I've Made A Decision - Sort Of

It's the big half century birthday for me in June next year and I've been toying with the idea of running a fifty miler. I was looking at various places to run it and I think I've decided on a route where friends and family can best join me. I thought I might drive up towards Stoke-On-Trent in North Staffordshire and join the canal between there and Stone. I will start from there with anyone who wants to join me and run South along the canals through Stone, Stafford, Wolverhampton, Stourbridge and home to Kinver. Various people have agreed to join me either for five, ten or fifteen miles and some are playing with the idea of running the full fifty with me. I will map the route with stops at pubs and locks where people can join me or leave me. We can get a top-up with food, gels and drinks at the stops too. I learned from the last ultra that I will need some junk food too. I had a craving for stew with salt, chips with salt, crisps with salt and... well, something salty. I also underestimated how much water we needed. There were three of us running Hadrian's Wall in two days. That worked out to forty one and forty three miles on each day. We put six two litre bottles in the support vehicle for the two days but at the end of day one we only had two bottles left. I will triple the amount of water this time - allowing for guest appearances along the route. I plan to update the blog with more specifics and my training from here on (not that anyone reads it) so keep dropping in for a read now and again.
Or should I just have a party?

The Dream Inspires World Wide Festival Of Races

What a great weekend. It started for me when I arrived in Oxford Saturday morning the day before the run. I parked the car up and went for a walk around the city with camera in hand. This was my first visit to Oxford but after studying Steve Choppers (http://amilewith.me.uk/milewith.me.uk/) map of the route a few days previously I found my way around quite easily. It was a glorious day with the sun popping in and out enabling me to get some great photographs. After a pint and a light bite I went to my hotel, freshened up then got a taxi back into the city where I met up with Steve. We then went on to The Head Of The River pub to meet up with Krister (http://runningthenarrowpath.blogspot.com/), Mark (http://mytimetorun.blogspot.com/), Nigel (http://runningfromthereaper.blogspot.com/), Sheila, Harry with his lovely wife and daughters.

A couple of drinks later and some of us made our way to an Italian restaurant to carb up on pasta. We had a great night but didn't stay up too late. We had a run to do in the morning.

Next day I met Paul (@xjr4buddha), Richard, Nigel, Mark and Steve and Tineke (@tinebeest) also arrived. She was to join us on the run but had a dreadful cold so couldn't run. So, she said she would cycle parts of the course with us a give us all support which was really sweet of her. I drove them all to the start of the run at Culham Lock. Here we met up with Harry and another Paul from the excellent podcast Run Yank Run (http://runyankrun.blogspot.com/ ).

We made our way to the start, had a photo shoot and started the run at 10:00 am. We were going great guns keeping the river Thames to our left. The scenery was nice, the villages we passed were chocolate box picturesque and I hardly noticed that it was raining the whole way. After just a couple of miles we reached Abingdon where we found that the riverside path had been detoured. This put an extra couple of miles on the journey and would also mean that we would be delayed meeting the 10K group with an original ETA of 11:00.

It was around Abingdon where another runner caught up with us. His name was Phillipe, a French chap working in the UK just out for his Sunday constitutional run. He joined us for another couple of miles before having to turn back.

A little further on another chap joined us. He asked if we were running the Cambridge to Oxford route. I said no and, showing him my tee shirt with the WWFOR logo on I said we're all running the half marathon and are about to meet the 10K group. He said he has heard of the WWFOR through a podcast called Pheddippidations. I then pointed out to him the other podcasters: Nigel, Steve and Paul and said we are about to meet Krister. Phil Moneypenny and Drusy. He explained that he listened to Steve and Nigel's podcasts and would have liked to have joined us. But, he had other commitments. He will look us up though when he gets back.

