Many people will ask why run a marathon... and indeed why run at all? Well I will answer that in two ways...
1) Humans are designed to run... we have been about for approx 2.5 million years and for 99.999999% of that time we have instinctively run and been very active. Only in the last 0.0000001% of human existence have we stopped exercising and stopped running.... I guess because we don't have to... but by not running and not exercising I strongly beleive that we are damaging ourselves enormously both physically and mentally. We are not designed to stay still and be inactive.... and so much of the illnesses (both physical and mental) are as a result of people being inactive. I could go on for pages and pages about this subject..... but the basic science is that we need exercise to remain healthy and running is the most natural form of human physical activity. So many benefits can be achieved by exercise and being active..... and I want to get people motivated and aware of the benefits.... so if I can help do that in some way I am more than prepared to put myself through some pain to make people aware!
2) Why do a marathon.... I see it as a physical and mental challenge. Having a focus can be really beneficial as it can help motivate you and give you something to aim for in a positive way. Pushing yourself and stepping out of your comfort zone to achieve something special can do great things for your confidence and self-esteem... as well as giving you many obvious physical health benefits. During a marathon you go through so many emotions and so many highs and lows... but the overall result is going to be positive and help in some way to make you a better, stronger person. It is amazing what the human body can do and what humans can achieve if they put their mind to something and go for it.... just look at what Eddie Izzard achieved with his 43 marathons in 50 days.... amazing! And what did he keep saying.... this is what we humans are designed to do.... run!
Some people will be worried about doing a challenge like a marathon and rightly so... people should be sensible and realistic but they shouldn't be afraid of pushing themselves. Some people will worry about failing in a challenge.... but my view is that you can never fail if you do a challenge, no matter what the outcome is.... failure is not trying in the first place. Failure is sitting at home worrying and not giving it a go..... anyone who makes the effort will never fail because they have done something positive and beneficial... they can learn from experiences and they can always try again or do something different.... but the rewards and benefits will outweigh any negatives and any pain!
Why do so many people run marathons? Why is the London marathon oversubscribed by 100,000 every year? Why do so many people do more than one marathon? Because it is a great experience..... and a life without challenge is boring!!
Please sponsor me and help CYM by donating at http://www.justgiving.com/CYM
Thanks
Charlie
Thursday, 12 August 2010
September 2010 - The Robin Hood Marathon
On Sunday 12th September I will be running the Robin Hood Marathon in Nottingham. I guess an obvious question is why?!
Well if you have read the previous posts to this blog you will understand that I have some unfinished business which is to run a marathon in under 4 hrs.... but also you will understand how important and relevant the previous marathons were to setting up CYM. In September, the charity will be 2 years old and I wanted to mark the occasion with a challenge that I could do which would not only raise money for CYM but would hopefully encourage others to do more exercise and take on a challenge of their own. I looked for a suitable marathon to do... and the only realistic option was the Robin Hood one on 12th September. Although I would love to have gone back to New York or do one like Chicago or another big city marathon it was going to cost far too much money.
So a few months ago I signed up to do this one... and I was determined to train hard and make sure I got under 4 hrs! Unfortunately the plan to train hard has been scuppered by a long standing foot injury... which meant that I was not able to run for several months and only in the last few weeks have I been back to running again... though still with a lot of pain and discomfort. In the last few months I have been to the physio, the doctors, the hopstial and had an x-ray..... and been given drugs that were very unpleasant on the stomach! However, the problem has persisted and I have finally got an MRI scan booked for 20th August to look at the foot!
I did manage to complete the MK half marathon a few weeks ago in a time of 1hr 56 mins.... which was very tough and showed my lack of fitness. But despite the problems... I am going to run and will give it my best shot. I am aware of how hard it will be and it will be incredibly painful.... and there is a very real chance that I won't get under 4 hrs..... but if I don't try and give it a go.... I will never know!
It is more important to raise money for CYM.... so please sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/CYM
Many thanks.. and I will keep you updated!
Charlie
Well if you have read the previous posts to this blog you will understand that I have some unfinished business which is to run a marathon in under 4 hrs.... but also you will understand how important and relevant the previous marathons were to setting up CYM. In September, the charity will be 2 years old and I wanted to mark the occasion with a challenge that I could do which would not only raise money for CYM but would hopefully encourage others to do more exercise and take on a challenge of their own. I looked for a suitable marathon to do... and the only realistic option was the Robin Hood one on 12th September. Although I would love to have gone back to New York or do one like Chicago or another big city marathon it was going to cost far too much money.
So a few months ago I signed up to do this one... and I was determined to train hard and make sure I got under 4 hrs! Unfortunately the plan to train hard has been scuppered by a long standing foot injury... which meant that I was not able to run for several months and only in the last few weeks have I been back to running again... though still with a lot of pain and discomfort. In the last few months I have been to the physio, the doctors, the hopstial and had an x-ray..... and been given drugs that were very unpleasant on the stomach! However, the problem has persisted and I have finally got an MRI scan booked for 20th August to look at the foot!
I did manage to complete the MK half marathon a few weeks ago in a time of 1hr 56 mins.... which was very tough and showed my lack of fitness. But despite the problems... I am going to run and will give it my best shot. I am aware of how hard it will be and it will be incredibly painful.... and there is a very real chance that I won't get under 4 hrs..... but if I don't try and give it a go.... I will never know!
It is more important to raise money for CYM.... so please sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/CYM
Many thanks.. and I will keep you updated!
