Hi

 

After 15 years of talking abour running the London Marathon and putting it off....... mainly because it look's bloody hard and I hate running................I have decided that before I get too old and fat (no comments please), this will be the year I finally do it.

To those that know me, you will understand that with my current lifestyle, this will be a challenge, and to keep me focussed* along the way, I have decided to run for the very deserving charity, 'Whizz Kidz'. 

 

'Whizz-Kidz' is a charity that is all about giving disabled children the chance to lead a more independent life. 100% reliant on voluntary funds, they work with the families of young disabled children to provide them the advice, support and equipment they need, so that they can lead an active childhood and have the best start possible.

You can find more information on this charity via the following link www.whizz-kidz.org.uk

 

So to my family, extended family, friends, colleagues, peers, students, associates and acquaintances, please give generously, as ultimately there is a serious and admirable cause benefiting from any monies we jointly raise.

 

How to donate?

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 and raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

 

So please dig deep as you know this is going to hurt!

Many thanks

 

Mark

 

* I also aim to run behind Nell McAndrew but that is another story!

 

Updates -

17th Jan - Firstly my deepest thanks to everybody that has contributed so far....bugger....there's no way  I can back out now! So one week in and I have managed to run 16 miles so far, 9 of which I did this morning around the Beeches in about 90 minutes.....so not too shabby.

This week I have been told about the 'Penguin' method of long distance running (which is basically running and walking alternately at regular intervals.....got that one mastered already me thinks), how to stop my nipples from becoming detached during the course of the race (thanks for that Rob!) and why I should really invest in a decent pair of trainers if I want to make sure I don't end up with feet like Bilbo Baggins. So plenty to think about.................  

 

13th Feb - Just finished a two week course in Leeds and despite the many distractions ( 'Wakefield' a place where the fashion and music of the past 20 years seems to have been missed by the locals) I still managed to run at least 10 miles per week. However I need to up the ante so I am planning a 13+ mile run tomorrow morning.....I must be mad! 

 

14th Feb - Managed 13 miles in just over 2 hours, so feeling pretty good.

 

7th Mar - Due to the recent bad weather, training has been pretty much hit and miss, so this morning I thought I would do a biggie to get rid of the cobwebs and growing guilt.

With 4 hours sleep from the previous night (thanks to my beautiful 9 month old daughter who is not only going through a nocturnal phase but has also discovered recently the joys of shouting), I hit the cosmopolitan, pot-holed roads of Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead aiming to do an 18 mile run.

Feeling pretty good at 11 miles, things then took a turn for the worse, when I stupidly decided to stop at a garage for refreshment (and no Paul it wasn't a pasty!). By the time I was off running again, my legs had siezed up, and Seb Coe had suddenley turned into Albert Steptoe following a double-hip replacement. 

Reaching 16.5 miles and unable to jog any further, I decided to cut my losses for the day and phone the missus for a lift home. Deeply unsympathetic with my plight, on arrival she summed up the emotional events of that morning with, 'Well what do you expect you bloody idiot?'

 

30th Mar - Less than 4 weeks to go and following the official Virgin London Marathon Training Guide (TM), I decided last Sunday to do my last long distance run before the race.

In glorious weather I managed to complete 17 miles in about 3 hours, hitting what I assume was the infamous 'wall' at about 16 miles, which to those of you like me that have never experienced it before, is very similar to that moment when you leave a nightclub at 4 in the morning, are starting to sober up, your back, legs and feet ache, you are tired, the alcoholic euphoria has gone and all you want to do is get home and go to bed. In short not the nicest sensation to experience.

However having just watched Eddie Izzard complete 40+ marathons in 50 days, with only five weeks training, I have no excuses........................so on with the training.

 

Did I tell you I hate running?

 

22nd April - 3 months and a160 miles later my training has now come to an end. With just 3 days to go, I currently have a ongoing painful left knee that hurts when I run and a wife and kids thick with flu. So rather than worrying about the race, my main focus this week has simply been on staying well enough to be able to start it!

Either way, medicated or not, I will be there.

So before I go, I would like to once again personally thank everyone that has kindly contributed to the cause I am running for, both financially and morally, and I hope that on Sunday I do both you and Whizz Kidz proud.

 

26th April - The day after............

Arrived at London on race day at about 0730 to avoid the traffic, with my cousin Zoe who was also competing, feeling very apprehensive but amazed at the number of people taking part. Following a few hours of hanging around in a Marque to avoid the rain, at 0945 we took our position on the start concourse, waiting a further 15 minutes before we eventually got to the actual start point several hundred metres away.

Surrounded by Elvis, several rhinos, a man in a full suit of armour and a squaddie with a full size domestic fridge (no word of a lie!) on his back, I made a solemn promise there and then that whatever ocurred, I would finish the race ahead of the squaddie and Lancelot.

For the first 15 miles Zoe and I ran a steady race, soaking up the amazing atmosphere and making sure that whenever fridge man appeared, we would up a gear to keep one step ahead of him. Unfortunately disaster struck when a combination of the hot and humid weather, possible Lucozade intoxication and a dodgy carrot I was given by a local resident in East London (why did I eat a carrot?) suddenley led to a severe bout of stomach cramps that remained until mile 20 where the cramp in my dodgy knee and both thighs overtook it in the pain stakes.

With Zoe abandoning me (only joking I told her to leave me behind!) at mile 23, the next 3 miles consisted of the 'walk, jog, curse, limp, walk, jog, curse' technique where after 5hours 48 minutes and 40 seconds I eventually crossed the finish line, coming 33,000th of 36,500 runners! 

The fact the official finish line is a further 800 metres past the 26 mile marker, to me was the organiser's simply taking the @&%$!

 

So what do I think?

Well ignoring the last five or so miles where to be honest I wasn't in a happy place, the runners, the crowds and the overall atmosphere of the London Marathon was amazing and something that I would recommend everyone to experience at least once in their life.

Would I do it again?

No chance.

 

Did I beat fridge man and the knight?

Yes I did :)

However I was overtaken towards the end by spiderman, batman, a peach, four men pulling a sledge, scooby do, a womble and a man dressed fully in an ice hockey outfit with stick.....so not that impressive really.

 

Thanks again to everyone that supported me,

 

Mark