Hi,

I wanted to keep my race schedule for 2013/2014 close to my chest until the final race had been secured but the Cat’s out of the bag. So here are the forthcoming races for the next 12 months:

I will be competing in the following events:

February 2013: the Malta Half Marathon

The Beyond the Ultimate Grand Slam (4 in one year)

May 2013: 230 km jungle ultra-marathon in Peru

August 2013: 220 km Mountain ultra marathon in Colorado, USA

November 2013: 250 km desert ultra-marathon, Namibia, Africa

February 2014 230 km Arctic ultra-marathon

In addition in June 2013 I will be running the 118km North Face® Lavaredo Ultra Trail, Italy

January 2014: Dubai Marathon. I will pass the 10MillionMetres mark on this race *

*I am still waiting to hear back on one race not mentioned in the above lists but that’s the bulk of it right there. The homeward straight!!!

PLEASE NOTE: SPONSORSHIP REMAINS OPEN

Keep moving

Hi all,

This is the end of the year round up and review of 2012 (it’s a big one). The kit review will follow but for now, I thought I would have a recap of the last year for me on the 10MillionMetres campaign and also mention some truly cool people and organisations that have made this year the best so far.

I started the year with trepidation and, to be honest, a little uncertainty as to my future in running. The reason was that the previous October 2011, I had returned from South Africa with a severely broken ankle from competing in the Otter Trail Race.  I would like to mention at this point that I think that the Otter is such a special and amazing race that I have already made noises to both Mark and John Collins of Magnetic South, (http://www.magneticsouth.net) to undertake the Otter again in 2013!  Fingers crossed.

However, (and getting back to the point) the ankle was a mess.  In fact, I did about as good a job of messing it up short of stopping myself from running ever again.  To say that I was lucky is an understatement.  So January came around and thanks to the attention of the guys at Active-VIII (http://www.active-viii.co.uk) I was making a sterling recovery.  This was put to the test when I undertook the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 10K race.  Nervous is a word I have used recently but with little training and a newly healed ankle, I was unsure.  I needn’t have worried as the ankle coped amazingly well and with a few stretches and bit of walking and some fantastic running, I made it home in 54 minutes as I recall.  Not bad but for the dystonia.

Buoyed by the success of Dubai and the reception from the media at the event, I pushed forward with organizing the Trans-America Challenge (TAC). This was difficult.  Not only was I trying to initially organise the event on my own but the sheer epic size of the TAC meant I was constantly thinking that I had I bitten off more than I could chew.  Eventually, others came on board. Some stayed and some gave up and some even advised me to wait another year.  Of those who stayed the course and gave support help, sponsorship and general belief in the whole crazy plan, mention has already been made in my last blog. However, it is clear to me now that getting an event as big as the TAC on the road needed the help of some very special people and organisations and to those, I am extremely grateful.

So will all the hubbub of the TAC going on, I received an invitation to compete in the Winchester PPP.  This is a top race. Short and to the point, the 20K bike, 5K run and 2K paddle, was just what I needed; irrespective of the flooding. I even did well up the hills on the TT bike and, so I was told, came in the top 10 on the bike.

Warmer weather brought out the wetsuit and off to the lake I went to duel with my fear of water. Combining this with sessions of NLP with David Brown came in seriously handy across the USA.  Thanks David.  Mixing training with family time is hard but incredibly important, as last December my little baby boy was born.  Priorities change and decisions are always made, changed and then changed again with a baby in your life and I’m grateful to the whole of my family for their support.

July rolled around and training was in top gear. At this point with a September start penned in, I was being advised by Mimi Anderson to think about planning some rest into the schedule and rest is what I got.  With less than a month and a half to go before leaving for the USA, several things happened which made me question whether I could go on with the TAC.  The first was pretty much most of my, then support crew, couldn’t make it. This left both Larry Watson and me, to run around and make calls to find someone, somebody that could take a month or more out of their lives and at the last minute too.  Find them we did; Sharky came on board first, followed by Janelle, Sean and lastly David.  I knew I was going to be in safe hands as they are a fantastic crew and respect and thanks is given to both them and their families, employers etc., for volunteering their time and work so well together.  Thanks to Joe and Phil from the BBC and the One Show team for being so accommodating.  Cheers guys!