Charlie
CYM Running - Half Marathons
In the last couple of years I have run 7 half marathons... 4 of which I was running with someone to help them complete the race and the others just for myself and CYM.
July 2008 - Milton Keynes NSPCC half marathon time - 1hr 46 mins
August 2008 - Burnham Beeches half marathon (helping Dion) time - 1hr 50 mins
October 2008 - Peterborough half marathon (helping Jane) time - 1hr 57 mins
March 2009 - MK Nike half marathon time - 1hr 46 mins
July 2009 - Milton Keynes NSPCC half marathon (helping Jo) time - 2hrs 17 mins
March 2010 - Mk Nike half marathon (helping Bryan) time - 2hrs 12 mins
July 2010 - Milton Keynes NSPCC half marathon time - 1hr 56 mins
I hope that I can help many more people run whether it's a 5k, 10k or half marathon.... so please let me know if you would like to train for one... and come and join the CYM running club!
Details on http://www.climbyourmountain.org/
July 2008 - Milton Keynes NSPCC half marathon time - 1hr 46 mins
August 2008 - Burnham Beeches half marathon (helping Dion) time - 1hr 50 mins
October 2008 - Peterborough half marathon (helping Jane) time - 1hr 57 mins
March 2009 - MK Nike half marathon time - 1hr 46 mins
July 2009 - Milton Keynes NSPCC half marathon (helping Jo) time - 2hrs 17 mins
March 2010 - Mk Nike half marathon (helping Bryan) time - 2hrs 12 mins
July 2010 - Milton Keynes NSPCC half marathon time - 1hr 56 mins
I hope that I can help many more people run whether it's a 5k, 10k or half marathon.... so please let me know if you would like to train for one... and come and join the CYM running club!
Details on http://www.climbyourmountain.org/
The reason for setting up CYM
After 3 years and 8 months.... at the end of June 2007 I finally became debt free having paid off all the debt that I had incurred with the business that totalled over £100k with interest. Every day for the last 3 years and 8 months I had looked at my 'debt' spreadsheets waiting for the day when I would finally break free of the burden of debt.... for so long I had looked forward to that day, yet the reality was it was a big anti-climax. I had been through a miserable, lonely, depressed few years paying off as much money as possible each month feeling like a prisoner to life... but now I no longer had to back any money I still felt an emptiness and found it difficult to look forward with optimism.
For several months prior to June 2007 I had thought about writing a book and to somehow try to make sense of everything that had happened.... and if possible try to turn this huge negative period of my life into something more positive. During June and July I did write a book.... about 80,000 words and I called it 'The Joy of Debt'.... I looked back at the business I had set up, the decision to pull out, the depression, the effect on my confidence and self-esteem, the effect on friendships, relationships, my view of money... and importantly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
As I wrote and recalled the experiences of the Las Vegas and Toronto marathons I realised how beneficial they had been to me during some very low times. Although they were incredibly painful and I didn't really get the results I was looking for, I did realise that they were positive experiences and I had achieved something special. They had given me a focus, they had shown me that I was a fighter and was strong, they had allowed me to visit two fantastic cities and I had raised money to help others in some way. I also realised that many people go through very low periods in their life for all kinds of reasons, yet many will have never turned to exercise and challenges to help them do something positive and therefore would not be aware of the benefits. Also I realised just how difficult it can be for many people to find the motivation to get active and train for something when feeling very low.
I started to think how great it would be to set something up that encouraged people who had their own difficulties and problems to deal with to get involved in some kind of physical exercise and challenge. To help motivate them, give them a focus and allow them that sense of achievement and overall positive experience. I thought how there must be literally millions of people who feel like they have a huge personal mountain to climb... and for many it would be really beneficial if they got involved in some kind of physical challenge. The more I thought about it the more enthusiastic I got and I felt the 'old spark' come back to me.... as I started detailing what I wanted to do. I also asked myself a question in the book that was if money didn't matter or if I won the Lottery what would I want to do with my life? I now had the answer.... I was going to set up a charity called 'Climb Your Mountain' to help anyone going through a difficult period in their life and help them to complete a physical challenge!
So, if it wasn't for me running the previous marathons..... CYM would never have been set up!
For several months prior to June 2007 I had thought about writing a book and to somehow try to make sense of everything that had happened.... and if possible try to turn this huge negative period of my life into something more positive. During June and July I did write a book.... about 80,000 words and I called it 'The Joy of Debt'.... I looked back at the business I had set up, the decision to pull out, the depression, the effect on my confidence and self-esteem, the effect on friendships, relationships, my view of money... and importantly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
As I wrote and recalled the experiences of the Las Vegas and Toronto marathons I realised how beneficial they had been to me during some very low times. Although they were incredibly painful and I didn't really get the results I was looking for, I did realise that they were positive experiences and I had achieved something special. They had given me a focus, they had shown me that I was a fighter and was strong, they had allowed me to visit two fantastic cities and I had raised money to help others in some way. I also realised that many people go through very low periods in their life for all kinds of reasons, yet many will have never turned to exercise and challenges to help them do something positive and therefore would not be aware of the benefits. Also I realised just how difficult it can be for many people to find the motivation to get active and train for something when feeling very low.
