Fundraising continues

Fundraising now the marathon is over continues. Forever...

SMA have a baby comp going if you are here clues.

Here they are:

3, 5, 2, 6, 4, 1 is the secret number!

Photo's from my sister - from marathon day

I appear to be losing my head in these pic's... However as many people failed to spot... let alone photo the lesser spotted Cregan she did v. well!

Most of these are from the 11 mile plus mark.

The video bar on the left can be unreliable - due to firewalls - if you can not see the video mentioned in the last post click here YOUTUBE - CLIP - I accidently rated it 1 star. Sorry Malcom

Pic's, pain and video and tape

I have posted the first of a number of during the marathon – clips form the Lobb outside broadcast unit.

Offical photo’s are at

http://www.marathonfoto.com/ – Put in Cregan and bib number 46878

These are funny as I look a hell of a lot more tired than anyone else… getting old.

11812th out of 35,306 = Top 1/3rd

I'm sure that you know by now that I did finish the race...

I finished in 4hrs 17 mins disappointed not to not finish under 4hrs for myself... but there would be no donations for the Evelina for not finishing and that is far more important... the heat made the race very tough for all involved...

I'm happier with my time now that I see that most people were 20 mins slower due to heat...
and 6038 runners received medical attention during the day (as did 120 members of public around the course), 35 were taken to hospital and 25 were admitted. Glad not to be one of them!

I was a bit ill after from sun stroke but feel better if a little stiff in the hips now...

Many thanks to Evelina and the Ship Inn for looking after all my supporters!

I'll post links to photo's, times and more fundraising activities in the next couple of days.

Saint Matthew Academy working together for the Evelina

Two students from St Matthew Academy will also be running on the 26th April in the London Mini Marathon.
Although Ernest, Rhys and myself will not be running side by side and the boys will run 5 instead of 40 odd km... it is a great achievement to get a place in this prestigious race.

Both Boys had to qualify for their place by being one of the fastest in their age group from the Borough at the recent trials. Neither are in a running club but stiil turned up and beat off lots of other hopefuls. Well Done lads!


Both boys are raising money for the Evelina - so why not sponsor them too through my just giving site by adding a message when you donate to make clear the money is for them. http://www.justgiving.com/davecreganlondonmarathon2009

The Best Free Event In The Running Year - Open to all

The Marathon Expo at Excel centre - from today until Saturday...

The 2009 Flora London Marathon Exhibition will be the biggest ever, with over 140 exhibitors presenting their latest products and services. All the major athletic brands are present, as are a multitude of other exhibitors showing and selling everything from technical socks to global navigation devices, and everything between. The show has more manufacturers, more international races, more charities, more running publications, more medical companies, and the biggest and best selection of retailers you will ever see under one roof. There is plenty to engage the beginner and serious distance runner alike.

In the Adidas/London Marathon Superstore there is an Olympic area, women's area and even a children's area, so come and hang out and be inspired.

http://www.lmexpo.com/.

Entry is Free so tell your family, friends and your running club.

Evelina - take over pub for the Marathon

The Evelina has its offical cheering point at the 16.5 mile mark.
@ The Ship Pub, 290 Westferry Road, Isle of Dogs, E14 3GA
Nearest DLR stations are Mudchute or Island Gardens
Or simply walk through the foot tunnel by the Cutty Sark

Timings:
Elite runners will start to go through this point from 10.30am onwards. Please arrive from 10am onwards to secure your roadside place.
There will be T-shirts, balloons, banners, noise sticks and cheer boards at this point. There will also be hot drinks and sandwiches for any early birds who arrive before 9.30am.
Finally please give a special to cheer to Evelina runner - Mark Hammond who is running despite having an arm in a cast.

http://www.justgiving.com/markhammond1

Where's Cregan! Number - 46878

Finding me on the day will be made easier... by this mobile service. I do not take any responsibility for the costs involved!!

Here is the blurb... (click link for full blurb)


"Thousands of runners will be hitting the streets of London this Sunday for the 27th London Marathon and Marvellous will be there with them. We however will leave the shorts and trainers at home as our job is purely mobile. As part of our adidas running campaign, we are giving spectators the chance to monitor runners on a marathon mobile site.

