Draycote Water 35 Mile

A couple of weeks ago I ran a 35 mile race of 7 x 5 mile lap format. There was also a marathon of 5 and a bit laps around the same course running at the same time. The beautiful thing about that is you see people regularly all the way around and there is lots of support. 

I saw these two twice on the way round, With Mick in tears. Twice. I for my sins finished in 5 24 which was slow but had some serious nausea most of the way around (I had 5 dumps in that time). Any regulars on the UK race circuit across all distances will have seen & probably met & chatted to Mick and Phil. Hopefully Mick won't mind me putting his words out there for you to read. Sometimes when you think you’re strong and digging deep, someone else comes along and makes you realize just what being a real hero is all about….

Hi all, I'm Mick, DOB 1.6.58, I'm luckily a very healthy & fit man, i'm a highly experienced runner, i still consider myself to be a Serious Competative Athlete, though my days on my own are over, as far as i can see , never to return. luckily for me though, still emmensly physically and mentally strong... Young Phillip DOB 28.8.88, on the other hand, is a Chronically sick and disabled young man, suffering Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, and multiple problems, Including NO SPEECH, and doubly incontinent, he is completely dependant on Mum & DAD, though Mum's health is rapidly detioriating .... Mine and my wife's heart's and Souls died on us i'm afraid, when Phillip was diagnosed, never really recovered... We suffer mental health problems and deep depression to this day...Though Phillip is happy, as he know's no difference ... I've had many happy years running, albeit sporadically, as caring for Phillip has taken it's toll, Phillip's mobility is very poor, he has no self awareness, and has no co-ordination to self propell... So, Phillip's Mum, in early 2002 gave Dad an ultimatum, Take Phillip with you or pack in your running So, here we are, at present, 259 races, including 24 Full marathons , 154 HM's it's been so much fun sharing it all with Phillip has given me my life back, as much as possible, i really cannot find words to explain, what it has all done. my mental illness is not curable, but it is controlled by running, and you see, we are totally, completely obsessed with it all. All of you fellow runners make us laugh and happy, but the pain and anguish of nursing the SON, who i cherish and adore, sadly never eases Bless each and every one of you Mick n Phil Marathon Lads & So very proud of it !!Draycote Marathon Race Report:It just got worse and worse, completed lap two by around 1.57 ? - then set about lap 3 , i was beginning to feel in desperate agony, the pain seized my leg completely, i was hobbling along, at times little feeling in my whole leg,what do i do, - this was it, end of race, i considered withdrawing, as we were never far from the finish, i almost at one point took Phil's Number off him, i wobbled on, walking with a one legged limp, and then trying to jog, i stopped, i sulked, i carried on, this was time to refuel, we fed - then comes along Tracey G, , id already been giving myslef a bloddy good talking to, i examinded every pscyhological area of my stamina that i had, i knew i was desperate, i talked to tracey, i some how forgot my pain, i was approaching the end of lap 3 , though, hang on, i'm not ill, it's a super day, therre's only 2 to go, not 3 !!, it's so easy to call it a day ... NO, NO, NO - i'm not having it we completed lap 3 in about 3.20, if only i could make lap 4, i was in with a real chance, i walked, i jogged, i cried, i kept saying to my self, - come on Mick, this isn't us, were not here to show off, were not here to impress anyone, were not here as a team, were not here to win anything .. it's a super perfect day, we are here for us, i knew had i have been a novice, with or without phillip i stood absolutely NO chance, i had to dig deep into all my reserves - all my experience, all my skill, all my physical strength, all my mental satmina - there was to be NO submissions, no cowards, it was onwards, me and Tracey G, we plodded on, so to end of lap 4, it was 4.29 i could have just died there and then, i was in so much pain, I knew how much i wanted this marathon, etc, so, it was one lap to go , about 1 hour top go, i passed my car, i thought, NO, - onwards, my physcological strength and self belief ws paying dividends, i was happy, tearful .. NO regrets at all - it was onwards, just hobble, jogged and walked, up through the wooded area, oh the finish was smelling sweet, - i knew i had it, i 'd done it, against All the odds, i wasn't beaten after all , my leg was sore and paining from my calf up to my thigh we hit the long wall towrds the finish, i must have cried with emotional joy all the way, i spotted 25 miles, time did'nt matter, i was the champion, we were the masters, we Would NOT give in to pain, we would never surrender. we turned the corner to a 5.25 jubillant finish. i had no celebrtation left in me, only emotional tears - then Bless him, Roger Wilkes presented us with a gift, i don't know quite what he said exactly i was in pain, i was seventh heaven, i want to THANK all of you fellow Fetchies for everything. I've slept well, i 'm tired, i'm happy, it was a disasterour PW of 5.25, but it's made me strong. it has NOT depressed me or demorolised me , as a matter of fact it's done the opposite, it's left me feeling high.

Vuelta De Los Nos Faros

My latest brush with a multi-day event came in the form of a 3 day bicycling race around Puerto Rico, named Vuelta de los nos faros. Tour of the Nine Lighthouses.I have had the tendency in the past to massively underestimate an event & I can safely say my expectations of the tour were a long long way short in all senses.I should start by telling you a bit about my cycling background. With increasing knee problems caused by pounding roads, I was urged to consider purchasing a bicycle around September of 2007. The fact that I am entered for Ironman UK this year also necessitated this so out I went a bought a nice shiny trek madone. Come christmas I was still averaging twice the number of running miles as cycling miles. A bit of a worry with the event coming up, nevertheless I thought my basic fitness was up to hammering my way through 3 days of cycling. Surely if I could run for 50 odd miles in 8 or so hours I would be ok?

Sleeping in New York airport on the way to the caribbean i arrived the following evening and prepared myself for the 4:30am start the following morning by joining my Uncle Andrew for a nice italian meal and a couple of el presidente's or some such local beer.

The start came in the beautiful old city of San Juan. 2 hours of cycling through the city in the dark which brought us to our first drinks stop. I felt good. The pace had been ok but then we hadn't seen a hill yet. As the day wore on & the miles added up and the hills became more dramatic i started to suffer. My quads were getting a serious work out by mile 50 and with another 100 to go after this in just the first day I was worried. Whilst this was not strictly a 'race' the guys at the front seemed to delight in pushing an average pace of 55 km/h over the rolling hills!!!!Coming into the hotel on the first night at 6pm I was cooked. I averaged 155 HR over a 13 hour period incuding rest stops & used 8800 calories. The following two days saw 100 miles and 130 miles of more pushing respectively and my knees were done by day 3 and I had to call it quits 80 miles out from the finish. Very disappointing but the pain was intense by that point. If it was a race I would have carried on but this was a 'holiday' after all.

I was also unfortunate to witness an older American rider from Washington state have a heart attack sitting next to me in the bus on the third day. His hr shot up from 70 to 250 in the space of around 5 seconds. Partially caused I believe by the fact that from the moment he sat down next to me his eyes didn't leave his watch counting his bpm. We raced up the road towards the medical assistance and they hauled him onto the roadside and plugged him in to a defibrillator. He was ok in the end although he spent a couple of days in the hospital.

All in all this was an experience never to forget with Andrew and his group of cycling hardcore from the British Virgin Islands and as always with these multi-day events fantastic camaraderie, amazing scenery and a truly punishing physical work out in an exotic country left me feeling pangs of loss & that awful feeling of not being able to really convey to people what it is you've just been through on your return. I shall never quite be able to get over that feeling I don't think, but I wouldn't want to either. An opportunity to reset yourself and put everything into perspective in your day to day life should never be passed up.