I started to think how great it would be to set something up that encouraged people who had their own difficulties and problems to deal with to get involved in some kind of physical exercise and challenge. To help motivate them, give them a focus and allow them that sense of achievement and overall positive experience. I thought how there must be literally millions of people who feel like they have a huge personal mountain to climb... and for many it would be really beneficial if they got involved in some kind of physical challenge. The more I thought about it the more enthusiastic I got and I felt the 'old spark' come back to me.... as I started detailing what I wanted to do. I also asked myself a question in the book that was if money didn't matter or if I won the Lottery what would I want to do with my life? I now had the answer.... I was going to set up a charity called 'Climb Your Mountain' to help anyone going through a difficult period in their life and help them to complete a physical challenge!
So, if it wasn't for me running the previous marathons..... CYM would never have been set up!
October 2006 - the Toronto Marathon
It was 15th October 2006 when I ran the Toronto Marathon. The reason I decided to run this marathon was that it marked the 3 year anniversary of when I pulled out of the business I had and reached my lowest point... I wasn't just at the bottom of my mountain, I was lying in a very deep pit at the foot of the mountain! At the time I had challenged myself to pay off the £100k debt in 3 years.... and I was to do everything I could to meet that challenge. However, it became more and more clear as the months went by that this was an unrealistic challenge. Everything I earnt went on paying off the debt and I couldn't really have done much more to pay off the debt quicker... but I still felt I had failed in some way. The depression I was going through and the huge burden of debt I had on my shoulders was very tough to deal with and I believed the sooner I cleared the debt then the quicker I could move on with my life.
If I wasn't going to be able to meet the 3 year debt challenge then maybe I could set myself another challenge instead. Similar to the Las Vegas marathon, I felt as if I wasn't doing anything much with my life... it was on hold until I had cleared the debt, but I wanted to do something positive... so once again I decided to go for a marathon and a free holiday! This time though I was definitely going to go under 4 hrs!
So I signed up for the Toronto marathon with the main objective to go under 4 hrs and in doing so I believed this would somehow make amends fornot meeting the 3 years debt challenge. It would show that I had the determination and strength... and that if I put my mind (and body) to something then I could achieve that goal. I had about 4 months to train and there seemed to be no reason why I couldn't achieve the 4 hr mark.
I started training and things weren't going too badly... but some good news I had received from work was soon going to have an effect. I was working for BT and had been promoted to be Head of Finance for Marketing which meant working closely with the Directors for Marketing, Brand and Customer Research who were all based at the London Head office in St Pauls. It meant I was goingto be working even longer hours plus the daily commute to London from Milton Keynes. My training suffered as I never seemed to have time to run and was constantly shattered!
But I had to get under 4 hrs.... it was becoming more and more important to me as it symbolised 3 years of depression. I placed too much emphasis on the 4 hr mark and on the 3 year anniversary.... but that also gave me the motivation and determination to train when I could. I was still getting pain in my knees and only managing shorter runs of between 5 and 10 miles as the date to leave for Toronto got closer and closer. A week before going I managed my longest run.... 13 miles in 2 hrs on a treadmill... which really hurt! However, I believed on the day I could realy dig in deep and it was going to be possible to get under 4 hrs.
The race day came and I had a new set of secret weapons to help.... a new improved 'bum-bag'..... complete with painkillers, sweets and energy gels... plus I had a small MP3 player with specially chosen 'running' songs to keep me going! My plan was to run the first half in 1hr 45 mins and then hold on in the second half to just get under 4hrs! Conditions were almost ideal... and I felt pretty good during the first few miles... I was optimistic. However, unlike every other marathon, there were no regular mile markers and no timers on the course... so I had no way of pacing myself properly. It was only at the half way mark that they had the timings and 13.1 mile marker.... I had felt reasonably good for the first 9-10 miles but was starting to really struggle as I approached the halfway point... hoping that I was on target for 1hr 45 mins.....
As I ran past the half way mark, the clock said 1hr 48 mins..... I was distraught. Although it doesn't sound like much (just 3 minutes outside my target)... I knew that given the lack of training and the way I was now feeling it would be impossible to get under 4hrs. Furthermore, in the Toronto marathon there is a famous 'hill' just after halfway..... this hill was a huge uphill gradient that lasted for over half a mile. It was a killer. My legs buckled... the pain was unbearable and I had to stop. Trying to stretch out and taking on more painkillers I kept going....
My left foot and ankle were really hurting with a mixture of sharp pains and deep dull aches.... as I kept going the pain intensified and I knew there was something more seriously wrong. The combination of the physical pain and the emotional pain of knowing that I wasn't going to be able to get under 4hrs caused tears to roll down my face... I felt like a broken man. I had to keep stopping as the pain was too much.... but the pain of the last few years outweighed the current pain I was experiencing... and I used that anger to keep going. I was going to finish.... I wasn't going to be beaten... I had to keep going.
It is hard to describe the emotions and the pain that I put myself through... but I eventually finished in 4hrs 15 mins.... a personal best! Suffice to say that I couldn't walk or even move for the next few days... and when I got back home to England I emerged from hospital with a set of crutches and a stress fracture of the left foot!
I was very upset that I hadn't run under 4 hrs but at the same time I was proud that I had kept going despite everything.... and I also knew that it meant that I would have to do another marathon one day to finally put the ghost to rest and get under 4hrs!
If I wasn't going to be able to meet the 3 year debt challenge then maybe I could set myself another challenge instead. Similar to the Las Vegas marathon, I felt as if I wasn't doing anything much with my life... it was on hold until I had cleared the debt, but I wanted to do something positive... so once again I decided to go for a marathon and a free holiday! This time though I was definitely going to go under 4 hrs!