The second thing that happened, around the same time, was that I came down with a serious chest infection.  The type that’s hard to shift and get rid of.  Training came to an abrupt and immediate stop.  I was becoming really worried as to whether I would make it to the USA at all.  So, I have to thank Aurélie for distracting me with the news that we were moving home too.  To the South of France no less!  So four days before I left for the USA, the contents of the house, my family and most of my worldly possessions were relocated.  Leaving me encamped at my mum’s with expedition kit filling every available corner (or so it seemed).  Thanks Mum!

I won’t go into the details of the TAC, as I am trying to write a book and wouldn’t want to spoil it for you.  Save to say, it was and still remains the hardest challenge to date and “epic” as a word does not quite come close to describing it.  I’ll leave the judgment to you when you’ve read the book.  In the meantime, you can recap at my video wall : http://www.alexflynn.co.uk/the-video-wall/

One month after leaving the states, I am in familiar territory.  It was the 11^th of November and I’m on the start line to complete the Athens Classic marathon.  The people were welcoming and supportive of my 10MillionMetres cause and I even had the pleasure of meeting Barefoot Bill, from Boston.  It was a hot and hilly course that, unfortunately, claimed the life of another competitor during the race, which was ahead of me.  I felt pretty good. I think that this was because I had rested a little bit but still the thought that I was biting off a little too much too soon after the 3256 miles of the TAC, was rattling around in my head.  I pushed the thought aside and got on with enjoying the run.  My race splits were good and, though I was a little fast, for the first half, I was on form.  But fatigue came and reasserted its presence.  The legs slowly turned to lead at around 14 miles in to the race and I knew that my planned time was slipping.  It was a grind to get from there to the end but the finish (finally), came and I even managed a sprint.  Thanks to Thanos, Panos and the guys at the Athens office of the deVere Group.

I should have seen it coming.  Others told me that I was pushing it too hard and when it did…I felt it.

Shanghai was amazing. What a melting pot!! What history and, again, the people were cheering, smiling and supportive of all the runners.

There were about 26,000 runners, initially made up of all three races; 3K race, half marathon and full marathon, which made it interesting when the competitors had to funnel into half the width of the road to cross the chip timing mats.  Good fun though.  All seemed fine when I started.  The weather at the start was cold and the rain was horrendous but I felt ok.  A little cold and tired perhaps but that was down to the early hour, the weather and jet-lag.  What I didn’t realise was that I must have picked up a cold virus on route to Shanghai and the result was that two thirds of the way around I developed a pain in the chest, like intercostal pain.  I did a quick diagnosis (while running) and decided that it was early stage Pericarditis (having had this once before in 2009 – it fitted the symptoms).  So I significantly slowed the pace and ran/walked, keeping my breathing calm and heart rate low. There and then I decided that I was going to finish (one of my more stupid decisions), as I believed that I could do so, even if it meant walking (which did not cause pain).  So finish I did, and in less than five hours.   I highly recommend both marathons (Greece and Shanghai).  They’re great fun, well organised and the medals are suitable impressive.

PLEASE NOTE: On a serious point  – I do not advocate that anyone runs or trains with chest pain.  If you have pains in your chest, please, please, please stop and get medical help immediately.   I for one will be taking this advice in future and hope you heed it as well.

I am now on the mend and taking a well-earned break.  I was right about the Pericarditis and have been told to rest, rest, and rest.  So I’m taking my doctors advice and resting as much as I can over the forth-coming month and I’m getting better and stronger everyday.  Promise not to do anything until I get the all clear …honestly!!  That’s a promise!

There are some stunning races and plans for a couple of nasty events in the 2013/2014 pipeline.  So please keep your eyes on my 10MillionMetres Facebook page or my twitter at alexflynn01.

Thanks must be made to all of my sponsors and particularly the deVere Group, who (without whom) 2012 would not have been the year that it was for 10MillionMetres!!

Huge thanks to the following people in the quest to raise donations for Team 10MillionMetres

1. Mimi Anderson for breaking world records left, right and centre and for being simply marvelous at the same time;
2. Danny Lavender – afflicted by Parkinson’s for over seven years and pushing the boundaries each day at a time. Top bloke; and
3. Maria Galvan – for running her first half!

If there is anyone I have forgotten. Please let me know.  If you’d like to be part of Team 10MillionMetres, please email me (contact@alexflynn.co.uk)

Lastly, thanks to you and everyone who has and continues to follow and support me and my 10MillionMetres cause.  It makes a difference receiving the encouragement and messages and donations!!   So please keep them coming

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!  Keep moving!!!

