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’s that time of year again; the time of year when seasoned runners mix with first-time marathon virgins to run the 26.2 miles of the London Marathon. Why am I writing about this?  Well I went to the Marathon Expo in London yesterday and I got thinking about my first marathon and how so much has changed between then and now.

26.2 miles is not to be sniffed at. It’s a hard distance and one which should not be undertaken lightly. The London Marathon was my first marathon race. I can recall the day in 2006 clearly as if it were yesterday. Things had not been easy for me leading up to the start line. Only 10 months earlier I had suffered an enormous crash on my mountain bike; separating my shoulder, breaking my rib cage and puncturing both my lungs. The last thing on my mind, as I sat there on the Ridgeway slowly becoming hypoxic, was any thought of running. In fact, the thing that took up most of my thoughts, as the morphine numbed my system, was the fact that I wanted to dance with the female paramedic who was trying to lead me across a field to the waiting helicopter that would whisk me away to the John Radcliffe Hospital, thus saving my life.  This was accompanied some eight month later, by me breaking my third metatarsal in a 10k training race the January before the London Marathon.  Things were not going right in my preparation for my first marathon!!

26.2 miles!  It was the furthest that I had ever thought about running and I was nervous. I was also cold!  I think that God was not happy with me urinating on the rose bushes in Greenwich Park (to be fair, I was not the only one and the queue was enormous) and the rain came down.  It was freezing and completely caught me off guard.  I should have brought a plastic bag/bin liner to wear prior to the race.  These are easy to remove and keep you warm and also they cost nothing like a jumper or coat.  But the rain was not meant to last and soon I was queueing up at the indicated point that I believed represented my finish time.  I think I chose four hours.

My foot had mended as much as it was ever going to by the start of the race and I was hopeful that I could make the distance.  The start of the race found me to be exceptionally calm as I stared ahead towards the line of people moving and pushing their way out of Greenwich Park; onto the closed roads of London.  The run seemed to pass in a blur, as I wound my way across Tower Bridge, turning right towards the Isle of Dogs.  However, I did note several things. The first was the enthusiasm of the crowd.  It was electric, addictive and also resonated happiness and support. I’d never experienced anything like it, which was handy because, passing the Cutty Sark, I sprained my left ankle which meant that the right leg became dominant. This would not have been a problem but for the fact that my right foot was the one that I had broken! By 15 miles I was in agony; every footfall felt like an iron nail being pushed into the foot repeatedly!

The lonely stretch from me was the Isle of Dogs.   I felt tired and in pain and also being psyched out by the elite runners already leaving the Isle of Dogs and heading towards the finishing line.  It was at this point that I met a fellow runner (also running for the Antony Nolan trust) whose name is Quentin Somerset and whom I still consider to be a good friend to this very day.  Quent motivated me to dig deeper into my resolve to finish this long-distance; and persevere I did.  I pushed myself across the cobbled streets and out of the Isle of Dogs and onto the Embankment. It was then I hit the wall.

My legs felt heavier than lead and my feet were a mass of pain; each footfall was now like walking on fire and to top it all I had run out of energy.  It was at this point that a passing runner threw a carbohydrate gel at me with the words, “Get it down you!”   The gel had the effect of rocket fuel. POW!  I’d never used one before but I was glad that I did!

Taking the gel was a good move. I felt back on form and soon the Houses of Parliament rose up before me with a wall of cheering people in front.   The route bore right and headed across Parliament Square. This was it!  I was 600 yards away from finishing.  I was shattered but my mind was fixed on the finish line as I followed the curve of the road around, again to the right, and onto the Royal Mall.  I wanted, desperately, to ease off as the foot was just unbearable.  However, I had had “ALEX” printed on the front of my race shirt and some good-looking girls were shouting out my name.  I pushed forward towards the line keen to not look feeble with my broken foot.  Just then another runner came up fast just behind my right shoulder; straining to get every ounce of energy utilised in getting himself across the line.   I don’t know what happened, but a voice in my head said, “Not today! You are not passing me today!”  I put my head down, ignored the pain and ran with every fibre in my foot screaming at me. I crossed the line in 4 hours and 25 min and stood still with hands on my hips breathing heavily.  I looked away from the crowds and at the line of people ahead of me having their timing chips removed and told myself that this was as far as I was ever going to run!

This Sunday, thousands will run through the streets of London and realise a dream; fulfilling the promise of all those hours and miles spent training to cross that finish line.  For some, this will be the furthest they will ever run.  For others, it may be the start of further adventures in running, as it was for me.  Who knows where running may take you….

Wishing all the very best of luck if you are taking part!!!

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,

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!

Hi,

Ever thought, “I’d really like to have a 10MillionMetres Supporter T-Shirts”?  Well stop thinking and have a look at the t-shirt below.

Only £20 + PP each or £50 +pp for three!!!!

If you’d like one, please contact me via the contacts page on this site for price and payment details.

Keep moving!!

