The morning suit is hung, the shoes polished to a high shine, the champers chilling in the fridge for the train down...
The last 11 months have been about waving the congenital heart disease flag across the UK, whether for the Children's Heart Federation, GUCH PA, the GUCH Walking Club or just generally. Congenital Heart Defects have appeared in national magazines, local papers, across the internet, facebook and twitter.
I promised way back that this would be an honest blog, and I've stuck to that. Those of you who've read each blog will know that its a year where people I've known have died, had operations, worried me silly and made me smile with their approach to living life.
And that's what this has been about, me living my life... Yes, this year has been something special, pushing myself to new limits - the Edinburgh Marathon, the constant need to push through the miles. Getting to the top of Snowdon on a crystal clear day, the friends I've walked with from the GUCH Walking Club, from work and leading the GUCH Annual Awareness Walks in Cambridge.
And now it comes to the 2nd ending, I extended to 1500km when I realised what an effort training for a marathon was and how far above the 1000km I would be heading, and I've made that too.
There are a bunch of people I should thank, but wouldn't thank me for naming them on here - in fact one has suggested what would happen with my bits and how far they'd be from the rest of my body if I mentioned them more than in passing. What have this motley crew of friends provided, mainly abuse... Commentary on my sanity at various points... Running partners... Advice on hydration... Advice on fuelling... and wholehearted encouragement to carry on when I've been at a low ebb.
So, what's planned for the last month... I'm going to keep you in suspense for the big event, until after the trip to Buckingham Palace when there will be literally a month less. What I can guarantee is that I won't be sitting on my ass...
So, I'm going to polish my cufflinks, practice my curtsy, and get ready for a day where not just my efforts get recognised but I hope those of every GUCH and parent whose ever said "this needs to change" and done something about it.
TTFN
Paul
Monday, 31 May 2010
Sunday, 30 May 2010
The edinburgh marathon video is up...
Hot, tired... yup... But as the photo belows shows I was quite happy shortly afterwards...
So what did the Marathon teach me? Find a decent sweatproof sunscreen, trust my body and its training and the big thing for me is that I can follow a task orientated plan. My natural approach is to ride across the plains with sword waving and hope people are following me, to be able to buckle down and deliver gives me a bit more confidence in dealing with things in that structured way - and that's the plan when it comes to my ability to swim - find a task orientated session rather than the splash and dash I had before Xmas.
The skin is flaking off, the aches and pains are fading, and do I want to do another one? Yes, but a cold one... Any ideas?
TTFN
Paul
So what did the Marathon teach me? Find a decent sweatproof sunscreen, trust my body and its training and the big thing for me is that I can follow a task orientated plan. My natural approach is to ride across the plains with sword waving and hope people are following me, to be able to buckle down and deliver gives me a bit more confidence in dealing with things in that structured way - and that's the plan when it comes to my ability to swim - find a task orientated session rather than the splash and dash I had before Xmas.
The skin is flaking off, the aches and pains are fading, and do I want to do another one? Yes, but a cold one... Any ideas?
TTFN
Paul
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
26.2 or 41.2 km
The numbers tell a tale...
10k: 01:15:46 - Good
Half: 00:00:00 - the watch says 2:46 - Good
30k: 04:05:07 - Fantaaaaasssssstic, last time I was out this far it was 4:45ish
Marathon: 05:53:49 - Holy cow I've just hit a hot exposed area on rough ground, slammed into a wall of heat, forgot how to run for a bit...
I don't know if its normal but the further I got in the marathon the more my running regressed in time... 1st 10km good solid running, hell the first half good solid running (my PB for a half is only 8min faster), tried to stick to the game plan 2km run 500m walk... Then 30km came, and a huge exposed section of the run, rough ground that no one (based on the reviews) were expecting... I walked passed chicken sheds where the chickens were hiding in the barn rather than the heat... Fellow runners were in all sorts of states at the side of the route, and it would've been the easiest thing in the world to sit down and join them.
But I didn't, if the last 1400-odd km have taught me anything its that even if I slow down I can keep going. So I slowed down, started drinking my emergency supplies of fluid and thanked every local who was spraying us with their hose pipes. It became run the distance between 2 lamposts, walk the same... Until 26miles where my stubborn pride kicked in and I "ran" the last .2 of a mile.
http://connect.garmin.com/player/34288126 is the run - enjoy the viewing of the "fun".
