Still going ... while I can I will!

Dom still keeps on giving! Because of his battle with MND I am now honoured to work for the MND Association as their Regional Fundraiser for London and Thames Valley.

2019 - Has been a quiet year for me Birmingham Velo 100 mile bike ride in May  Endure 24 in June and on 13th Oct my always emotionally charged Oxford Half followed by a bucket list tick running in my home town of York for the Yorkshire Marathon just a week later on 20th Oct. No training done just hope the legs remember what to do.

2020 - Will try harder already have a Solo place for Reading Endure24 may as well try for the 100 miles.

Thanks to all those who donate, support and encourage me it really does mean a lot and I appreciate every positive sentiment. Thank you.

Carrying on year after year while I can to raise money for MNDA for vital research in memory of that giant of a man with a giant heart Dom Nute.

2016 - Completed a personal challenge every month that year in memory of our dear Dom to recognise that for 12 months every day he humbly and courageously battled the physical and mental challenges of this cruel disease.

Please help me to help others in the same situation by donating any small amount possible.

With the help and support of Stuart Hemming and Steve Russell who helped drag me round the 12K Ram Run in January 2016 we've already made a fantastic start of £274. I will update this page with my monthly challenge and if anyone would like to join me I would greatly appreciate the company and support.

Let's keepDom's spirit alive by doing what he did for us in unselfishly helping others!

2016

Jan - 12K Ram Run - With Stuart and Steve - £274

Feb 28th - Coventry Half Marathon - Completed in 2hr 3min 57sec and ran the last 4 miles with a fellow MNDA charity runner, check out the photos and videos on www.coventryhalf.com search runner number 1007

Mar 30th - Run 4 Home - 30th - Running the 13.5 miles from Work, Hall Green, Birmingham cross country using public footpaths and Grand Union Canal to Coventry. Something I talked through many times with Dom and he even helped plan a route. Gonna be hard after a full day at work.

Apr 2nd - Just for a bit of an extra challenge after running 13.66 miles home on Thursday then out for a lovely 3 mile and more walk on with Sandra at a National Trust property on Friday. I thought it would be a nice gesture to put my Rugby boots back on and have a short run out at the Rugby club that Dom and I started at back in 1977 seeing as it was Vice Presidents day and all his old mates would be down. Little did I expect to play the full 80 minutes Hooking in the front row with a combined age of 157 going on to win a vital league game 17-12 and then very graciously and emotionally being awarded Man of the Match very proud moment. While I still can I will.

Next proper challenge this Saturday 9th April 10K Wolf Run www.thewolfrun.com. and will be very proud to be running it with my eldest daughter Hope. Bring on the mud! :-)

Apr 9th - 10K Wolf Run - www.thewolfrun.com if I can get £100 from now to the event I will dive head first into the muddy swamp at the end.... Again! :-)

Wolf Run completed with Hope. Bloody freezing the lake swim nearly killed me, loads of mud very slippy but we made it.

May - Not an immense challenge but cycled the 12 miles into work from Coventry to Birmingham mostly off road and then cycled the 12 miles back home again in the evening. Also cycled to the new site and back 8 miles each way a couple of times this month.

June - Failed missed my promise as allowed my depression and lack of motivation get the better of me :-(

July 24th My Birthday - Up at 7 am to go set a 5 mile off road Hash Run for Spa Hash House Harriers through fields, mud, nettles and brambles then run it all over again with the pack. Over 10 miles of extreme off road running as a birthday treat. Mind you we do start and finish at a pub and had a Pimms stop half way round so not a bad birthday treat! :-)

August - Ok some fun involved with this. Survive 4 days away on Tom's, my fantastic future son-in-law, stag do in Newquay with 12 or so 20 odd year old mostly CrossFit or Rugby playing youngster's which included. Drinking, Coasteering (throwing yourself off rocks into the sea to climb back up the rocks and do it again!), Drinking, Surfing, Drinking, Dancing, Drinking and a little bit of Drinking! :-) I am pleased to say I coped reasonably well unlike some of the young dudes who'd had enough of me by end of day 1.

September 10th - Probably one of the hardest challenges a father can face. Giving away his gorgeous, beautiful, talented first born daughter over to the love and care of another man. But knowing that man is the best son in law you could wish for helps. However I loved her first.

October 8th to 9th - The big one! Coventry to Oxford Challenge 100.1 miles consisting of 5 mile Kayak from Coventry Canal basin to the Oxford Canal then cycling the 82 miles down the Oxford canal towpath arriving in Oxford in time to run the Oxford Half Marathon. It's going to be emotional, it's going to be tough but it's nothing compared with the battle Dom faced everyday for 12 months or more with every day getting harder and harder as he bravely fought this horrible disease. Dom's indomitable spirit and your encouragement and support will give me the strength to do this. Thank you.

Well the big October challenge was just that. The 5.7 mile Kayak went reasonably well with the support of my Son in Law Tom Pearson and friend Ian Drewitt although it did take us an hour longer than planned! Also thanks to Chris Jeffery for the Kayak coaching and loan of kayaks for Tom and Ian plus Jane and Steve Ekins for cycling along the towpath with us.

Kayaking done a pint at the pub and on my bike alone for the anticipated 82 miles down the Oxford canal towpath. This is where the fun started! Very wet and muddy in places fell in the brambles 3 times. Damaged my rear gear change lever at Rugby so stuck in 3rd gear, 3 puntures and the wrong size inner tube supplied by the local bike shop :-( meaning my tyre kept coming off the rim! A surreal moment sat on a fence in the dark about 2am only to be surprised by a nudge in the back from a horse that crept up on me and was intersted in my protein bar. Then finally managed to fall in the canal fully submerged, rucksack and all as the towpath had eroded away so about 5 in the morning still 56 miles to go and another puncture with no spare inner tubes sadly I had to abandon the cycling and wait freezing on a bridge for a friend to pick me up. Dom said I was mad attempting the towpath in the dark and as always he was right!:-)

So less than an hours sleep and it's up and getting ready to run the Oxford Half Marathon with 6 other friends of Dom's. A truly emotional experience running past the end of his street and being greeted by his loving partner Dory and then further down the road Dory's mum Janet. Tears and hugs all round. Anyway managed to finish the 13.1 miles in 2hrs 45min, my slowest ever Half Marathon but best ever with the emotions, support and meeting other inspirational runners along the way. All in all a very memorable weekend challenge and over  £300 raised on the day but even more support and funds from my colleagues at Rolls Royce  £185 from the fantastic Ian Thomas and his team at their charity lunchtime event then a very unexpected, much appreciated and totally overwhelming gesture at the Rolls-Royce "Celebrate Success Awards" wherenot only did our team win our category but again the generous Iain Thomas mentioned my challenge event and suggested a collection. To my absolute surprise and delight the collection was counted and  £500 was raised. Absolutely stunned by the awesome generous colleagues and friends I have the pleasure to work with  Thank you.

Nov 20th 2016.

Had the pleasure of meeting supporting and running with courageous Georgina Crowdey who lost her wonderful husband Paul in September to MND. He himself was an MND runner in who ran in memory of his mum. Again a truly emotional and inspirational experience crossing the finish line together with Adam from RUN MND.

Dec 2016

Back  to the Rugby field for 2 more games of front row rugby at 57 not too bad I think.

All in all an excellent fundraising year full of emotion, fun and support for the best friend a person could ever have. Love you and miss you dear Dom. xx

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