So I signed up for the Toronto marathon with the main objective to go under 4 hrs and in doing so I believed this would somehow make amends fornot meeting the 3 years debt challenge. It would show that I had the determination and strength... and that if I put my mind (and body) to something then I could achieve that goal. I had about 4 months to train and there seemed to be no reason why I couldn't achieve the 4 hr mark.
I started training and things weren't going too badly... but some good news I had received from work was soon going to have an effect. I was working for BT and had been promoted to be Head of Finance for Marketing which meant working closely with the Directors for Marketing, Brand and Customer Research who were all based at the London Head office in St Pauls. It meant I was goingto be working even longer hours plus the daily commute to London from Milton Keynes. My training suffered as I never seemed to have time to run and was constantly shattered!
But I had to get under 4 hrs.... it was becoming more and more important to me as it symbolised 3 years of depression. I placed too much emphasis on the 4 hr mark and on the 3 year anniversary.... but that also gave me the motivation and determination to train when I could. I was still getting pain in my knees and only managing shorter runs of between 5 and 10 miles as the date to leave for Toronto got closer and closer. A week before going I managed my longest run.... 13 miles in 2 hrs on a treadmill... which really hurt! However, I believed on the day I could realy dig in deep and it was going to be possible to get under 4 hrs.
The race day came and I had a new set of secret weapons to help.... a new improved 'bum-bag'..... complete with painkillers, sweets and energy gels... plus I had a small MP3 player with specially chosen 'running' songs to keep me going! My plan was to run the first half in 1hr 45 mins and then hold on in the second half to just get under 4hrs! Conditions were almost ideal... and I felt pretty good during the first few miles... I was optimistic. However, unlike every other marathon, there were no regular mile markers and no timers on the course... so I had no way of pacing myself properly. It was only at the half way mark that they had the timings and 13.1 mile marker.... I had felt reasonably good for the first 9-10 miles but was starting to really struggle as I approached the halfway point... hoping that I was on target for 1hr 45 mins.....
As I ran past the half way mark, the clock said 1hr 48 mins..... I was distraught. Although it doesn't sound like much (just 3 minutes outside my target)... I knew that given the lack of training and the way I was now feeling it would be impossible to get under 4hrs. Furthermore, in the Toronto marathon there is a famous 'hill' just after halfway..... this hill was a huge uphill gradient that lasted for over half a mile. It was a killer. My legs buckled... the pain was unbearable and I had to stop. Trying to stretch out and taking on more painkillers I kept going....
My left foot and ankle were really hurting with a mixture of sharp pains and deep dull aches.... as I kept going the pain intensified and I knew there was something more seriously wrong. The combination of the physical pain and the emotional pain of knowing that I wasn't going to be able to get under 4hrs caused tears to roll down my face... I felt like a broken man. I had to keep stopping as the pain was too much.... but the pain of the last few years outweighed the current pain I was experiencing... and I used that anger to keep going. I was going to finish.... I wasn't going to be beaten... I had to keep going.
It is hard to describe the emotions and the pain that I put myself through... but I eventually finished in 4hrs 15 mins.... a personal best! Suffice to say that I couldn't walk or even move for the next few days... and when I got back home to England I emerged from hospital with a set of crutches and a stress fracture of the left foot!
I was very upset that I hadn't run under 4 hrs but at the same time I was proud that I had kept going despite everything.... and I also knew that it meant that I would have to do another marathon one day to finally put the ghost to rest and get under 4hrs!
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
January 2005 - The Las Vegas Marathon
It was at the end of January 2005 that I ran the Las Vegas Marathon. It was earlier, in October 2003 that I reached my lowest point when a business I had set up effectively failed leaving me with over £100k of debt and due to the pressures and stresses of the previous year I had succumb to depression. I was 29 years old with all my hopes and dreams destroyed and knowing that I would have to go back to my previous career of finance and accounting (which I did not enjoy!) to pay off the debt... it was a huge personal mountain to climb... to pay off the debt, get back on my feet and overcome the depression that had taken a firm grip.
During 2004 I was still very low and although I had a decent job and the debt was gradually reducing, I had certainly not beaten the depression and was a long way to climbing my own personal mountain. I had always been active and healthy, taking part in a variety of sports and keeping fit at the gym... but I was still finding it hard to motivate myself to go to the gym and keep fit. I knew it would be good for me and I never let things go for too long without doing some sort of exercise.... but I needed something to aim for and help me with my motivation.
It was about September 2004 when I decided it was time for another marathon! Although the 2 previous marathons had been incredibly tough and painful... I had enjoyed the overall experience and they gave me a real sense of achievement. My life was pretty mudane... I hardly went out as a result of the depression and the financial debt situation... and apart from work and TV I didn't feel that I did much and nothing particularly positive. So.... I thought why not sign up to a marathon that would give me something to focus on and get a free holiday at the same time if I raised money for charity!
I decided on the Las Vegas marathon as it would give me a few months to train and it was somewhere I had always wanted to go to..... and something positive to look forward to. Then, literally a week after I had signed upto the race, I broke a rib playing in a 5 a-side football game! For anyone who has ever broken a rib, they will know the pain and the difficulty in breathing. There was no way I could train properly and it was many weeks before the pain subsided and I could start some gentle jogging and gym work.
Although it wasn't the main focus at all, I did want to try and run the marathon in under 4 hrs. Given my lack of training and knee problems with the previous two races, I wanted to give myself the opportunity to train hard and for a long period and that way I could do a half decent time. It looked like that was not going to happen with Las Vegas after the broken rib. However, I had nearly 2 months before the race at the end of January 2005 and managed to get quite a few runs in, albeit runs of no more than 10 miles in total!