The site allows you to view the location, speed and estimated finish time, so that you can keep track of your chosen runner every step of the way. Even if you don’t know anyone participating, the site provides a variety of services including course information as well as travel and weather reports.

But that’s not all, Marvellous and adidas are also running a series of big screens around the Cutty Sark area of the course where runners will receive messages of encouragement from adidas. So if you know someone brave enough to take on the marathon text RUN to 82233 and track their progress."

In the runners magazines it says text run to 83040- so I'm not sure if there are two different services. The 83040 one - is for times... this marvellous one seems to be for messages, about travel, where to watch and even sending a message to the big screens as well?? I would guess this would cost more and mean you get more messages... costing you more money.

To stop any text service text STOP to the number... keep a record of this on your phone as it is illegal for them then to send you messages.

Saint Matthew Academy - Enterprise week

This week has been Enterprise week at my school St Matthew Academy. The theme has been LIVING THE VALUES - the values of are those of the Olympics.

• Courage
• Friendship
• Excellence
• Respect
• Inspiration
• Equality
• Determination

SMA press gang interviewing the Harlequins Rugby team

I have worked with 4 or five groups taking visits to London, helping run young Olympic enterprise groups, dragons dens and lots more. Reporting on all this activity has been the SMA press gang - I stopped by to train them in blog creation. the press gang has produced a TV show, newspaper and their blog. Well done to all the team and Mr Campbell. To read the blog - click here.

Clicks from all over the world

The Stats now show the blog has been visited by the people from the following countries:

England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, America, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and now Japan!

Marathon running is it good for you?

Well it doesn't feel like it... and many top trainers believe running such a long distance for over almost 4hrs is not a great idea. At the moment I have a deep muscle pain in my hip from the last long run and Ben Morgan is resting a leg injury as well. I'm using the time to apply surgical spirit to toughen my feet... top tip from the marathon running dinner ladies at school.

I have actually not carried out "traditional" training for the marathon because I read this great article by a top trainer in the Independent. I also didn't want to become skinny.

Link to the Independent - cheats guide to preparing for the marathon

so...For example I've eaten lots of protein rather than massive amounts of carbs. The aim was to keep my weight up. Brown carbs passed through me at speed as I seem to process food very quickly. So I eat some but not loads. This seems to stop muscle wastage. Secondly I have not run more than 3 times a week... all the advice is 5+ in the running magazines. Instead I have spent at least 1hr twice a week on strength training. the idea is to be able to hold my form throughout the race so almost every excercise involves abs training too.

This is an excerpt from the article.

"Running for an hour every day puts your body under so much stress that it begins to break down," says Mike Weeks. He should know: though his interest in fitness was kicked off by a passion for rock-climbing, in 2006 he and his partner, Bean Sopwith, undertook the challenge of dragging Jack Osbourne around the Marathon des Sables, a seven-day, seven-marathon race across the Sahara. Weeks ran three marathons a week in training and saw his connective tissue and muscle density drop away. "You'd have to put a gun to my head to make me run for more than a couple of hours," he says. "So many people think running the marathon will make them healthy, and it's quite the opposite. Many people leave it to the last minute and then think: 'Shit. I've got to start cramming in.' Their body is just annihilated in the training."

The interesting thing is that the runner he trained in the article surprised season runners with her progress using this approach. She finished in 4hrs 2 mins with 10 weeks training - she was only 25. But that is a very good time with really only a month and halfs training

Watching the football

Watched the England game and ran 5KM last night. first time in a while... I'll explain why.

The running machine I was on had two screens one showing the football. The second a vitual track - see picture -where I was running my 5KM at 8 miles an hour.

I'm not the lightest person in the world and I found the vibration as my feet feel gave me a headache. The machine was also not as smooth as I'm used to. but flasher I was staggered to find that the machine costs £9K when I Googled it.

Anyway I'm on a running machine as I have a pain my hip which fades as the day progresses but also comes back when I run. It was uncomfortable and I wish I hadn't run now.. however you feel if you don't run you might stop running. I'm impatient for this pain to go so I can do some 10K's to warm up for the marathon. Ben also has niggles I think these are from the long runs we've done. so maybe that they are now done is a good thing? I also think this is a sign that basically this sort of running is not good for you at all. 10K is just right 40/50 odd is just plain daft.

