Thanks for dropping by. I hope you can find the time and a few quid to show your support. 

This page is dedicated to the memory of a brilliant man, John Whippy, who sadly died of a brain tumour last summer. John was a lovely human being. He was a family man full of positive energy, a great rhythm and blues performer and a very dear friend. John always had time for others - he was a genuine giver.

In tribute, I aim to complete the London Marathon on 22nd April 2007 and raise funds for the Martlets Hospice in Hove where John spent time in care. (Details about the Martlets are across the page).

It would be great if you could help show the Martlets team how much you value their work and benefit others who may need it.

Donating online is simple, fast and secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me. (The Martlets Hospice 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).

So please go for it. John always did.... and I will be on the 22nd April.

Thank you.

Love and miss you John my friend 

Wandering Wilf / Richard Taylor

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Training log... (by way of air crew trips with Virgin Atlantic Airways)

30.Jan: New York City, NY - 1h 30m (11 miles). 42nd Street, 5th Avenue and Circuit of Central Park. A lifetime ambition completed. It's a very big park. Minus 2 degrees, clear sky and winter sunshine. Jogged with an El Al steward around the top end and west side. Good luck with your 21 day run across Israel in May mon ami!

4.Feb: Washington DC, MD - 1h 20m. (10 miles) Potomac River tow path. A pleasantly scenic route amongst lots of other joggers. Weather fresh, cool and sunny. Tough climb back up to the hotel. Tried to think how many times the Potomac has cropped up in history... American Civil War, the Kennedys, Winter airline disaster. Anyway, ticked that one off the list.

10.Feb: San Francisco, CA - 2h 10m. (15 miles) Fisherman's Wharf, across the Gold Gate Bridge and back. Another lifetime ambition ticked off. Drizzle, rain and wind - just like home. Bit of AC/DC and Black Sabbath on the iPod helped. First really long run of the campaign. Bit premature, but that bridge had to be conquered. Hard work up the hills through China Town at the end. Where do they find all that weird fruit?

16.Feb: Boston, MA - 45 mins. (5 miles) Minus 14 degrees outside plus howling wind. Too painful for anything, so opted for the hotel treadmill. Good work out staring across the rooftops, snow and big freeze.

18.Feb: Brighton Half Marathon - 1h 47m. (13.1 miles) Always a good event. At last they've eliminated the neverending climb up to Rottingdean and subsequent cliff top mud bath back to Marina Drive. Cool and overcast, but no wind. Ideal for a good run. Big respect to whoever ran dressed as a polar bear. A minute longer than my best half marathon two years ago, so getting back on track.

20.Feb: Hastings, Barbados - 50 mins. (6 miles) All change from the arctic wastes of Boston to palm trees and 75 degrees of sunshine in Hastings, Barbados. Quite bizarre. Having rested after the Brighton Half Marathon, the old legs seemed to kick into auto and lasted 6½ miles on the hotel treadmill. Would have jogged along the beach, but it was too sloping. Honest. Or was that the Banks beer from the night before? Anyway thanks to Brett, Nick and James from Virgin Atlantic for their encouragement!

24.Feb: Brighton & Hove - 42 mins (5 miles). Latest ascent of King George VI Hill, Devil's Dyke roundabout, Mill Road and back. Two BIG hills. Not for the faint hearted.

25.Feb: Brighton & Hove - 1h 50 mins. (12.5 miles) A lovely run down to the seafront, along to the Marina and back, followed by three laps of Hove Park. Met Annette and the kids at the park cafe for a nice cup of tea and a sit down afterwards. Still feeling heavier and creakier than 2004. But hey, out there and determined...if a little worried. Remember what that physio said Rich - the crowd will get you round. Oh the loneliness of the long distance runner.

27.Feb:  Long Island, NY - 50 mins. (5.5 miles) One of those days in the gym where you get into your stride, look and feel ok, then the running machine packs in... ARSE! So you gather your stuff, change machines, re-programme and, well the moment is gone. Ah well. Thanks so much to everyone who has sent in their sponsorship money. Highly encouraging...and suddenly really scary too! We're into the serious training period now. Job and jog on  :-o

4.Mar:  Nassau, Bahamas - 40 mins. (5 miles) Too knackered from 19hr flight via Havana to run far. Also the island isn't really condusive to lengthy road routes. So it was a quick 5 miler in the hotel gym - which is glass fronted, non-airconditioned and full of middle-aged 'Merican ladies in lycra on their pre-breakfast, anti-cholestoral shunt. The grunts, groans and squeels were redolent of a maternity unit, milking shed and good session on the crapper rolled into one. One big sweaty nightmare. When Harry met Sally is tame by comparison. Turned the iPod up and ran for England. Thanks to all the wonderful Virgin crew who sponsored me - money safely tucked away in a sick bag. And happy birthday Luke!

