GOOD LUCK

Today as Bryn wakes, just like I would be, he must be a mix of excitement and nervous energy. Running the http://www.london-marathon.co.uk, dressed as Mr Tickle with the rest of the guys for http://www.runleukaemia.org, must be a great feeling.



I spoke to Bryn in the last few days, he's been downing the fluids and more concerned about how hot it'll be in his costume. He's also set himself an admirable target of aiming to run 11 minute miles which should bring him in at 5 hours 6 minutes and 40 seconds approximately!!

Good luck buddy, do Mr Tickle proud

-darren

Stumble It!

Busy, busy

With Bryn still turning in to one great big Carb ready for the London Marathon, I've training by myself foe the last few weeks. I've managed to run and hike about 65 miles on my days off. About half of that is running, so quite happy things are ticking along.

I also managed a 18 miles in under four hours yesterday, I was ok, but I had to walk in the last 2 miles as my left foot is still blistered, so thought it best to ease off the gas a bit.

Today Tim and myself are going to go find a few Tors and a couple of more long running routes across dartmoor. I'm sure Bryn will be updating with his London run as Mr Tickle this week.

-darren

ISSUES WITH FACE BOOK

Seems facebook did not like the fact we were growing very quick in a day with 60 odd new friends. A real pain as all our friends and admins of the pages we were contacting people to join us said 'do it get some support, well done guys' then facebook, took us down? We have now fully read their Terms and built a different page for non-profit event.
Such a shame we had lot all our friends listed and now have to start all over again, JUST BEFORE THE LONDON MARATHON and fundraising efforts, it could not have come at a worse time.

Facebook's customer support is absolutely appalling, no contact number, no UK specific contact, they don't reply to emails and just blank all out friends who emailed them to help us.

Sad really, that they could not even email us to offer help.
Find us now: http://www.facebook.com/pages/UK-EVEREST-CHALLENGE-for-Charity-2009/34004754949?ref=s

PLEASE all come and join us again, you now have to become a fan not a friend, but the basic facebook principle is the same.
-darren

Thanks FACEBOOK'ers

BIG Thank you to everyone joining our facebook site in the last few days. Roughly 40 people have joined up and spreading the word. As you'll no doubt know by now we are trying to give £10,000 to each of our four benifeciary charities over the next 4 years to support their efforts.

Help for Heroes, Children with Leukemia, NACC & Skill Force.

If you feel you can spread the word or offer any support PLEASE DO! - have a look at this years event on our main website, we have some ex-forces guys in the team driving us on, http://www.ukeverestchallange.com – all the best and thank you again.

-darren

Marathon men

Well Bryn is in the build up for the London Marathon, so he'll be one big Carb come this Saturday. To all those going look out for the guy dressed as Mr Tickle that can talk, run, dance, hop and collect money for the full 26 miles?

As for me I'm happy I ran / hiked 23 miles on Dartmoor in just under 5 hrs 15 min, including losing one shoe in knee high mud [jumping in after is was not a highlight], getting slightly lost [10 mins, but I found the stream, literally, hence losing the trainer] and also I took two pairs of shoes with me to try out, so swapped them midway around. I have to admit the North Face Rucky Chucky's were excellent and really great on the mixed terrain of Dartmoor. My Inov-8 MudRock's, were comfortable to the terrain but with less support they were better suited on the paths, rather than the open moor or the poor mile I ran on the road at the end, my knees are sure feeling it today!

There will be plenty of updates over the next few weeks as we have so much going on.
-darren

Couple of big weeks

With Bryn running his little legs around London getting ready for the Marathon next week and my self running / hiking 25 miles this and next weekend. We'll be upping our training miles this month, that's for sure.

We have had some exciting ups of late, Bryn's training more again - he also did very well in the recent 10K Endurancelife.com race. My left foot is healed and I'm back running in the mornings. We have made so interesting connections with people who can offer us more covered and support for our event, ultimately leading to more reward for our charities.

Thanks to all those readers still donating, please keep spreading the word - it all helps.
...and if you see the truck on the road - give us a honk!
-darren

Just two miles.

The whole UKEC camp has been training, working on logistics or generally getting our plans in order for the main event. I mean with just FOUR months left until we kick off, times a ticking!

I personally had a huge boost this week with a personal message from none other than Dr. Ron Hill MBE and basically living running legend. Wiki states he's '... run three Olympic Marathons (Tokyo 1964, Mexico 1968 and Munich 1972), and has a personal marathon record of 2:09:28. In 1970, Hill won the 74th Boston Marathon in a course record 2:10:30. During the 1970s, he also won gold medals at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games'.