Everything worked, the training kicked in when it needed to, the toughness in the head and feet from the countless times I've pounded the pavements and towpaths of Bootle, and the support from friends around the world.
What didn't I like, the HEAT back in September I had a hot half marathon at the great north run, and that took me 3:10... so this was a huge improvement. Oh, and the walk to the shuttle buses was insane... Most are reckoning it at 2miles... with the last bit uphill.
So, a spare day doing the 4 bus tours of Edinburgh and pottering around yesterday, today a quick pop into the office to show off the t-shirt and medal (and a the fry-up) and then a gentle 8km (5mile) walk into to town to stop the legs from seizing.
To answer the question from one of my friends, the heart worked... No extra beats, no racing (well anymore than I'd expect)... and to answer someone else, yes the Edinburgh marathon is the same length as the London one...
The photos, and possibly video, will be ready tomorrow sometime, and I will look hot and burnt but hopefully happy at the marathon end shots!
So what next? A gentle series of walks this week, just easing the legs in, may go for a slow 5km run on Thursday. At the weekend I'll be doing a test run of my walking and camping kit before June's efforts, the target there will be to finish before the eurovision starts.
And then next week, well a trip to the Palace... and hopefully 1500km
TTFN
Paul
10k: 01:15:46 - Good
Half: 00:00:00 - the watch says 2:46 - Good
30k: 04:05:07 - Fantaaaaasssssstic, last time I was out this far it was 4:45ish
Marathon: 05:53:49 - Holy cow I've just hit a hot exposed area on rough ground, slammed into a wall of heat, forgot how to run for a bit...
I don't know if its normal but the further I got in the marathon the more my running regressed in time... 1st 10km good solid running, hell the first half good solid running (my PB for a half is only 8min faster), tried to stick to the game plan 2km run 500m walk... Then 30km came, and a huge exposed section of the run, rough ground that no one (based on the reviews) were expecting... I walked passed chicken sheds where the chickens were hiding in the barn rather than the heat... Fellow runners were in all sorts of states at the side of the route, and it would've been the easiest thing in the world to sit down and join them.
But I didn't, if the last 1400-odd km have taught me anything its that even if I slow down I can keep going. So I slowed down, started drinking my emergency supplies of fluid and thanked every local who was spraying us with their hose pipes. It became run the distance between 2 lamposts, walk the same... Until 26miles where my stubborn pride kicked in and I "ran" the last .2 of a mile.
http://connect.garmin.com/player/34288126 is the run - enjoy the viewing of the "fun".
Everything worked, the training kicked in when it needed to, the toughness in the head and feet from the countless times I've pounded the pavements and towpaths of Bootle, and the support from friends around the world.
What didn't I like, the HEAT back in September I had a hot half marathon at the great north run, and that took me 3:10... so this was a huge improvement. Oh, and the walk to the shuttle buses was insane... Most are reckoning it at 2miles... with the last bit uphill.
So, a spare day doing the 4 bus tours of Edinburgh and pottering around yesterday, today a quick pop into the office to show off the t-shirt and medal (and a the fry-up) and then a gentle 8km (5mile) walk into to town to stop the legs from seizing.
To answer the question from one of my friends, the heart worked... No extra beats, no racing (well anymore than I'd expect)... and to answer someone else, yes the Edinburgh marathon is the same length as the London one...
The photos, and possibly video, will be ready tomorrow sometime, and I will look hot and burnt but hopefully happy at the marathon end shots!
So what next? A gentle series of walks this week, just easing the legs in, may go for a slow 5km run on Thursday. At the weekend I'll be doing a test run of my walking and camping kit before June's efforts, the target there will be to finish before the eurovision starts.
And then next week, well a trip to the Palace... and hopefully 1500km
TTFN
Paul
Sunday, 16 May 2010
6 days to the Edinburgh Marathon - Giraffes and Dragons slain - 1400km - Manchester 10k
I have a personal enemy... an 8ft tall giraffe... for as long I can remember they've been doing the Great North Run... Normally starting well in front of me and trying to keep up as I go past... To be fair they're carrying a giraffe costume, but this is about passion not fairness...
Anyway, the giraffe has moved west, and was in the Great Manchester 10k... and ate dust after about 1500m...
Obviously they have no idea they've caused this competitive edge in me...
