to say, I'm pooped right now and have to hit the sack.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. A million times I thank you. I could never have done this without the knowledge of the  most generous support of al my sponsors.  Peace n love to you and yours and all of you again. Colin ; - )

 

No 9: Well, surprise surprise.  Now I am begining to get a bit nervous/excited! I have filled up on carbs, been getting hydrated, fiddled with the safety pins for an hour trying to get my runnng number correctly positioned on my vest.  Attached the smart card thingy to my running shoe laces, though I will have to take it off and start again because now I can't tie my laces tight enough from where I've positioned the smart card thingy. Agonised over what to wear - you'd think that'd be easy - I mean from home to the starting line.  Do I want to look athletic or would I prefer to be warm? Should I have bought a hat or a cap? Will I really need sun cream at 6 am in the morning? Now, I just feel the need to sleep. There was something funny I wanted to tell you and I can't for the life of me think what it was.  Never mind, I'm sure it will come to me around mile 18.  I'll fall about laughing at it to myself and cause an almighty pile up on the Isle of Dogs. So if you hear about it on breakfast news, you'll know who was responsible. My Mum and sister are warming up the telly at 8am tomorrow morning when coverage on the BBC starts so that they can soak up the atmosphere and get into fine voice in case they see me running past as they have a song they intend singin to me to spur me on! All day I have loads of message scoming through wishing me well and on Cristina's phone too, wishing me well.  It is overwhelming the support and the excitiment everyone is generating.  It is truly marvelous what you are all doing. I promise to pay you back, thinking of you pushing me along, feeling your wonderful support, knowing that there are some quite wonderful people in this world I can count on to help others with me.  God bless you all! Night night!

 

No 8: Hey!!!! and in the last few minutes we have just had another 2 donations in to take us over that magical £2000 mark! How fantastic! Thank you Kathryn Mc (and family) and Amanda for being the 2 people to get me over that milestone! Thank you!!!!! Colin

No 7: Good morning everyone! It's Saturday which means we are less than 24 hours away from the starting line for the Marathon!!!!! Yey!!!! All around me are feeling nervous, but at the moment, I am just really looking forward to it. It is afterall what we've been working up to!  Yes, I'd love to have fitted in a few more longer runs.  Yes I would have liked to have eaten more fish and fruit.  Actually, we probably did ok with the fish. Yes, I should have got the orange running top weeks ago to match the colours of the MNDA running vest.  But all the advice is not to wear anything new on the day of the race in case it rubs or itches or otherwises irritates in a place you hadn't thought about or liberally applied with petroleum jelly! But there you go.  There is nothing more to do really. Have a high carb lunch today.  Maintain good hydration.  Iron my name onto my MNDA running vest.  Plan my journey (again). Think about having an early night.  Planning breakfast (3 weetabix, 2 bananas, 4 small slices of toasted wholemeal bread with mashed banana and peanut butter - followed by a poo after all that I would have thought.  Sorry!) Had some fantastic support come in over the last few days including offline sponsorship from Andy E, Sandra, Heather and a lady I don't know who stopped me in the street this morning when I was leafleting my neighbours and who pushed money through my letterbox half an hour later.  Thank you to my onliners too who together have pushed my sponsorship total tantalisingly close to £2000!!!!  Cristina and I went round to see Eric and Davina last night and we are hoping they will be able to get to trackside at Mile 21 at the Railway Tavern, the MNDA's nominated pub for supporting their runners and then join us at the MNDA post reception afterwards, which wil be just fantastic.