Alex

Hi all,

It has been awhile since I last wrote my blog and I’d like to apologise for its absence.  I guess being distracted by my baby boy has taken up a lot of my time as well as training for the Trans-USA.  Excuses aside, I’d like to talk about awareness and how you can help. But first I need to bring you up to date (well almost as there was so much going on since last time I blogged that some of it will have to wait until next time).

The year started with a part working ankle.  With the incredible help of ActiveVIII I’ve managed to ameliorate the majority of the damage to the ankle and, in fact, get to a point where I can run on it comfortably.  The acid test was the Standard Chartered Dubai 10k.  The guys from deVere generously flew me out to test the ankle and maybe secure some favourable press (which, thanks to Alan and the team, I did).  I arrived late at night, shattered, and needing bed and sleep.  In the morning I made it to the Media Centre at the Dubai Pavilion and was made to feel at home.  They gave me a media pass (which made me feel like one of the gang) and fed me too!  It was good to see some familiar faces and nice that I was recognised from my marathon exploits previously in 2011.   The run, in my Saucony Triumph’s, was better than I had expected and the ankle held up. I completed the course in 53 min but that included walking for a bit due to dystonia and stretching quite a lot.  This result rocks!  A truly a great milestone for me as I couldn’t walk on the leg last November.  The result, also, makes me more confident of my abilities with my ankle and helps me look forward to the Trans-USA; an event that I truly believe will, not only, raise donations for both the Cure Parkinson’s Trust and also the Michael J Fox Foundation via TeamFox (please see my TeamFox page) but also raise awareness.

Raising awareness is at the forefront of what 10MillionMetres is about and media coverage in respect of what I am trying to achieve has been pretty good since the beginning of the year.  BBC Oxford has bent over backwards for me and I am truly grateful for the coverage that they have given.  In addition, BBC Radio Berkshire, Glide FM, Jack FM, Al Jazeera Sport TV, Physique TV, Physique magazine, the Scotsman, the Daily Express, BBC (filming), SGB magazine… The only way that we are going to make change happen for Parkinson’s patients, worldwide, is by raising awareness which in turn will hopefully raise donations so that we can find a cure for this horrific and debilitating disease.

So please tell your friends, work colleagues, business acquaintances, in fact, tell everybody you meet because I can’t do this alone. I need your help.   We all need to work together and if we work together we can realise something truly great.  Maybe realise a cure!

With raising awareness being fundamental, Joe and his intrepid team from the BBC arrived on a Sunday morning in January to film me for a potential program on superhuman people. Apparently, I’m one!!! That’s quite a compliment for a guy who’s a bit shaky, LOL.  They had me running all over the place; across town, up and down a hill for what seemed like ages, rowing and then pushing my legs to the limit on the Cybex machine at ActivVIII (who went out of their way to open their premises and get things ready for the shoot – thanks guys!).  We then went to Nexus gym and I was again put through my paces.  All in all, I had a serious workout and then there was the interview.  I have to say Joe is a really good interviewer and I think I came across okay.  So will the programme see light of day? I don’t know but I have my fingers crossed.

Lastly, the Trans-USA has received several boosts. The first was from Volkswagen. This fantastic and forward thinking company has stepped up to the mark and donated two Touareg 4×4′s and have also offered (which I have accepted) to cover the fuel for the vehicles, which will allow me to get the support crew from A to B on the challenge.  I can’t thank them enough and highly recommend that you check out my sponsor page and follow the link when you click on the Volkswagen logo.  Secondly, the lovely people at Invesco Perpetual have just donated £2000 to the Cure Parkinson’s Trust!  I cannot believe how fabulous they are and generous too!  Thank you Invesco Perpetual!!  The third boost was receiving news that Mr Larry Watson (lifeguard, former coastguard, wilderness medic, expedition leader and ultra-endurance enthusiast) will be joining me as part of my crew for the Trans-USA challenge.  This alone has given me such a massive injection of confidence in having him on board.   I’m really excited to be working with this guy and he’s going to be kayaking across Lake Erie with me as well as swimming to the Statue of Liberty too!

