I DID IT 4:28

Hey I made it just got to post a quick note to say I made it had an epic last 2 miles due to tiredness and eating to many sport gels!!

It was a great event very well run and it was amazing to see the amount of people out supporting all the runners a BIG thank you to everybody who cheered! Was very funny running through Bowness seeing all the tourists without a clue what was going on!!
More to follow!! having a rest and thinking maybe the Lochness marathon next?

Lake District Hotels to stay in for the Brathay Marathon

It's been ages since my last post my training is going really well looking to do between just sub 4 and 4:30 for my first Marathon.

Just thought I'd share some really great Hotels with you if you want to come and stay or watch or if your Running
First for shear luxuary oand the most amazing rooms ever the Cranleigh hotel Windermere is an amzing place to stay. It is down in Bowness just very close to the lake

Next is a great Hotel in Windermere the Ellerthwaite lodge is beautifully situated up in Windermere close to all the shops

Then there is the Rothay Manor Hotel in ambleside you run past it near the finish, another grat Lake District Hotel to stay in.

A winning Lake district Guest house is the Beaumont House Windermere 

Hope these help 5 DAYS to GO!! weather here is not to hot perfect for the run!

A Good Running Book:- The runners Handbook new edition

I've been reading this book for years and Now there is a new version out I'm getting it but I'm also sharing it with you.

It was a great inspiration when I was looking into the miles and miles I had to run. It's also got great charts to help you work out your pace.

There is a great section on injury what to look out for and how to fix it if you do injure yourself. I still have the copy by my bed and my wife has also been reading it.

If your looking for a good all round running book this is the one.

I've realised how hard a marathon really is!

I ran 16 miles yesterday and it was really really hard. Reality came and smacked me in the face! I've been running up to 14 miles and feeling O.K I even ran the Dentdale 14 mile race and that felt good the weekend before. But yesterday I really hit a bad patch. I thought running more that 10 miles make your body feel weird. But when I passed 14miles  it really felt hard. The crazy thing was running was easier than walking but when your knackered and want to walk but it feels harder really mucks about with your head!

I know that I did not get enough sleep on Friday in fact I had a 16 hour day on Friday. The run started out O.K although my 'head' felt flat but my body was O.K. 12 miles in and I was on a new route and got lost and then stopped to work out the route. From here on in it felt that it started to fall apart.
I got round the route I'd like to apologise to anybody who heard me swearing at myself for the last mile or so it was the only way to get home. I must have looked like a demented madman sweating looking like death and calling myself every name under the sun if I did not run home!
My legs at the end felt pretty bad BUT I have an ice bath for 3 mins and they are as good as new now. I cannot say how amazed I am at this miracle cure for sort tired legs. that evening I took my daughter to a 3rd gig of a mates band and felt petty good.  Check this out

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--12810-0,00.html

Steve's a drummer and they were really really good! in fact they were so good they have been asked to support some proper bands at a local venue.
My wife did here 18mile training run today and is at least 10-15 mins ahead of me! I'm really proud how fast she is, she also fount it as hard as me but is defiantly running better than I am.
I've got a 7 and 9 miler this week with a drop down to 14 mile to finish next week.

14.5 Miles and a woozy 3 miler!

Ran 14.5 miles on Saturday and it felt great. The weather here in the north west of England has been amazing. Very cold but the sun is out which makes it much much easier to run. I've run up to a ridge and then back along it to my home town.

Now Sunday is my rest day so chilled out with the kids and then stayed up late to see Saving Private Ryan. What a film but that meant yesterday Monday I was a little tired as the film finished at 12.30 in the morning. I'd planed to do a 7 mile run but a mile in I felt dizzy and had to stop. In the end I limped in a very very easy 3 mile run feeling weird and light headed. I had a shower and fell straight asleep at 10:30pm.

You must get your sleep!! I'm also not sure if I drank enough water so that is another area I'm thinking about. Keep ya posted I have another 7 scheduled see how I feel!

14 miles done

Ran a cool 14 miles on Saturday! then walked up a local mountain in the afternoon Legs feel great!!

Used my ipod all the way round and here are some highlights
Spiritwalker - the Cult
She's got me dancing - Tommy Sparks ( cool tming running up the big hill!
Bonkers - Dizzy Rascal
Fire - Kasabian

The weather was stunning clear blue skies and warm (well it's relative! Snowed on Sunday). Really Really enjoyed the run. Just wish I could run in the day time every day.

Sking in Whistler

Check this out have a look around the slopes!


View Larger Map

The windermere marathon route

A funny week for me work and weather stopped half my training I went well on Saturday but only did 8.5 Miles when I wanted to do 10. I just ran out of time rather than fitness. Found this map of the marathon I'm training for there are a few big hills!

Second week and running cool

I did 9 Miles on Saturday and my legs felt knackered but my head was in a great place, so I'm happy with the training. I got a late call on Saturday to see if I wanted to go to a lecture by a guy who had cycled round the world. It was a free ticket so thought cool. My wife gave ma a pass and I was off. It was just simply amazing. The first speaker was David Allan who has been involved with mountain Rescue great book available on Amazon! he had some great stories and it's realy cool to listen to someone who is passionate about there life and profession
http://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Want-Join-Mountain-Rescue/dp/1904524478

Then there was Alastair Humphreys if you ever get the chance to see his lectures you MUST go. He is a true adventure. He managed to get all the way around the world on a bike took him 4 years there abouts and his talk is funny truthful and very very entertaining. check out
http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/landing/
I was truly inspired one of the highlights for me was in the quesions and anserws they guys were asked if there were any adventure left in the world. Alaster's answer was if you had not done it, It was and adventure for you. Genius! not to mention a walk around the M25 just crashing in a tent along the way! 

