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London Marathon for MS charity

johnhunt

johnhunt

pfm Member
The big race is this weekend and my thread is looking a little forlorn in the other place. I hope Tony doesn't mind me appealing here one last time before the race.
Big huge thanks to all who have already sponsored me . I'm putting this up again to see if i can attract any more money for the MSRC.

I'm running this years London Mararthon hoping to nail it in under 4 hours and raise lots of cash money for the...

Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre http://www.msrc.co.uk/

The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre (MSRC) is a proactive and innovative charity, passionately committed to supporting anyone affected by Multiple Sclerosis through access to unbiased information and advice. Our approach is to encourage individuals to make choices that are appropriate to their daily lives, empowering them to maximise their potential.

I was diagnosed with MS 16 years ago when i was 30, a year after i ran my last London marathon. Back then i didn't expect to be walking 17/18 years hence, let alone running but here I am doing it again.

If anyone would like to contribute please click below.


http://www.justgiving.com/john-huntingdon1

I have a blog on the go in which i ramble on about my training.

http://runningnutter.blogspot.com


I have a gps running watch and you can find details of some of my training runs here

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/6...06b6570c4a,0
 
Hi Yes I'm OK. Getting a little nervous now, but as my wife just helpfully pointed out
'it's just putting one foot in front of the other'.

I would like to thank all at PFM who have sponsored me. Assuming it doesn't all go horribly wrong and I have to leave the country I'll post a match report and a proper thank you next week.

all the best

John
 
johnhunt said:
Hi Yes I'm OK. Getting a little nervous now, but as my wife just helpfully pointed out
'it's just putting one foot in front of the other'.
Click to expand...

Again and again for ages! I'm sure your reading this on your phone as you run - Hope it goes well!
 
Thanks for the update John. I'm looking forward to reading your report.
 
Hi Guys

Proper race report to follow but i ended up crossing the line at 4.34.15. I was hoping for the quicker but it was really hot and , excuses excuses, I had a touch of man flu last week.......

Not bad for a 46yo who could barely run for a bus 24 months ago.


It was a great day and, like I said , match report to follow
 
John’s 2011 London Marathon. – Match Report


The Training and the week before.

I’ve been running for nearly a couple of years now, building distance and a little pace, and I’ve really fallen in love with it. Or at least if not the actual running but the place it can take you. I’ve had some powerful moments; my first 4 mile run, running across Blackheath on a cold winter’s night, doing the Bexhill half marathon in a monsoon and wearing skin tight clothing and a fluorescent yellow knitted hat in public.

The complete list would be long and I think at least temporarily running has changed me and changed my life. It’s tough on the knees but good for the head.

For London I’d followed a marathon training program and through it clocked up nearly 500 miles since Christmas. With a week to go to the day everything was going well until I went down with the cold virus/manful/flu that seems to be sweeping London. Instead of careful preparation, race planning and day dreaming I spent the week feeling terrible It completely wore me out and it was the morning of the Saturday before I was clear if I could run it or not.

The Day.

Mindful that going by the medical book I should be watching it on TV tucked up in bed I lined up at the Red Start in Greenwich Park, fully kitted up with Garmin GPS running watch , IPod, energy gels, jelly babies, inhaler and , just in case, 20 quid for a cab. It was 6 or 7 minutes to get over line, a quick wave to the BBC helicopter and we were off. The running itself becomes a blur in hindsight and only a few moments puncture the haze. These are;

Everything the media has said about the crowds lining the route was true. Thousands and thousands of people all wishing you well often by name, as it was written on my shirt. Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, Greenwich and the last few miles were amazing.

It was hot and from half way St John’s Ambulance were getting very busy. It would be exaggerating to say people were dropping like flies but three images have stayed with me; a man collapsed before half way just before Tower Bridge, another in the Blackfriars underpass and a woman only a few 100 metres from the finish, all three surrounded St John’s people.






I started cramping at 8 miles which is Surrey Docks. I remember think that if this got nay worse I would be in deep trouble 18 miles further on. It cleared up, to a point at least.

After about 20 miles things got quite painful and I’d long given up looking at the readout of my Garmin to see what my pace was.

At 23 miles I started talking to myself ‘I can run 3 miles I’ve done it loads of times it’s easy. I can run 3 miles I’ve done it loads of time, it’s easy. I can run………………….’

I didn’t see any celebrities but I think Cheryl Baker was behind me at some point, and I don’t remember being overtaken by any Rhino’s.

I didn’t quite believe I’d reached the finish and did manage to pick my pace up for the last couple of hundred metres.


Go here for more info on my run see below

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/79989810

The Charity

Here is a video that will tell you more about MS and the work of the MSRC.

http://www.youtube.cohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAaVcaDDAsE m/watch?v=gAaVcaDDAsE


If anyone would like to contribute please click below.

http://www.justgiving.com/john-huntingdon1


A huge thank you to all PFM for your generosity and I will be doing it all again , for MSRC, next year.
 
Congratulations once more John.
All things considered I think you did it in a good time.
Thanks for taking the time to write the report - I enjoyed reading it.
 
Thanks Gents, I think the time was good considering everything too.

i've a place in next years VLM for the same charity,and will try sub 4 then. i wouldn't rule out another marathon before then but not sure when where.

I've also signed up to run London's second most prestigious running event; the peckham 10k in early May.
 
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