I have to sign off now folks.  I will of course give you a post race account of the day at the earliest opportunity.  In the meantime, thank you all again for your fantastic words of encouragement and sponsorship support. I really could not be doing this without you! Peace n love, peace n love always, Colin

 

No 6: Well, I'm sorry not to have kept the blog a bit more up to date.  But there has just been so much going on. The training has now very much entered its final phase. For crying out loud there's only just over a couple of weeks to go! Aghhhhh!! Seriously though, we mustn't panic.  The conventional wisdom about these things is now is the time to ease off a bit. Tapering is what they call it. Stepping off the gas, almost running just for the fun of it, for a laugh, ha ha ha! I did  a good half marathon on Sunday and that felt pretty good and a very quick, fluid 5k last night which felt great to sort of open up a bit. And that's how I guess I'll do it in the run up. Nice easy runs just to keep the mileage up, but nothing too tiring.  As they say, if you haven't done enough now, then it's too late. Also I want to avoid injury! That'd be a pain wouldn't it? Did I tell you I invested in some new, go-faster trainers? No? Well, it had to be done.  Now I have the spring back in my step.  I've been running in Brooks trainers now for a few years and I've had my eye on a pair of their Brooks Ghost 4s for a little while. Anyway, I have them now and they are terrific and a lovely bright green colour to boot.  Well, I am the Green Hornet afterall! I've also been practising with the carb gels to replace all that gets lost.  I have to say, I notice the distance though I might xhange from orange flavour to berry. Ha, you needed to know that, right????

Some BIG THANKS to go out. Some offline donations and donations that found themselves onto my     page from last summer by mistake.  But thanks to Maria, Bev, Claire, Imelda and Gill (donating for a second time!) You stars! Thank you all so much. I also have to give a massive thanks to the guys and gals of the MPSTC at Hendon and Ghosty in particular for making it happen, who between them have raised an amazing £580 in sponsorship for me.  Hey, at this rate I might even     make the £2,500 target I set myself.  I know there is some more money promised out there so I am ever hopeful that we can get this money directed where it is needed most to fund research and support families living with Motor Neurone Disease. Thank you, you most wonderful people.The big day is just around the corner and you can come and cheer me and the rest of the MNDA runners by congregating at the Railway Tavern which is at approximately Mile 21 when I think I will be in need of a pint of Guinness and a packet of Nobby's Nuts please!    

‘The Railway Tavern,  576 Commercial Road, London, E14 7JD http://www.therailwaytavern.org/ 

What time do I expect to be sailing past there? Difficult to say.    Somewhere around 2pm? If you get there bit before and can hang on the railings for about an hour I'm bound to turn up sometime roundabout then! I don't know!!!!! What if Gaby Logan stops me on Tower Bridge for a chat with the BBC, I'm hardly likely to say no am I!  If you can make it there, I can imagine I would really benefit from your words of encouragement.

OK, i have     to sign off for now.  But as we get even closer to the main event, I  promise to keep you informed of my... er... panic!!!!! P[eace n love to you all, Peace n love Colin

No 5: What a cold, wet, windy miserable day for running.  It wasn't too bad when I set off but it got progressively worse the further I ran. Cristina and Dillan were expecting me to have turned back and come home it was getting so bad. But I couldn't do that.  Sunday is long run day and it is just so important to clock up those miles, really just to train the legs to get used to it.  Also, as I think I said before, it is now as much about trainng the mind to overcome the mental strain of just keeping on as much as the body. But I don't mind admitting it was a bit tough today.  What didn't help was  on my last stretch of the A10  some jerk drove as close to the kerb as possible in order to cover me in a deluge of rainwater. What do they call those things surfers go through, you know when the wave comes over them and they surf underneat it? I dunno, anyway it was like that, an arc of water coming out from the road and all over me.  It was horrible , dirty water too.  I was so hacked off because it was so deliberate. The only saving grace was that I was pretty soaked alreay.  I can't work out what sort of person would get pleasure out of doing something like that. But there you go.

