First Time Marathon

Final total, all in, banked and cheque at the ready for delivery to Rachel House.......

Grand total - £2,889.82

A huge THANKS from CHAS, Alan, Sheena and I to everybody who very kindly donated to this amazing cause.

Until next year.....

Take care,

John

Hey Folks,

Well, it wasn't pretty and it wasn't fast, but we did it!

We managed 5hrs 34mins in the end and a new personal best for us both!

Thank you to each and every one of you who have helped us along the way, and of course to those of you who have donated your hard earned cash for CHAS. Sheena, Alan and I really appreciate it and I know the kids, families and staff at CHAS appreciate it too.

We are still not quite at our £3,000 target yet, but there is still time to donate

Please click the following link and have a look at our profile page to view some photos of the day...

http://www.blog.co.uk/community/profile_photos.php?user=HSEGroup

The image below shows Alan and I at the bag drop on a cold Sunday morning...been to the toilet 18 times - check, energy pouches at the ready - check, Plenty of Lucozade - check, vaseline in all the right places - check! Let's do this!

I looked petrified, but Alan looked very cool, calm and collected as always.

Take care,

See you all next year

John

Less than 12 hours until the gun fires at the start of the 2008 Edinburgh Marathon and the nerves are beginning to kick in. It's been such a hectic week I've hardly had time to think about it!

Getting the kit sorted out now and have just pinned the number to the front of my CHAS vest.

When it gets tough tomorrow I'll just imagine turning up at Rachel House in Kinross and handing over the cheque for all the money you have helped raise.

If anyone is in a pub in Mussleburgh tomorrow around 3.00pm, mine's a lager:-)

Alan

Hey Folks,

It's here!

All the training is done, all stocked up on carbs, kit bag is nearly packed, been to the Expo for the goodie bag, a nice chillin' time in front of the tv and an early night in store. Then it's race day!

Really looking forward to this. I can almost taste the medal already!

Good luck to everybody for tomorrow

Take care,

John

Hi

Looks like we had a slight technical hitch there for a while but the link to our donations page is back up and running!

Sheena

Hey Folks,

It would appear that our JustGiving buttons on the right hand side of the page have vanished. Maybe it's just me!?

Anyway, here's the link to our fund raising page just in case you can't see the buttons on the right.....

http://www.justgiving.com/firsttimemarathon

Take care,

John

Hey Folks,

Well that's it, the final week of training before the big day. Last week and this week's training was fairly light to taper off and allow our bodies to repair and prepare for the big one. Which was just as well as I was away on business last week and only managed a short run on Friday morning on my return.

Completed a 10 miler today and it's probably the best run I have had so far. I felt really comfortable, really strong and managed a very steady 8.32 mins/mile average. Obviously not the pace I will be sticking to on the day, far from it, but I feel fitter than I have ever been before and this helps the ol' confidence for Sunday.

An update on the fund raising so far:

Our JustGiving site - http://www.justgiving.com/firsttimemarathon - has raised a most excellent £510 so far. Thank you to each and every one of you who have donated, every penny makes so much difference to so many kids and their families.

Our 'look 'em in the eye' fund raising between work colleagues, friends and family has almost topped £1,300. Thank you to each and every one of you who have dug deep over the months, your generosity has been overwhelming to say the least.

But, we always wanted to reach £3,000, so we still have over £1,200 to go. One week left and one or two weeks after the event before we stop collecting, so if you can, please help us reach our target. Every single penny counts!

Thank you very much for your support!

Take care,

John

Hi There

Unfortunately I have had to withdraw my entry from this years marathon due to a recurring knee injury

On Sunday Alan and myself completed the Dunfermline Half Marathon and crossing the finish line for the first time was an amazing experience (even if it was with a limp!). Unfortunately 5 miles in my knee flared up and though I managed to run with it for the majority of the course I Iimped the last mile.

