Thanks for visiting my fundraising page and if you sponsored me, thanks again. I'm running for The National Autistic Society as they've been brilliant in Suffolk helping Elliot, my step-son. John x Race Report Elliot saw me off at the station and told me just to do my best as that was all I could do. I had good luck emails and text messages of support from all over the world and even a phone call from a mate in China on the Saturday morning. Amazing. Mills and I went to a pasta party but I was so pre occupied with the race we made our excuses and I was in bed by 8pm. I then didn’t sleep a wink and was up again before 6 am pacing the room, just wanting to get on with it. Having taken an hour to sort myself out and get ready I made my way up to the Red Start, bumped intoSteve Collisof Call Connection, and generally wandered around again in a state of nervousness until it was time to go. Standing in Zone 3 it struck me that it felt like this had all happened rather quickly for me even though this all began last December. I was lucky enough to be right at the front of the race behind the elite men. Off and running, I quickly got into a rhythm although I was a bit shocked as I went through three and six miles well ahead of my target pace. The Isle of Dogs was tremendous fun, the people were great and the support was fantastic as it was all along the route. I don’t think I will ever forget running over Tower Bridge and seeing all the people screaming on both sides urging us all on. The noise was deafening. At the half way mark the weather turned and we went from glorious sunshine to horizontal sleet. The temperature dropped dramatically and my body didn’t react well to that. I passed the elite men going the other way at mile 14, they being at the mile 22 stage. I don’t think I could run as fast as they were moving even if I was sprinting and they kept that pace up for 26 miles 385 yards. I was happy with my pace at 14 and was on target for the 3 hours 30 minutes I’d talked to friends about and been quietly aiming for. I saw my wife and sister-in-law at mile 14, both soaked to the bone but screaming encouragement at me and urging me on. Round the Docklands stretch I suffered badly, my pace slowed and I really struggled. There aren’t as many people supporting you out there and it was the loneliest part of the race for me. I got to 22 miles and knew that I was going to have to dig deeper than I’d ever imagined to finish inside 4 hours which was always the publicised time I was looking to achieve. I’d got 55 minutes to run 4 miles 385 yards, something I’d normally knock out in just over half an hour but my body was screaming at me to just stop and I can honestly say I have never felt pain like it in my knees, hips and achilles, even though it had been pretty unbearable on my longer training runs. I saw Mills and Jo again at 22 and that gave me another huge lift and I got carried along on a wave of emotion running along the embankment and round past the houses of parliament by the people screaming at me willing me on. I wish I could thank all of them personally as the support was just amazing. The last 385 yards were the longest in my lifetime and as I crossed the finish line I came to a juddering halt and really don’t think I could have run any further. There were a few tears at the end if I’m honest and I’m really glad I took a moment to look back and see the people pouring towards the finish line, their faces full of elation. An amazing sight and another image I will never forget. 3 hours 57 minutes and 32 seconds is my official finish time and I am so glad I made it inside the 4 hour mark. By far the hardest challenge I have ever undertaken. I had some photos taken (when I get them I will put them up on the work website) and then it was off to meet Mills and Jo in the pouring rain. I think it is a huge understatement to say that I was really pleased to see them. I’d like to thank everyone at the NAS for looking after us all after the race and to Mills and Jo for braving the elements to be there for me. Thanks to Grandma and Granddad for looking after the kids and to Elliot, Rosie and Arch for the banner they made me for when I got home. I’d like to thank you all for sponsoring me and for supporting me along the way.
Those of you who know me well enough know I love statistics so here are a few for you to sign off with… 1. 667 the number of miles I ran in training 2. 21 the furthest I ran (miles) before the actual race 3. 169 my average heart bpm during the race. My Vo2 max is 178 so I was pretty much at my limit 4. 48 my resting heart bpm now post race 5. 8 the number of Guinness’ I had on the Sunday after the race =) 6. 15.6 the distance I am running (miles) this Sunday coming 7. 1000 Approx, the amount of money in gym, PT fees, footwear, clothing, travel, accommodation and administration fees I think it cost me to do it As a result of all this I’m going to keep on running (I’m in the ballot for next years Marathon) and Mills has committed to run the BUPA Great South Run inPortsmouththis October coming. Rosie and Archie are currently running to and from school and Elliot is doing his bit encouraging us all along the way. He has said he may even ditch his scooter and run to school occasionally. April Update Well, the race day is nearly here. The big news is that I now have my race number which is 38227. You should be able to track me over the internet on the day and see my split times as I will be wearing a chip on the day should you wish to. The London Marathon website should be able to guide you to this if you want to check up on me on the 13th April. Other good news is that I can use my mp3 having been worried that I may have to forgo my constant training companion due to IAAF red tape. In the USA, the Track & Field governing body has banned the use of iPods, and any other music players, claiming that they are a distraction and a threat to runner safety. Without offending any of my American readers, someone pointed out on a website that this is the type of irony you can expect from a nation that bans iPods from marathon runners but allows everyone watching to be armed.