So here's the deal I open my mail on Saturday and in with my new padded socks to assist with these damn blisters, there was a tube with what looked to be a bit of odd card stick in it from Hilly Clothing. I pull out the said bit of card and find it's a picture of Ron Hill running in the 1970 Boston Marathon, next to a sign saying 'do not pass'. Underneath were the words "To Darren, Bryn and the team, keep up the good work!", brilliant, the guys taken the time to send us a note and it's much appreciated. Then I notice a little further down it says "Darren, when things get tough remember 2 miles is better than nothing". Referring to my previous comments of only being able to run a mile or two then stop in pain. After I collected my jaw off the floor, the hair stood up on the back of my neck.

Today I awoke at 5 am, I was in pain, I'd forgot my stomach tablets after a night away with my girlfriend and contemplated going back to bed, but those words "...2 miles is better than nothing!" is now etched firmly on the back of my eye balls. Tying my laces and bracing myself for the cold morning air, I ran my 2 miles, then added 3 more on for measure. Along the Dawlish Warren beach and surrounding coastal paths although uncomfortable, it puts this event in perspective. I'm in a privileged position, our nominated charities need our support and fundrasing far more than I need to be grumbling about my blisters.

Thank Dr Ron, you summed it up perfectly.

-darren - defiantly still moving...!


Stumble It!

Run, run, run

I think the readers of this blog, a few sponsors and people who know me, know the last five or six weeks have been a nightmare for training. I get repaired and something else gives way.

Sadly I know my IBS, by whatever form it's morphing in to these days, plays a large part in my daily life. Training can become tense and complicated affair, but still necessary. There's no way I'm slacking off, hiding or contemplating calling it a day. Each obstacle means I need to find a new route around it!

My feet are s-l-o-w-l-y repairing and I'm still running with light strapping. Time is the only way I've been healing, but it has not stopped my running the last four days. Mixing up trail, city and beach runs to keep my mind off the pace I've felt I've lost with all the draw backs of recent weeks.

Like Bryn I've checked my progress lately, it's been a long road and getting longer, each month we have to push that bit more. When I snapped my Achilles Tendon six years ago, I never thought I'd be here, running, hiking and learning new skill sets like this. It has however still left issues I can't easily resolve, the lower scar tissue of the operation rubs against any shoe I stick my left foot in. Padded socks work well, but strapping is still needed. I guess the worst part is a nine inch scar, or more so, what's under it. I still get pain after a few hours of training, hiking or running. I can't help thinking "...I hope I'm not pushing this too hard?". My left leg always pulls back from a longer stride, hitting the ground slightly harder, I guess that will never leave me. If anyone wants to buy less used right footed trainers, drop me a line as my left shoes only last half as long!

Both Bryn and myself have highs and lows whilst training with each under such intensity, then a short break then back on the hills and trails again. It works well, each of use working his own corner.

I'm learning to focus on breathing and trying to push my running distances. Also more importantly I'm learning to enjoy what I'm doing, after all this is not some kind of detention or forfeit.

-darren - keeping on moving...

Stumble It!

Training days... and not so training days

At the begining it was all about fitting training around our lives, it has for a few weeks been about fitting our lives around training.

Now and again life throws you a rope.

Darren and I have often commented how different our training regimes have been to achieve the same goals. Some weeks training for me has been six days a week, I know some will say to much but it has been varied 3 days in the gym alternate days, and working from upper core then lower whilst also pushing some cardio and endurance training each time. The days in between Tuesdays" has been long endurance swims a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half, then on Thursdays training early morning swims with a local club fast and lung aching. Then finally on the weekend Darren and myself have been hitting the hills long hard and really seeing the benefits.

As I said now and again life throws you a rope I've been dragged kicking and screaming back to london on a short contract. Money is a constant demand in all of our lives in this current climate. The rope is the short break from training it has given me a chance to put all my our training into perspective.

It has been really really good, I could make sure I have some more direct definitive goals when I am training and desired results. I love what we are doing and could not be happy where we I am right now.

Loving life loving training.

Bryn

Stumble It!

Could someone please give me back my energy!

As Bryn has said the Endurancelife event was set in a stunning location, staffed with people who actually wanted to be there, were motivated and supportive. A very well organised event.

For me though it simply heaps more pain on the injury I already have. Bryn kindly left out in his post that at about 3.5k I was already suffering with the pace having not been able to muster any real runs in two weeks. I came in to the event off the back of the injury picked up on one our 26 mile run / hike / jogs. By 7k I was in a lot of pain by the 10k mark I just had to somehow carry on, I pulled up twice on uphill sections as I could feel the taped blisters cutting. Being a country mile race the total distance by my Garmin was 12.1k.

The competitors were great and I was motivated to run in the last half a kilometer with a guy who pushed me on.

Mentally I know I'm strong, but I just wish physically my left foot was stronger!

