***FINAL UPDATE***

Yesterday, I ran the London Marathon. and got my finishers' medal. My time, of 4:39, was well outside what I was hoping for, after running 21 miles in training in 2:54. The first 13 miles didn't feel like running, spectators lining the route the whole way carried me along, and I ran each mile in 8 minutes, getting to halfway in 1:45. Then, as I came up to 15 miles, and the temperature came up to 20C, the cramp began. I've done a lot of training, and never cramped up, so this came as a serious shock. But, with the help of a couple of St. Johns massages, and hundreds of "Come on James"s from the crowds, I made my way round the rest of the course.

Photos will be published on http://www.marathonfoto.com soon, so look out for me. My race number was 43611.

I can't convey in words how grateful I am of everyone's support. When each mile you run is worth well over £500, there is no stopping! My run was a small step in getting Sarah walking again.

***END OF FINAL UPDATE*** (and end of my running - for now)

Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page. You probably know I'm running the London Marathon this year, but why?

Polymyositis is a very rare disease which attacks the muscles and leaves sufferers with little strength to help themselves. Very little is known about the disease - why it occurs to some people, and how to treat it. 

The Myositis Support Group, run by Les and Irene Oakley, is the only UK charity specifically covering the various forms of myositis: Dermatomyositis, Inclusion Body Myositis, Juvenile Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis. The group distributes information about the diseases, helps sufferers obtain treatment, spreads awareness, and, most importantly, funds and supports medical research into the diseases. Since 1985, the charity has raised over £500,000, and has funded research at King's College Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital, UCL, Bath University, Hammersmith Hospital, and Birmingham and Manchester Universities.

You might know that Sarah, my aunt, suffers from Polymyositis. Most of us take our muscles and a fully functioning body for granted, but Sarah's diagnosis, and the fact that it could affect anyone, has made me think twice about this. As a result, I'm running the London Marathon 2011 with "Team Muscle" to raise funds for the Myositis Support Group.

26.2 miles is a very very long way, and so I will be doing a lot of running between now and then. My target time (wildly optimistic given my running history) is 3:45, so promise me a bonus if I run sub 3:45 and I'll do even more training.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you for your support!

James

http://www.myositis.org.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=122000214533389

http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com/

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22-12-10 Just been for a 5 mile run in the snow. Very cold, but not too slippery. 16 weeks and 4 days to go.

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26-12-10 Week 0 (out of 16) total: 24.4 miles

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02-01-11 Week 1 total: 27.9 miles

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13-02-11 Been a while since I've updated this, but no news is good news here. Training's going well, up to around 45 miles / week, and 16 miles for the long run. Going to take that up by a mile each week. Racing the Boundary Run in Cambridge (half marathon) in two weeks' time. Getting lots of support from friends running with me & keeping me going. Follow the facebook link, as that gets updated more regularly. :)

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27-02-11 Suffering from some serious "runner's knee" at the moment, so I'm replacing some runs with bike riders and erg (rowing machine) sessions. Back on track today though with a 1:39.31 half marathon at the Boundary Run :)

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