And if you ever get the chance see both these guys!! What a great weekend!!

I'm IN!! the Brathay Marathon!!

Just got this email

CONGRATULATIONS - YOUR ENTRY HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR:
EVENT DETAILS:
Brathay Windermere Marathon
16/5/2010
10:30am
Brathay Hall
Ambleside

Event website:
http://www.brathay.org.uk

Event details on Runner's World site:
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/viewEvent.asp?en=50053


That's it now training all the way and the sun is shining!

After my first Week

Well I have been running around the Lakes now for a week. It's going really well I've just run 8 miles and feel really good! The training through the week and to be honest it;'s been short boring runs n the town where I live and I HATE running up and down streets just to get the miles in. I know I have to to get the miles but PLEASE sun come back so I can run out into the country side and enjoy where I live!

This has been the best run! http://bit.ly/9JBvfu

I've been thinking what keeps me going and here are some of them in no particular order!
1. Knowing I have a marathon in May
2. Keeping my stats so I can see progression
3. A schedule so I know what to do even when I do not want to do it
4. My wife who is also training
5. Friends commenting on my runs
6. My weight going down

Thats a bout it for now keep running!

Training going well

Just a quick one to say the marathon training is going well. Took a night off tonight Little ones have been ill so not slept much. Feel very positive about how it's going.

Got my Calender for my marathon!

Well I looked on-line and found this site to build me a calender that goes straight into my Google Calender! http://www.mattandsara.com/marathon/ It's US based so has some programed events in but you can also choose your race date and then get all the training days from this awesome is the only word! Now I know what I have to do every week till May.

My god there is a lot of running to be done. Running every day but one! going to be using my head nearly every run as this is the only time I get to run when my wife is back from work about 9pm most nights. We have had snow for weeks in the UK so I have not been running for the last two weeks but got out to do a 5 mile today felt O.K. knee was a bit sore going to do a few small easy runs to see how it is.....

fingers toes crossed.

Well Done Eddie!!!

Eddie Izzard has given a special award at the 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year for his 1,100-mile run for Sport Relief.
The 47-year-old ran 43 marathons in just 51 days earlier this year, after just five weeks of training.
At the awards bash at the Sheffield Arena, he said: ‘I'm no athlete, Not like everybody here tonight."
‘It was really tough. Everything was painful. People asked me if I enjoyed the running but I enjoyed the stopping! I staggered, I ran and I crawled.’
Izzard’s efforts raised more than £200,000 for charity.
Eddie Izzard has given a special award at the 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year for his 1,100-mile run for Sport Relief.
The 47-year-old ran 43 marathons in just 51 days earlier this year, after just five weeks of training.

‘It was really tough. Everything was painful. People asked me if I enjoyed the running but I enjoyed the stopping! I staggered, I ran and I crawled.’

Izzard’s efforts raised more than £200,000 for charity.
Lets get him some more Donate here

Hard week

The problem I'm having is that my company is busy but it's also needs feeding! to hit the right targets to make sure we all get paid the work needs to be done. This means that I'm working working working. First thing to suffer is the training. When I have done it it fees really good and I'm proud of myself for doing it but time and again I'm just knackered and do not go I have a fall back rule of at least a 7-8 mile to run over the weekend.

I know soon I have to start ramping up the miles for my first marathon next June. It's getting off my arse to do it..........

Keep ya posted

A Scottish Advent Calendar

I love runkeeper and my iphone but

They are fantastic gadgets and is is the best motivational running tool. I love looking back at my training and my races with it. BUT the dam GPS is flakey I live in the lake district which I thought would be pretty good at getting a sat alight signal. But it's less than 4 times out of ten the dam thing gets a signal from my house. I normally run for 10 - 15 mins before it locks on and then I work on the map when I get back. This whinge over it is the best running tool I have and I would not swap it for the world I have plated with a few and this one is the best by miles.

If you like to keep track of your running and have a tool that gives you splits on the mile or KM the training modes or the fantastic website that tracks and records it all with every statistic you could ever want get it!! Also if you' like to join my training team come on over!

http://runkeeper.com/user/funkyfrizby/activities/

Deluxe Boutique Get big home runs for presents!!!

A brand new website for Deluxe Boutique, an up and coming fashionable footwear store, launched Friday with the help of Ibex Internet and their new e-commerce platform, Platypus. Platypus was designed in-house by the Kendal based online solutions company as a bespoke e-commerce option for both present and potential online shop owners.

Sarah Burnett, owner of Deluxe Boutique, became one of the first adopters of the Platypus system after she teamed up with Ibex Internet to redesign her existing online shop.

“Utterly impressive,”

she remarked, when asked about her experience with Ibex Internet and Platypus.

To get your loved one the Best Present for Christmas Pretty Ballerina pumps click here!!

Run Keeper

Latest run using very cool gadget
Run keeper

How the hell is my running doing

Well it's not I have kept fit but that's about it! I used a Wii Fit for ages and now well I'm not doing much my middle daughter said I looked fat today so I'm trying to get my FAT ( and it is ) arse back into training. 30 Min step this evening..