We've done it!

So we all met up in London the day before. At this point I've got a mixed bag of emotions, one minute feeling calm, the next anxious then sick and so on, but after we 'd been to the EX BO and registered our numbers and had a couple of medicinal London prides all was well and calm again.
When morning came the sun was shining, so after a good breakfast and a kiss off the wife and family (oh and don't forget the photos for the web) we were off.
With a trickle of adrenalin flowing the journey to the start went with ease and after dropping our bags off we were soon at the starting line with the other thousands of runners.
Just enough time to say hello to an old school mate and the horn sounded, wishing each other well we were set. After months of training I was about to do one of the biggest things in my life, with that thought came a massive rush of adrenalin and we were off.
The plan was we would stick together for a couple of miles and then, because i was running a 10 minute mile pace and Ben and Chris were running a 9 minute mile pace, we would part company. After a few miles the lads were off chasing the Kenyans and I settle down into a good pace, enjoying the bands and soaking up the atmosphere.
The night before Lucia, my sis, had sent me a picture message showing a banner they had made saying" do it for Stu " in big green lettering. At the 6 or 7 mile mark and out of the blue I caught sight of the banner then spotted Mum, Lu and Laurence so I crossed the flow of runners for a quick hello.
Settling back down into my pace we were running through Bermondsey - eyes peeled I was on the look out for Ali , Anna and the crew and sure enough there they were cheering me on; shouting a quick hello i was off again.
Then, at around the 8or9 mile mark, came the rain which at first was welcoming but as it got heavier and I got wetter it soon became very unpleasant. I started to get a pain on my little toes, there was something not quite right but it wasn't bothering too much so I carried on.
The further I ran the more intense the pain got, so at the 14 mile mark I spotted St Johns Ambulance bloke with some Vaseline and decided to stop and take a look. Trainers and socks came off to reveal the biggest, reddest, sorest blisters on my little toes I had ever seen. Vaseline was not going to do the trick! I was advised to have them seen to in the medical tent where they kindly dressed them.
Feeling annoyed and in pain I was off again running then walking then running then walking and so on.
The crowds were great, shouting words of encouragement and doing their up-most to keep us all motivated. Out of the blue at the 19 mile mark Chris and Carl appeared, and then again at 19.5. At that point I stopped to say hello and tell how much it hurt! It definitely helped my motivation seeing them.
Off I went again but didn't get much further when I felt an excruciating pain in my left little toe, luckily there was a medical tent yards away so I asked for help. The dressing that had been put on earlier had come off and the new pain was my toe nail coming off but still attacked by the skin bubble. It was like a war zone in that tent with people collapsed on the floor and collapsing as I sat there. Patched up again I was happy to get out there and carry on with the job in hand.
The next 5 miles were the hardest miles I have ever run, each getting longer and each getting harder, with people dropping like flies all around. I started to question whether I could do it A few quiet words with Stu and the thought of letting the side down got me through.
Big Ben in my sights I new I was nearly home and then with less than a mile to go that same excruciating pain as before but on the right toe, had to stop for a moment.
Knowing what the problem was i gritted my teeth and ran, getting faster and faster until there in front of me was the finish. With tears in my eyes, physically and mentally exhausted I crossed the line. I HAD FINISHED!!! What a fantastic feeling.

Stu I ran for you and you ran with me. Thankyou.

Now all I wanted to do was find Ali and Anna and give them a big kiss and cuddle, and catch up with the rest of the crew.

It has been just over a week since London, the toes have dried up and nails fallen off, the legs are back to normal and all is well.

I need to thank Ali and Anna for helping me through it giving me all that love, support and encouragment, love you guys.

Did i enjoy? Yes, one hell of an experience but the second part of it could have been better!
Would I do it again? Yes definately, but not next year!

Had some time to reflect on the memory of Stu, I think it's fantastic what all of us have acheived, in our own way we've all done our bit to keep Stu alive in our hearts.