7.Mar: Hove Park - 42 mins. (5 miles) Still jet lagged from Nassau. Bought a couple of 2kg wrist weights and pegged four laps of the park... shoulders very sore! Nice to be back on the home circuit though. And another £125 in sponsorship to welcome me in. Thanks Orlando, Matt and Oli - greatly appreciated. Not far off the first £1,000 now.

8.Mar: Hove - 40 mins (5 miles). Next ascent of King George VI Hill, Devil's Dyke roundabout, Mill Road and back. Rush hour traffic zooming past with people looking out and evidently asking the main question...'Why?!' The answer remains...'because I can.' Pushed it all the way, and made my season best. The first ascent this year took 46 mins, so something's happening. Oh, and by the way, IT HURT.

10.Mar: Orlando, FL - 40 mins. (2½ miles) On the hotel...not sure what it is. Somebody took the running machine out of the gym. Ended up on a clapped out step machine. Dire. Still the history channel was interesting on the TV monitor. Thanks to all the crew who so kindly sponsored me.That's the second sick bag of dosh towards the campaign. Execellent.

16.Mar: Brighton & Hove - 1h 25m (9 miles) From home down to the sea front, along to the Marina and back. Very comfortable through the sea mist and sunshine.

18.Mar: Johannesburg, S.Africa - 1h 40m (10 miles) For safety reasons (honest) this was time spent in the swanky new hotel gym. Running machines with their own TV screen, cooler fans and data control system. No lucozade dispenser? Shocking. The gym overlooks the outdoor pool area. So while trolley dollies were hard at work in the sun, yours truly was contending with a mile of altitude on the milll. It was a slow run...unless there's something wrong with the data system. Still, as I ran, Ireland polished off Italy comfortably in the rugby, Portsmouth v Reading looked like a 0-0 certainty and a mouse outside the window provided an interesting diversion.

20.Mar: Looe, Cornwall - 1h (6 miles) Along the River Looe through Sandplace towards Duloe and back. Only one run all week....sore chest infection and coughing has hit the training schedule. Mild panic, however having trainined for the big one in 2004 and seriously stressing over a heavy cold, you have to accept that somewhere in trainingyou're going to get sick or pick up an injury. As long as it's not the week before, you're still in with a shout... 

28.Mar: Miami, FL - Trip cancelled owing to continued bronchitis. Short of breath, coughing and aching in the joints. Aaaaaaaaaaaargh! Losing time..only two more weeks to get up to speed before training winds down to the big event. And I have to stretch to 17 miles or 3 hours a couple of times...

29.Mar: Hove: A slow walk to the school gate with the girls! Another one to the chip shop with Tomas for some much needed cod and carbs (doused in salt and vinegar)! Chest still sore and wheezy. A couple of donations in though which have brought the campaign past the first £1,000 and lifted the spirits greatly. Thanks Mary and thanks to Mick, Simon, Louis and Matt of The Blackjacks.

30.Mar: Brighton & Hove - 2h 28m (17 miles). Spoke to The Jog Shop in Brighton to organise coach seat to and from the marathon. "Yes and we're running 20 miles on Sunday". Panic... Looked out of window. Rain, wind and cold weather. Decided had to see how far I could get. Still feeling weak and coughing from bronchitis. Set out to King Alfred, West to Hove Lagoon, then East along old beacon half marathon route to Rottingdean Windmill and back. Stomach literally eating me from inside all the way. Ran out of Lucozade Sport after 10 miles. Dreamed of fish and chips. Especially the chips. Miserable. Hallucinating after 15 miles but just wanted to get home. Legs gone. Thank God for Hanson's MMBop on the iPod as Hove Lagoon came back into view. Could I have managed an additional two laps of Hove Park to make 20 miles? Will never know. Maybe... Agony. Mind over matter. This is what it's all about. Sore. Aching. So hungry. So tired. So bloody stupid. Hi John my friend....

