Training, My Worries, Running Shoes, Sponsorship, Spotify Training List & I'm not an inspiration!!!

Here we are again. This weeks summary -

• Training is going really good.

• Fund Raising has gone through the roof (thanks all).

• The Charity Spotify Playlist just keeps getting worse and worse.

• In 6 days my first Official Half Marathon will be over and I will be going "OUT, OUT!"......

• I really am running out of things that can stop me getting to the start line now but I am really worried about the number of people I know with COVID right now.

Marfan Trust

I have just realised that I have been using the wrong facebook link for the Marfan Trust (not very clever when I am trying to raise their profile!), so if you are interested try, try this one for facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Marfan-Trust-102179834771903/

and this one for the normal site - https://www.marfantrust.org/

Training Update

At the end of my last blog I had just tried to do my last long run before London and it was appalling. This is what has happened since and it starts from the beginning of my tapering window:

• Tue July 20th - This was meant to be my first shorter run in the build up to the race but I felt really good and needed to get Sundays pathetic run out of my system. So I just kept going. 16.1km / 10 miles. That'll do nicely. I didn't want to push myself beyond that.

• Thu July 22nd - 3 laps (7.5km) of Gorleston's Park Run course. Last 2 laps saw the welcome return of my mate Paul!

• Sat July 24th - Run down to Great Yarmouth Sea Front. Meet Paul. Do a lap of Yarmouth Sea Front (12km banked and feeling good)

• Mon July 26th - 2 laps of Gorleston Sea Front with Paul and then another 2 laps on my own (10k). It was very humid this morning and a bit of a struggle but I did it and I had only literally just jumped out of bed and got myself down there.

So, now I am having 2 days off. I'm gonna run about 7.5km on Thursday. Then have Friday and Saturday off. That should leave me well rested for the London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday :-) I'm not nervous at all. I am just really, really excited. My running kit is all laid out already (see photo). I'm like a 6 year old getting ready for his first ever football match! Whatever happens, I have given it a good shot and I will be pleased to make the start line. I won't win it but I won't be last either but I will enjoy it!

Some months I used to try and run 100km in a month. Other months I was nowhere near that. If I run my planned run on Thursday I will have done 152 KM in July. That is 94.4 miles in a month. Just a shame the Half Marathon falls on the 1st Aug really, cos that would have taken me well over the 100 miles in a month. However, I am well chuffed with those totals. That is the most miles I have run in a month by quite a distance and I am feeling in a really good place. Even got Magic Vas round tomorrow to invigorate my legs more.

One thing that does surprise me about myself though. I am not a morning person. I am not good when an alarm goes off. However, it has been too hot to run at lunch time or in the evening recently. So most (all?) of my runs in the last 3 weeks have made me set an alarm between 6.30 and 7.00 AM. I remember when I was first on Strave and I used to be amazed at the ridiculous times that people would get up for a cycle or run. Now, there are still lots of people out before me, however, I can't believe that I love running enough to set an early alarm 3 or 4 times a week. How life changes eh?

What are my top 3 worries right now?

1. COVID.

2. COVID.

3. COVID.

That's it. I just want to get to the start line and the only thing I can see stopping that now is getting COVID or being forced into isolation. I know so many people with COVID right now and it is worrying me. I have almost put myself in a mini lockdown again but obviously Sam can't work from home when she works front line ambulance!!!

If I make the start line then my 3 worries will be HEAT, HEAT AND HEAT.

Running Shoes

The above "1 worry only" comment isn't strictly true. I have a running shoe crisis. For the last year I have got on really well with some Asics Kayano's. So obviously :-), just for the two half marathons, Sam bought me a new pair of Asics Kayano's. £155 a pair but I got them for £115 thanks to the sale and the GYRR Discount. I over pronate (feet turn inwards) and seem to get on really well with the support that the Kayano's give. Weirdly, whilst I over pronate I also have VERY, VERY high archers (another perk of Marfan!). Now, from what I read, someone with High Archers should under pronate not overpronate but eh, it isn't surprising that I don't fit the norm I guess. Anyway, I was well chuffed with my new pair of "Kayano - Tokyo's" especially for the races & especially for a bargain £115.