So far I've made less than $10 from advertising on this site... I thought there was meant to be money in the internet?

The oldest man on the day!

Last year teachers – like yours truly - were the largest profession to run the marathon… got to be the best at something.

However...

The oldest marathon runner to complete the Marathon was 101! And called Buster. However as this link shows this may not be true… as some people think he may only be in his late 90’s… still there’s not enough people called Buster in this day age and he's running for a good cause so who cares...

Buster keeps himself busy as he still holds down a job with Pimilco Plumbing…

As you can see he – believes in taking on carbs as he goes just like all the other top athletes…

http://www.justgiving.com/bustermartin1

In 2007 - 50,039 people applied to run the marathon, 36,396 started and 35,694 finished… so 702 stopped half –way and went to the pub never to be seen again. And 13,643 didn’t make it through training… Which I can understand as I can’t run at the moment due to a sore thigh, hip, leg or something.

So Buster even if he is under a hundred is doing good and doing pretty well.

Look out for him

Offical charity cheering points... on the Isle of Dogs

From the Evelina: I've added my own comments in red

Picture is of supporters last year

16 miles into the longest run of their lives, the Flora London Marathon finish line can seem a lifetime away. That’s when our team of runners need your voice to carry them through to the end and help them raise more than £45,000 for patients at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals.
Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Charity, supporting the work of Londoner’s local hospital, will have 25 runners in the Flora London Marathon 2009, all working together to make sure your loved ones receive world class care. To help them along the way we will have a cheering point and we need your help to create a warm welcome so our runners know that we are behind them all the way.
There will be a hot snack and drink for any early birds, T-shirts, balloons, noise sticks and cheer boards to keep your runner on track.

Your help and enthusiasm will make all the difference and you’ll be pleased you experienced the London Marathon first-hand. (I will running fast here and looking out for past Pupils from George Green's School... possibly cheering?)

Volunteers are needed on Sunday 26 April from 10am – 5pm so if you can handle the pace email our team or call 020 7188 1196 today.If you can’t make it to the 16.5 mile cheering point, why not join in the roadside action at mile 22.5 by Guy’s Hospital and the Tower of London or mile 25.5 by St. Thomas’ Hospital and Parliament Square. (It's nice to know where all the hospitals are in the last 5 miles).

A map of the Flora London Marathon route will be a great help – visit www.london-marathon.co.uk to get your copy.

Finally I am short sighted and not the most observant person at the best of times... I shall do my best to wave but if I miss you... I apologise in advance.

If you want to let me know where you will be leave a comment.This is done by clicking the word comment below.

A quick reminder of why I'm running!

The Evelina Children's Hospital is is “a hospital that doesn’t feel like a hospital”. As a family when our daughter Scarlett became very ill we were rushed there to its world class facilities these saved her life.

The Hospital provides everything from routine care to life saving treatment for over 100,000 children every year. To keep this going it needs to buy the very best equipment and facilities. The Evelina Appeal is the way ordinary people like you or I can help with this fantastic work!

Scarlett Today and Scarlett at the hospital - the difference your donation can make.



Please consider giving using my justgiving site - hit the buttons on the left or by giving your time and energy?

Beating Gordon Ramsay already...

Just been checking the justgiving page and I'm ahead of Gordon Ramsay so far... hopefully I'll keep it that way as his best is 3hr 45 and i'm aiming for 3hr 30.

http://www.justgiving.co.uk/gordonramsay

He's on £20 quid today - no doubt he'll get a few quid for his great cause. The Scottish Spina Bifida Association

Mothers day and a big bridge

Sunday was Mothers Day and super mum to the girls and Wife to me Jo was very patient while I did my 20 mile final long run. Jo is a great Mum who looks after us all making us feel safe, loved and happy... we'd all be lost without her. so Happy Mothers Day from Me and the girls.

I decided for this big run to go to Tower Bridge and practice my wave - just in case I'm on TV. I was at the Tower Hotel for a Headship course on the Friday and got a bridge lift for a Naval Destroyer coming through... fantastic sight unless you were on a run... then you had to stop. Inspired by this and looking at the bridge over lunch I decided I was going to run to it.