31.Mar: Neighbour told me this morning the Kodo drummers of Japan run a marathon every morning before breakfast. Must be special K. I'll stick to orange juice, porridge, PG Tips and the Telegraph cryptic. Thanks to other neighbour Jo who popped round with sponsorship pledge this afternoon and to Peter and Mel for their generosity. With Gift Aid, we're up to about £1,300 now. Best try for the 20 miles this week... :0{

3.Apr: Hove Park - 1h 24m (10 miles). First 2½ miles with 5kg pack of basmati rice strapped to my back. Good idea but too bloody uncomfortable. Far better with Lamb Rogan Josh. Still feeling generally heavy and legs lacking in power, yet timings seem to be reasonable. Right shoulder killing me - probably over-compensating the weakness in my left leg. Right hamstring dodgy too. Looking back at old diaries I have missed some important slogging through March. No enough stretching either. This means it's going to be a close call. Extra grit and determination needed. Hope to do 20 miles on Good Friday then I'll know for sure... Big pressure.

4.Apr: Hove Park - 1h 25m (10 miles). Another slog under the belt.

6.Apr: Brighton & Hove - 3h 7m (20 miles). Had to walk for a few minutes after 18 miles. So tempted to give in and go home. Ran without music, but plugged in the iPod for last two miles and shuffled round with help from The Proclaimers. Forgot the degree of pain when you stop after a 3 hour stint and the lactic acid kicks in. Can only imagine that's how it feels giving birth. Nastier than nasty. Bloody painful and it doesn't go away. Still happier now I've had a crack at it, but definitely not as fit as I should be. Good luck to Neil who will be running the Stratford upon Avon Marathon the week after London - we ran along the seafront together on the return leg from Rottingdean and got chatting. Great to have some company.

8.Apr: Orlando, FL - 1h 24m (10 miles). Surprised out how quickly the legs recovered after yesterdays 20 miles. Actually feel quite sprightly. Off the flight and onto the treadmill for 10 miles. First half hour carrying extra 4kg wrist weights. Felt hard going, but plenty left at the end. Again felt very good afterwards. Thanks to the Elevators for their contribution to the cause and to the crew of VS15/16. What a great bunch of people you all are.

10.Apr: Hove Park - (10 miles). Don't know how long it took cos I left my watch in the gym in Orlando. Will have to get another one on the 'urry up. Back in Orlando at the weekend..a trip to the Mall. Yippee aye yay. Gag. Oh brother the big run is now only a week and a half away. And blimey, with Gift Aid we've topped £1,900... 

12.Apr: Orlando, FL  Into the final week, so a gentle 3 miles in the gym following a severely delayed fligt and heavy work. Shoulder really sore - osteo booked for Friday after Jo'berg trip.

Good Luck card in from Joe Smith (Best Man and marathon runner): Extract from Monty Python's Life of Brian: BLOOD AND THUNDER PROPHET - "...and shall ride forth on a serpent's back, and the eyes shall be red with the blood of living creatures, and the whore of babylon shall rise over the hill of excitmenet and throughout the land there will be a great rubbing of parts...." Reminder not to forget me vaseline on the big day. Thanks for the cheque too Joe - £26.20...very appropriate! Will make sure it gets to The Martlets. Cheers me awd china.

17.Apr: Johannesburg, S.Africa - 15 mins and a stretch in the gym. Now into the wind-down period before the race. Always feels strange not to have to run after all the pressure of training. Was great to meet other runners flying up from Jo'berg on the way back. Easy to spot them - fit looking buggers! Nice sense of cameradery and the impending challenge. A top tip to anyone flying abroad for a marathon. Wear your race shoes all the way. If you pack them, they could go missing. (Not with Virgin of course...) Good luck all!

21.April: The day before the battle. Time for muscles to heal, energy reserves to build and to start focussing on the run. A time for reflection too. Thinking of the big day, remembering John, all the wonderful sponsors, the crowds that'll be at Tower Bridge and whether you'll make it; the emotion catches your breath and makes your eyes water. Deep breath. Picture the medal. Thanks to neighbour Ray Bown - 70+ years who walked to our door this morning, despite bad knees, and donated £15.00. Amazing. Thanks also for all the messages, wishes, thoughts, prayers, encouragement and donations that are still coming in.

If you watch the event on telly,  I'm number 11742, wearing a lime green shirt with WILF on the front and COS I GOTTA! on the back.

22. April: THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR SPONSORSHIP AND KIND WORDS. THE BIG DAY HAS ARRIVED...

"How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, that has such people in't" Shakespeare, The Tempest

STOP PRESS: Mission completed in 4 hours 21 minutes. Not sure how, but I did whisper to John to help me through the last three miles. Here's to you mate. Just tonight's gig and the job's a good'n with around £3,000 raised for charity. And massive thanks again to everyone who supported the cause. You've all been brilliant.

The Wilfster xxxxx