Then, when we were in Lincoln, Shaun and I were playing golf. Sam went shopping and went into Intersport's closing down sale and found a pair of ON's in their closing down sale - £35. They aren't overpronation running shoes like I always have but they are high arch instead. I bloody love them, they are so, so light compared to the Kayano's.

I have been alternating between these two running shoes recently cos I can't decide which to wear. They are completely different but I love them both. The only problem with the ON's is that they are a 11.5 and I am a 12. Now, this brings me to another Marfan problem - my second toes are far longer than my big toes (which my kids always used to find funny). I would attach a photograph of my super high archers and odd shaped toes (Crab feet as Shaun and Toby call them) but my wife would go mad. She hates my feet! However, as a result of the length of my second toe, they are half a size too small as my second toe just about touches the end when I run. It isn't bad enough to be a problem and it is 50 / 50 which ones I wear. I change my mind daily.

Also, as I overpronate, I have suffered a lot with pains down the inside of my shins, this has got better when I have used the Kayano's. however, when I used the ON's regularly this problem did start to come back. However, it won't be a problem in the race, just after it for a few days, so that doesn't put me off either. So like I say, it is 50/50 at the moment.

I've attached a couple of photos of the running shoes I have had over the last 2 and a half years (no need to add up how much this lot has cost!). As you can see, I went thru a Brooks phase too. I know a lot of your runners have a lot more running shoes than that though!

Sponsorship

The sponsorship has gone mental. I am now well over the target that I set. We have raised almost £2,000 in the last 2 weeks (and almost £8000 in the last 4 years). I have tried to thank every single person that has donated. The problem is that I am having people donate who I don't know or just can't track. So if you haven't got a direct thank you from me, please ping me some more contact details as I would like to thank you all.

In addition, Amanda Blanc (Group CEO of Aviva) has sponsored me and asked all of the Aviva Exco to sponsor me and boy have they gone for it. I've loved my 31 years (and counting) at Aviva (albeit there have been rocky patches!!!) but I am really grateful for this support. Aviva as a company have given me £250 also which is awesome!

Ultimately though, I am eternally grateful to every single person that has sponsored me recently. £2,000 for the Marfan Trust is massive and you've all helped!

This brings me neatly onto my next subject -

Bloody Spotify

As I am sure you know by now, I have a Spotify Training list. I have to play that list when I train and I have to have it on random and I cannot fast forward a song. For each £2 you sponsor, you can add a song to that training list.

Just take a look at the songs on this list now, it is painful in places (great in other places!) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/01NzqI5xm8CrcEYkS13Tg5?si=kwtgHeHPTgi38ZG_hs7Ixw&utm_source=whatsapp&dl_branch=1&fbclid=IwAR1mXlQuzmqeYj6wi8bDUv4hSc_MBDqw1FY3fioTbLGrIdwYhiehuLLdLt0&nd=1

Whilst some of you have been kind, some of you are no-longer classed as friends. You know where you stand!!!

If you wanna join in you can add the songs on the above link and add yoyr £2 per song donations on this link (and thank you!)

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/marfellous2017

I'm not an inspiration!

A few people this week have said that I am an inspiration and that makes me feel uncomfortable. I'm not an inspiration to anyone, ever! I'm just me doing my thing and setting new targets to keep me motivated. If anything, with the amount I have worried Sam and my Mum when I have increased distances, you would be better of saying that I am selfish! I am doing what I enjoy and trying to raise the profile of Marfan and raise some money for the charity whilst I do it.

I know lots of people right now who have far, far worse medical issues going on than me. Marfan isn't as scary now as it was 25 years ago. I wouldn't swap my health for 000's of people. So, I am definitely not an inspiration. There are people struggling with far worse stuff right now and sadly I know some of them.

All I am is someone that didn't want to be really fat anymore (I have lost 10 lbs this month (but Sam has just brought me Cheese and biscuits :-( )) . Golf wasn't working cos I was spending more time in the 19th hole than on the course. So I tried something different and loved it and I was allowed to carry on doing it.

If you wanna be inspired watch the Olympics and the Paralympics. So please, I'm no inspiration, I'm just someone trying to grab money off you for charity.

Anyway, that will do for today, thanks for reading, take Care Guys and I will try to sneak one more blog in before Sunday! Have a good week!

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