What else? Well, I got really hungry, despite having feasted on my peanut butter and banana on wholemeal toasties which is one of my staples for my long runs. But despite these, I was absolutely ravenous, I can on ly think it was the cold and the rain taking it out of me. Matters weren't helped by having to run past the doughnut factory on each circuit, not by the smell of Sunday lunches being prepared for the two carvery pubs I pass on the way as well!!! Delerium almost overtook me and I imagined myself gesturing to oncoming traffic - pointing at the doughnut factory and then to my mouth in the hope that they would get me meaning, stock up with half a dozen fresh out of the oil custard filled beauties and catch me up at the lights by the cinema on Southbury Rd.  I didn't, so I  might have to think about supplies in the future as this may become a problem the more miles these runs add up to.  But I can tell you, I've never lusted after a doughnut so much in my life! Anyway, I just thought I'd share those thoughts on this morning's run with you. There was a happy ending as Mrs R-G took pity on me and suggested we walk down the road to the Cricketers for lunch. I didn't need asking twice and I wolfed it down. Thank you to the wonderful people who have already responded to my rallying call for more sponsorship last night.  By morning the coffers had swelled by another £70.  So a very big thank you once again. Until next time... Peace n  love, Peace n love Colin

 

No 4: Hold on there just a minute! You can't be serious! How long? 7 weeks before we line up on the starting line for the 2012 Virgin London Marathon? Oh my giddy aunt. Well, there it is.  That's the truth of the matter; there are only 7 weeks to go before the off.  I was actually out for a run this morning and I got an adrenalin rush as I thought about it.  It actually helped me stride out a little, bring the arms into motion, dig deep, focus. I couldn't help but wonder what it will be like, running around the streets of London that I've known so well over the years, free of traffic but with a human snake of highly motivated people all running in the same direction and supporting one charity or another, in tribute to a friend, family member or other loved one. I tell you now, I am SO looking forward to it. It doesn't bother me really what the weather is like on the day. This morning it was cold and wet, probably perfect conditions for 26.2 miles.  The other week it was a lovely Spring afternoon.  You just run with what you get.  I'm lucky, the cold doesn't bother me. I'd be more worried if it was a barmy hot day as I'd have to strip down to me singlet! Although I have to say, with my tummy being so much flatter than it has been for a while I might just get away with it!  This of course raises questions of protection, sun cream, visors maybe and, of course, the liberal application of petroleum jelly! It's not really a worry unless your clocking up serious miles, but the jelly is a must to protect against - how shall we put this - chaffing, rubbing, call it what you will betwixt the legs, around the nipple area and in the area of the armpit.  Don't shake hands with a long distance runner - is all I can say - unless the happen to be wearing gloves, or you happen to be wearing some.  That's all I have to say on the subject.

I've not been able to maintain this blog as diligently as I have in the past as I have been humungously busy and  all my time in front of the computer has been for researching or writing assignments or for work.  The running has been a saving grace though, I have to say. And, it has been increasing in intensity and duration as the weeks have ticked by. Back in the very begining of February I completed my first half marathon equivalent in training.  Actually it was a little bit more than that at just over 14miles.  That has been my staple long run distance in training now since then and whilst I'm not saying it is a walk in the park, I can do it fairly comfortably without stopping and in a time that were I to sustain in would bring me home in just under 4 hours for the real thing.  If I can do between 4 and 4.5 hours I would be over the moon. To finish in one piece is my aim.  Any time will be a personal best. So, I'm maintaining a good training regime, clocking up the miles and getting to grips with the mental rigours of running longer distances.  I haven't turned to ipod use yet (I don't have one anyway, luddite that I am) and I'm kind of against them on safety grounds when running.  Either that or I'm showing my age 'you be careful out on the road young man!' But the mental game is an interesting one.I do feel the difference in performance when my mind wanders onto somewhat negative thoughts compared to what happens whe I stay focused on technique, positive thoughts generally and, most effectively, when I think of Eric, Davina and the girls - the reason I am doing this at all. Eric remains one of the most inspirational people I have come across in my life.  I have listened to him speak so eloquently about his condition and in a way that actually empowers the listener. Now, I don't know that there are many of us out there that could do that. But Eric can. He is my insoiration, my motivation, my reason for getting into the running gear 4 or 5 times a week and getting on with it. Don't get me wrong, I love doing it, I really do.  It has done me a power of good mentally as well as physically. And I like the community of runners that I'm coming into contact with on the roads around Enfield. I know I've never gotten round to exploring in these blogs about running etiquette as much as I would have liked.  But there are those who acknowledge you and those that don't. Those that make it obvious that they feel superior to you, and those that give a thumbs up, a smile or a nod.  Sometimes all three. Those that run in the opposite direction to you but on a similar circuit. Those that run in pairs or occasionally threes or fours and those of us who are mostly solitary runners.  Those who wear the running tights (ok, I'd like to try some on) and those whose colours mismatch terribly but I don't mind because it gets me noticed.  Not that I want to be noticed so much (hence the dark glasses) but I do want people to take note of the MNDA singlet.  I want people to see it, take notice and talk about it.  And I know to an extent that is happening because people have mentioned they have seen me and they know it's me because of the MNDA top (in blue white and orange) over my running shirt (bright lime greeen!).

