Blog 8 Oh, I'm sure you'll forgive me not  putting pen to paper -so to speak - for a couple of days, but I have been just plain bushed! What an amazing weekend. What an incredible Sunday. To be honest, there's almost too much to tell you and my eyes are already urging me to go to sleep and rest up, The legs, funnily enough, are not too bad.  The ice cold bath definitely helps and there was less of the John Wayne swagger about me this year.  More Max Wall!

I think the picture above captures our united, team Rivers euphoria. It is made all the more poignant because Eric's Dad - the wonderful Felix - is in the picture, but also (from left to right) my wonderful Cristina, Jodie, Davina, Me, Dillan, Felix and Summer and on the front row, Gemma, Eric and fabulous wee Laila. All of whom, it has to be said, made to the sidelines of the marathon, just beyond mile 21 on the Highway having found a most perect pitch from where to cheer me on as I went past. The fact that Eric, Davina all the children and Eric's Dad, Felix, were there was just the most amazing and humbling experience of my life. After the race, we all met up again outside the MNDA's post race reception venue.  They made such a noise with all their cheering, balloons and feather boa waving I felt more than a little embarrassed and overcome. We made such a noise of celebration that a couple sitting outside the pub next door asked if they could donate £10 to our sponsorship pot.  Then 5 minutes later the same couple  wrote out a cheque for a further £50. £60 in total. So Alex and Barbara Love from Scotland, a massive thanks once again for your amazing generosity. There has been such a flurry of donations to the cause over the last few days, neighbours, parents of children at my wife's school (St Michael's), friends and family (Michael, Kieran, Emma, Joe, Stella, Mum, Declan, Silvana and John again), colleagues at work (Andy, Chris, Debs, Zelda) and still I know there is more coming that has been promised including an amazing offer of support from the Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St George Women's Group. Thanks too to Andy Quick who is going to be doing a parachute jump in July I think it is. And many more who have so generously spurred me on with their kind words and generous donations. I will write some more. But not tonight. I promise there's more to tell you, but I'll have to let it come out gradually.  For now, I have to sleep.  Thank you, all of you, for making an incredible difference. You are amazing that you care so much. Before I do finally sign off, I have to mention Zen, who once again put himslef selflessly at the disposal of Eric and Davina and drove them into London to a ringside position for the marathon and then on to the reception at Trafalgar Sq and then home, by this time carrying me too. A most incredible gesture and enormously appreciated by all of us. Zen, you are and absolute star.

I will add some more pictures and commentary over the coming days, but for now, thank you once again for your outstanding support. Peace and love to you and yours.

Blog 7

Good morning! Well, here it is. Just about to head off to the station now.  Very excited, a little bit nervous (ok, quite a bit nervous) strangely emotional (not that surprising really) and enormously grateful for all your support.  Mr Rivers, you got me into this, meet me on the Highway! Peace and love to you and yours, from  me and mine xxx Let's do it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blog 6 Now listen, I'm going to have to keep this short because I should be tucked up in bed! I just want to thank all of you who have sponsored me in the last few days, you have been incredible and I know there are promises of more to come as we reach the end of the month and pay day! So  thanks in advance.

The big news for me is that Eric, Davina, Summer and Jodie and Eric's Dad, Felix will be supporting me along the route of the marathon. Last year Eric waited for me on the street outside the MNDA 's reception venue.  This year he is determined to join the crowds and wave me on.  Helium balloons are being filled in the morning and will float above them at the precise location so I'll see them and be able to make a bee line for them, where they will be joined by my wonderful Cristina and Dillan and Michael. We will take as many pictures as we can and share them with you tomorrow or Monday.

I'll try and slip in one final blog in the morning, but for now, I have to go to bed. Thank you all once agin for your fabulous support.  Not just of me, but more importantly, of the Motor Neurone Disease Association and of Eric Rivers, a most amazing man.  Peace n love to you and yours. Good night!

