Post 7: Forty-Seven Thousand Runners and Me - November 2011

Hi,

  

Post 7! Can’t believe I’m already at Post 7! Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read the latest edition of my blog. If you are new to it and would like the ‘story so far...’ you can find the other entries below.

  

I am pleased to start this month’s entry by saying it has been a good few weeks. Training is going well and I have to admit I am actually starting to enjoy it. The majority of my training has been in the gym and will remain that way until the New Year. As I mention last time, the short term aim is to build up my general fitness and strength. That has been going well and I am actually quite looking forward to January when I’ll be going out on the roads more.

  

Last week I meet with Emily Tuck, Centre Manager for Nuffield Health in Worcester. I told her all about the Trust, what I am doing and why I am doing it. It was great to meet her and share the story of it all as I am incredibly grateful for the support they are giving me. It was also great to learn more about the other services and support they offer at Nuffield Health and how they might benefit me in the months to come.  As well as going in the gym quite a lot, my mate Hoops and I have started playing squash / racquet ball after our gym session. It has been a great way to do some extra work and also acts well as a warm down. We haven’t been keeping track of who’s won the most games, well I hope not as I think he’s beating me hands down!

  

Earlier this week I also had a good chat with Andrea Faull, a senior lecturer in sport and exercise psychology at the University of Worcester. We were talking about my challenge and it was really interesting to hear her talk about setting goals throughout 2012. It actually made it sound a lot more realistic and achievable. I think for the first time I actually thought ‘I can do this’. I know that might sounds stupid but there is a difference between thinking ‘I will do it’ and ‘I can do it’. Obviosuly, the fact I’m doing it for Jo mean ‘I will’ do the New York Marathon, even if it means crawling on my hands and knees. However, having spoken to Andrea and with progress I’ve made this month I’m starting to believe ‘I can’ do it. Hope that makes some sort sense...

  

The other big thing to happen this month was the New York Marathon 2011. 47,107 people ran it! I watch some of the coverage on the internet and it was just amazing to see so many people. It did, however, make my feet go a bit tingly... I can’t even begin to image being there on the start line and in some ways that not such a bad thing at the moment.

  

So all in all it has been a good month. I’m feeling a lot more optimistic about it all and looking forward to 2012. However, I do have the next month to get through first so I’ll need to make sure I keep going to the gym as much as I can.

  

Until next time...   

Post 6: Back to the Beginning via Mumbai - October 2011

Hi,

Let me start this month’s entry by setting the scene of where I am sitting whilst writing this. I am currently in Goa, spending a few days here with Katie having visited the new Joanna Brown dormitory at the Magic Bus centre just outside of Mumbai – more about that later. We are staying at the Casa Colvale, a beautiful secluded boutique hotel in north Goa. If anyone is looking for a relaxing holiday I wholeheartedly recommend coming here.

Anyway, thanks as always for taking the time to read my blog. I’ve been thinking about what to write in this entry for a while as there seems to be a familiar pattern forming. To start with I write about something more interesting than anything to do with my struggles to get fit, then I’ll briefly mention that training is hard, how I’m not really enjoying it and that I had hoped to make more progress that I actually have. Unfortunately this month’s blog won’t do anything to move away from that tradition.

Our trip to India has been amazing. The hotels, the food, the people, the scenery, just the whole experience really has been wonderful. The main reason for the trip was to visit the Joanna Brown dormitory and officially open it. Needless to say that it was very special and emotional. Part of me feels strange about enjoying coming here and seeing what we have achieved. Due to reasons why The Joanna Brown Trust was founded I think there will always a bitter-sweet element to everything. Having said that, it definitely doesn’t stop me being incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and even more grateful for the support people still continue to show. More details, photos and videos about the dormitory will be available on our website, Facebook page and Twitter account over the next few weeks.