Let's all carry on doing good!

Ben's race report - how was it for you?

It's taken me a couple of days to get my head back into one piece after Sunday - and I suppose I better get this posted before the memories become muddled, which normally happens to me within about a week of anything!

So the day went like this...

Work up bright and early, and feeling mostly pretty calm (having spent the whole week in a state of nervous anticipation / excitement / blind panic) had a good breakfast with the family, and we headed out onto the tube. Got to the start in good time - an amazing sea of people, activity, colours costumes, music and noise - but mostly just a blur to me as I went over everything in my head - making sure plenty of deep heat on the knees, stretching, drinking litres of water and then getting onto the starting line.

I say line, more of a starting mile, as 35,000 people all tried to get an extra yard forwards in case it made all the difference..... and then there was a bang, a cheer, and the crowd surged forwards.... slowly!

Now I was never really going to get on Martin Lel's back, but it's incredible how many people had set themselves up in the wrong place on the grid, so the first 3 or 4 miles were a kind of walk run jog shuffle excuse me sorry bump jog shuffle sorry mate trip stumble thing until the throng finally started to thin out a bit (about the same time as the guy in the thinned out thong ran past - oof!)

The sun was shinning, the crowds were cheering, and I settled into a nice steady 9 minute / mile pace - just what I wanted. In fact, it felt just like any other Sunday long run, except with more people in the way, and few more people cheering and waving than usual.

I can't imagine any other event with an atmosphere like this, and when I spotted Helen, Thomas and Jake, with Ali, Nikki and the girls, cheering for us it was such a huge buzz. In fact, that was definately the very best part of the day for me!

Thinking back, the first 17-18 seemed to fly by - and while by this time I'm feeling pretty tired, all of the important body parts seemed to be working well. The burst of rain and hail wasn't overly welcome, but didn't really do much harm either.

Somewhere between 20 and 22 miles I really started to flag - the legs just feeling so tired, and all sorts of leg muscles shouting at me, and I knew that I had slowed right down.

A little further, and just keeping the feet moving was a real struggle, so I decided that the smart move would be to walk for a minute, then run for a mile, then walk for a minute, then run for a while,... then run for some minutes..... then jog for a few minutes......... then walk for a while... then walk for a while.... then ........ jog.... walk for a while........

So now I'm at about 23.5 miles. my brain knows that a couple of miles is nothing, and if I just get running now I'll be home in no time, but the legs just did not want to play - so I'm walking, and trying to stretch the aching legs as I go, and searching for the strength to get running again. By now, I'm as emotionally exhausted as physically.

I got talking to another guy walking along - Ali, from St Albans, who turns 40 this year. And between us, we figured it was worth a go to see if we could just jog in the last couple of miles, and so at no great pace, and talking a bit to keep our minds off the pain, we stepped up to the mark, and finished the run in style!

Seeing the "800 metres" sign, and hearing the crowd noise building, and then seeing the finish just around the bend kicked up a wave of euphoria, and crossing the line was just a huge a massive release - glad it was over, delighted that my knees had kept on going, relieved I could stop at last, and ecstatic that I'd done it!

So I didn't quite hit the time target I'd set myself - I would have loved to have made it in under 4 hours, but do I feel the need to come back next year and nail that?

Right now, I think maybe not. We set out to pay tribute to the memory of Stu, and I think that, in lots of different ways, we have done him justice.

I'm really proud of myself, and the other boys (who I am sure will be posting their own thoughts soon!) We've had more encouragement that I ever imagined, the generosity of so many on the fundraising front has been incredible, it's hard to know how to really thank everybody.

Most of all, I have to pay tribute to Helen - my wonderful wife, and my two cheeky boys Thomas and Jake, who have been so patient and supportive for the last few months. Getting those hugs at the end made it all worth while!

Congratulations!

Well done,Stu would have been so proud,& many thanks for doing what stu always wanted to do.