Blog 5 Oh no! I'm sorry, just as I was writing my last blog entry, Jim text me asking if I'd seen the news about the Boston Marathon. I've just been watching the images on the BBC and I just can't believe what I'm seeing. If this was a deliberate act, then it is just so completely senseless.  3 hours after the winners have crossed the line, then you are talking about the rank and file runners like myself who are invariably running for charities! I watched a runner collapse having been struck by what looked like debris as he approached the finishing line. I just burst into tears. Many of the injured were most likely in the hotel overlooking the finish line and the images of them being ferried out of the area was like they were in a war zone.

It's no surprise that attention is turning to the London Marathon this weekend.  The organisers are talking to the police about security just now, but it is difficult to see how you can protect the event any more than it already is, particularly if you want to maintain the unique character of the London Marathon with runners and spectators (in their tens of thousands) in close proximity to eachother. Of course, there is so much we don't know about this, but I'm sure you will join with me in keeping in your prayers tonight those who have lost their lives today or been injured. It is very very sad. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some mark of respect by runners t this weekend's London Marthon. 

Blog 4 Hello again my dear, dear sponsors.  How marvellous have you been? You really are all quite something. It always amazes me how generous people can be. So many of my friends and family and colleagues have once again stepped up, dug deep and said yes, I want to help.  And then, there are those of you - so many of you - who I don't know, have never met, who have completely overwhelmed me by your generosity. Thank you all SO much to Andy G, young Woody, my nephew Jordan, Mrs G (again!), the fantastic Robert from Trinidad, Andrea, my IOE pal Sonia, Cheryl and Janet, the Bundgaard Family, Steve D, Licia, Teresa, Marco,the Hayward Family, Cemre, Elizabeth, Jim, Becky, Pippa, Michelle, Karen, Siobhan, (my lovely god daughter), young Nathanial Bayes and his family, the Bagulay family, several people who wish to remain anonymous (but I know who you are!). Also I want to say a massive thank you to all of you who have attended the Supporting Eric events last Summer and a few weekends ago. As a result, a very generous £1,300 has been donated to my marathon effort in tribute to Eric Rivers, my inspiration for running the marathon last year and this year. And, in particular, I want to thank Gemma Hosking who has been the most fantastic "Supporting Eric!" event organiser. And, I have to say a big big thanks to my wonderful wife, Cristina, who has been a little bit like my campaign manager, drumming up support face-to-face, online through social media and in the staff room. You have been fantastic! You've even relaxed a bit about my smelly running gear in the bathroom!! I also want to thank Dillan, my son, who has been on out on his bike as my pace maker on a number of occasions. Thank you fella! Finally, I just want to say a few words about a very special event we attended the weekend before last. Eric and Davina renewed their marriage vows at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St George. What an amazing day. The sun shone, when we have been in grey for so many weeks and months now. We laughed and we sang and we cried and we laughed some more and we all had just the most amazing life-affirming, faith afirming, love-affirming day and evening.  Thank you Davina and Eric. We do so love you both!

 