When we met Drusy (Toni) (http://www.drusy.blogspot.com/), her son Nick and husband Billy, Phil Moneypenny (http://www.runcast.tv/) and his sister Nicky, Sheila and Joe. Joe read about the WWFOR in a free running magazine and decided to join us at the 10K mark with the others. The poor blighters were freezing waiting for us in the cold and rain. Sheila and Drusy did a great job of replenishing us with liquids, gels and bars. Phil and Nicky started filming us from here and what a great job they did too. We then headed into Oxford. I was starting to flag a little from this point. I hadn't quite got over a cold from the previous week and also had a little bit of a knee issue in my left leg. The nice thing was that we more or less stayed together and had a great time. Running through the streets of Oxford was a strange experience though. There was this strange group of people (one of the with a large German Shepherd at her heel), soaking wet and some of us obviously knackered, running through the streets. We definitely turned some heads. Steve had really picked the best of some of the tourist sites along the route.

We arrived at the famous Iffley Road Stadium where Sir Roger Bannister historically broke the four minute mile. We ran the four laps of the same running track (non of us even close to Sir Roger's 3:59) and enjoyed every minute of it. To cap it all Steve popped off to his car and came back with bag. From the bag he produced medals for us all inscribed with 'The Dream Inspires Oxford 2009'. This was the icing on the cake for all of us. I have to say at this point that I think Steve did a fantastic job of organising the event especially since he lives so far away too. I don't think any of us have stopped thanking him since. The other people who we must be grateful to has got to be Phil and Nicky for making a fantastic video.

Last week some of us got together on an open mic edition of the great podcast The Runners Round Table episode 52 for a debrief of the event. It was great to get with them again even though it was only on the telephone.

P.S. There is one other Steve that none of us will forget for starting this whole concept of people all over the world choosing to run on the same day. Not necessarily racing, just celebrating the joys of running. Steve Runner (http://steverunner.libsyn.com/) of the Pheddippidations podcast. Steve introduced us to the idea 'Think Global, Run Local'. Each year the number of entrants has been growing. I think now it will grow exponentially and maybe to the point that if we all run together on the day, we might even slow down the rotation of the Earth. Thanks Steve(s)

Day Two

06:53 am: Donnie dropped us off where we finished the day before, near Milecastle 42. From here there are quite a few hills to cross, many of them involving a steep climb. The day before, our Garmin watches ran out of power well short of the finish. So, this time, we only switched my watch on saving the other one for when mine dies.

Because we knew there would be a fair amount of walking in places, we had downloaded some 'pub-quiz' general knowledge questions and answers to pass the time. They did the trick early on in day two but as the day went on we couldn't think straight. We were also getting a little grumpy with each other as fatigue set in. One good thing about day two, it was cooler. Especially on the hills. We still doubled the amount of stops though. It was proving much harder than we anticipated. We still had our own personal pains, Graham's back and now left knee, Stewart still having a problem going down hill and and both of them had blisters. As for me, the pain in my groin had not eased up and now I developed a new pain and swelling in my right shin. But, besides these we all shared one common pain - our feet. They hurt. Each time we made a stop at the van starting off again got harder. We would have to walk a good few feet before we could break out into a slow trot and then start running again.

Our nutritional requirements changed too. Listening to our bodies, they were crying out for salted crisps and hot food. Donnie prepared us some tinned stew on one stop which we covered with salt and pepper. Another stop he heated up some minestrone and tinned new potatoes which we also added salt and pepper to. These meals we ate as well as the pasta and fish dishes we had pre-prepared. Another craving we had was for chips. The only problem was that the nearest Fish & Chip shop was on the outskirts of Newcastle. They were worth the wait though. Running through the streets of Newcastle proved to be the biggest challenge. The pavement was just too hard on the feet. We ran on as much grass verge as we could find. There was nothing to look at either to distract us and I can see why most walkers start from Newcastle and walk to the west coast. The path meanders along the river Tyne but we tried to follow the path of the original wall. This was pretty much impossible. The city was built on top of the wall and there was nothing left of it to follow or see. My camera had ran out of power too which was just as well because of the lack of scenery and now the light was fading too.