I went there, (7 miles), then back to Greenwich, (14), then on to Woolwich and back to Catford down the South Circular (20.5). When making this route I forgot that I was advised that the start of the marathon is all downhill... "so don't go to quick".

The end of my run on Sunday was the start of the marathon, but backwards, so was therefore all uphill... and it really hurt... at mile 17/8 my toe seemed to explode and one of my nails which was purple is now black... but numb... so thats OK I suppose.

Anyway I got home... and really enjoyed the run. Because there was lots to see... as well as the bridges and Tower... I passed two places that my Father (Danny Cregan) had worked when he first left school. The first was the Seager Whisky Distillery - in Deptford and the second at Tower Hill was a Bonded warehouse somewhere underground.

The Seager building seems to have been demolished but the outside facade is in place. This will form part of a new landmark building - see pic 2 - according SE8 expert the Deptford Dame on her blog.

While running along I remember my Dad telling me how he would go to Ronnie Scotts - where he was a life member, then walk to work in Deptford and be first in... I thought this was very impressive a bit like going to the North Pole - which was another thing my Dad applied to do - and 8-9 miles with no sleep and a days work to follow was pretty impressive...

However running has shown me that a lot journeys we make by bus, car, train etc... could be made faster and for free on foot. Especially for London school children who will wait with a free oyster card for 30mins to make a journey which can walked in 20mins.....

Vote on my finish time - additional info to help you make your decision.

Those of you who follow the blog and send me emails saying why haven't you put anything up will have noticed I've not run for a week or so. This is because I've felt unwell and developed a pain in my leg. Both seem to be easing now so I've concentrated on doing other things other than running such as weights and ab work. I suspect that I have over used my legs as I walk at least 5-6 miles a day as well running.

Anyway....

With a month-ish to go... Myself, Ben Morgan and probably all other runners are trying to predict our finish times.

There are sites to do this. You type in your time for a shorter distance and then it's calculated using some strange mathematical formula. I've bored of this so instead... I'm checking out the celebrity runners and deciding could I take Gordon Ramsey? Will I lag behind Jordan or make Peter Andre eat my dust! Yes they are all running too...

A full list of celebrities running - most I've never hear of is available at this link. Click here.

Bug

I've not run all week as I've had a stomach bug and felt weak. So I'm switching to weight training and short running Friday and Sunday of this week. With maybe a bit of skipping to build the legs.

As I've run a half marathon every week for 3 weeks I may have simply done a bit too much? However I'd like to get a 20 mile run under belt in the next week or so. So I'll be aiming for that.

St Matthew Academy students - qualify to run in the London Mini Marathon

Two students from St Matthew Academy will be running on the 26th April in the London Mini Marathon.

We will not be running side by side and they will run 5 instead of 40 odd km... but this in a way is more of an achievement as they had to qualify for their place by being one the fastest in their age group from the Borough at the recent trials. Well Done

3 London boroughs - 16 miles and breakfast

This has been a very busy week. I've only run twice but less is more and both runs were good and... in the morning.

I ran to school on Wednesday making use of the gym of facilities on arrival for 20mins before using the very nice showers. All new buildings like St Matthew Academy have to have a place for cyclists, runners and other self propelled people to clean themselves up. I even have a hook for my towel... Many thanks Guy.

Today I notched up 16 miles and ran through 3 London Boroughs - Bromley, Lewisham and Greenwich. Which means that by the next run I will be less than double digits short of the 26 miles. Which is the optimistic way of looking at it... rather than... WHAT!... 10 miles on top of this.

Although I felt fine today I did feel a bit tired afterwards. Which leads to a question for which I haven't found an answer. Should I eat before I run in the morning?

In fact I've found many different answers in lots of different books... so it seems a matter of whether you can manage it or not.

Answer a) = No... you'll get a stitch, feel bloated and it's good to practice running on empty in training.

Or

Answer b) = Yes... as it will give you more energy and prevent muscle loss.

My answer at the moment is eat loads before bedtime...

On arrival home I was so hungry I had two poached eggs, 3 slices Wheaten, a banana, a bowl of shredded wheat, half a sausage my daughter hadn't eaten, two pints of water, two coffees and a jammie dodger!

I've now raised, doing the half marathon and this run, over a £1000 for the Evelina. Many thanks to my two most recent donors. The 2 Johns. Neither of whom are actually called John as one is Sean and other is Jon - which isn't John but Jonathan.