Since emailing you last the training has pretty much dried up. I planned to run 24 miles last Sunday but woke up on the Sunday with a sore throat and streaming cold. I managed 15 miles but had to come in as I was having terrible trouble breathing. I still have the cold so haven’t done much this week at all. I plan to go out again this Sunday but only to see how I am and just to keep my legs turning. I shouldn’t think I will do much next week if anything at all.
Mills and I are going down the night before and Grandma and Grandad will be looking after Elliot, Rosie and Archie. On the day of the race I shall be competing for TV air time in our household with legends such as Sponge Bob Squarepants, Charlie and Lola and Iggle Piggle to name but a few. I am under no illusion as to who will win the TV ratings wars on that one.
I will write to you all again when I am back in Suffolk after the day has been and gone and will put a report and some pictures up on the work website. I’d like to thank everyone for showing an interest and generally wishing me well. It has been a really interesting journey for me and I hope you have enjoyed reading my updates. I’ve learnt a great deal about myself and just what is possible with some willpower and dedication. I’m not going to urge you all to go out and run a marathon as that would just be silly and complete madness on your part. Only a fool would do that. Elliot and I though have had a chat recently about what we can take from this and have decided just to try not to start sentences with “ I can’t …” from now on.
See you all soon and don’t forget to shout at your television on the day. I really value your friendship and support. I have thanked many people along the way but can't sign off without thanking my wife Mills for her unstinting support. You've been brilliant and I couldn't have got this far without you. March Update Thanks in March go to Martin Copping again for all the work he’s done on my joints, it has really helped me kick on with the training. A massive thanks also to Mark Westall at the East Anglian Daily Times for putting me in touch with Jess Gallagher at the Ipswich Evening Star and thank you to Jess and the team there too, you were brilliant. Elliot and I had almost a full page with photos back on the 8th March and he has really enjoyed his celebrity status. Rosie and Archie were really proud that their big brother was in the newspaper, not that they can read, but proud nevertheless. I think you can still read the piece on their website if you are interested. Just put my name into the search on their website and it should come up. I’d also like to make a point of publicly thanking Elliot’s cub pack as they raised £22 in the wake of the publicity and Georgia Southgate in Elliot’s school class for pledging her £2 pocket money. Amazing… On the running front March was unsurprisingly just as horrid but I now do believe that I can do well on the day given the right weather and a little bit of luck. I have now run in all weather conditions. The Sunday just gone saw me battling with snow would you believe, so I now have the full set. Disappointingly, since starting this last year at the end of November, I have run in the sunshine once, and I am still the dayglo king as I haven’t felt it warm enough to leave all the cold weather gear behind. I am up to 21 miles at present and will run 24 this Sunday, more as a gauge on my times than anything. I will then wind down the running in the final two weeks. I know of two other people running the marathon at my level and also know they are just as competitive as I am so will be out to win the bragging rights. This Sunday should give me an idea of where I can expect to be on the day and whether I will need to lay some traps to stop them beating me. I am going to write one more of these before the big day on the 13th April but will also do a post race round up hopefully with some photos. I will let you know my race number and start point then. Thanks again for your support and messages. February Update On the running front February was just as horrid although I am beginning to enjoy the 9 and 12 mile runs. The 15 and latterly the 18 mile jaunts are a different matter though. I’ve decided I hate kerbs. I see the point of them in road systems but they really mess me up when I’m past 12 miles. They knock me out of my stride patterns and although they are small little things they make my hip flexor muscles wince whenever I go up or down one. I ran 177 miles or 284 odd km on the roads in February which I feel was a lot and it was a short month. I did have a better February than Elliot though who announced that he left all his Nintendo DS cartridges at the cottage we stayed at over Christmas. He remembered this on the way home from the cottage but says he hadn’t told me or Mills as he “feared being turned out onto the streets to live the life of Oliver Twist”. If you are wondering, yes he is still living with us. My knees are constantly sore now, especially the right one and I am convinced my body is eating its self. I am eating far more than my normal 2000 odd calories consuming 4000 a day but am still losing weight. I am sleeping very well and am sure despite all my whingeing, my body and mind has benefited from all this. Mentally it has been the hardest thing I have ever taken on but when I see some of the challenges other people are taking on it doesn’t seem much. There is a guy at the gym who is training for an Iron Man event; a 4 mile swim, a 244 mile bike ride and a 54.4 mile run – all in one day. I can’t imagine where you would even begin with training or mentally preparing for something like that…
I am looking forward to the weather improving in March as the running in February was hard again with the wind, rain, fog and frost. I am hoping to lose the dayglo sometime soon and break out the shorts. You may think it’s been warm enough already for attire such as shorts but I do feel the cold as my colleagues will testify. I am also looking forward to getting this thing which has taken over my life done and dusted. It may sound odd but I can see it being quite an emotional day on the 13th April. As it is now I celebrate outside our house every time I complete a 15 or 18 mile run. This must look odd to the people driving by as they see this grown man clad in dayglo yellow punching the air, waving his arms above his head. A beer doesn’t feel far off now either and I’m really looking forward to that. I can even visualise it. It’s ice cold, about twenty foot high and it has my name written all over it. When you hear from me again there will be around a fortnight to go and I should have done at least one 24 mile run, hopefully two. Thanks again for all the encouragement.