I set off for Las Vegas with a friend and although I had not been able to train much I somehow believed that I could run under 4 hrs if everything went well. It would be incredibly difficult but I believed it could be done and that was what I was going to aim for. I didn't really know what to expect with the Vegas marathon, as my two previous races had been huge events in New York and London. Unfortunately, despite it glamorous location and name, the Las Vegas marathon was a huge disappointment....
We were taken by bus, very early in the morning, approximately 26 miles into the desert.... then with Elvis and Marilyn Monroe look-a-likes singing the American anthem, the couple of thousand particpants started the long race back to the city. I had decided to invest in a 'bum bag'... to wear whilst running that would store my camera as well as various painkillers, sweets and energy gels.... essential things to get me round! However, due to my financial situation (and being a tight-arse)... I bought a very cheap one... and after about 1 mile with the repetitive action of running, the stitching on the bag gave way and all the contents except for the camera fell out whilst I was running. I didn't know what to do and in a bit of a panic... I decided not to stop and try to pick everything up... but to just carry on running instead!
It wasn't long before I realised this was a mistake as the pain kicked in, especially on my knees and I was no where near as fit as I thought I was. I still had 20 miles to go and I was really feeling it.... and there was very little in the way of crowds and support which wasn't surprising as we really were just running along a desert road in the middle of no where! I think it was at mile 9 at one of thewater stations that a big problem first materialised.... they had run out of gatorade (energy drink like lucozade or powerade) which was essential for replacing energy, salts, sodium and electrolytes. They still had water but without the gatorade there was zero chance of making a good time.
Although the temperatures weren't too hot, there was a very strong head on wind.... and the course was pretty much straight into that wind all the way back to las Vegas. Without painkillers, sweets, energy gels and energy drinks..... no crowds or support, poor training and strong winds... and no chance of breaking under 4 hrs.... this became a major battle of determination and will to keep going. The pain was unbelievable and with every stride my head was telling my body to stop..... but I kept going and staggered over the finish line in 4hrs 44 mins..... why did I put myself through this?!
Despite the pain and again not being able to walk for about a week.... I had another fantastic medal and I really enjoyed Las Vegas and seeing the Grand Canyon... and I had raised a decent amount of money for The Alzheimers Society (my Grandfather had died of Alzheimers a couple of years before)... so it was a positive achievement and showed me again that I could dig in when the going got tough.
During 2004 I was still very low and although I had a decent job and the debt was gradually reducing, I had certainly not beaten the depression and was a long way to climbing my own personal mountain. I had always been active and healthy, taking part in a variety of sports and keeping fit at the gym... but I was still finding it hard to motivate myself to go to the gym and keep fit. I knew it would be good for me and I never let things go for too long without doing some sort of exercise.... but I needed something to aim for and help me with my motivation.
It was about September 2004 when I decided it was time for another marathon! Although the 2 previous marathons had been incredibly tough and painful... I had enjoyed the overall experience and they gave me a real sense of achievement. My life was pretty mudane... I hardly went out as a result of the depression and the financial debt situation... and apart from work and TV I didn't feel that I did much and nothing particularly positive. So.... I thought why not sign up to a marathon that would give me something to focus on and get a free holiday at the same time if I raised money for charity!
I decided on the Las Vegas marathon as it would give me a few months to train and it was somewhere I had always wanted to go to..... and something positive to look forward to. Then, literally a week after I had signed upto the race, I broke a rib playing in a 5 a-side football game! For anyone who has ever broken a rib, they will know the pain and the difficulty in breathing. There was no way I could train properly and it was many weeks before the pain subsided and I could start some gentle jogging and gym work.
Although it wasn't the main focus at all, I did want to try and run the marathon in under 4 hrs. Given my lack of training and knee problems with the previous two races, I wanted to give myself the opportunity to train hard and for a long period and that way I could do a half decent time. It looked like that was not going to happen with Las Vegas after the broken rib. However, I had nearly 2 months before the race at the end of January 2005 and managed to get quite a few runs in, albeit runs of no more than 10 miles in total!
I set off for Las Vegas with a friend and although I had not been able to train much I somehow believed that I could run under 4 hrs if everything went well. It would be incredibly difficult but I believed it could be done and that was what I was going to aim for. I didn't really know what to expect with the Vegas marathon, as my two previous races had been huge events in New York and London. Unfortunately, despite it glamorous location and name, the Las Vegas marathon was a huge disappointment....
We were taken by bus, very early in the morning, approximately 26 miles into the desert.... then with Elvis and Marilyn Monroe look-a-likes singing the American anthem, the couple of thousand particpants started the long race back to the city. I had decided to invest in a 'bum bag'... to wear whilst running that would store my camera as well as various painkillers, sweets and energy gels.... essential things to get me round! However, due to my financial situation (and being a tight-arse)... I bought a very cheap one... and after about 1 mile with the repetitive action of running, the stitching on the bag gave way and all the contents except for the camera fell out whilst I was running. I didn't know what to do and in a bit of a panic... I decided not to stop and try to pick everything up... but to just carry on running instead!
It wasn't long before I realised this was a mistake as the pain kicked in, especially on my knees and I was no where near as fit as I thought I was. I still had 20 miles to go and I was really feeling it.... and there was very little in the way of crowds and support which wasn't surprising as we really were just running along a desert road in the middle of no where! I think it was at mile 9 at one of thewater stations that a big problem first materialised.... they had run out of gatorade (energy drink like lucozade or powerade) which was essential for replacing energy, salts, sodium and electrolytes. They still had water but without the gatorade there was zero chance of making a good time.