If you are reading this because you have donated to the cause, then thank you so so much. Tell others about it, get them to donate something too, it doesn't matter how much.  I need a big push now over the coming few weeks.  I am committed to raising £2,500 this time around.  I am about a third of the way there.  There are some offline donations that I have received recently which pushes us over the £800 mark, but we/I have a long way to go to reach the final target. Together I know we can do it.

My ever grateful thanks to all those who have offered encouragement and support while I have been training for this event. You have so kept me on track. I am slo grateful to the offers of support on race day.  Several  people are threatening to come and cheer me on the day and I can only imagine what it must feel like to hear your name being urged on in an event like this.  What am I gonna do when its all over? I'll have to run another one. Now I wonder if Cristina would like a weekend in New York? Don't anyone tell her I said that! Peace n love to you all, your loved ones and especially anyone you know living with MND.

Peace n love, Colin

No 3:  Mmmmm. Hello, good evening and welcome as David Frost is wont to say.  And boy, have we had a frost the past few days. Take Saturday morning, my extremeties certainly felt a chill in extremis, extremus, extremamus.  Sorry, flashback to schoolboy Latin there. Yes, I know, I wasn't very good then either. Anyway, it's been cold hasn't it?  I don't mind really.  I'm one of the lucky ones; a warm blooded creature am I. And after half an hour or so I was able to feel my fingers once more. It's been an interesting week since last I wrote up this blog. I know I know I know there are things I keep saying I am going to write about, but they have been usurped, unseated by more pressing news, events, happenings. What shall I start with? OK, my mate Stuart.  What a great guy he is and I know he has been mentioned honourably in past dispatches but I saw him (and the rest of the gang) on Friday evening and he gave me some great training tips to put into practice over the weekend.  Which I duly did. I think last week I mentioned about the hill training I was going to introduce, well, Stu gave me the low down on how best to approach that.  Pyramid style. Find your hill.  Divide it into 4 stages. Run to stage one (quarter of the way up), return to the bottom. Run to stage 2 (half way up), return to the bottom. Run to stage 3, run to the bottom and run to stage 4 (the top), return to the bottom.Then do the reverse. Run to the top, return to the bottom, run to stage 3, return to the bottom etc etc.  Anyway, I didn't do that one, I did the other one he told me about.  I know I know I know, I'l save it for next week.  The other one he told me about - and it has a fancy name I can't recall - involves running a couple of miles (warming up) and then set your sites on a point on the horizon (is how Stuart put it, I just went for a point in the distance) and then sprinting to that point, gathering your breath until you are back to normal running , then set your sites on another point on the horizon and running flat out to it, then jogging until your breathing returns to normal running pace.  And then to repeat that.... I couldn't remember how many times Stuart suggested doing it, but I think I did it about half a dozen times.  Wow!!!! It felt great! To unleash a bit of speed and to go for it. And it was amazing how quick the recovery time was (to be honest). But an excellent training tip for improving endurance and when you're faced with 26.2 miles, endurance is key! Sunday, I was very pleased to be joined for a run by someone who I've only really known since the summer, but whose wife and my wife describe as my 'twin' because we just seem to have hit it off so well and like a lot of the same things.  Running, clearly being one of them. So Mark joined me for my usual 10km Sunday run and how fantastic was that. I know he won't admit it, but I really felt he was working hard to give me a good run out. Both Mark and his wife, Heather, know Eric and know about the MNDA and he really did support me on Sunday morning. It was quite funny, because we had both been to the same party the night before and had to be dragged off the dance floor where we had been performing far too enthusiastically! We were laughing our socks off on the way home, but try as we might on the run, we couldn't remember what about. But BIG THANKS to Mark for joining me on that run and I hope we get to rrun some more in the coming months.  I don't mind running by myself at all, but it really is good to share it with someone else too. Leslie and I have a history of running together and he is going to join me soon again too, which is great.