We are looking forward to seeing you in The Black Bull on Friday for a few drinks.

 

                                                          Thanks again

 

                                                           Norm,Chris & Sara. 

3 winners!

Proud to say thatall 3 runners made it back alive - faster than a 1st class stamp too!

A truly incredible journey, the crowds were awesome, and seeing the wives and kids, family and friends cheering us on was just brilliant.

Lots to say about the day, but that can wait. Right now, we're in TGI's ordering big burgers and chips!

Food of champions

Champion!

Gonzales

Did it!

Words to follow...

Legs

On the way to the start

Here we go!

At the start now, no looking back. See you at the other end!

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It's here!

Breakfast had, wives and kids kissed, excited!

Nervous face 1

Nervous face 3

Nervous face 2

The Final Countdown

Saturday morning, and just about to head down to the Big Smoke!

Physio trip last night for a final knead of the hamstring, but if it hasn't worked I will know soon enough! It's all over bar the shouting now, we just have to get out there and do it.

I feel very nervous just now - have I got everything, what am I going to eat, how will my hamstring hold up etc etc - the one thing that keeps me going is the believe that, unless I get carried away by ambulance - I WILL complete this thing.

Just a final thank you to everyone before I go - all the people who have donated, Ben and Dom for their humour and support, Ped and Norman for the 'Concert for Stu', but most of all Nickie for her patience and support whilst I have neglected her and the kids for the past six months whilst training - fingers crossed it will all have been worthwhile tomorrow.

Last little jog

Ran an easy couple of miles this evening, my last time out before Sunday, and got completely soaked. Looking at the forecast for the weekend, I s'pose we might as well get used to that - it's gonna be a wet one!

Feeling a lot calmer now, and really starting to look forward to Sunday. Can't think what else to say, so won't.

Run Boys Run...

Thanks to Ben, Chris & Dom for all your hardwork training  for the run on sunday we really appreciate what you are doing in stu's   memory, thanks to everyone who has sponsored the lads and raised a fantastic amount of money for epilepsy action .

Stu would be so proud , he will be with you in spirit every step of the way, keep safe and look forward to seeing you all on TV on sunday morning.

 

 

 

                                              Enjoy the day

                                                 

                                              Norman,Chris, & Sara.

  

Strange!

Its been a hard slog for the past 3 or 4 months and now with only a few days left before the big run I'm finding it abit strange not running, eating as much as i can and just resting. I think my body thinks it has done the run as this week I've been full of a chest infection and a cold, but its on its way out now luckily.
Just been to pick up the running vests from the printers, we've had our names printed on the front and a good sized picture of stuey on the back, looking good many thanks to Gill and Andrew at Aden Tudor. Will get Ben to post a picture !
The strangest thing of all is that i'm starting to get excited and looking forward to sunday with the odd butterfly in my belly. Bring it on!

Insomnia

Didn't sleep well last night, too much going on in the brain.

Is my calf ok? Should I be eating more carbs? Less carbs? What will my knees do if I go for a run on Wednesday? Have I got a cold? Am I worrying too much?

This is what happens when I've got nothing to worry about.
I worry that maybe there is something I should be worried about but haven't thought of it, so I go through all the options just in case!

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This time next week...

Bu this time next week, it'll be all over.

What will we do with our time?

Ideal marathon diet?

Pepperoni pizza, red wine & chocolate cake, or grilled fish, boiled spuds and green salad: You decide!

What really stings is that, even if I eat nothing but raw veg, wholemeal pasta, nuts and berries for the rest of the week, I'm still not going to be as thin or fit as I should be

Cotton wool week

After 3 solid months of determined hard training, out in all weather, fighting through the pain and giving pretty much all of our spare time over to running, this last week we've all fallen to bits!

