A question of torches...

8000 people are running with the Olympic torches, a smaller number are running with the Paralympic torch...

In between the previous Olympians and annoying celebs there are people who do take the Olympic spirit, those who push themselves beyond the realms of the possible and into the realms of the incredible.

I know some of them, on both relays - they're the people who do so much behind the scenes to make the world a better place, do things that no one asks them to, or pays them for.  They try, and strive to go beyond.

They live the Olympic Creed -

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

They fight well, and are faster to help others, reach higher to hold others hand and provide the strength that sometimes other lack.

They look to others like a spirit in motion, that constant bustle that makes others shudder and look on and wonder where that drive comes from.

Be it personal tragedy, a battle to right wrongs, or a combination their spirits burn brighter than any flame. I've stood near that flame, and watched it kindle the flames in others.

It's easy to be cynical when you see a non-British judge on a Saturday evening TV show trot along, its easy to sneer at some of the commercialisation, the cost or the size of the entourage. But don't - somewhere in that over 8000 people will be someone who kindles a fire in you, and that eternal flame of their spirit is what this relay is about.

As for me, I was honoured to be nominated for both relays.  Both nominations were a surprise, coming out of the blue without me expecting them or seeking them.   Knowing that people think that my flame burns that bright gives me more kindling and oxygen to carry on.

So find your local torch bearer, and feel the warmth from their flame, for long after the torch has gone out

TTFN

Paul

ThinkHEART and save a baby...

Ok,

this is a plea, a begging letter from me...

I'm not exactly known for begging, but I am now.

I need you to share the picture below...

And not just to those of us in the Congenital Heart Defect world - this is a message for all new parents.  It is not there to scare them, its there to give them power to stand up to those who'd call them neurotic, that they're imagining things and all the other tales of horror I heard from parents around the country at the Children's Heart Federation Heart Forum and especially at the reception we had at the Palace of Westminster.

All babies should (in the UK at least) go through a number of types of screening that should pick up heart conditions:-

Pre-birth - ultrasound
At birth - the physical examination
At 6-8 weeks - another physical exam.

The last two form part of the Newborn & Infants Physical Examination -

http://newbornphysical.screening.nhs.uk/public - it specifically mentions the heart, and checking it.

Pulse Oximetry is being added to the mix, as luck would have it the NHS is reviewing the NIPE arrangements just as the high quality studies on its positive and other impacts came out.  NIPE will set the standard for all of the screening in the UK and will also make it clear what should happen after a positive result... It may seem stupid, but having a clear process makes it quicker and easier to get these babies the care they need.

But no screen, or set of screening tests, is perfect, some heart conditions won't be picked up  by the screen and that's when Mum & Dad know best.  If you think there's a problem there could be, and please please trust your instinct.

And ThinkHEART might just help parents trust those instinct...

If you can help with the spreading the word, and helping new parents and the medical professionals around them, ThinkHEART then please please do so.   If you want to get high quality printed version of the flyer (and bigger posters) with other campaign material then please click here Children's Heart Federation or email Danny at dannyb@chfed.org.uk or call 0207 422 0630

So I am begging - please share the ThinkHEART message - its out there on Twitter & Facebook, retweet it for heartweek or just share on Facebook.

You can make a difference with a click... 

TTFN

A begging Paul

That's not fun!

Asked the fairly cute archaeologist/historian (she was young enough to be my daughter, so none of what you were thinking)...

Well I said...

I run - that's not fun!
I do my OU course - that's not fun!
I do my charity stuff - that's not fun!

I then engaged her in a discussion on the nature of leisure... The ancient philosophers viewed leisure as the pursuit of excellence, or self-improvement and especially divine insights.  Being a hard-core atheist the last bit doesn't count, but the principle stays the same.

My fun comes from doing things I enjoy - and although I groan and moan about pulling the trainers on (the running starts again next week) gives me a sense of pleasure that's hard to describe and the benefits and afterglow of a good run last me through a couple of days of work.

I may moan and groan about the essays and submissions deadlines (and marks) on the OU course,  but the challenge is good for me.  The topics are things that intrigue and make me think... I just need to get a welly on and write my essay on pilgrimage being a form of tourism... Hence knowing a little on the classic interpretation of leisure...