30 mile run today and getting better every minute!! I think that, notwithstanding the stress of getting the Trans-USA sorted (and there’s still a lot to do) the words “positivity” and “optimistic” sum me up at the moment.  I hope that’s the same for you.  If it’s not, I am sure that things will eventually work out.  They have a habit of doing so…strange but true.

Keep moving!!!

Alex

Hi all,

This is my penultimate blog of the year. Apologies for the lateness but I have a valid reason.

On the 15th of December 2011, my third son, Zacharie was born.  Weighing in at a healthy 9lbs (or just over 4 kg) he is the most fantastic addition to my family and right before Christmas too!  Aurélie and baby are doing exceptionally well.  He’s quite a character and certainly isn’t shy about coming forward and expressing his own opinion; including his disappointment at both myself and Aurélie sleeping at night!!  So, we have both been battling fatigue through lack of sleep whilst being busier than we would ever have imagined at Christmas time.

The last week and four days have been occupied by the Trans-USA challenge.  Thanks must go to Mimi Anderson, ActiveVII, Steve from GoBeyond and also James from Media First, for their assistance so far.  Thanks also to, Russ Cox and James Golding for their support and input.  I’m excited by the prospect of Russ Cox and James Golding undertaking some of the route with me.

Midway through the planning, thinking, and trying desperately to get some sleep, I was invited onto the Malcolm Boyden show and BBC Radio Oxford.  Oxford not being far from me was, I thought, a reasonably safe bet to arrive at 10 AM.  Little did I realise that the pre-Christmas shopping mania had overtaken the United Kingdom and everyone who drives will understand my use of the term “gridlock”.   I was driving and waiting and driving and waiting and more waiting for what seemed like ages.  My eyes constantly returned to the clock in the car, which did nothing to dispel my sense of urgency and my fears that I wouldn’t reach the BBC studios in time.  Thankfully I did.  In fact, right on time!

The producer, Harry, met me at the door and immediately ushered me into the live studio.  Handshakes and a quick cup of tea placed on the desk in front of me and Malcolm launched into the interview.  Honestly?  I think I did okay.  I was dreadfully tired from little to no sleep the previous few days.  Notwithstanding, they certainly seemed happy with the interview and it was good to see Malcolm, Harry and the guys again.  They have been exceptionally supportive of the 10MillionMetres campaign and I owe a lot of thanks to them for that.  Mention was made of an update interview regarding the forthcoming Thames Trot 50 mile race from Oxford to Henley-on-Thames in February 2012.   For which runners and brave interested parties can get a free entry via the Cure Parkinson’s Trust.  Please go to the Cure Parkinson’s Trust website at www.cureparkinsons.org.uk for more information and also do let them know if you want the donations to count towards the 10MillionMetres, £1 million fund.

Later that same day I was being interviewed by Colleen on Generate Radio (http://www.generateradio.com/).  Great music and good chat was the order of the show and I had a laugh.  Thanks Colleen and Generate Radio.  In fact, special mention must be made of Colleen as she got married today (24th December 2011)!!  Congratulations and best wishes for the future to you both!

Training has been put on the back-burner for the moment as I still have this nagging cough which won’t go away.  Mimi Anderson has commanded me to rest until the New Year and who am I to argue with such an esteemed athlete.  Seriously, Mimi is correct.  If I don’t look after myself I’ll be unable to summon the best performance I can possibly achieve when undertaking the challenges that 2012 will bring.

On Wednesday I was invited to the Grosvenor House Hotel in London for the deVere Group annual awards ceremony.  This was a black tie do and a spectacular evening was hosted by deVere to thank the very dedicated employees that make my core Sponsor the most successful financial consultancy in the world.  Being a third party (so to speak) it was interesting to observe and meet the people who have supported and aided my 10MillionMetre Campaign in 2011.  The event was a success and to describe the awards as impressive would be an understatement.  I would have liked to have shown some photos but for now your imagination will have to do; as I have no pictures to show.  Save to say, champagne reception followed by fantastic food, dancers, music, awards, Steve Redgrave, Jessie J and a set by Calvin Harris in the adjoining deVere lounge left me stunned.  I feel very honoured to have been there and thankful to all the people I met and their kind words of support.  Hats off to Beverley who organised the whole event!  Thank you deVere for letting me be a part of your evening.

I have so much to do for 2012.  Epic adventures to raise awareness of Parkinson’s don’t just happen by themselves and I’ll probably need three of me to get the jobs done, but I’ll do it!!!