Although the temperatures weren't too hot, there was a very strong head on wind.... and the course was pretty much straight into that wind all the way back to las Vegas. Without painkillers, sweets, energy gels and energy drinks..... no crowds or support, poor training and strong winds... and no chance of breaking under 4 hrs.... this became a major battle of determination and will to keep going. The pain was unbelievable and with every stride my head was telling my body to stop..... but I kept going and staggered over the finish line in 4hrs 44 mins..... why did I put myself through this?!
Despite the pain and again not being able to walk for about a week.... I had another fantastic medal and I really enjoyed Las Vegas and seeing the Grand Canyon... and I had raised a decent amount of money for The Alzheimers Society (my Grandfather had died of Alzheimers a couple of years before)... so it was a positive achievement and showed me again that I could dig in when the going got tough.
April 2002 - The London Marathon
It was during my year studying an MBA at Cranfield School of Management that I completed my second Marathon. This time it was London.... and I was running as part of a giant orange and purple CENTIPEDE!!
I was one of the first to sign up to the London Marathon 'Centipede' team, 7 years on from my New York experience. We needed a team of 12 and we were raising money for the NSPCC. I was one of the few team members who had run a marathon before which gave me a little confidence but at the same time I still remembered how tough a challenge it was and how much pain you have to go through! Nevertheless I was really looking forward to running London and doing my second marathon.... and this time I was going to train properly!
However, the training didn't go quite so well. As soon as I started running more than a few miles I was getting the same painful knee problems. This time it seemed even worse... so as before, I did much of my training in the gym on a bike! I felt reasonably fit and also knew that we weren't going to be running particularly fast dressed as a giant centipede... so I didn't get too worried. That was until the team did the Reading Half Marathon a few weeks before London.... basically it was a disaster and I stumbled across the finish line in over 2 and a half hours..... having to stop and walk the last couple of miles due to my knees and general lack of fitness!
I was now worried.... if I couldn't do a half marathon in under 2 1/2 hrs then I was going to really struggle to get round the full marathon in a few weeks time. I was a team member and whereas initially I was seen as one of the stronger runners, I was now one of the weakest. I didn't think I could ever go through more pain than I had been through doing the New york marathon.... but that was exactly what would happen!
We drove down very early on race day and assembled with the giant centipede in Greenwich park... my knees were heavily strapped and I had a bag full of painkillers with me as well as energy gels and power bars! There were 12 in the team.... and at any one time 6 people would be in the centipede costume with the remaining 6 running alongside.
We set off at a reasonable pace and it wasn't long before I was running with pain.... people talk about hitting 'The Wall' at about 18-22 miles..... well I had seemingly hit this wall at about 6 miles! However, we kept going and at about 12 miles going over Tower Bridge.. we got a boost... the TV Presenter Suzi Perry interviewed us for the BBC coverage! It realy helped give us the boost we needed (especially me).... although watching the video back later that night.... you do see an idiot waving to the camera (yes... me!)
Somehow we kept going.... the crowds were amazing... and it really was simply a case of one step at a time and keep going. The pain was horrendous but we managed to keep going and soon were were coming down 'The Mall' by Buckingham Palace and into the finishing straight.... we crossed the line in an impressive 4hrs 46 mins.
Again, I couldn't walk for about a week.... but I had my second fantastic medal and it was a great experience and reinforced the fact that I was strong, determined and could dig deep when the going got tough... very tough!
I was one of the first to sign up to the London Marathon 'Centipede' team, 7 years on from my New York experience. We needed a team of 12 and we were raising money for the NSPCC. I was one of the few team members who had run a marathon before which gave me a little confidence but at the same time I still remembered how tough a challenge it was and how much pain you have to go through! Nevertheless I was really looking forward to running London and doing my second marathon.... and this time I was going to train properly!
However, the training didn't go quite so well. As soon as I started running more than a few miles I was getting the same painful knee problems. This time it seemed even worse... so as before, I did much of my training in the gym on a bike! I felt reasonably fit and also knew that we weren't going to be running particularly fast dressed as a giant centipede... so I didn't get too worried. That was until the team did the Reading Half Marathon a few weeks before London.... basically it was a disaster and I stumbled across the finish line in over 2 and a half hours..... having to stop and walk the last couple of miles due to my knees and general lack of fitness!
I was now worried.... if I couldn't do a half marathon in under 2 1/2 hrs then I was going to really struggle to get round the full marathon in a few weeks time. I was a team member and whereas initially I was seen as one of the stronger runners, I was now one of the weakest. I didn't think I could ever go through more pain than I had been through doing the New york marathon.... but that was exactly what would happen!
We drove down very early on race day and assembled with the giant centipede in Greenwich park... my knees were heavily strapped and I had a bag full of painkillers with me as well as energy gels and power bars! There were 12 in the team.... and at any one time 6 people would be in the centipede costume with the remaining 6 running alongside.
We set off at a reasonable pace and it wasn't long before I was running with pain.... people talk about hitting 'The Wall' at about 18-22 miles..... well I had seemingly hit this wall at about 6 miles! However, we kept going and at about 12 miles going over Tower Bridge.. we got a boost... the TV Presenter Suzi Perry interviewed us for the BBC coverage! It realy helped give us the boost we needed (especially me).... although watching the video back later that night.... you do see an idiot waving to the camera (yes... me!)