January Update
Firstly, thank you again to all of you who have sponsored me and thanks for all the messages of support. Some individual thanks from me whilst I remember go to ( in no particular order ) Tim Higgins of unboxed consulting for his excellent running shoe advice; Gavin Davies of Call Connection for running with me one evening and showing me how it should be done;Martyn Abbottof Anglia IT for his excellent idea of listening to Podcasts whilst running, something that I’ve expanded into audio books; Liam Hart at John Grose for his very valuable advice on actually running it on the day; Martin Copping, my personal trainer at Fitness First for his hour a week with me, for generally keeping me focused and pushing me mentally; and lastly to my wife Mills for her constant support and for also putting up with my moaning about the weather, my sore legs, sore feet, sore back everything else on an almost daily basis.
On the running front January was just as lonely on the roads as December had been. If anyone reading this has done a marathon, I salute you. The enormity of the commitment I have made to run this thing is well and truly embedded now and regardless of how I feel each day, if it is a run day, I run and that is that. Although I am constantly tired the mental side of this for me is far harder than the physical. I’m okay once I’m out there, but looking out of the window on the Saturday morning just gone knowing I’d got to do 15 miles, whilst also knowing that Soccer AM, coffee and newspapers was an option if I wanted it to be, was for a few minutes a tough decision. Elliot reminded me however that 15 miles wasn’t going to run its self. He’s good like that bless him.
By the time you read this I will have run 128 miles or nearly 206 km on the roads in January. On top of that I’m doing spin classes, weight work, some tread mill sessions and as I said seeing Martin my PT once a week. It’s basically taken over my life. I am Forrest Gump.
I hope the weather improves in February as the running this month has been hard with the wind and the rain. I managed to fall over three times one very wind and rain swept night and also ended up sat on one little old lady’s car bonnet on one run. Despite being trussed up in dayglo yellow she said she didn’t see me. Still, no harm done luckily. I have my first road race booked for February just to get some experience on that front and the plan is go from 30 to 36 miles a week on the roads. That may not sound like much of an increase but it’s roughly another 45 minutes a week out in the elements which if the weather stays the same is more than enough for me. If any of you are running inIpswich and don’t mind me tagging along do get in touch.
December Update
I’ve had so many messages of good will I have decided to keep people up to date with how it is going my end in preparation for the 13th April. I’m going to do a monthly update from now.
December was horrible on the running front. It’s really hit home how much of a commitment this is but then I guess I should have known really. I have taken to running at night in the dark so that nobody sees me. With my dayglo running top, bobble hat, gloves and Lycra leggings I look like a 21st century Max Wall….
We hired a house for the week before Christmas as it is quiet in my office and we took the kids to Southwold on the East coast. It was very bleak running along the front in the mornings. The wind ripped through me and I was glad to get back to the relative calm of running inIpswich over the Christmas and New Year week. Interestingly the guilt has set in with me if I think about not going out for a scheduled run, although Saturday mornings are a real drag to get myself going and are not fun as that is my 12 mile day. Not looking forward to February when Saturday becomes a 15 mile day. I’ll keep you informed how it goes…
If anybody has any thoughts on where to get some good running shoe advice I’d love to hear from you.
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