Blog 3 Sorry! It's been a bit of a mad couple of weeks, such a lot on.  But don't worry, that hasn't got in the way of the training regime.  I've been runnin' like a good 'un in all sorts of weather. You remember a couple of weekends ago when it was totally chucking it down? Well, we were out there, heading down the A1005, the wind and the rain burning my face, the boy racers thinking it's great fun to dunk me in the gutter water as they whizz past, the 4x4 driver who stops on the apex of a bend (me thinking they've taken pity on me and want me to climb aboard and share a hip flask of hot toddy) only to be asked if I know where the nearest petrol station is!  "Yeah, " I felt like saying, "you need to get back on the M25 and put your foot down for 5 miles and you'll find a service station!"  I didn't of course, but you know, it was raining, the boy racers had got to me, I didn't know what I was thinking! Enough! I'm panicing a bit.  I'm committed to raising £2,500 and I think I've just hit £200.  So, my dear early adopters, thank you  getting me off to a wonderful start.  Now we have to spread the word if we can.  I know we can do it!  Thank you to Jolanda, one of my  trusty colleagues.  Thanks also to Rob C who has sponsored me for £26.20 (get it?, The same as 26.2 miles!) Cheers Rob.  He recently reminded me we once ran together in upstate New York many moons ago. Funny what we what were runnin' away from, but that's for us to know, eh Rob?  Jan - big thank you for your generous support again.  We runners have got to stick together.  Damon... big thanks.  Great bloke, very supportive. Looking forward now to treating myself to some new running shoes.  Got me eyes on some new Brookes Ghosts, but we'll see how far the budget stretches. Did I tell you I'm running in the Reading half marathon in a couple of weeks time? Thanks to Stuart for pushing me in the direction of that.  Very much looking forward to it and it'll be a terrific warm up for the main event just a few weeks later. I've decided I'm not going to be accepting any jelly babies sweets from the children that line the curcuit.  You may recall from last year how, as nice as they are, eat too many and you get a seriously dodgy tummy.  Just thinking of those little mits, tightly squeezing the life out of the jelly babies (who knows when they last washed their hands!). Seemed like a good idea at the time to wolf them down but, trust me, not again.  We've been lucky the past week haven't we? The weather's been lovely.  So much so that I've even dispensed with the running tights in order to feel the air between legs, to watch them fill with lactic acid, go red and wonder why as the years progress my hitherto hirsuit legs are now developing little bald patches on the front of my shins. No, sorry, photographic eveidence not available at this time. Having remained injury free throughout all of the winter, I am now carrying an unspecified injury to my right leg, lower leg, just above the ankle at the back and a bit to the side. This has always been my weakest ankle since I went over on it twice (Rob you may recall this) during my Mountview days and ended up on crutches.  I'm worried a little that the pounding its been receiving these past few years are starting to catch up with me. I've rested it these past 2 days and it does feel like it's easing and the swelling has gone down a good bit, but I'm going to monitor it a bit more and give it another couple of days before I go out again.  Can't afford to push it in case I cause myself more damage.  Wasn#t gonna mention that, but I figure you're all on my side and would want to keep an eye on me.  Anyway, it's been good to touch base with you again.  Oh, one last thing.... you know I'm not one for wearing headphones when I'm out running.  Some people swear by it to keep them motivated and focussed and in time with the music keep their pace up. Not me, I like to hear what's going on around me just in case a deer is gonna jump out of the hedgerow at me (did happen in France see blogs passim).  Anyway, I know it's at best a bit sad, at worst a bit pretentious, but I've found what really works is reciting speeches from Shakespeare!  "Oh for a muse of fire that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention..." Yes? No? Ok, should have kept quiet about that one! Until next time... ;- )

Blog 2. Hello! Just a quick update for you... training is going well. Last weekend we were in Arundel visiting our good friends Gill and Cranmer and I got to do one of the runs that Cranmer introduced me to the first time we were down there.  It's a lovely circuit, that starts in the town and then heads out, up a good steep hill and then you hang a right into the countryside.  Ah, it's great.  Good  climbs, beautiful countryside and only the wildlife in the bushes to scare the living daylights out of a townie like me! Still, it helps you do some speed bursts which are essential to the training regime so I'm told. But a couple of the things that struck me about that run in the countryside was how car drivers always seemed to raise a hand in acknowledgment as they passed by (giving you plenty of space on the country lanes too) and how there were so many racing cyclists out on the roads who also gave a nod, or raised a hand.  Which I thought was ... what? ... kind of sporting of them really. I was back out in Enfield last night and I could instantly feel the benefit of having done some hill climbing.  Everything just seemed that little bit easier, more fluid, faster.  Let's see how I feel when I go out at 6am tomorrow mornin, eh?  Big push now to raise the mileage.

Thank you to  my early adopter sponsors! Karen has promised to toot the horn as she and Ray and the family pass me by in Enfield.  Thank you!  John, Silvana and Brandy have always been super supportive and got in there straight away, so again, big thanks to you.  Louise, thank you again for your double edged support of this charity and the people who live with MND.Mrs G gets a big thank you too, but also for the terrific job she does of raising awareness of MND and keeping the flame alight. 