Somehow we kept going.... the crowds were amazing... and it really was simply a case of one step at a time and keep going. The pain was horrendous but we managed to keep going and soon were were coming down 'The Mall' by Buckingham Palace and into the finishing straight.... we crossed the line in an impressive 4hrs 46 mins.
Again, I couldn't walk for about a week.... but I had my second fantastic medal and it was a great experience and reinforced the fact that I was strong, determined and could dig deep when the going got tough... very tough!
November 1995 - New York Marathon
It was in my final year at University that I completed my first marathon (all 26.2 miles!). Whilst working during the summer holidays I saw an advert to run the New York Marathon for charity and if you raised a certain amount (I think it was £1,500) then you got your flights paid for and hotel accommodation for 5 days. I had always been sporty and kept in good shape but I was never a keen runner and perhaps the furthest I had ever run was about 5 miles. But the idea of going to New York for free and setting myself such a challenge appealed... so without much hesitation I signed up with a friend (who was a good runner!).
The marathon was taking place in early November and I had signed up in early September.... so I had a full 2 months to train! Being very naive to marathon running I was fairly optimistic that I could manage to run 26.2 miles with some decent training so I set off on a run of about 5 miles.... I just about survived but it was much harder than I had imagined and also my knees started hurting. A couple of days later I did another run which was no better.... very hard and the pain in my knees got worse. Perhaps this marathon idea wasn't such a good plan after all!
I worked part-time at a local gym so started training on a bike instead as it was much less painful than running... and I stopped doing weights which I thought would help as I had bulked up (with muscles!) quite a bit in the previous couple of years. Over the next few weeks I did quite a lot of bike work and lost at least half a stone from stoppingthe weights, but I had done no running. Time was running out and although I felt 'fit' I certainly didn't feel confident about the running. I did manage one longish run of about 10 miles a few days before we left for New York... and then it was time to leave for my first Marathon experience at the age of 21!
The friend I was going with was a good runner and had not suffered with injuries and was becoming annoyingly confident about it all! The charity we were raising money for to get our free places was called 'Tusk Force' and we were raising money to save Siberian Tigers! So what seemed like a genius plan emerged.... my friend was going to run in a 'Tiger' outfit so that we would be much more evenly matched physically during the race!
I had never been on a plane before so it was my first experience of a big plane... and obviously I hadn't been to New York before... so it was very exciting even though I was concerned about the marathon. We had a couple of days to see New York before race day... and then it was time! We took an early bus to Statten Island where all the 30,000+ competitors would start... armed with bananas, Gatorade drinks and Power Bars! The most notable thing apart from the sheer number of people and dozens of helicopters that circled above us.... was the weather.... it was absolutely freezing!
I was wearing some old clothes and a tracksuit to try to keep warm before the start but I was genuinely shivering with cold, whereas my friend in his 'Tiger' outfit seemed quite content.... The plan that the tiger outfit was going to be a hinderance was starting to look doubtful and in fact it was looking increasingly like he had made the perfect choice of outfit given the conditions!
We eventually set off on what was to become the hardest physical thing I had ever done... although the first twenty minutes or so was extremely slow as we shuffled towards the starting line and then only after about a mile could we start to run normally. It was still freezing cold but after about 3 miles I decided to take my tracksuit off as surely it would soon get warmer and therefore I should be running in shorts and a vest... right? WRONG!!
If anything it got colder.... at one point I couldn't feel my left arm... it had gone completely numb through cold and I had to shake it loads just to get some feeling back. It was miserable... not only was there the pain of the running but the cold was unbearable. And to make matters worse... my friend inthe Tiger outfit was cruising along and nice and warm.... plus he was attracting huge encouragment and applause from the crowds because in New York very few people dress up in silly costumes unlike the London Marathon!
The next few hours were torture.... my knees were killing me... every muscle hurt... and I was freezing to death! Why would anyone want to do this? At each drink station I would take on board the free Gatorade drink but because it was so cold, I wasn't sweating like you would expect to in a marathon.... so needless to say I need the toilet quite a few times! It's not every day you find yourself running through the Bronx, Harlem and Queen's and urinating on the side roads or on someone's house.... I expect on any other occasion than Marathon day... you may not get out of there alive!
The last few miles of the New York marathon is run through Central Park... a beautiful but surprisingly hilly area... and all I can remember is telling myself to just keep going and not stop. I don't really know how... because I had hardly trained, had bad knees, was freezing to death, etc..... but I somehow managed to cross the finish line without stopping once (except for the toilet breaks!).... in a time of 4hrs 26 mins which was more like 4hrs 15mins (as they didn't have chip pin timing in those days and it took at least 10 minutes to cross the start line).
I did hobble back to the hotel and into a warm bath... and just managed to avoid hyperthermia... but couldn't walk for the next week! The New York Times Newspaper had my name in it the next day... with my finishing time... and on the front cover was the headline 'Coldest New York City Marathon Ever!... temperatures were -6 degrees and as a result the Marathon was moved forward a week the following year and ever since!
However, depsite all the pain... I had a fantastic medal and had achieved something very special. I had battled against myself and had kept going when it would have been so much easier to quit and give up. It gave me confidence and proved I was strong and determined.... the image of the final few hundred yards in Central Park coming up to the finish line with the hundreds of people in the crowd cheering and clapping is an image that will always stay with me and one which I have often used when I needed to dig deep and give me strength to know I can do something.