This all aside, you can't take away the day. The people were friendly and competitors from all over the place dropped down to the cornish coast for an epic day of trail running. The last view snaking past the coast with all the historical remnants of the tin mine era, will stick in my mind for years to come.

It was also great to see our wing man Dan get stuck in.

We have reached another benchmark and now once again we'll springboard forward.

-darren

Stumble It!

1st Endurance Life 10km St Just

A few months back we where presented with a rare oppourtunity to enter 'real' races as part of our training. Gary Jolliffe kindly sponsored our places as part of the coastal trail series;

www.endurancelife.com/event.asp?series=1

As Darren mentioned in his last blog - all systems were go!. This was the first time the three of us where going to be running together Darren, Dan and myself. We where meant to meet up at 06.30 a.m unfortunately my mobile decided to die and I woke at gone Seven. I entered into a flat spin became quite upset as I believed that Darren would have had to set off without me. It was not until this moment that I realised how much I have invested in this emotionally. Fortunately Darren was only moments away, we arrived at the Golf course in St Just Cornwall with plenty of time to spare.

It was fantastic, we met Gary and the team from Endurance Life, they where massively accomodating the venue was perfect and it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining the cloud cover was big fluffy white clouds and a light breeze coming directly off the sea.



We started off together in a blaze of huffing, puffing calves screaming, arm's pumping the course dropped off the road onto part of the coastal path down a very steep hill. I was thinking we're going to have to run back up this in about an hour!!!

We became fragmented after the first mile or so and eventually, just after the water stop we where all running solo. I Locked my eyes on a fellow competitor several hundred meters ahead and tried to gain on him, after about two miles I managed to catch said competitor on a very large hill, I spent the remainder of the race him passing me, me then passing him, a very motivating challenge in itself. I had negelected to take a watch and was running purelyon the theory that if I kept catching people and kept pushing as hard as I could I would finish in a reasonable time.

I had to constantly keep reminding myself that I had put myself here, that I actually wanted to be here and to make the most of it. The last mile or so of the course retraced it's steps, I tried to open my stride but all I could do was to keep striding out and keep pushing the final corner came into sight, the last three hundred metres.

We all fininshed in under one hour eighteen minutes, a fantastic effort from Dan, Darren and myself.

Crazy as it is Darren & I want to now compete in a series of race called "The seven X seven X seven" check out the Endurance life site to see the future of our training and events!!

An Absolutely fantastic day.

Regards Bryn

...and relax...

Well here we are, 24 hours before our first race. Today is a matter of checking kit and checking kit again, prepping the truck and trying to stay relaxed!! Much easier said than done.

In four and a half mouths time our main event takes off! We'll be attending the extremely well organised Coastal Trail Series in Cornwall;


I know it is a bit self indulgent, but we would not be able to train the way we have been without the support of our sponsors, they hall all contributed, equipment, training or time to get us ready for Saturday.

THANK YOU

Endurancelife - for giving us the places to compete on Saturday.
Hilly Clothing - comfy hats, gloves and specialist trail socks.
Logo4Polos - for their continued running kit & clothing support.
Hydrate for Health - brilliant products, built for the right reasons.

Special thanks to; AG Signs for helping me get the vehicle branded in super fast time and to the guys at ACS/Chip'n'trace for so efficiently helping us get our event security sorted.

We I best crack on, both Bryn and myself will update over the weekend out take on the day, all the best.
-darren

Stumble It!

This is it

I managed a run today, only just, fast jog MIGHT BE A BETTER DESCRIPTION - but it still counts! I am not completely healed yet but confident I can get around a course at Endurancelife.com Cornwall Coastal event on Saturday.

We'll be taking pics and of the new truck so check back soon.

-darren

Stumble It!

If I rest anymore...I'll scream!!

This last 10 days has simply been about 'resting', something I don't do very well. In that time though the main event vehicle is here with us, it's not ideal, but at the moment squeezing more MPH out of and tweaking it here and there. Plus the all important - getting the truck branded with all the sponsors and supporters, which was a huge task in itself. I ran out of space twice and ended up getting more cut!

It very much looks like I'll try to run this Saturday, with basically two weeks rest from running / hiking at the levels we have been used too.I am hoping my core fitness with drag my sorryfull butt around a fell / cross / trail route and not make too much of a fool myself or my team mates.

I've been in a terrible mood all week. I'm not so sure of 'prepare to fail' is a correct term, it was more like 'when your body says stop, then stop!'. Both Bryn and myself are competitive and fully focused on this years event and the training. I think at the time we both wanted to get in under 5hrs 30 mins, slow on a road, but over moor, marsh, bog and map reading on the go. That's moving over rough ground, through streams and up Tors and some pace.

Lessons have been learnt, in three days time we'll find out if all the winter hard work has done it's job.

-darren

Stumble It!