I’m really disappointed not to be joining Alan and John for the Edinburgh Marathon, however, if someone had said to me 7 months ago that I would be completing a half marathon I’m not sure I would have believed them. Its been a great journey, from literally starting running for the first time in January to completing 13 miles yesterday is an amazing feeling, and I feel rather chuffed!

I definitely plan to keep running once I manage to get my knee sorted out once and for all and my withdrawal from the 2008 marathon has secured me a place for Edinburgh in 2009 – I’ll reach the finish line, might just take a little longer than I thought

Best of luck John & Alan (not that you’ll need it!). I’ll be at the finish line with a couple of mars bars and some beers!

Sheena

Hi There

I can't quite believe that it's just over 2 weeks to go to Marathon day! It certainly doesn't feel like 6 months has passed since the three of us started on this journey and there have certainly been a couple of hills to climb along the way.

Training over the last couple of weeks has been going well. Started back on grass initially, with the physio's advice to build up on a softer surface, and after running circles round Pitreavie Playing Fields (not the most inspiring) have tried running back on the tarmac....and its going great!
Although I wont be able to reach the mileage that I had initially planned I'm putting that out of my mind and concentrating fully on running the Dunfermline Half Marathon this Sunday and the Edinburgh Marathon 2 weeks later.

Here We Go!!

All the best, Sheena

Hey Folks,

Another week goes by and another step closer to the big day!

Managed a 20 mile run today, and much like my last big run, this was the hardest challenge of my entire life. Got there in the end though . I even had to stop the last mile at my wee local shop to ask them to fill up my water bottle .

Today has been the warmest day of training for me so far, there was even a blast of sunshine for half an hour or so, which brought on new challenges. Not a breath of wind and the sun beating down on your back changes mental performance no end. Something I will personally need to bear in mind for the big day.

Anyway, another plate of pasta awaits me and a nice long session in front of the TV to watch some snooker .

We leave the line and cross the line together

Take care,

John

Hey Folks,

Four weeks today for the big day!

Time has absolutely flown in and I can't really believe we are nearly there.

Managed an 18 mile run today and like my 16 miler, the biggest challenge ever! But, each push forward brings on a new limit both mentally and physically and another step closer to the finish line.

Three more big runs left of our Garmin training plan, then we taper off until the big day and I for one simply cannot wait.

We leave the line together and cross the line together

Take care,

John

Hi There

Thanks again for everyones generous donations!

Well after another visit to the physio last week I have finally been able to try back on the treadmill. The exercises the physio had given me to do seemed to have done the trick and have helped to strengthen my leg in the right places and sort out my alignment and after a tentative jog on Friday my knee feels GREAT!

As soon as I started I could see that the front of my right foot was drifing out to the right and I had to concentrate a lot harder on how I was placing my foot. So it actually feels like the lower half of my leg is twisted inwards even though in reality I'm running straight!

Tried another couple of miles today just to make sure and am over the moon to say that alls good!

Can't wait to get fully back into training, building up the miles and catching up with the other guys

Cheerio, Sheena

Hey Folks,

Forgot to mention a quick update on where we are with cash at the moment.....

Our JustGiving sponsor page - http://www.justgiving.com/firsttimemarathon - has managed to creep up to £425.00 and an overall estimate of face to face fund raising at work brings our total so far (including JustGiving funds) to approximately £1,400!

Fantastic!

Thank you all so much and I can only echo Alan's comments below about CHAS and why we are doing this...

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...you get the picture

Take care,

John

Hey Folks,

Well, I managed to get myself out for a 16 mile run today and it was the hardest physical challenge I have ever done! Killer buzz though

The first 10 miles were very comfortable, nothing really going on other than auto pilot admiring the view. Then, after about 13 miles the challenge of keeping going really set in. Jelly babies at the ready, many positive thoughts about CHAS and why we are doing this and a few miles later I was home.

Mike Tyson and 10 rounds springs to mind at the moment though! Early night to allow my body to repair itself and I'll await the after effects tomorrow.

Killer buzz and I can't wait until the big day

Take care,

John

Greetings from sunny Singapore!

Yeah I know, it's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it!