The Dragon, I was trying to help - the tale and wrapped around last runners legs and she asked if I could pull it and get it clear... Unfortunately it sort of turned into a tourniquet come razor wire thing... Oppps:-(
But a PB was run:-D
and the 1400km has been bought up:-D
Which leaves me 6 days to rest, relax, short run on Tuesday, and carbo-load... Train to Edinburgh on Saturday, and yes I am getting nervous!
To finish with a question... For a final flourish, would you all join me (virtually or really...) its been a hell of a year, 11 months are almost gone and I've a plan to make the final month a little bit special, but I can't do it on my own.
Don't worry its not too active... Interested?
TTFN
Paul
Anyway, the giraffe has moved west, and was in the Great Manchester 10k... and ate dust after about 1500m...
Obviously they have no idea they've caused this competitive edge in me...
The Dragon, I was trying to help - the tale and wrapped around last runners legs and she asked if I could pull it and get it clear... Unfortunately it sort of turned into a tourniquet come razor wire thing... Oppps:-(
But a PB was run:-D
and the 1400km has been bought up:-D
Which leaves me 6 days to rest, relax, short run on Tuesday, and carbo-load... Train to Edinburgh on Saturday, and yes I am getting nervous!
To finish with a question... For a final flourish, would you all join me (virtually or really...) its been a hell of a year, 11 months are almost gone and I've a plan to make the final month a little bit special, but I can't do it on my own.
Don't worry its not too active... Interested?
TTFN
Paul
Friday, 14 May 2010
This Game of Ghosts...
Its been a bad week in European GUCH circles, in fact its been a bad year... Too many of the people I've come to hold dear have died.
This Game of Ghosts is the sequel to Touching the Void, where Joe Simpson moves on from mountaineering for a while to take up equally dangerous sports - like long distance hang-gliding... I first read it about after another period of time where GUCHs died in a cluster and the thought struck me that in sometimes the thought processes are the same, the need to get away from it all balanced by the need to be close to those we care about and can provide us with the support we need.
The big difference is that I have no choice to do the GUCH thing, I'm not prone to wondering about alternate universes where I'm not one or how I'd be. Being a GUCH is a fact of my life, like having brown hair... Just a tad more annoying, inconvenient and dangerous.
Some people ask why life is unfair, especially at times like this. Life is unfair, its unfair that off the estimated 1,000,000 GUCHs in Europe so few got to meet Charlie or Ad, or Shelagh, or Neil or any of the others we've lost.
To be part of this community means that you are going to make friends, and met people you don't like, who share only 1 thing in common with you - the heart condition. But from 1 thing in common a lot can happen, friendships that last decades, love affairs, marriages, even children... and a shared feeling of loss when one of ours dies.
There's no triumphal or upbeat ending to this blog, apart from this my generation of GUCHs are the product of 30-40 year old technology, approaches and techniques... We're in many ways the 1st generation of us that exists, so I hope that the next generation have less of these weeks, months and years...
Oh, and the Game of Ghosts...
I'll go with you, then,
Since you must play this game of ghosts. At listening posts
We'll peer across dim craters, joke with jaded men
whose names we've long forgotten
- Sassoon "To the one who was in the war with me"
TTFN
Paul
This Game of Ghosts is the sequel to Touching the Void, where Joe Simpson moves on from mountaineering for a while to take up equally dangerous sports - like long distance hang-gliding... I first read it about after another period of time where GUCHs died in a cluster and the thought struck me that in sometimes the thought processes are the same, the need to get away from it all balanced by the need to be close to those we care about and can provide us with the support we need.
The big difference is that I have no choice to do the GUCH thing, I'm not prone to wondering about alternate universes where I'm not one or how I'd be. Being a GUCH is a fact of my life, like having brown hair... Just a tad more annoying, inconvenient and dangerous.
Some people ask why life is unfair, especially at times like this. Life is unfair, its unfair that off the estimated 1,000,000 GUCHs in Europe so few got to meet Charlie or Ad, or Shelagh, or Neil or any of the others we've lost.
To be part of this community means that you are going to make friends, and met people you don't like, who share only 1 thing in common with you - the heart condition. But from 1 thing in common a lot can happen, friendships that last decades, love affairs, marriages, even children... and a shared feeling of loss when one of ours dies.