However, that’s not important right now.  Right now is the night before Christmas.  The first Christmas for my little boy and I am going to spend it with him.  So I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a happy, safe and wonderful Christmas!

For those don’t celebrate it, have a safe and a top weekend to you and your families and I will update everyone with the end of year kit review next week.

Until then, have fun and keep moving!!

Hi all,

This will be the first blog since registering with Blogs for Kindle.  So, a swift hello and thank you for subscribing to this blog if you’re reading it on a Kindle!  It’s a bit of an experiment for me and one which was suggested by Russ Cox.  It was one of those amazing conversations while discussing daft races that accidentally produce great ideas.

On the home front becoming a dad (again) is big on the agenda. The baby has not yet been born at the time of writing.  Aurélie is massively pregnant and baby to be is ready to go as he’s ever going to be!  It’s a waiting game and I’m impatient to see my new little boy.  In any event, I’ll keep you posted.

Events this week have been wide ranging.  The news that the forthcoming GoTrail magazine will be a double issue and contain the 10MillionMetres article on the Otter Trail is really exciting.  I can’t wait to see the magazine, the photos and the new film from Motion Pixel.  I think you’ll like it too. I am told that it will be out sometime later today, so check out www.gotrail.co.za when you can.

I have also been busy with another film; namely, highlights from my speech at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford (UK) on 9 November 2011.  You can find it on the video-wall of my website at www.alexflynn.co.uk/the-video-wall I’d love some feedback. So don’t be shy. Please get in touch via the contacts page of my website.

Talking of getting in touch, the BBC has come knocking.  Well, nothing definite yet but there could be a possibility of being involved in a new program.   No promises. However, it is exciting to be approached.  I’ll keep you updated.  I met with the person involved (I think it a bit premature to print names) and had a long discussion over coffee which, I think, was productive. I then had to go and meet with a recruiter, as I was made redundant last week.  So of course, the guy from the BBC came too.  Slightly unique and I’m sure it left an impression on the recruiter, lol.

Later that same evening, I attended a soirée for the Cure Parkinson’s Trust.  The evening is the Cure Parkinson’s Trust’s annual thank you to all their fundraisers, and the room was packed.  I’m really grateful for the fantastic words from the Cure Parkinson’s Trust thanking me for my fundraising, which I would like to point out, could not have been possible without the fantastic donations of everyone who has given to this worthy charity; including Mimi Anderson, Danny Lavender and of course, not forgetting my core sponsor the deVere group.  A good night and a lot of interest was generated in the 10MillionMetres campaign.

Most importantly, training has stepped up a notch or two and I am really feeling the benefit.  What with the effort of tackling the CYBEX machine (giving me the grimace in the photo, left) , swimming and cycling, the ankle is coming on. So much so that the wonderful Gerry, from ActiveVIII, has said that I can start running again from the end of next week.  Big smiles…now comes the slow climb to full fitness.

I’ve been here before and I know I can do it.  What’s more with the plans I have for 2012, I have plenty to work hard for!

Keep moving!

Hi all,

It’s been a few weeks since I updated my blog and I thought I would make them shorter and more frequent moving forward. What you think? Let me know with some feedback it will be good to canvass your opinion…

The last month has been an experience that I haven’t had for a long while; namely, no training.  After briefly describing that I went over on my ankle the news was that I had completely ruptured my ATFL ligament, badly sprained three other ligaments, micro-fractured my Talus and caused severe oedema to the bone.  In short, I did a number on it.  The resulting MRI gave the opinion that I would need an operation to re-establish the ATFL to provide stability on the outside of my left foot.  With great physio from ActiveVIII (based in Henley-on-Thames) and a further MRI, my orthopaedic consultant was firmly of the opinion that I didn’t need an operation!  This is huge news!!  Actually, this is truly great news, as an invasive surgical procedure would most likely cause me long-term problems.  I am really a very happy man!

So what now? Well, there’s more physio and I’ve been told that I can get back to training properly within a matter of weeks!!!!!!!!  This is truly made my spirit rise and provided me with more focus on the two things that are taking up my time at this moment.