I would love to go back again one day to run New York...... with a little bit more training and when its a little warmer!
The marathon was taking place in early November and I had signed up in early September.... so I had a full 2 months to train! Being very naive to marathon running I was fairly optimistic that I could manage to run 26.2 miles with some decent training so I set off on a run of about 5 miles.... I just about survived but it was much harder than I had imagined and also my knees started hurting. A couple of days later I did another run which was no better.... very hard and the pain in my knees got worse. Perhaps this marathon idea wasn't such a good plan after all!
I worked part-time at a local gym so started training on a bike instead as it was much less painful than running... and I stopped doing weights which I thought would help as I had bulked up (with muscles!) quite a bit in the previous couple of years. Over the next few weeks I did quite a lot of bike work and lost at least half a stone from stoppingthe weights, but I had done no running. Time was running out and although I felt 'fit' I certainly didn't feel confident about the running. I did manage one longish run of about 10 miles a few days before we left for New York... and then it was time to leave for my first Marathon experience at the age of 21!
The friend I was going with was a good runner and had not suffered with injuries and was becoming annoyingly confident about it all! The charity we were raising money for to get our free places was called 'Tusk Force' and we were raising money to save Siberian Tigers! So what seemed like a genius plan emerged.... my friend was going to run in a 'Tiger' outfit so that we would be much more evenly matched physically during the race!
I had never been on a plane before so it was my first experience of a big plane... and obviously I hadn't been to New York before... so it was very exciting even though I was concerned about the marathon. We had a couple of days to see New York before race day... and then it was time! We took an early bus to Statten Island where all the 30,000+ competitors would start... armed with bananas, Gatorade drinks and Power Bars! The most notable thing apart from the sheer number of people and dozens of helicopters that circled above us.... was the weather.... it was absolutely freezing!
I was wearing some old clothes and a tracksuit to try to keep warm before the start but I was genuinely shivering with cold, whereas my friend in his 'Tiger' outfit seemed quite content.... The plan that the tiger outfit was going to be a hinderance was starting to look doubtful and in fact it was looking increasingly like he had made the perfect choice of outfit given the conditions!
We eventually set off on what was to become the hardest physical thing I had ever done... although the first twenty minutes or so was extremely slow as we shuffled towards the starting line and then only after about a mile could we start to run normally. It was still freezing cold but after about 3 miles I decided to take my tracksuit off as surely it would soon get warmer and therefore I should be running in shorts and a vest... right? WRONG!!
If anything it got colder.... at one point I couldn't feel my left arm... it had gone completely numb through cold and I had to shake it loads just to get some feeling back. It was miserable... not only was there the pain of the running but the cold was unbearable. And to make matters worse... my friend inthe Tiger outfit was cruising along and nice and warm.... plus he was attracting huge encouragment and applause from the crowds because in New York very few people dress up in silly costumes unlike the London Marathon!
The next few hours were torture.... my knees were killing me... every muscle hurt... and I was freezing to death! Why would anyone want to do this? At each drink station I would take on board the free Gatorade drink but because it was so cold, I wasn't sweating like you would expect to in a marathon.... so needless to say I need the toilet quite a few times! It's not every day you find yourself running through the Bronx, Harlem and Queen's and urinating on the side roads or on someone's house.... I expect on any other occasion than Marathon day... you may not get out of there alive!
The last few miles of the New York marathon is run through Central Park... a beautiful but surprisingly hilly area... and all I can remember is telling myself to just keep going and not stop. I don't really know how... because I had hardly trained, had bad knees, was freezing to death, etc..... but I somehow managed to cross the finish line without stopping once (except for the toilet breaks!).... in a time of 4hrs 26 mins which was more like 4hrs 15mins (as they didn't have chip pin timing in those days and it took at least 10 minutes to cross the start line).
I did hobble back to the hotel and into a warm bath... and just managed to avoid hyperthermia... but couldn't walk for the next week! The New York Times Newspaper had my name in it the next day... with my finishing time... and on the front cover was the headline 'Coldest New York City Marathon Ever!... temperatures were -6 degrees and as a result the Marathon was moved forward a week the following year and ever since!
However, depsite all the pain... I had a fantastic medal and had achieved something very special. I had battled against myself and had kept going when it would have been so much easier to quit and give up. It gave me confidence and proved I was strong and determined.... the image of the final few hundred yards in Central Park coming up to the finish line with the hundreds of people in the crowd cheering and clapping is an image that will always stay with me and one which I have often used when I needed to dig deep and give me strength to know I can do something.
I would love to go back again one day to run New York...... with a little bit more training and when its a little warmer!
Why am I running a marathon on 12th September?
On Sunday 12th September 2010, I will be running the Robin Hood Marathon in Nottingham. This will be my 5th Marathon in total and I thought you may be interested in why I am running this time and the relevance it has to Climb Your Mountain. Because the truth is that if I hadn't run the marathons in the past then CYM would never have happened!
It is a very personal story which I hope will give you more insight into the reasons why I set up CYM, why this marathon is important to me and hopefully will also be an interesting read which will encourage you to sponsor me and raise more funds for the charity!
You can make a donation via http://www.justgiving.com/CYM
Thanks
Charlie
It is a very personal story which I hope will give you more insight into the reasons why I set up CYM, why this marathon is important to me and hopefully will also be an interesting read which will encourage you to sponsor me and raise more funds for the charity!
You can make a donation via http://www.justgiving.com/CYM
Thanks
Charlie
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