I may, in a dark corner, moan that its another day away from home or that I'm taking another day's annual leave to go to a meeting when I could be walking in the hills.  But the chance to change the world, in however small a way for the better is one I can't pass up. A lot of what I do is behind the scenes, the running and generally putting myself out there is the tip of the iceberg (the rest of the stuff is fairly boring... papers, meetings, more meetings, calls, another meeting etc etc).  However, sometimes something gets said that makes me smile...

"Josh told his teacher he want to run marathons for children with poorly hearts like 'Paul who came to Alton Towers for a sleepover and has a big orange spacehopper that he takes to the outlet' when he's a grown up!"

Now that's worth a couple of days of annual leave - though I'm going to have to find my space hopper more often;-)

So as she was beginning to look for her supervisor, I turned the tables and asked her what she did for fun... and she reads ancient Greek and I said - That's not fun!


TTFN

Paul

That was the run that was...

Rather hard...

No marathon is ever going to be easy

You train on the terrain you can, in the weather you get.  You don't flinch the cold days, you don't duck the hot days and you learn to relish the wet days.  You seek out hills to test your legs, you look to match the surface you're running on...

But very little can prepare you for a sodden, cold day in May.  And the hills, oh the hills...

The green line is the elevation... Yes it felt worse than it looked, it was so wet that coming down I couldn't do my normal hell for leather and let gravity assist me as if I had I'd probably have gone proverbial over wotnot!

For those interested in reliving the full glory... 


All this sounds a little down, and its not meant to... It was a long, cold very wet run, and the prize I was after of a PB was acheived.  I fear I may have a touch of post-marathon blues, its a big target, I trained for it and I did it, and now I know I've got to do it again, with knobs on for October.

However, first I need to rest and recover - I've tired feet, as I found out while stretching at the climbing wall, chaffing on my right arm (I've no idea where from), the usual late onset muscle aches in my quads and calves. Today was a 5 mile walk, into town via the canal, which bought up 800km, and am closing in rapidly on 500 miles (tomorrow may bring that up - I'll be in the gym)...

And slapping the huge smile on my face - its another PB - which means a PB treat... I can't remember if I've mentioned these, but if I do a PB I get myself a little treat.  There are some rules - it can't be food, it has to be useful and its got to be something that's bugged me for while... So I have a small but perfectly formed set of north face duffel bags and accessories - the old berghaus one finally died so I went for the icon and I'm loving them (yes them - a huge one for travelling with stuff in the hold, and a carry one size one) - the rucksack straps are excellent and worth the extra couple of quid on their own.

So what's my treat for a 7 min PB... a 7 min PB on a much harder course than my old PB - Edinburgh is rated as the fastest in the UK, Belfast isn't... The homest answer is I don't know, having run so many I've almost run out of things that fit my criteria... And to be fair, given the brutality of the weather and the course it's going to be a good one.

So a restful week, a conference at the weekend linked to my OU course - on burial rituals.  Then down to London for the CHF Early Detection forum and a function at the House of Parliament - Early Detection & Parliament Trip

And then its the countdown to the Great Manchester run on 20th May - a 10k I intend to run on fresh legs...

TTFN

Paul

Bags packed...

This is just about it...

700 miles of training, 2 pairs of trainers worn out, countless hours in the gym, at the climbing wall and on the streets pounding away.

Test runs are run, kit is checked, carbs are loaded, motivation is loaded so must be about time to go out and do it.

And that's where the Nottingham Ultra already has done its job, the other marathon's I've done I've been focused on them to the exclusion of most over things.  This time is different, its a job to be done - a hard, best part of 6h solid job, but a job.

So my plan for the weekend...

Tomorrow - long lay-in, late breakfast, travel to airport, late lunch - fly to Belfast, crash at Youth Hostel - use the kitchen to get some light carbs.

Sunday - off to the Expo, pick up race number 216, and then get my supplies for the run - fortunately I can use most of the brands out there, so a tour of the shops will be fun.

More light pasta meals, generally try and get loose and stay loose

Monday - up early, kit up, run starts at 9...

26.2 miles later I finish... and hopefully I'll have leads on a decent lemon meringue pie!

TTFN

Paul

ps I won't be bloggng until next week so if you want to know how I get on sooner twitter @paulwillgoss or adding me on facebook is your best bet