There's no triumphal or upbeat ending to this blog, apart from this my generation of GUCHs are the product of 30-40 year old technology, approaches and techniques... We're in many ways the 1st generation of us that exists, so I hope that the next generation have less of these weeks, months and years...
Oh, and the Game of Ghosts...
I'll go with you, then,
Since you must play this game of ghosts. At listening posts
We'll peer across dim craters, joke with jaded men
whose names we've long forgotten
- Sassoon "To the one who was in the war with me"
TTFN
Paul
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
From tears to Teddy Bears Picnics!
Time moves on, the immediate pain subsides and become a dull ache, bit like tearing a muscle.. in this case my heart and the hearts of all of those who knew Charlie especially his wife, children and family.
Time moves on, lives focus more on what could be than what we have lost...
This week is Children's Heart Week, the Children's Heart Federation are coordinating events around the country, and a Teddy Bear Takeover at the East Midlands Designer Outlet, Mansfield Road, South Normanton, Derbyshire, DE55 2JW.
The outlet is here - http://www.mcarthurglen.com/locations/uk/east-midlands/index.htm
The Children's Heart Federation can be found in the Food Court at the following times;
The finale to the week is the Teddy Bear's Picnic in Fulham Palace, London http://www.childrens-heart-fed.com/news/upcoming_events/teddy_bears_picnic
As for me while the Heart Children around the country are tucking into their teddy bear picnics the runner with heart will be slipping on his trainers and getting ready for his last run before the Edinburgh Marathon...
The Great Manchester Run winds through the streets of Manchester that Paul knows well from his walking marathon last month. As a lifelong Arsenal fan passing Old Trafford is never nice, but worse than that I'm, missing the chance for tea and cake with my teddy bear!
The training this week has mainly been long slow walks, keeping the tone but not depleting the muscles too much, with the occasional run... Like today's 5miler, as I've mentioned its not a nice course... but I stuck to it, ran out the 2km and walked the 500m moderately hard and my prize a PB:-) 56:40 is over 3min off the fastest for the course, and it felt a lot better than that time...
TTFN
Paul
Time moves on, lives focus more on what could be than what we have lost...
This week is Children's Heart Week, the Children's Heart Federation are coordinating events around the country, and a Teddy Bear Takeover at the East Midlands Designer Outlet, Mansfield Road, South Normanton, Derbyshire, DE55 2JW.
The outlet is here - http://www.mcarthurglen.com/locations/uk/east-midlands/index.htm
The Children's Heart Federation can be found in the Food Court at the following times;
- Thursday 13th May 2010 from 1pm-7pm with a children's colouring competition drawn between 6-7pm.
- Friday 14th May from 10am-5pm
- Saturday 15th May from 10am-4pm with a teddy bears picnic from 12pm-2pm
The finale to the week is the Teddy Bear's Picnic in Fulham Palace, London http://www.childrens-heart-fed.com/news/upcoming_events/teddy_bears_picnic
As for me while the Heart Children around the country are tucking into their teddy bear picnics the runner with heart will be slipping on his trainers and getting ready for his last run before the Edinburgh Marathon...
The Great Manchester Run winds through the streets of Manchester that Paul knows well from his walking marathon last month. As a lifelong Arsenal fan passing Old Trafford is never nice, but worse than that I'm, missing the chance for tea and cake with my teddy bear!
The training this week has mainly been long slow walks, keeping the tone but not depleting the muscles too much, with the occasional run... Like today's 5miler, as I've mentioned its not a nice course... but I stuck to it, ran out the 2km and walked the 500m moderately hard and my prize a PB:-) 56:40 is over 3min off the fastest for the course, and it felt a lot better than that time...
TTFN
Paul
Saturday, 8 May 2010
May the sun forever be at your back, your bearing true, the slopes gentle and views glorious
I promised to be honest, I don't do much sugar coating... to some I can appear cold as only those who can see deep in my soul see the pain, and that the coldness isn't ice but the pure heat of plasma as my emotions are contained by my ability to put a magnetic field around them stonger than any at the large hadron collider...
A friend has died, a friend I saw yesterday, he wasn't well but yesterday we nattered about gadgets, the finer points of GUCH PA and the walks we would do together when he'd been let out.
Charlie was the heart of the GUCH Walking Club, the one who always tried, was always ready to help out someone else even if he was tired himself. He was only one of the GWC who I could trust to wield the mighty spoon of stirring as he rustled up his variant of our infamous Bean Surprise...