We finished at Wallsend in the dark. It was on an industrial estate. Donnie had us walk to the next bridge so he could get a better video of us coming in. We held out the Help for Heroes flag and hobbled towards him and the finish. We had no time to hang around though. We had a photo shot then, while talking to our loved one's on our mobile phones we made our way back to the van and to the hotel. We had to then quickly get showered and changed and down into the restaurant for something substantial to eat. We were all back in our rooms and in bed by 11:30pm knowing this time we would have a little bit of a longer sleep.

Day One

We started in the picturesque village of Bowness On Solway where we stayed in a lovely bed and breakfast called Maia Lodge. There Gillian the landlady got up with us at 05:00 am and prepared a breakfast of our request consisting mainly brown toast and jam, cereals, fruit, fruit juice and a pot of tea of course.

The start or finish for some people, is an oak framed shelter with a Roman tiled floor. When we looked out to our left we looked across the Solway Firth to Scotland on the opposite banks.

We kicked off at 06:15 am with the aim to complete 43 miles that day. We planned for three stops along the way to top up our gel and water supplies and to rest while we ate our pre-prepared food. This turned out to be OK for the first two stops. But, as the heat rose and the sun got higher in the sky we realised we needed to double the amount of stops. We were getting through double the amount of water than we planned. Around 1.5 litres an hour. I was taking GoGels every six miles and adding a Nuun tablet to a 500ml bottle on my hip and 1 litre of water in my back-pack.

Once we got to mile 24 the altitude started climbing and by mile 35 the hills and terrain climbed steeply and our Garmin 305's ran out of power. Also by this point our feet were aching and we started to develop our individual aches and pains. Stewart was suffering with cramps which made it very difficult for him to run down hill. Graham had back pain which made climbing hills harder and I had a pain in both groins and inner thighs. This had no bearing on whether I ran up or down hill - it all hurt the same.

We were heavily delayed mainly because of the heat and with the light failing we had to call day one to a close a couple of miles short of the 43 mile mark. We radioed ahead to Donnie who picked us up and took us to the nearest pub at Haltwhistle. There we had a well deserved pint and some pub grub. We also met Brenda while we were being served at the bar. We explained what we were aiming to achieve and how far we had come so far. I gave her our card with the blog address on. Low and behold, when we got home Friday I found she had made a generous donation and left a comment on this blog. Thank you Brenda.

From the pub we were supposed to drive some distance to the T.A. Centre to sleep but we decided we couldn't wait or even make the journey so Donnie had booked us into a family chalet just ten minutes away at a place called Glendale Lodge where we met Peter the owner who put us up at short notice.

By 10:00 pm we were all in our beds tired and aching. Shortly after our heads hit the pillows we were away in the land of Nod, our alarm clocks set for another 05:00 am wake up.

Yes, We Made It

We did make it. At the moment I'm putting together the photographs and editing all the expletives and blasphemy from the videos. I also want to give thanks for all the people who helped us, sponsored us and people who supported us along the way.

I was back at work this morning but will get it together after watching the London half marathon highlights when I get home tomorrow.