Right, time for the training update. It’s been hard (as usual) and I haven’t made the progress I was hoping for (as usual). One of the really nice things about coming away, especially to such a quiet relaxing place like the Casa Colvale, is it has given me a lot of time to think about things. Having been to visit the Joanna Brown dormitory I’ve obviously thought a lot about Jo and what is next for The Joanna Brown Trust. It has also allowed me to think about my training and the year I have in front of me. I realised that, although I’m under no illusions about how difficult it will be to complete a marathon, I have got carried away with the story of it all. By that I mean joking about being an ‘international runner’ and thinking that taken my trainers on holiday with me (yes they are here) and doing the odd jog round the block somehow makes a big difference. Since starting my training I haven’t really been hard enough on myself, especially with my eating, and that’s why I haven’t seen the improvements I was hoping for. My mate Hoops is doing his best to keep pushing me, but I’m sure he’s getting frustrated. I certainly would be if I was him.

Having had time to reflect on the past few months and fearing that moment when it is less than a year until the New York Marathon has really focused my mind on what I need to do. I am also anxious that my birthday, Christmas and New Year are coming up on the horizon and I know I’ll be able to enjoy it more having made so good progress. I also want to be able to start 2012 in a confident mood. To do all that I feel I need to go back to the beginning, work on my general fitness and be harder on myself with my eating.

Cheers,

Rich

Post 5: The Ups & Downs of an International Runner - September 2011

Hi,

I can’t believe this is my 5th entry already as it means I’ve been doing this for 5 months now! The one thing about doing this blog does is it makes you realise how fast time flies. Thanks, as always, for visiting this blog. If you are new to it the other entries can be found below.

Following the not so productive month of August, I was really looking forward to making some big improvements this month. With Katie going back to work (she’s a primary school teacher) the hope was with a more structured routine I’d make some good progress. On the whole I think I have. There have been times in the gym when I’ve felt really good and have been able to push myself that bit further, particularly on the running machine. However, there have been times when I just can’t do it and feel worse and more unfit than when I started. A few weeks ago I started to let it get to me and was becoming quite down and stressed about it. It seemed like the more I tried and the more I went to the gym the worse I was getting. So I decided to have a few days off and not worry about it. This was definitely a good decision as when I went back I felt a lot better.

The one thing I’ve started to notice and make an effort with is what I eat the day I go to the gym and how it affects me. I’m sure there is advice out there but part of this whole journey I’m going on is about discovery. When we did the bike ride last year I really enjoyed learning about it all and going on that journey. I’m sure this is going to be the same.

The JB Trust continues to move forward and when I come to write next month’s blog I’ll be in India! The dormitory The JB Trust has funded the construction of at a sports centre outside of Mumbai is almost finished. Katie and I are going out there over the October half term to visit the centre and learn about how children from the slums of Mumbai benefit from attending the residential camps. The centre is run by a charity called Magic Bus (Twitter names: @MagicBusInida & @MagicBusUK) and it’s been a real pleasure working with them on this project. I am undecided at the moment whether or not to take my running trainers with me. On one hand it will mean I’ve run in 3 different countries in 3 months. However, on the on the other hand running in that heat might not be the best thing for moral and confidence. Tune in next time to find out what happens.... (suspense!).

Overall I haven’t made the progress I was hoping for this month, it’s been a bit up and down, but the signs are there (hopefully).

Next stop, Mumbai!
Rich

Post 4: ‘Come on Dickie, put your back in to it!’ - August 2011

Hi All,

Thanks, as always, for taking the time to visit my blog. If you’re new to it you can find the other entries below where it’ll give you more of a background to what I’m doing and the purpose of this blog.

Well, first confession, August hasn’t exactly been a particularly productive month in terms of training. Katie (my wife) and I went on holiday at the start of the month and although I took my trainers with me to do some running, this was only ever an optimistic gesture at best. I did do a bit of running, in Köln and Füssen, and as I was running around enjoying the views (especially in Füssen, where we started the Romantic Road Cycle Challenge) I thought to myself I am technically an international runner, with an American fitness coach, sponsored by Adidas and currently at my European training camp! However, due to my (still) worrying lack of fitness, that moment didn’t last very long and I was back to usual thoughts of ‘what have I got myself into’ and ‘I can’t do this’. Nice while it lasted though, albeit very briefly.