On the MP3 - Sébastien Léger - The Beatport only mix of Eric Prydz - The People.

Sun...

For the first time in months... I've run with the sun shining. This made a massive difference as running was no longer an ordeal.

I can see now why people in the past got very obsessional about the seasons. Running involves spending hours out in the elements just like the farmers, travellers and workers of the past would have done and the difference a bit of sunshine makes is amazing. Today we pop into our cars, from one nice warm, lit building to another and barely notice the cold.

Anyway 15 miles! The furthest run yet in 2hrs 03mins and 10 sec's. Now applying the formula - T2 = T1 x (D2/D1)^1.06 where T1 is the given time, D1 is the given distance, D2 is the distance to predict a time for, and T2 is the calculated time for D2 = a marathon time of 3.40.53. I know I can run faster and hopefully more training and the excitement of the race will help me break 3.30.

Check the archive

Due to the number of posts to read the whole blog check the archive on the left.

This is make the page load faster.

Gimme shelter...

On the big day I will joined by a very good friend Ben Morgan... Hopefully we'll attempt 15+ miles together this weekend. Running is the new going out...

The reason I mention this is he's got his justgiving page sorted now... so if you know Ben through me and want to help him and his charity SHELTER. Click or save the link below.

http://www.justgiving.com/benmorgan1

Over a 100 miles a month

Jan I did 93 miles. I did 5 miles in the last couple of days of Dec when I started logging. See RSS feed at foot of blog. So far this month I'm up to 35. The snow knocked a good bit off and it's a short month so 100 seems out of reach. But the aim must be 130+ for March.

Half Marathon - Done!

Today - Sunday - I got a half done in well under 1.45. Less than 8 min mile pace... I forgot to time it again... but this is how fast I will need to run to get a sub 4hr time.

Sunday morning at 6.45 is a strange time to be out. The streets are filled with... people on a mission while the rest of the world sleeps.

There is the good... going to church. In Lewisham this involves wearing some pretty wild Sunday best. Then there is the bad well dressed but now dishevelled people staggering home from the clubs and the ugly... me sweating away.

Whilst on my run the temptation to give up was very real today... not just in my head. As I usually run in a hoop there is always the temptation to knock a few miles off and head home. Today a fella in track suit walked out a newsagents ahead of me. I cruised past him but then suddenly he started sprinting. My first though was... race...! but this was mile 8 so I plodded on. Surprisingly I managed to not only catch him but the bus as well... this was because the driver thought we were together, so waited for me. He then started shouting at me to get on the bus. Very tempting... but... I did the full run and went home... to turn rocks into sandwiches*...

These were needed to go to the Tate and take in some Russian constructivist modern art before watching Ireland hammer Italy.

A good day! In all all... and it's school hols.

* A Sunday / Lenten joke

Love and legs...

It’s Valentine’s day so no training today… Did 10k before school on Friday and felt very comfortable. 10k now feels very short and I really wanted to do more…

I have a week off work now so the aim is to lift my mileage and weight train more often at the gym or in the garden. I rarely do lower body focused exercises so I’m getting used used to lunges, squats, donkey kicks, step ups and calf raises. Frankly, I know why I don’t do them… … they’re sooooooooo dull so I’ve combined them with upper body moves to make them more interesting. E.g. step and shoulder press, squat with cleans. However lunges can’t be done with anything… they look like they should be easy… just walking a bit funny… but they’ve given me the worst DOM’s I’ve ever experienced… which is a sign they’re worth it?

These excercises will, according to the reading, strenghten my legs to make me run faster and/or longer...

As it’s Valentines day we’ve been eating fizzy lovehearts…. We all got nice messages such as “Your cute”… apart from Scarlett whose first ever loveheart read “Grow up”. ???? They were still lots of fun... especially as we had them at our wedding too.

Rugby this afternoon is excellent. Scotland didn’t get thrashed and in fact you could say they were robbed (by an Irish referee), so should get a win… to unsettle things. It’s midway in the England game with Wales… and both teams look a) Beatable b) Capable of winning this game.

Tomorrow is the Ireland /Italy game… really want to go to see this game one year in Rome. Tomorrow I'll need to get my long 13 mile run done early to be done before kick off.

