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About my
running:
 I watched the 2004 London Marathon on TV.
I have always said, since I was 18, that one day I would run a
marathon. I was amazed to see “ordinary” people of all shapes,
sizes, fitness and ages running
26.2 miles for charity. It completely inspired me! I thought,
“if they can do it, so can I.”
Next day I bought a pair of good
trainers and took my first tentative running steps outside,
incredibly embarrassed and self-conscious in case anyone recognised me. I managed about 200metres running and then
stopped to walk. Doing this I completed my first mile – not
far, slow and painful, but I had enjoyed it.
I then began to
build up the distances, times, fitness, and I ran my first
marathon in June 2005 in Edinburgh. I am trying to get into
London but after 3 ballots I have failed to get a place. Maybe
2008? I have now run a total of 6 marathons and loved every one
of them. They are hard, painful and exhausting, yet the
achievement is tremendous, as well as the support of the
crowds.
On Nov 5th 2006 I joined a running club
called IOMVAC – IOM Veteran Athletic’s Club.
Look at my running
photos here. |
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What to do next:
Now that the marathon distance has been done, I am looking for
new challenges. I have come across “ultrarunning” or “ultramarathoning”.
Basically it is running any distance above the marathon i.e.
from 30 miles to 6,000 miles. When I started reading about
these ultra distances, I was fascinated about the races and the
people, like Dean Karnazes – the Canadian ultrarunner who has
run the furthest distance non-stop, approx. 300 miles.
I have
the DVD called “Race of Fire” showing the inaugral
Trans-Australia Footrace where 25 competitors, including Bob
Brown, ran 3,000 miles in 65 days across Australia. Again I was
truly inspired – what if I could run an ultra? Well, that was
it! I was now becoming an ultrarunner.
Training began to
increase up to 50 miles a week running, and off-road running and
hill running was incorporated. I discovered the
ambitionevents.com website
and ran two cross country half marathons called “Tough
Challenges" (see panel, left). I met the
race director, Rory Coleman, an inspirational runner who has run
over 540 marathons and 150 ultras and holds 9 Guinness Book of
Record titles for distances run on a treadmill! I had discovered
my true passion in life – not speed, but endurance.
I want to
run and run. I want to discover my true self, push myself to my
limit physically and mentally, and achieve my dreams whilst
raising money for people less well off than me. I looked at the
MOB Coast (Marathon Of Britain Coast) link on
ambitionevents.com
and decided that was for me! I would try my first ultra 12th-14th
July 2007; 105miles in 3 days.
The story continues:---
Running History
See my running history here |