The first being the race calendar for 2012 and in particular the Trans-USA challenge.  This 3200 mile, 24 day endurance challenge will push me far beyond anything that I have ever done.  It doesn’t come without risk, and I’m sure that James Cracknell would attest to the dangers of Trans-American events, the dangers are several but finishing in one piece is achievable.  I’m confident that with a good supporting crew and the right training, I will succeed.   Watch this space for updates on the race calendar for 2012 and more news of the Trans-USA challenge as matters unfold.

The second was building upon the success of my public speaking event on the 9^th November at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford UK where I was giving a motivational speech at a conference on neurodegenerative disease.  The conference was entitled ‘Making a Difference in Neurodegenerative Disease Research’ and was hosted by the Thames Valley Dementias and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network (DeNDRoN); an NHS body that facilitates the commencement of research programmes and provides ways of streamlining human clinical trials to make them more cost-effective.  The various speakers were eminent experts in their fields and I learned a huge amount; not only about Huntington’s disease but the various breakthroughs and leaps forward in relation to neurological diseases (including Parkinson’s).

I have to say I was nervous.  Being the only Parkinson’s sufferer in the room gave me the unique perspective to be able to speak about, not only my experiences undertaking 10 Million Metres so far (lost in the Sahara, Trans-Europe, etc.), but also the position from that of a person with the disease.  My speech went down incredibly well.  So much so that the feedback has been stunning!  DeNDRoN have been amazing in their support and it is opened up far more doors, which I believe will allow me to raise the profile of both Parkinson’s and young onset Parkinson’s profile to a wider audience; improving on the more than 55 million people around the world so far this year alone!  However, that’s for the next edition of the blog.

Right, I’m off to undertake a turbo session, physio, and move the Trans-USA forward!  Have a great start to the week and keep moving!!

A

Hi all,

I will preface this blog with the understanding that the full story, all the details, the pain, worry, excitement, the good, bad and everything will be published in the forthcoming GoTrail Magazine. It will be a big read…and I’ll let you know when my African Experience can be read.

So, while resting my up and being brief (to avoid James from GoTrail telling me off) ….

In short, I went to South Africa with the amazing and talented Mr Johnny Ultra; to whom I owe a huge debt of thanks.  The country, the people, the hospitality, and the welcome we received were amazing. We ran in Durban, visited and also ran at the unique and iconic Hole-in-the-Wall, stayed at the beautiful Nature’s Valley and stared in wonder at the spectacular and effervescent Cape Town.  We met truly astounding athletes who are clearly passionate about trail running, and together pitted ourselves against the Otter Trail…the “Holy Grail” of trail…and if you’ve been following my 10MillionMetres Facebook page you’ll know that I rolled the ankle and…the rest will be revealed all too soon.

In the meantime, I want to say thank you to and for the following:

• The wonderfully kind James and Suzanna Hallett for the amazing adventure that has still yet to be finished and all the great coverage that GoTrail has given to 10MillionMetres to date;
• John and Mark Collins, the whole of Magnetic South and the support team including all the amazing volunteers (especially Steven and Melody) for their help, support and for putting on the Otter Trail Race!! See you next year chaps J
• Motion Pixel – movies, movies, movies!!!
• Salomon South Africa – thank you guys for the kit and the warm welcome!!!!!
• VW Commercial Vehicles SA – thank you, thank you, thank you for supplying the amazing Amarok Double Cab!!!  I highly recommend the vehicle.  It did the job, took the kit (and then some) across all kinds of terrain and was comfortable too!  Andile – you did us proud!
• Orca, CompresSport, X-Bionic, Buff (always wear one) PowerBar Nutrition and Polaroid Sunglasses – thank you!

Lastly, and most importantly, thanks must go to my core sponsor the deVere Group, for their continuing support and belief in my 10MillionMetres campaign and for making change happen!

Keep moving!

Hi All,

With a week gone since the Challenge Henley triathlon and as my bags packed to depart for South Africa today, I thought it wise that I should write my update now.  So what was it like to undertake an “Ironman” distance triathlon?

The Tri was the second only Tri I’ve ever entered and with little or no training other than the races I’ve previously done, I knew that it would be tough for me; particularly in light of the fact that I have a healthy fear of water. I think a documented this in earlier writings and this, combined with the fact that I really was not sure what to expect in the water, made the anticipation of the race a psychological battle for me.