If you've looked at the names of my sponsors, you'll have noticed the name Janet Parry.  Janet maintains a website as a tribute to her brother, Andrew, who  bravely fought the fight against MND. She very kindly has put a link to my blog on that website so we can all of us help share in raising awareness about MND and the MNDA, keeping the dialogue going, making connections with people, passing on the word, raising awareness. And it works. And here is how. Janet designed and had made, some bands to wear around the wrist - you know the sort of thing - in orange (one of the MNDA colours).  My wife Cristina, first happened across them, and sent off to Janet for half a dozen of them or so. If you look at the main picture accompanying this blog, you'll see myself, Cristina, Eric and Davina all sporting one of Janet's bands. Now, fast forward to Saturday evening (our weekends   are not normally so eventful, but...) we had been out for the afternoon and decided to have a a bite to eat on the way home. So we landed in the Cherry Tree in Southgate. (If it wasn't so late, I'd tell you a spooky story, but that'll have to wait till I see you in the flesh!). This is about the kindness of strangers, the effectiveness of a simple communication device and the inspiration of a sister supporting her brother with MND and wanting to reach out even further.  I went to the bar to order some drinks and it was a little busy,and I fell in to conversation with a bloke who was having a beer at the bar.  He spotted the orange band I was wearing around my wrist and asked me what it was for. And I told him 'Support the fight against MND'. I told him about Janet and her brother, I told him about our friend Eric and I told him I was running the Virgin London Marathon this Olympic year.  This bloke, Ian, had heard about MND, in fact he knew someone with MND. And he whipped out his wallet and handed me a tenner.  A couple of minutes later his mate, Chris turned up, caught up with the conversation and produced a fiver. Five minute conversation, £15, a 100% example of the generosity of people you don't even know, supporting what we know to be a very very important cause and, on this occasion, triggered by someone spotting Janet's band on my wrist. How amazing was that? Thank you guys for your wonderful, spontaneous act of generosity. And thank you too to Janet, for providing that wonderful awareness rasing band. If anyone would like one of these bands, then let me know and I will make sure you get one.

I'm gonna sign off now. There's loads more I could share with you, but you know the old addage,treat em mean, keep em keen. Actually, that's not it at all. The website has been playiing up this eveing and... well... time has finally caught up with me. I need to hit the nest.

Let me just finsh with this. You have seen how much you have helped raise so far. I can only begin to express my thanks. If you are reading this, then you are extra special. If you talk about it to other people, if you pass the message on, if you inspire others to sponsor me or raise funds themselves, if you find someone in your circle who is living with MND or come into contact with a family member of someone living with MND, if you add to the collective thought of those of us thinking about our friends and family with MND then you are doing the most amazing job. And, if you pray, as I pray, as this family prays, then pray for my friend Eric and his family. Please.  You are good good people.  Thank you for your wonderful support. Peace n love to you and yours.  Peace n love. Colin

 