Finally, if I can impose upon you a little more... £2500 is a lot of money to try and raise.  If you are in a position to introduce this effort to some of your friends, then that would be terrific. I now can receive donations by text as well, so anyone who wants to forgo a pint, can instead text MNDA57 followed by the amount  £5 for example, to:   70070

That's all for now. But I'll be back soon.  Many thanks to you all and I'll be thinking of you wherever I'm headed this coming week. Don't forget to toot your horn now!  ;-)

BLOG 1. Hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here we are again!!!!!  Thank you for joining me on my just giving page as we set out, you and I, to raise much needed funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.  These are funds that will go toward supporting research into this terrible disease, but also will be used to help make the lives of those living with motor neurone disease a little bit easier when they need it most.

Many of you will be returning to these pages having supported me during last year's London Marathon or my 100km run before that. All of you will by now know that my inspiration for doing this is Eric Rivers. An incredible person; an inspirational person; a man of humility, courage, integrity, positivism, humour, wit, intelligence, and compassion.  He's also, a devoted husband to the quite wonderful Davina and father to three truly delightful daughters. That I can count Eric as a friend is a privilige and  is life enriching.  That Cristina, Dillan and I have Eric, Davina and their family as our friends is a gift we treasure. Eric is living with MND and you, by coming to this page, are helping to bring about the change that will result in a cure for this terrible disease. By coming to this page you are supporting the men and women and families who are living with MND and helping bring about change. And, as you talk about visiting this page  - and I want you to return now on a regular basis - you will be spreading the word, raising the awareness, raising the profile of MND.

We're a little bit on the back foot. I didn't have a place in the London Marathon 2013 until Wednesday just gone!  One of the bonded MNDA runners had to withdraw and I was offered a place in their stead. I can imagine how gutted they are and I hope they get the chance to realise their dream next year as I know how great the importance is to do this. Best of luck.  But we are on the back foot.  Mercifully, I've kept up with my training.  I had already entered the Reading Half Marathon as a part of my preparations for doing the London Marathon if I got in and had been looking for an alternative marathon sometime this year so had to keep in shape.  I have to mention my dear pal Stuart Roy here, as he helped nurse me through my initial disappointment at not getting a place, but also helped me focus on maintaining the running bug and looking at other running challenges. "Thank you Stuart!"

But hey! We're in. We're good to go. We've been putting in the runs and miles since the 2012 Marathon and for several weeks already  I have incorporated a weekly half marathon into my training schedule up to the Potters Bar roundabout by the M25 and back again via Cockfosters and Oakwood. Now we are upping the mileage by about 10% a week (as recommended by the Virgin London Marathon Race Director).  It is SO encouraging when people beep their horn at me when they see me out there (thanks Gemma, Ghostie, Karen et al) so if you see me (and you won't be able to miss me in the MNDA running strip!) then please do give me a toot! It really helps.

Compression tights anyone? Don't get me started! But thanks to my wonderful wife, Cristina, I now sport a pair of compression tights (boy have we come a long way since the old t shirt and dodgy trainers I used to wear). It is a small act of bravery to wear them (I'll explain in a future blog) but they do keep the muscles warm and I believe have a positive effect on overall performance.

I am gonna sign off for now, but I do hope you'll come back to these pages over the next 12 weeks.  I promise to keep you posted on my training progress, the thoughts I have when I'm out running and the bits and bobs that people feed in to me by text and email and personal contact.  It is amazing the stuff that comes out of something like this and I truly look forward to hearing from you, hearing how you've been affected by Eric's story, hearing about how you are spreading the word. It's a small world.

Please come back. Please pass on the link to these pages. It's ok, you don't have to donate every time you visit, but please join me on this journey. Who knows what we might learn. We might even have a blast!

Wherever you are; whoever you are... peace n love to you and yours and thank you so much for taking the time to read this page. You are most welcome to return at any time and you can post a message to me on: colin@colingardiner.com  and I will always reply.

Ciao for now,  Colin