This time of year is always very poignant and emotional for everyone who was close to Jo. Yesterday (25^th August 2011) was the 3^rd anniversary of her accident and although she is always in our thoughts, especially with the success of The JB Trust, she is even more at this time of year. Personally I like to leave The JB Trust alone for a few days and just think about Jo as my sister and remember the great times we shared. Jo’s nickname for me was ‘Dickie’, an abbreviation of Richard I hated being called. However, it never bothered me when Jo sad it, she was the only person I allowed to call it me. It is things like that I like to remember and not think about how we can continue to develop The JB Trust.

Having said all that, The JB Trust continues to grow. In these past few days we’ve received two corporate donations from Severn Trent Water and WSP. Thanks to my good mates Jason Brewer (Severn Trent) and Jez Clarke (WSP) for nominating us. The thing I like about this is both Jason and Jez nominated The JB Trust. Then the management board, or employees, look at all the charities that have been nominated and decided which they’d like to support. For me this shows that The JB Trust is now recognised as a credible local charity, and not just a memorial fund.

Right from the outset of setting The JB Trust up I always felt it had somehow managed to capture the characteristics Jo was well know for – drive, passion, motivation and a desire to be the best she could possibly be. Jo was such an active person and never stopped for anything, she was always moving on to the next challenge or goal. The JB Trust has been such a wonderful thing to have been able to do in Jo’s memory and we are all incredibly grateful for the continued support and interested that is shown in it.

Anyway, back to the training. I can hear Jo now saying ‘Come on Dickie, put your back in to it!’

Cheers,

Rich

Post 3: Transforming the Fat Kid from Britian - July 2011

Hi,

Welcome to the 3rd installment of my training blog. For the past 3 months I've began the very long process of trying to get fit enough to run the New York Marathon in November 2012. It is all memory of my sister Jo, who was set to run it in 2008 and in aid of The Joanna Brown Trust, the charity I've founded in her memory.

The month has been good. I had an MOT health check at Nuffield Health which was really interesting. Unfortunately it did however confirm in writing what I've been trying to deny and avoid for many years now, that I am very unfit. It does however give you a real insight into your overall fitness / health and give you some goals to work towards.

A friend of mine, Liam Paddock (twitter name: @liampad5), is at Baltimore University on a football (soccer) scholarship. He very kindly put me in contact with his fitness coach called Pete Eibner (twitter name: @petefastforward) who I contacted and said he was more than happy to support my efforts and give me some training advice, or as he put it 'I'm right behind transforming the fat kid from Britian'.

Pete seems to be well known and respected in Baltimore and he is going to mention me on his website. He even said he might be able to get me on the local radio station in Baltimore! As I've always said, there are many reasons why I'm doing this challenge. One of them is to raise the awareness of The Joanna Brown Trust.

I'm off on holiday today (Tues 2nd Aug) for 10 days and am a bit worried that the small amount of progress I've made over the past month or so will all be gone when I return. Therefore, I've decided to take my running trainers with me and try and go some running whilst I'm away. Katie (my wife) and I are going to Germany to visit some of the places I cycled through last year when I did The Romantic Road Cycle Challenge in aid of The Joanna Brown Trust - for more details about that challenge click here -  http://www.youtube.com/user/TheJBTrust#p/u/3/gbmME_S-QWo.

I went on my first road run with my mate Hoops (twitter name: @hoops60230) last week and can safely say I hated every minute of it! However, I am really glad I've got out there and done my first road run as it give you a good idea about what it's like as it is some much different to running on a machine in a gym.

The only other thing to report this month is that about a week ago I got a really bad pain in my right foot. In the past I have suffered from weak arches in my feet so it's been a reminder to me how important it is to wear good, supportive footwear at all times, not just when doing exercise. Hopefully this 10 day holiday has come at the right time and a combination of rest and some light jogging will mean I'm back to full fitness when I get back.

That's all from me this month, until next time....


Rich

Post 2: Do New Trainers Still Make You Run Faster? - June 2011

Hi,

Something that will become a common theme at the start of these ramblings, can I start by thanking you for taking the time to visit my blog.