The start was a calamity. I arrived at T1 before the race to check the bike and while pumping air into the tyre, the valve broke and the tyre deflated. I changed inner-tube and, would you believe it, the same thing happened!   You can imagine that my language at this point was far from polite. What was polite and welcome was the help and support of my fellow competitors and race marshals.   Another competitor gave me a spare inner-tube (thank you whoever you are) and I approached a martial at T1 security for help.  By now it was 5 minutes before the start of the first wave swim. The guy offered to sort the problem, took the wheel and race number and said that it would be on my bike when I got back.

It was cold that morning. The thermometer in the morning registered 4°C and that was just the open air. My bare feet did not like the cold ground. I stood and waved my arms while watching my breath become white clouds in front of my eyes; not relishing the thought of getting into the misty water.  The swim was my bête noire; the murky water wanting me to panic, to stop and quit.  Two good friends gave me reassurance.   Russ Cox, who has spent the last number of months patiently honing my swim technique, kept telling me that I could do it.  Thanks Russ.  Seeing you before the race actually calmed my nerves.  However, one of the biggest thank you’s of the day goes to Andy Loveland of Early Rider Cycles.  Andy knew that the swim for me would be the most difficult part and he decided to accompany me on the swim leg and give me the encouragement to make it through.  What a great guy! If you’re reading this Andy, thank you so much for your friendship and support.

My competitors were jumping into the water and it became my turn to walk forward on to the pontoon and get in to the Thames.  When I did, the water was warm.  With no time to pause the race was underway.  With arms plunging into the water and trying to resist the urge to kick furiously, I was concentrating on trying to sight the next buoy through the mist, duly failing and, instead, following the others off up the Thames.  There were loads of people who were having a tough time with the swim.  Some found it too cold but, for me, it felt like a warm bath.  The Orca 3.8 did a cracking job of affording me warmth and buoyancy for my weakest discipline.  A fantastic piece of kit!  My swim was a mixture of mostly crawl interspersed with breaststroke due to trapped wind and by vomiting after swallowing some water.  Not a great start to the triathlon, which was further added to by tearing muscle in the left shoulder.  Nevertheless, I made the end of the swim and was really over the moon! I’m truly stunned about swimming so far.  I’ve never even swum a mile before so this is a huge watershed moment for me.  The time taken to complete the swim was 1 hour 49 min.

I got back to the bike to find the front tyre flat!  You can imagine my language at this point was a slightly more prolonged repeat of my earlier expletives.  With the help of some Pitstop and gas I rode back to my house in central Henley, changed the wheel, grabbed the new inner-tube and hit the bike course. The 20 min delay added time to the bike leg that I could have done without.

Having rode my steel framed £60 decathlon special across the Alps this summer, I felt reasonably confident about having a good bike ride. For that’s exactly what I had.  The course, however, was quite deceptive; particularly, the last climb.  My down hills…well, I nailed them!  50+ miles an hour and the bike was in its element.  It’s a shame that I didn’t have the extra FastForward wheel on the front.  I was using my training wheel as to have changed the tyre yet again would have taken far longer.  If I had had my FastForward on the front I would have been even quicker.  The bike course was made up of two loops that utilised both sides of the road.  This caused problems in getting the locals, who were, effectively, imprisoned in their houses for the day, to and from the town.  The volunteer force did a fantastic job on the day, some of whom rode motorcycles and would guide the local residents in their vehicles along the course.  This was a difficult job, especially regarding the number of competitors out on the course, who in turn also had some concerns.  What I thought was shocking was the way the cars were led out onto the road on the downhill section from Pishill, right into the path of the professional riders descending at speed on their bikes.  Really scary when I saw a couple of riders narrowly miss vehicles on the course. The funny thing is though; it never entered my mind when descending at speed. Strange eh?

Transition at T2 was relatively hassle free.  I was just a bit cold and needed to take some more medication.  A welcome change of socks and shoes, a mouthful of food and some go juice and I was out on the marathon route but for this race was walking.  As you know, my physio told me not to run the marathon like due to the hot-spot on my tibia, which ran the risk of developing a stress fracture.  So I marched at a good pace and felt strong completing the first half marathon in three hours dead.  Heading out on the beginning of the third lap I was totally on form but it was getting dark and three quarters of the way round the rain came down.  This was a miserable experience which was followed by a strong cold wind that cut right through me.  I started getting colder and colder until I couldn’t feel my arms and legs and my right arm suffered badly (becoming uncontrollable with tremor from my PD).  In short I was in a bad state and getting worse.  It was at this point when my neighbour, Dave, discovered me staggering down the tow path.  He had come looking for me armed with a Cornish pasty and some chocolate.  When he found me, he immediately gave me his coat, notwithstanding the rain, and walked back with me towards the centre of town.  Crossing the bridge, people were again immensely friendly as they had been all day.  I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to everyone who cheered me on gave me so much encouragement on the day, even when I looked a total mess!   I turned right towards the food station manned by the wonderful volunteers, who took one look at me and removed me from the race directly to the med tent.  It was the right decision. My core temperature was low and so was my blood pressure.  The realisation that had Dave not found me, I would have been in serious trouble.  Thank you Dave!!!!   I was gutted about not finishing a race that was only 10 km away from completion and totally in my sights, but really happy about what I had achieved on the day.