Our local shop which sells Irish produce such as white pudding, fig rolls and Tayto crisps has shut... So I'll have to be on the look out for a new fig roll seller as the Irish ones are so much nicer than any others and a great snack after a run.

My new picture - by Orla

Orla has drawn me in my running vest. To compare this to the real me in my running vest go to my justgiving online donation site:

http://www.justgiving.com

Giving in this way means 28p extra for every pound you donate goes to the hospital thanks to the tax man (or woman).

Back on track and drinking from a tap

Back running on the road. As the ice has gone. The only snow left are big balls of ice, in the local park where people, like us made snowmen. It looks a bit like a cold version of Easter Island.

Did 4.5 miles yesterday and I'll run 7-8 to school tomorrow. Plus the long one at the weekend which needs to be about 13. So things are getting on track again.

I've realised as I eat incredible amounts of food that have little need for a nutrition plan. I eat loads of everything that is advised.

The London Marathon website says that when I pick up my number there will be a pasta party... Great free pasta... NO!

It's at the "incredible" price of £5... Well I have been to the Excel centre and would rather have a meal in a veal cart. At home pasta would cost... £5 for all the family.

There is a lot rubbish talked in the mags and websites about the marathon most of it linked to sponsorship. This a good example:

VITTEL
Vittel Natural Mineral Water is the water of choice for marathon runners. With its well-balanced supply of essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium, Vittel Natural Mineral Water is the most natural way to stay hydrated and reVittelised throughout marathon day. One of Vittel's most high-profile devotees is Paula Radcliffe, the record-breaking long distance runner and reigning London Marathon Champion.
Commenting on Vittel, she says; 'Drinking Vittel is an important part of my training programme. It helps me prepare my body and eases fatigue and muscle cramp after a race and generally helps me stay in peak condition.'

How on earth could you be devoted to a mineral water. She also drinks either her own drinks or any water that is sponsoring the race. As you can see... Anyway my water comes from a tap.

Ireland win and my Dyson explodes...

10KM on the running machine yesterday... in 46 mins watching the last 5 mins of the Ireland game. Very enjoyable and I did it as two Pyramids the second one faster than the first.

We've beaten le blues! The best six nations team by a long chalk. I hope that we can build on this and we haven't peaked too early. No one else seems on form but the Welsh. Ireland are the most consistent team to never win the six nations, (there was only 5 nations when they won it last), so hopefully it will be our year.

It was my plan to watch the game at the gym but while doing a bit of cleaning my Dyson started smoking and then died. Smoking is clearly bad for your health. Boom Boom. So I was dispatched to the shops via checking the internet for a suitable replacement.

When you buy something now instead of reading the company blurb I find its better to read the reviews. The remarkable thing was... I found 10 reviews, at least, on different sites which started... I decided to buy this cheaper vac after my Dyson... blew up, burst into flames, billowed smoke etc...

After running 10KM - it's difficult to weight train as I used too... so I've cut to 1 day a week to focus on running. This has meant a toal change in routine to lighter stuff focusing on the core. This so the guides say is essential to remain upright and running well for 3+ hrs. So I'm now standing on a BOSU ball and Powerplate to intensify the workout. The later was developed to help Russian astronauts with no time to train in space stay fit...

Anna Friel claimed she uses one on Jonathon Ross... on Friday as has Madonna. On the negative side - it did Sam Allardyce no good at Newcastle... his players complained bitterly it made them go to the loo. See news story.

Ireland, meet the experts and getting running again

Due to Snow... I've not been running until today. I did mean to go to the Gym... but it was far too cold to do anything but enjoy being at home. So...instead I've been at home making sure Jo doesn't get cold, clearing snow and ice and eating El Paso Fajitas - which I love and think could be pretty healthy. Chicken and veg...

So I'm off to the gym today to run and watch the Ireland game. Which may be a disappointment as Ireland have only ever beaten the French twice since the game went professional. But if they do it will be a great start for the new regime and six nations.