For the past 6 weeks I've been going to Nuffield Health in Worcester, who are very kindly supporting this challenge. At the moment I've got a few short terms goals, to build up my general strength and fitness and to get used to running - something that will be quite important!!!

My mate Hoops (twitter name: hoops60230) has been training with me, although for the past few sessions he's been busy at work so it's left me to go it alone.

The running kit I got from Adidas is brilliant. Currently I'm wearing a pair of Adidas Salvations, which offer a bit more support to the inside of your foot. This keeps your feet and ankles straight as your running. I'd learnt about what type of trainers I should get from my session at Runaround Sports in Worcester. It was a really useful thing to do and I can't recommend them enough to anyone who is training for any type of run.

Upon receiving the new kit from Adidas it did remind me of when you're younger and the excitement of getting a new pair of trainers and the unwavering belief they made you run faster. I'd love that to be true now...

The other great thing that happened on the back of me receiving the Adidas kit was I took a photo of it and posted it on Twitter (http://twitpic.com/5bxeki). In the tweet I tagged @AdidasUK and they re-tweeted it. For those of you that have no idea what I'm going on about, basically it meant AdidasUK sent a message out about me and that picture to their 15,928 followers. Within an hour of them doing it my photo had over 200 views. The power of social media.

Another cool thing that has happened is I've been offered training advice from a fitness coach in America. A good friend of mine, Liam (also on twitter: @liampad5) is on a football (soccer) scholarship at Baltimore University. He's back for the summer and we were chatting about what I doing and from that Liam contacted his fitness coach who has said he'd love to help me out. Apparently he's a fitness coach and stand up comedian so could be very interesting. Watch this space!

So in summary it has been a pretty good month. I've started to get a little impatient with the fact I don't seem to be making as much progress as I'd hoped, but I know I've just got to stick at it.

Until next time,
Rich

Post 1: The Start of a Very Long Road - May 2011

Hi,

First of all I just want to say thanks for taking the time to visit my blog, hopefully you'll find it interesting and entertaining.

In case you are reading this and don't know the full story allow me to provide the back story to this challenge. My big sister, Jo, sadly passed away in August 2008 following an accident whilst she was traveling back from Beijing, where she'd been to watch the Olympic Games. In her honour and memory Jo's family and friends set up The Joanna Brown Trust, a charity that aims to encourage involvement in sport. More detail about The JB Trust can be found on our website www.TheJoannaBrownTrust.org.

At the time of Jo's death she was in training for the New York Marathon, which she was set to run in November of that year. In memory of Jo and in aid of The Joanna Brown Trust I'm going to run the New York Marathon in 2012. Having never done any kind of running like this before and not being a particularly big fan of running I know I'm in for a very challenge and tough 18 months. Needless to say the reason why I am doing it will be more than enough motivation to get me through the difficult times ahead and I can't even begin to imagine what it will feel like to cross that finish line.

As well as doing this for Jo and trying to raise as much money as possible for The JB Trust, my other aim is to raise the awareness about the charity. Being such a small charity any help or support we receive makes a massive difference. I know that's a line used by a lot of charities but as this charity is effectively one man and a laptop it is true! I am so grateful to the organisations that have already agreed to support my challenge.

Nuffield Health have provided me with a free membership so I can train in their gym and have full access to all the other fantastic facilities and services they offer. The second sponsor is Adidas who have very kindly agreed to provide me with trainers and running tops for my training and on the day itself.

Training has already official begun, I've recruited the help of my friend 'Hoops' to help me along the way. So far it going well, getting the support from Nuffield Health and Adidas has really given me an extra bit of motivation. The key at the moment is to just take it one step at a time and not think about the marathon itself.

Over the coming months I'll be posting how I'm getting on and any other major developments. It'll be roughly one a month unless something radical happens. I'm going down to Runaround Sports in Worcester early next week to be videoed on a running machine to see what type of trainers I need.

Think that's it for the first entry, please keep checking back for more entries and I'd really appreciate it if you could forward this on. As I said it's all about spreading the word...

Cheers,
Rich