Almost exactly a year ago we walked 110km together, from Windsor along the Thames to Greenwich and the Thames barrier. His commonsense and determination were a joy to see, and was walk leader I always knew there was someone else I could rely on to keep an eye on others in the gorup, or intervene when if I said something it would be seen as a bollocking...
He was made up when the GWC made it in TGO Magazine, he was in a walking magazine, and he deserved to be far more than many who send in daft pictures and make the funnies page.
I can't keep the promise I made yesterday to take him up a hill we both have been intrgued by, but that hill will be walked. That I do promise...
So, Charlie, I need to go and let some of this energy out but walk well my friend, your humour and humanity will be missed by all. May the sun forever be at your back, your bearing true, the slopes gentle and views glorious.
Paul
A friend has died, a friend I saw yesterday, he wasn't well but yesterday we nattered about gadgets, the finer points of GUCH PA and the walks we would do together when he'd been let out.
Charlie was the heart of the GUCH Walking Club, the one who always tried, was always ready to help out someone else even if he was tired himself. He was only one of the GWC who I could trust to wield the mighty spoon of stirring as he rustled up his variant of our infamous Bean Surprise...
Almost exactly a year ago we walked 110km together, from Windsor along the Thames to Greenwich and the Thames barrier. His commonsense and determination were a joy to see, and was walk leader I always knew there was someone else I could rely on to keep an eye on others in the gorup, or intervene when if I said something it would be seen as a bollocking...
He was made up when the GWC made it in TGO Magazine, he was in a walking magazine, and he deserved to be far more than many who send in daft pictures and make the funnies page.
I can't keep the promise I made yesterday to take him up a hill we both have been intrgued by, but that hill will be walked. That I do promise...
So, Charlie, I need to go and let some of this energy out but walk well my friend, your humour and humanity will be missed by all. May the sun forever be at your back, your bearing true, the slopes gentle and views glorious.
Paul
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Prepping for a 24 tape, and suspecting I may not be normal...
Well, not often I've felt I've had to slow myself down, reminding myself that this was just meant to be a solid, long, slow run... And I still ran my 3rd fastest half marathon distance:-)
What's really pleasing is that my legs felt good all the way through, I was able to vary my pace nicely, my drinking and fueling strategy worked and the new trainers and shorts worked like a dream...
So now we taper down the runs, next weekend will be 10miles the one after that the Manchester 10km and inbetween nice 5km and 5 miles.... Including a possibly unusual approach to a 24h ECG tape...
As I mentioned back in March my cardiologist wants a 24h tape done, mainly cos its been a while a long while... So the plan is go and get wired up, ask for extra strong tape, and then explain why...
I'll be climbing after work on the Wednesday, which as well as the physical exertion has been known to worry some cardiologists as its static loading and stretching across my chest... Then after a wash down (no showers or baths allowed - might fry the electronics) and a good nights sleep I'll jog back to Broadgreen and hand it back after a 5 miler... Then I soak in the bath:-)
So picture the scenes in the ECG clinic of Thursday... Me hot and sweaty after a 5 mile run, in my shorts and CHF top waiting for the technicians to unwire me...
Am I normal? ;-)
TTFN
Paul
What's really pleasing is that my legs felt good all the way through, I was able to vary my pace nicely, my drinking and fueling strategy worked and the new trainers and shorts worked like a dream...
So now we taper down the runs, next weekend will be 10miles the one after that the Manchester 10km and inbetween nice 5km and 5 miles.... Including a possibly unusual approach to a 24h ECG tape...
As I mentioned back in March my cardiologist wants a 24h tape done, mainly cos its been a while a long while... So the plan is go and get wired up, ask for extra strong tape, and then explain why...
I'll be climbing after work on the Wednesday, which as well as the physical exertion has been known to worry some cardiologists as its static loading and stretching across my chest... Then after a wash down (no showers or baths allowed - might fry the electronics) and a good nights sleep I'll jog back to Broadgreen and hand it back after a 5 miler... Then I soak in the bath:-)
So picture the scenes in the ECG clinic of Thursday... Me hot and sweaty after a 5 mile run, in my shorts and CHF top waiting for the technicians to unwire me...
Am I normal? ;-)
TTFN
Paul
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