Time is ticking by really fast now and race day looms large. I lost a couple of weeks training due to (man)flu and a chest infection. I've been out here for a week so far and will be back in Scotland on Wednesday.

I've managed a couple of runs this week and am just back from a jog around the Botanical Gardens. It was HOT, HOT, HOT! The humidity is the biggest factor and trying to get oxygen in is a big challenge. I'm sure when I get home and swap 30 degrees for 12 or so it will be much easier!

Many thanks for all the donations. It makes a huge difference and really focuses us all on the end goal....crossing the finish line on May 25th and raising a lot of money for CHAS. On the flight down here I watched a few episodes of The Long Way Down, a bike ride from John O'Groats to Cape Town with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman. On the first leg they stopped at Robin House by Loch Lomond, CHAS's newest hospice. Seeing the amazing work that they do and the real difference that is made for the kids and their families was truely humbling and a massive incentive to keep piling on the miles so we can help, even in a small way, to allow them to continue offering their service and indeed, expand.

Cheers for now,
Alan

Hi There

After having tried to get back running over the last couple of weeks my knee has still been causing issues. Having tried rest, ice, anti-inflam gels, stretches, tubey grips......an appointment with the physio was called for.

The results from this are that I havent damaged any of the joints or muscles but that it seems likely that the pain in the knee is due to bio-mechanics - in other words my right leg is out of alignment and turns out further to the right than it should do!

The muscles have been able to cope with this up to now but with increase in distance they are starting to object big time!

So I have to train myself to walk with a straight leg (not as easy as it sounds!)and have a list of exercises for stretching and strengthening the ankle and leg in the right places.

I can feel the clock ticking and the 25th May fast approaching but its great to finally know what the cause is and after another physio assessment next week I plan to be back up and running and catching up with the other guys

Sheena

Hey Folks,

So far the fundraising is going fantastic!

Our online fundraising page - JustGiving - has so far raised £395, whilst the sponsor sheets have taken the grand total to over £1,000 already!

Thank you all so very much

John

Well not wanting the older members of the team to feel bad I have not been out running for the last week after I hurt my knee last wednesday. After hobbling up and down the stairs for a day it felt as if it was back to normal but after attempting the sunday run I could feel things werent quite right and had to stop.

Having read through a couple of articles and websites for advice theres a whole raft of possible causes - high/low arches, bow legs, knock knees, not enough strength or stretching in the leg and knee muscles....

So at the moment I'm taking the advice and working on strengthening and stretching the knee/leg muscles. A number of people have also recommended supplements, particularly glucosamine which is thought to be great for keeping the knees in good working order, so giving those a go too!

Heres hoping will be back up and running this weekend

Sheena

I may be the old man of the team, but I've been the only one putting the miles on recently whilst the youngsters feign injury!

Last Sunday it was 10 miles in just under two hours. Not fast and not pretty, but I was delighted to survive and to be able to run/jog/stumble continuously for almost two hours.

The plan is for 12 miles this Sunday then a couple of light mid-week sessions before the Alloa half marathon on the 23rd. I'm looking forward to pinning on the numbers and running in a large group again. The atmosphere at these events is great.

The vest and sponsor forms arrived from CHAS yesterday. All of a sudden it's all starting to feel rather 'real' and SOON!

Alan

Well, just over three weeks worth of achilles injury, rest, ice, stretching, researching sports injuries on the web, moaning about not running...I finally ran on the treadmill again this week!

I had a trip to www.run4it.com last week for some valuable advice on my existing trainers and ended up with a new pair of proper running trainers. The trainers I bought originally were from a well known high street sports shop which were in the running section, but I had to find out the hard way that not investing in a pair of real running shoes to begin with will cause injuries!

So, my first mile on the treadmill this week just to test the waters and the achilles is feeling much better. All I need to do now is take it easy and build up the miles over the next couple of weeks to get back to full training.

If you are serious about running without injury, I would highly recommend a trip to a shop like Run 4 It for some professional advice. Worth their weight in gold

Take care,

John