Thanks for your patience

Gary

Nerves Kicking In

It's only four days to go and I think the nerves are kicking in. The emails and phone conversations between us have increased. Checking we have everything we need, making lists and we've even got Graham making soups.
So, this is our itinerary:
We will be driven to Bowness on Solway by our volunteer support Donny in a vehicle on loan from the Territorial Army. We will stay in a bed and breakfast for the first night. The landlady kindly said she will get up at silly o'clock and feed us what we need then get us out of the door for 6a.m.
We will then run around 9.5 miles to Beaumont for one short break where we might want to use the 'facilities' and take a bite to eat. We have energy bars and gels we can carry in our small back-packs that we can snack on or we can radio ahead for Donny to meet us with fresh supplies. Because of the distance and the difficult hilly terrain, we will be making frequent stops for refreshments.
Our next stop will be our main meal break at Crosby On Eden. Here we will have something hot to eat and have a stretch before tackling the next ten miles to Roman fort remains at Birdoswald. This will be our last break before climbing a 345m hill then dropping down to our final stop on day one at Twice Brewed after completing the first 43 miles. Here, Donny will pick us up in the van. Depending on what shape we're in at this stage we may stop for a well deserved beer or drive on to the nearest barracks for a shower and rest.
Day two we'll be up with the Lark's and Donny will drive us back to Twice Brewed where we will tackle the hilliest miles to the first stop of the day at mile 52. This is another Roman fort near Walwick where we'll meet Donny. Here we have to detour from the wall slightly to cross a river. The old Roman bridge that crossed the river here has long disappeared.
At around mile 62 we have our main stop of the day for some more hot food. This is near to a pub where we hope we may be able use the rest room.
Once reaching the outskirts of Newcastle Upon Tyne we will take our last break which should be somewhere in the region of seventy miles. It's then non-stop to Wallsend (I wonder why it's called that) on the banks of the river Tyne completing our 84 mile journey.
I'm sad to say that there will only be three of us taking the challenge. Nolan has had to drop out for personal reasons. I know how much he has trained for this event and it must have been very difficult for him to pluck up the courage to let us know he won't be coming. This has led to us stealing his rations and talking about him behind his back.
I think we all would like to thank Donny in advance for the great job he's done getting us the Territorial Army to help us out with transport, fuel, radios and somewhere to sleep and of course to thank Donny himself for being our support and Gofer.
See you on the other side (of England)
Stewart, Graham, Donny and me Gary.

The Long Mynd

Hill training. Stewart, Graham and I thought we might get a bit of real hill training in so we headed for The Long Mynd in Shropshire. This is a favourite place for my wife and I to go walking and take in beautiful views of Shropshire and the Welsh Boarders. We met at the Carding Mill Valley National Trust car park, Church Stretton and from there started our 15K/9.5mi run. The path we took is long but not too steep and once at the top at 516m/1693ft it flattens out to a degree. We took this opportunity to take a breather and talk about nutrition and what we will be needing to keep us going over similar conditions but for over forty miles a day. It basically came down to us grazing on a mixture of certain carbs and proteins and to keep only to the gels and drinks that we've tested on previous long runs. Graham is in charge of putting our daily menu together and I hope to publish a blog soon and go into more detail of what the basics will consist of.
We came down off the hills at Minton and ran the country lanes back to Church Stretton and to the car park. We were too early for a pint and a pub meal so Stewart and I popped into the local cafeteria for a healthy breakfast.

On my route home I pass through the village of Much Wenlock. This is the place where Dr William Penny Brookes, founding father of the Modern Olympic Games lived http://www.wenlock-olympian-society.org.uk/ . I took a walk around the village and visited the church and I managed to get my well earned pint
of real ale in the George and Dragon before picking up some local grown produce from the tiny market there.

If you want to know more about Dr William Penny Brookes and his influence on the modern Olympic Games, Steve Chopper conducts an interview with Helen Cromarty, historian of the Wenlock Olympian Society on Mile 13 of the "A Mile With Me" podcast.

Also if you would like to visit The Long Mynd or any other National Trust properties/sites you can go to their web site here:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-cardingmillvalleyandlongmynd/

Graham's Pain

I've noticed there have been quite a few requests on the JustGiving (FirstGiving in the US) charity web site that one or two people would give money just to see Graham in pain or in some sort of discomfort. If it brings in the money, I will photograph every grimace and blister for you all. Even if I have to Photoshop them in for you and swear - on his life mind you - that they are for real.
But, really though. I would like to thank all of you guys and guyettes for your contributions to a great charity in support to for allies injured in the line of duty. Many of these personnel will have severe life changing injuries like loss of limbs and what we could possibly call normal bodily functions. The Help for Heroes charity help these people to cope the best they can with what the conflict dealt them. I know that many people of the countries that fought in the Iraq conflict lost their lives and that Stewart, Graham, Nolan and I are raising good money in the name of one of those heroes that lost his life. But please, let's not forget the heroes that not only survived, but have a new battle to now live the rest of their lives the way their mothers and fathers did not imagine there daughter's and son's to live.
If it means I can squeeze another couple of quid out of any of you, I will photograph the blisters on the feet of Nolan, Stewart and me and say they are all Graham's. I know Grey won't mind. He's a diamond geezer that will squeeze a blister on video for charity. Yes, I'm taking a video camera with us and if there's any blister squeezing to be done, I will capture it and post it on http://www.runcast.tv/.
To tell the truth, if there's any grimacing to be done it will be from anyone but Grey. The rest of us are big blokes and he has less meat on him than a butchers apron. As far as the training is going, he's overtaken Sally Gunnel and is trying to catch up with Paula Radcliff. If she can just stop for another couple of pee's, he might do it.