No 2: Hello again! And first of all can I just say a massive "thank you" to all those people who have responded so quickly to my call for sponsorship. In the blink of an eye you have helped raise over £550 pounds (not including gift aid, which adds another 20%). Your generosity is so heartwarming and so very very much appreciated. Thank you also to the many people who have pledged support over the coming weeks.  Your words, texts and emails of support  have such a positive effect on me and what I'm trying to do, so keep 'em coming you good, good people. Once again I am enormously touched by the donations coming in from people I don't know, but who have responded to their friends' asking them to support this very important cause. That, in my book, is a very special kind of support and I can only begin to thank you for that. As i have said before, the effort that you put in to making a donation fuels me in my resolve to prepare as well as I can and to represent all of you the best I can in the Virgin London Marathon 2012. We are a team; trust me, we are!

OK, couple of things I have to straigthen out! Eric was really concerned when he read in my last blog that I was running into on-coming traffic so that the drivers (and their passengers) could view my MNDA Training livery more clearly. Just for clarification, I haven't actually been running into the on-coming traffic down the middle of the road, more that I have been hugging the kerb from the safety of the footpath. Previously, I used to avoid the roadside.  Now, I want as many people as possible to read the shirt. It's funny how many people avert their gaze when I run past. Someone  - who shall remain nameless  - suggested they were more likely to be averting their nose, rather than their eyes as I ran past! This was a little unkind I thought but, as a precautiion I undertake to experiment with the liberal application of LYNX  deoderant at the earliest opportunity. No, I haven't seen any television advertising for this product, it just happened to be the first brand name that came to mind! I digress. The whole point is, part of my mission this time around is to raise awareness as much as money, which is why I am trying to get people to see the shirt and to look into the work of the MNDA. Some people DO turn away, but I also see people taking notice, particularly those whom I see on a regular basis. It came out in one of the classes I was teaching just before Christmas that I was running in the Virgin London Marathon in support of the MNDA. Afterwards, one of the mature students I had been working with came up to me and told me that their father had had MND quite a number of years ago.  It was really good to talk to him and I got the feeling that it was good for him too to talk; out of such unlikely circumstances, for him to be able to talk about motor neurones disease openly. It was clear to me, that he had not had the benefit of an organisation like the MNDA when his father was living with MND. We are all of us so lucky today to have the internet and text and such easy access to information and support, it is hard to imagine what this man, his father and family experieinced before we had access to such resources. Awarenesss, awareness, awarensss. Talk talk talk. Let people know, let people know, let people know. I love Eric's thinking on this. Just one of the many wonderful takes he has on what is happening to him and around him and how we can walk with him is this: and it is all to do with awareness. Yes, the research is important. But who is going to carry out that research? We need people (our youngsters?)  to say, I am going to study medicine, specialise in neurology and work on finding out what triggers MND and how they can support those living with MND.  Hey, it's the same with established medical professionals; we need to let them know that we care enough to put up the money, to talk about MND, to raise its profile, to get something done.  That's what you and I are doing. We are, truly.

Oh, it's crazy! There's so much I want to share with you! How's the training going I hear you ask????? Yeah, ok says he! It is. I have a bit of a problem in that I prefer running first thing in the morning. However, since I moved jobs, this involves going out at 5am to get in an hour long run before I have to get ready for work. I'm not sure this is sustainable and I am looking to rotate early am runs with early evening runs.  I'll let you know what happens. I'm very lucky to live very close to the countryside and also to some perfect hill training landscape, so my weekends are now going to include an intensive hill trainng regime on one of the two weekend days    and then on the other day, my dedicated long run. Next weekend is when I intend to properly orchestrate this into my regime.  Also this will be good for me because you do have to keep it fresh.

Here's a funny thing... those of you who followed my last blog will recall I referred to a book by a Japanese writer (whose name I couldn't recall) who had written a book about running. Well, the title of the book is 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running', by MURAKAMI. Now, I never did get to read that book and, to be honest some of the reviews didn't exactly make me run out and buy a copy. But, one of the books I requested from Cristina for Christmas was 1Q84 (Books one and two) written by, none other than, the author of What I talk ... etc etc.  Weird.  So far, I am really enjoying book 1 of 1Q84.

