The Walker With Heart

Hottest day of the year - check 30 miles planned - check Hard climbs at the hottest parts of the day - check... That was possibly the toughest event I have ever done, physically and mentally. Physically, it was about balance - knowing that by going slow I would keep going and that if I went at anything like a pace I'd burn out long before the end.  Balance against that was my desire to do a good time for me (GTFM), GTFM is different than a PB - its just that feel runner get about what should be do-able and you'll be happy with. Mentally, it was best part of 13 hours on my own. Occasionally, chatting with the other back of the pack people as we leapfrogged each other for much of the day and talking to the marshals at the manned checkpoints.  Other than those moments and the arse-hole of a mountain biker... I'll explain in a bit... very little conversation apart from that in my head.  13h in my head - not recommended! The first 21km were good, enjoyable, a known...

I set myself a challenge, 2012 km in a year - a nice round 1250 miles. That's 250 more miles than I've done in a year before... And we're 4 months in so time for a review and a tally up... It's been the finest 4 months running I think I've ever had. The MadDog 10k took 2 min out of my PB for that distance The Knowsley Harriers Saturday 5 km took 2 min out of my PB for that... The day after that I took 5 min off my 25km PB I've done 3 PB's for 5 miles taking a total of 5 min off... My last long training run was a 15min pb over 20 miles and last week I went out for what was going to be a gentle half marathon distance trot... The first half I barely looked at my watch and when I did I was running at PB pace... So may have decided that nothing ventured means nothing gained and took 6 min off that PB.  2:30:31 for a half marathon, is close (32s close) to a challenge I set myself years ago... Throw in the insane delights of the Excalibur Marath...

It's been a week... It would've been a longish week anyway I cut it, 4 days in the office and 1 doing the charity thing in London on Tuesday... An early start, an important meeting, an afternoon at the CHF offices followed by popping to the British Museum to see the Benin Bronzes and then a bit of shopping before coming back... And on Oxford Street the phone goes... My cardiologist, he's had the numbers from my MRI they don't match the numbers from my echo a couple of months before hand, can I pop in and see him on Friday afternoon, we need to chat through them... SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT There is no other way of putting it. All the running, the PB's and the climbing, and races to come disappeared from my head... Worst case scenario - pulmonary valve has gone out of commission (a possibility for all fallots) and needs an urgent op.  Best case scenario... at that point there wa...

Ah, the scent of my sweat in my nasal passages, the scrawled on spreadsheet of a training plan, the desperate search of a matching pair of running socks (or at least a left and right one)... Phase 1 of the training has begun... As its icy out I'm in the gym (see posts from last winter for how much I hate the bloody gym)... But I'm pounding through the miles, yes I've lost a bit of fitness but not as much as I feared. However, I've now run a fair bit, and walked many many miles so I now know what I need for next years exploits... I'm also a champion bargain hunter, so I hunt down cheaper stuff... I say cheaper, as the tent and jacket between them are north of £300. Ultralight tent - bought:-) @38% off - Laser Competition Light (my dream tent for many a year) Fell Running Association compliant smock - just won on Ebay :-) @40% off Paramo Velez Adventure New hydration sack - spotted the probable one, an Osprey talon 11 want to try one more (North Face Boa Enduro ) bef...

I need your help... Honest, I do... For most of the last 18months I've been pounding the streets and hills of the UK, writing to magazines and papers to try and raise as much awareness as I can about congenital heart defects and the real impact they can have. I say real, because I don't tend to focus on one aspect, awareness should be about the diversity our community has. To focus on any one element gives an unbalanced portrayal , either too positive for some or too negative for others. But I have one story, mine... And I can only talk in abstract about the range of ways that congenital heart disease affects those born with it, their parents and families and loved ones. Taking our stories out and getting them into the public domain is never easy, and need a hook... something to sell them to newspapers and more magazines. So I'm prepared to do the hook, the coast-2-coast walk is 190miles from St Bee's Head to Robin Hood's Bay, walking through the Lake District, the...

Welcome! 1000km in 365 days Sounds simple, its only 3km a day.... Yup, only... My rules: Walking to the shops won't count, this is walks and runs that I consider training for something or doing something. So over the course of the year you'll share my training runs (all weathers, I don't stop apart from the heat), my walks (often with the GUCH Walking Club) and events (and I will let you know which ones so you can come and join me). As crosstraining I'll be climbing (ropes, harnesses, scary rock faces) and doing some gym work which I'll let you know about as well. Joining me: I don't mind if its for a metre, 100 metres or further, what's important is that people join in and realise that all GUCHs and youngsters with CoHD can do some form of exercise. First target: My first event is the hour I've got on the 4th Plinth in Trafalgar Square as part of the Gormley installation - its 5-6am on a Sunday morning so I'm not expecting anyone to get up and cheer...