Next time, will be better!!

So the bag is packed and I will be setting off with Mr Johnny Ultra to South Africa this evening to run the Otter Trail. My father-in-law is over to keep an eye on the family and that will let me concentrate on the race.  I’m hopeful of a good result and looking forward to updating you when I get back.  In the meantime and if you have a moment, I would be grateful if you could leave a message of encouragement on my 10MillionMetres Facebook page and click “like”.  That would be fantastic!!

Together we can make a difference. Together we can make change happen. Together we can find a cure!

Keep moving!

Press Release:

The deVere Group is proud to announce that it has been named one of the core sponsors for Alex Flynn’s challenge to run 10 million metres (6250 miles) in three years, in pursuit of raising in excess of £1 million to help find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

Just over 2 years ago Alex Flynn was diagnosed with Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease and is undertaking this monumental challenge that will take him across cities, counties, countries and continents, all over the world in pursuit of raising awaremness and vital funding towards finding a cure for a disease that effects millions across the globe.

Flynn will be crossing all types of terrain including desert, mountains and even open water, driving himself far beyond his limits in a feat of endurance to complete 10 Million Metres in pursuit of raising in excess of £1 Million for research to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease; each step, bringing us closer to improving the lives of those living with this terrible disease. Flynn will realise this distance, remarkably, whilst fighting against the relentless progression of the disease on his own body.

The deVere Group CEO Nigel Green commented: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support Alex Flynn in this remarkable challenge. We will be with him every step of the way to help him raise the target for such a worthy cause”.

Alex Flynn said, “This challenge, which will push me (potentially) beyond the limits of my endurance, is not about me; it is so much more. It’s about raising awareness, connecting people, it’s about inspiration and motivation, and overcoming difficulties to discover solutions. Every metre of my journey I know that someone else, somewhere in the world ,will have just received the news I did just over 2 years ago. It’s this knowledge that drives me forward, determined to realise the vital funding that may change the lives of millions.  I am overwhelmed by the generousity of and hugely grateful to the deVere Group, for their long term support of my 10MillionMetre challenge. I am inspired by their assistance, friendship and enthusiasm with which, together, I am sure we will make change happen!

Hi all,

Blog is on its way regarding the Marathon Des Sables 2010. However, thought I’d give a quick update; as I have been a bit quiet on the blog front. It was not intentional but there has been alot going on.

Rich and I have set up a facebook page 10 Million Metres

The page will give updated info throughout each day; such as
Sponsors, what’s on..and more. It’s also a good forum for you to have more interaction with Rich and me. So please have a look and if interested, sign up!

On the race front, Rich is gearing up for the Grand Union, a 145 mile, single stage race from Birmingham to London. I have a reserve place on the waitlist for this one and I really hope I get in. Will keep you posted.

Last weekend I ran just under 40 miles from the finish of the London Marathon towards Swindon with Mike Buss. I had to stop halfway as that was home, and Mike finished the final 40 miles. He is a total hero and deserves your support. Look him up on facebook.

Training has started for the London Tri and I have, just this morning, signed up for the Henley Sprint Triathlon. Should be a good indicator of my progress. However, swimming is the tough one. I can swim fine but improving my shite technique is going to be challenging.

Thanks are due this blog. Orca, Buff and Polaroid have shown massive support for what Rich and I are trying to achieve. Thank you for your continued support guys!! Please check out their sites. Links are in the Sponsors page.

Lastly, looking at a nasty 135 mile single stage race in Europe and progressing with the trans Europe run plans. So watch this space!!

More to come but now going out for a run. Keep moving…

Alex