I know - another mad idea! I am attempting to complete four marathons and cross the English Channel by kayak during 2008, and raise £2500 to split between Save Canterbury Cathedral, to conserve the fabric of the cathedral where I have been singing for nearly 11 years, and Odyssey (http://www.odyssey.org.uk), who work to enhance the quality of life for people with cancer through imaginative programmes of challenging and dramatic activities using the outdoors. PS - if you want your sponsorship to go to Odyssey click here for my twin site: http://www.justgiving.com/kayakthechannel2 I'm going to use this page as a sort of blog, and keep on sending it out so keep you updated and ask for sponsorship bit by bit, so please try to donate little and often, rather than in one big lump! The dates and events are going to be as follows: 13th April 2008: London Marathon - COMPLETED!! 13th July 2008: Cross-Channel Kayak - COMPLETED!! 10th August 2008: Salisbury 54321 Cross Country Marathon 25th October 2008: Snowdonia Marathon 9th November 2008: 06 Marathon (Nice to Cannes in the South of France dressed as a chorister!) Right now, it's two days before the London Marathon, with just registration and lots of pasta eating to go before the big day! I'm hoping to beat my PB and dip under the 4-hour mark, but I'll see how it goes on the day. It's now a couple of days after the run, and my legs are starting to recover from the pounding on the London streets. I managed a PB in getting round in 3h 44m 41s, so I'm really pleased. The support was as amazing as ever, and even the changeable weather wasn't too much of a problem. Now it's down to throwing off the cold I have picked up and increasing the kayaking training for the next two months. 5th May: Claire and I have just reached the 19-mile paddling mark - for once in bright sunshine on the picturesque River Medway! At least we are now confident of being able to paddle the distance: only the wind, waves and shipping to avoid now! It's less than two months to the first crossing attempt, but the stroke synchronisation is looking good. Roll on the end of June! 16th June: We've both just come back from a week of paddling in North Wales, so our hands are used to some intensive work on the water. The dates for the Channel attempt are now 11th - 14th July, so we're gearing up for some serious sea training over the next four weeks! It's also now been confirmed that we will attempt the crossing from France to England, which is even more rarely done. The French have graciously given their consent for us to leave their shores, so we are all set to go! 30th June: We've finally trained in the real boat! It's 7-metres long and fibre-glass, and quite fast despite its weight. It took a while to get the trim right as Claire is significantly lighter so we needed to add some weight to the front of the boat - at least it's now going where we want it to. We had a good paddle from Ramsgate to Deal and back - about 13 miles - and are feeling about as prepared as we can be. Now we just need some decent weather to make the attempt.... 6th July: Finished our final training session yesterday - nearly 17 miles into a steady Force 5 south-westerly, which will be harder than anything we are allowed to attempt on the Channel attempt. We were both knackered afterwards, but it was worth spending that amount of time in the boat and findout where the pain barriers lie. I also managed to drag myself round the Bewl 15 run this morning as well, so I just need to recover before the Channel. Hopefully the next here entry will after a successful attempt next weekend!! 13th July: WE MADE IT!! The weather calmed down for the first time in nearly a month to Force 2-3 which we needed to make the attempt. Having started at 5:20am we arrived 5 hours later at Sangatte in brilliant sunshine. We were escorted out of Dover Harbour by our RIB (safety boat) and a lonely seal, and were soon on the open water with the Cap Blanc Nez in our sights. The waves were quite manageable at first but towards the middle of the Channel the continual but gentle swell started to take its toll on Claire, who became queasy and very quiet for an hour or so. We managed to dodge the cargo traffic in both shipping lanes before being chased by a fast-moving gin palace, but our safety boat scarpered back to move them off. As we approached the shore we were handed a bottle of champagne by our safety boat crew and touched land in France in 5hrs 9mins. I had to be restrained from turning round and heading back the same way! A fantastic achievement that I will remember for a very long time. Now it's back to the running again.... 31st July: I put in a final long run before the Salisbury marathon next month, but could only find a marathon event to join in with! I hadn't even heard of the Faversham Marathon (kept very small and low-key, but designed for runners by runners - the logistics and facilities were excellent), but after running 40 laps round the Recreation Ground I definitely know about it. It wasn't as bad as it sounds: I planned to run 20 miles at race pace, and then walk/jog the final 6.2 miles. It all went according to plan, even though the weather was rather warm, and did my 20 miles in 2h40. I then managed the final 6.2 in an aggregate time of 3h45m53s - just outside my PB I set in London (see above)! And it didn't even hurt! Now I just have to recover for Salisbury next week. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Save Canterbury Cathedral will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.
Many thanks for your support throughout 2008, Jonathan
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