|
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.
|
|
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
|