Between us, there's a twisted ankle, riped calf, torn hamstring and chest infection - I think that as soon as we've stopped the manic training,, and tried to wind down for the big day, every niggle, virus, stretch and strain has suddenly seized the opportunity to come out of the woodwork.

Really, I'm sure there's nothing that won't be healed up by Monday or Tuesday - and there is no extra benefit in punishing ourselves in training now, so this week is all about wrapping ourselves up in cotton wool, eating the right foods, and letting our bodies get over the shock of a few days off so we can get psyched up for next Sunday!

There's an odd compulsion that I should be out running at least 6 miles a day, and doing another 15-20 over this weekend, but in reality that wouldn't be big or clever, so I'm going to keep my head down - maybe go for a swim this afternoon, and a bit of gentle jogging for the next few days.

Will I ever learn?

Why oh why oh why oh why oh why oh why do I never learn?

Trying to keep up with longlegs always hurts!
Even without the Vest of Speed on (armpit chaffing issues) my legs and lungs have not worked at that tempo for a long time.

I'm off down the bookies to put a fiver on Gonzales Swarbrick for a top ten finish.
Happily no major reaction from the knees, and apart from one slightly shredded calf I'm in good health. That should be healed up in a couple of days, but no more heroics from me till the mall is in sight!

My motto from now: Gentle Jog. Repeat ten times...

PS just ordered a fruit salad for dessert, with no cream or ice cream. How obssesive am I?

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The final countdown!

No run tonight - I would just like to say though that I finally reduced Ben to silence last night - 4.5 punishing miles with a few sprints along the way - although to be honest I didn't feel too great myself at the end of it!

Have to agree with the boys comments over the past couple of days - Saturday was a brilliant night and the fact that we raised over £2K is a wonderful achievement, so thanks to everyone.


Whilst on the thankyou trail Dom, Ben and I want to say a big thanks to Pam Proctor and the girls from the Garstang Dance School - they have donated the proceeds of their latest show to the cause and have boosted our coffers by £400 - a magnificent effort.

Just a few more lazy runs and then the big day - I am mentally conditioning myself that, as Dom and Ben keep telling me, it doesn't matter if we get beaten by elephants, rhinos or deep sea divers as long as we finish!!

Concert for Stuart - Thank you

norman,chris ,& sara would like to thank everybody who helped with the concert.on saturday night , which was a great success raising £2285.00  towards the marathon fund, special thanks to ped & carole for the great food,we would like to  thank stephanie,norm, & crispin for their musical contribution, the lostheads for raising the roof and the neighbours for    calling the police ,they didnt get in because they had  no ticket, liam the dj was the  star of the show with his singing and  charismatic charm.

Stu would  have been so proud  to see all of his friends and family in one place having a good time, sara has put the pictures on facebook.

 

 

 

                                      thanks again norman ,chris,& sara

Raising the bar!

Right then - we've trained hard, and begged hard, and many many generous people have donated hard as well. So thank you all, we've hit the original target we set of £6,000, so in true 'working in the rought tough world of business' fashion, it looks like we're going to get cocky and push our target higher!

The public vote - which did have a better turnout that a typical general election - has put 92% of our public in favour of the idea too. So here's the deal:

The three of us will raise our aspirations, and up our fundraising goal to £10,000 - and in return, we ask that you call / email / text / mither all your mates and ask them to come and sponsor us too! you know where to go: www.justgiving.com/stuburkememory

In the meantime, after a cracking night out, I'm delighted to be enjoying my first hangover of the year. No more booze until the afterwards now, but great to let the hair down, even if just the once!

Oh what a NIGHT !!!!!!

An absolutely fabulous night, eating, dancing, singing and drinking fantastic! In the last slog to the big day I've been feeling like I've lost all motivation, however last night was just what I personally needed - seeing everyone there: every single person there was doing their bit for the memory of Stu. That has given me that push I need to complete my part. Thanks to everyone!

We almost look the part!

This is how we look before running 18 miles today...

Saturdays Route

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