A Great Time

My wife and I took a few days leave in the beautiful town of Bournemouth last week. The idea to take a break here was inspired by Steve Chopper's podcast A Mile With Me. http://www.amilewith.me.uk/ Steve's podcast is a virtual running travelogue. He describes the areas and towns he visits and interviews some very interesting people. While down there I had the opportunity to meet up with Steve for a run one evening along Bournemouth's sea frontand into the town itself. It was a cool evening and the front was teeming with other runners as it is most days and nights. Steve recorded our conversation as we talked about how the Hadrian's Wall fundraising for the Help For Heroes charity was going, beer and breweries, the great places my wife and I visited while down there and of course the White Peak's Swift Half Marathon.
The Swift Half and full marathon are two events that take place each year just outside Matlock in the Derbyshire Peak District. There will be quite a collection of podcasters and bloggers meeting for the event. With only two hundred places we had to move quickly to get our applications in. Both the marathon and half marathon events will run concurrently on Saturday 16th May and I look forward to meeting Steve again at the race.
As for our training update:
Stewart is doing fine. A couple of niggly aches but nothing he couldn't cope with.
Graham and Nolan are going great guns but they have the same old problems as many of us trying to fit their runs in between work and family life.
I'm still trying not to aggravate a now subdued ITB injury. My miles are still low but are increasing gradually as I become more confident that I'm not doing harm to a very painful running injury.

Seven Weeks To Go

I can't believe it's only seven weeks before we attempt Hadrian's wall. I had my first run this morning after injuring my knee. I kept it short - 4.78km/2.97mi. I can still feel something's there around my right hip and the side of my right knee so I will be keeping the miles low until I'm confident everything's OK.

I've had two updates from other team members.

Stewart has also had a little knee problem recently and adjusted his miles accordingly. He has been running the hills and country side of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire.

Graham (left) has also been keeping his runs to less than ten miles each. He has been working away quite a bit lately and finds it difficult to get the longer runs in. Overall though, both of them are training well - better than me anyway. I think they as well as me are nervous of getting an injury that will prevent us starting let alone finishing the Hadrian's Wall trek.

Graham and I were also scheduled to run the Fradley 10K in Lichfield on March 8th. Unfortunately Graham will be away again so can't make it. I'm hoping to still have something in me to at least complete it. I don't think I will be getting a new PB this year though. My PB for the course is 54:41 in 2007. It was my very first race since taking up running in 2006. It's a great, two lap PB course that's uber flat most of the way around. I couldn't get the time off last year to run it and would hate to miss it again this year.

I also need to keep in mind that the following Sunday I'll be running the Stafford 25th Anniversary Half Marathon. I remember the first time I ran it in 2007. It was my first HM and I ran it with ITB Syndrome in my left knee. My time was 02:09:10. The week before I was hoping for a sub 2hr but with my knee problem, it just wasn't going to happen. It was also the first time I met Nigel from the Running From The Reaper Podcast http://runningfromthereaper.blogspot.com/ I think he grew a beard waiting for me to come in. He's a much faster runner than me. We also met at the Stafford HM last year where I also didn't do as well as I planned. My problem that time was a lack of sleep through work. I had just three hours sleep Friday night and four on the Saturday. I was shattered. My finishing time in 2008 was 02:11:32! Longer than when I ran with a knee injury!

I hope to be running regularly from now on so will have inspiration to keep the blog updated each week.