Don't laugh, It makes me laugh, but one of the things I have been thinking about on my runs this week is.... Learners and learning in Postcompulsory contexts -psychological and social issues! Now, you've   either fallen asleep, fallen over laughing,   or fallen into my class at the IoE.  Discuss! Suffice to say I am currently thinking how I can integrate my approaches to motivation in relation to my  training runs into a forthcoming assignment on the above. Self schemas, defensive pessimism and self handicapping anyone?

Things I promise to return to: the 'clapping running man'; running  etiquette (a favourite of these blogs); a new set of running shoes; kindred spirits (charity running vests in training) and, and, and... something else which escapes me just now but I pormise to return to as and when it returns to me.!

If you have reached this point, if you care enough to have read these words, then I have to say you are very special indeed. I can't tell you how vital your support is to me.  How vital it is to Eric and Davina and people like them. I saw them both today and I can tell you  how very much they appreciate your support of the MNDA through your sponsorship of this event. We are a team. We are a team. Thank you, a million times thank you. Together we can help make a difference.  Together we can fight motor neurones disease. Peace ne love, peace n love to you and to yours.  Colin  ;- )

No 1: Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Not quite hot on the heels of my 245km run in the Summer, however, I am totally delighted to announce that I have got a place in the Virgin London Marathon 2012 to raise funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association!! How wonderful is that!?! Once again, I am running on behalf of the Eric Rivers Tribute Fund at the MNDA and with your support, I hope to raise in excess of £1500 for this enormously worthwhile and important cause. As Eric made me realise when I set out on my last running journey 'you never know which donated £ is gonna lead to that all important research breakthrough'.  A breakthrough that could quite literally save Eric's life.

As part of my commitment to all the wonderful people I know will be supporting me in this endeavour, I promise to keep you informed of my training progress over the coming months and will hopefully be offering an entertaining view of my preparations and observations along the way!

I am determined to raise the bar this time around and I will be looking to raise not just money, but just as importantly "awareness", both of the MNDA and of motor neurones disease itself. I have been doing all my training runs over the past couple of months in MNDA running vests and running toward on-coming traffic so they can see the logo and the 'fighting motor neurone disease' message.  Raising awareness is equally as important as raising money. If only for that reason, I ask any of you who happen across this blog to forward a link to as many people as you can think of to help raise awareness of the MNDA. Mention it on your Facebook pages as something that is important to you today, talk about it on twitter, tell your friends and family about it and then ask them to pass on the message to check out the blog, the MNDA website and perhaps, if they are able, even make a sponsorship donation.

I marked out today as being the official start of my preparations for the Virgin London Marathon 2012 and because all the official paperwork came through from MNDA and the Virgin London Marathon itself.  So it has started! And to celebrate that, I took myself out on a lovely 10km run.  If they all go as smoothly as that (and I know they won't) then we'll be all ok for the main event. However, it was a terrific start as I notched up a good time, but more importantly, I felt really comfortable as I was able to draw on all the motivational work I had done on my last big run for MNDA and Eric's tribute fund. A very big part of my mental preparation has been to reflect on and remember the inspirational words of encouragement support and advice I have received from Eric himself, as well as reflecting on his selflessness, his humility, his generosity of spirit, his compassion for others and his love (understandably) of Davina and their three wonderful children. We need people like Eric and Davina in our world; trust me, we do.

If you can, please support me, support Eric and support the MNDA. We will, all of us, be eternally grateful.

So, remember, tune in to the blog.  Pass on the good word. Talk about it. Make a difference. Sponsor me if you can. Come run with me if you like! But talk about it please and pass the message on.

Peace n love, peace n love,

Colin

AKA "The clapping, running man!" To be explained in a future blog!

PS: Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.