Tomorrow I'm going to the Institute of Education (IOE) - at the University of London for a master class - "Meet the experts session re: training for the marathon. Includes team GB members... I'll try to get some pic's. This is part of the golden bond place from the hospital that requires me to raise £1800 for the cause. Going to the IOE will be a bit strange as Jo is studying her Art education MA at the Uni and I completed my Headship exams there. I'm sure it's a novel location for some but feels like going back to school for me.
Hopefully this will be fun and not just a sell you expensive trainers day... especailly as the whole family is coming so Jo can visit the libary to get some books.

Music on the I-pod for running includes - Japanese popstars - Facemelter. Sort like the Prodigy - Don't know if they are Japanese...

Actually scrub that their from Derry - in Ireland. Aren't all the best popstars. Click the pic for Myspace page.

The UK and I grind to a halt!

No work, no running... so lets build a snowman, eat hot dogs and drink cider. Will my training ever recover! Well pushing this big snowball was a good work out.

Brought forward my Sunday run to Saturday as the BBC reckon it's going to snow. Which would mean no run... or the running machine again. Temp went below zero which is always dangerous for running... so I'm glad I did. 11.5/12 miles at 8 min a mile.

Fine but... running more than double that?? Ouch. If I add a mile a week I'll be at over 20 just in time. So next weekend will be a half marathon.

Warming up and down for running especially as it is cold is very important to avoid injury. My sister has sent me a guide for doing this correctly.

The guide was written by a fellow Chartered Physiotherapist - Sinead Murphy who works for top sports Physios based at the - The Locker Room, fitness centre in Cork Ireland. A must read for all runners.

The guide

Blog is global...

The Map below shows locations of people reading the blog... These include west and east coast USA, Ireland, France, London, Manchester and... Basingstoke.

Dots below show the locations...

Running machine - Well it's raining...

Rather than get wet I decided to run on the running machine instead.

I managed 11 miles that had to broken into 2 halves... as I discovered that the machines at my Gym cut out at 45mins...??? Even on marathon mode.

This sort of broke the Zen feeling I was starting to get by simultaneously running, listening to my MP3 and watching 3 channels of TV at the same time.

The cut out happened mid... Kylie, Dad's Army and Man U v Spurs. Amazingly Dad's Army was by far the most interesting... Spurs didn't put up much of fight... it seemed that they had decided that going out to Man Utd was no shame particularly as they League and Carling Cup to worry about. A real yawn...

Might have been a different story if they'd got a draw like West Ham with the monkey hangers.*
*Hartlepool famously voted their monkey football mascot as Mayor. The monkey mascot had a reputation as a hell raiser being thrown out of many grounds for poor behaviour but is now on to it's (his) second term as Mayor after a landslide second victory. Mainly, because he's been very good – despite Peter Mandleson claiming he would make the town a laughing stock.

After recovering from the visit of 700 West Ham fans the town is going to have a million visitors as part of the tall ships race 2010. Harlepool will for the first time be hosting a stage in this prestigious global event.
The only issue is there's only one road in and out...

Carlin MusicIron Bridge House3 Bridge ApproachLondon NW1 8BD United Kingdom info@carlinmusic.com

Many thanks to Carlin Music publishers of Elvis for their recent sponsorship. The King... will be will be with me every mile now.

Previous runs - RUN TO THE BEAT

The link below takes you to a record of my previous run for the Evelina Hospital - Run to the beat from the 02.

It also confirms the terrible conditions everyone ran in on the day.

http://www.gsttcharity.org.uk/fundraising/echappeal_beat_marathon.html

This link takes you to footage and results from the event.

http://www.runtothebeat.co.uk/Event/Results.aspx

Photos

http://www.sportcam.net/CompetitorImage.aspx?ID=1376&General=No

I came 598th out of 10,000.

Leave a comment if you know of any cheap local races in the run up for the marathon.

10.5 miles today

Practiced running at marathon pace today (i.e) slower than normal - 8 min a mile. Could have carried on after the 10.5 miles, - (thought it was 12 - didn't have time to measure before setting off), -which is a good sign.

Practiced drinking - still finding this almost impossible and eating carb gel. The gel is good like a meal on the go and stops your legs turning to jelly after 10+ miles.

Things like this can taste awful so I bought two to try at Xmas made by SIS - Science in sport . They are easy to eat and really do make a difference. Link takes you to the scientific evidence!

I only need them for my long runs so I'll buy a box - however that means they all have to be the same flavour... unless i can find someone to swap half a box with??