I have two London to Rome Trans Europe race shirts (as worn on the route – but now washed – they are clean) for the two highest donations received by 5pm GMT Sunday September 11, 2011

I am really attached to theses shirts but it goes to a worthy cause so I’ll get over it.  All donations will go to the Cure Parkinson’s Trust.   Donate now to have a chance of winning on the justgiving donate now buttons on this site.

Good luck!

The last week has brought home the reality of what an epic run the 1800+ mile trans-Europe dream has become. What started as a whimsical idea whilst having a cup of tea, has now turned into a real, exciting, and (in case you were wondering) scary challenge. 60 miles a day. Every day. For 30 days! That’s a huge and colossal feat for anyone; let alone a bloke with Parkinson’s. It’s the scale of what my co-runner, Dave Clamp, and me are about to attempt that (for me) evokes a blend of all emotions that one can have.

I’d like to discuss these emotions because I believe they directly relate to success. I’ll explain what I mean by that in a short while. However, I’d like to discuss the emotion the most of us would rather not, and that’s fear.

Now, I believe that unless you are completely inhuman, at some point, somewhere, you will be scared. A natural reaction to protect oneself is always a benefit and fear does this. That benefit, though, needs to be tempered with the ability to ignore the fear and reach for a target, probably higher and tougher than you have ever encountered before. This is the way that I feel about my 10MillionMetres campaign.

Honestly, I will be the first to admit that I’m scared. I’m scared of the future in respect my disease,  scared of water through almost drowning when I was five years old, and perhaps other factors of which I am yet to be made aware. But the fear I have only makes me want to push back harder and overcome. I truly believe that triumph against what makes you scared can only bring success. Let me give an example:

Last week I went swimming in open water. The lake was dark and in places cold but my resolve to conquer my fear of water came to the fore and (in my humble opinion) I was swimming like a fish. Suddenly, I got cramp. My leg froze and pain shot from my calf right up the length of my leg, making any movement impossible. My mind raced as I was still 300m from the jetty and safety. The panic set in; a slow wave of emotion building in intensity to become cacophony. Now, had that occurred a month beforehand I would have been in trouble. But in my mind, I was damned if I was going to be beaten by cramp. I told myself that I was not going to drown. I would finish and reach the jetty.

I don’t deny that it was a hard swim and my abilities of ignoring pain and staying in control were severely put to the test. However I did triumph! I made the jetty and swore (a lot). Will I be going back to the lake? Absolutely!

How did this make me feel? Beating my fear allow me to be stronger and more in control. It also gave me access to all those other emotions that are often overshadowed by fear. The happiness in achieving something that, for me, months ago would have been impossible, and the pride in getting a job done!

So turning back to 1800+ miles across Europe, I will take the fear that I have and use it to push myself, further, harder, and beyond what I have done before so that I can achieve the goal that I have set. I can visualise crossing the finishing line at the Circus Maximus with Dave Clamp. I so want to that to be a reality! If I want it hard enough and I can face the fear that I have, and triumph, I will make that reality happen! I am sure that the same goes for Dave.

One thing is true, when we cross that finish line the only emotion that you’ll see will be evidenced by two of the biggest smiles in the world!! Fingers crossed and 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!

Aside from the tingly arm the last week or so has been excellent…well almost.

I met Quent in Swindon for a kit check for the MDS. We had let Sarah at the Best of Morocco know and she sent out a brief email to all the competitors and three turned up; Dick, James and Alastair.  A good amount of discussion and kit envy was had by all but that was not the biggest surprise. Earlier on in the week I had been contacted by David Harrison (www.ambitionproductions.co.uk). David and I had previously discussed the possibility of filming me undertaking the MDS. However, David was otherwise engaged filming James Cracknell doing the same race. I digress…David called as James C had expressed an interest in attending the kit check and he wondered if it was ok. I asked if he was going to be filming…the answer was yes…not that it swayed me in anyway…honestly….

So we were standing ther as David came into the room at the Croft Sports Centre, Swindon (thnks to Mike Iwaniszyn who let us use the hall for free) followed by a very tall guy. James C had arrived and he was extremely charming and very interested in my gaiters…and a top bloke. To add to the evening Buff had donated some goody bags with the new Buff to auction off. Everone contributed and the sum of £95 was raised for the Cure Parkinsons Trust. If you feel that you’d like to contribute please see my justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/alex-flynn

Getting better was the news that as a consequence of a speculative email to Marillion http://www.marillion.com/home.htm by Rich [Merry] it seems that the email has hit a chord (so to speak) and now the band want to support Rich and me – running our 10 Million Metres!!!! Lucy Jordache, their press officer emailed Rich, saying that the band have decided to nominate the Cure Parkinsons Trust as their charity for two weekend conventions, in Holland and Canada, March 2011. Both Rich and I are amazed and really grateful to them. We are getting together a press release for the band to use on their web-site (see above) when the tickets for the convention go on sale….so I anticipate great ticket sales……

And……………the new gear from Sarah at Buff arrived. Black, orange and Zebra stripes…looks amazing and I certainly will be testing it out over the coming months. See Buff’s web-site (sponsors’ page) and check out the new gear! Massive thanks for all their suppport which has been there since the beginning!!! LOVE BUFF!!!!

Speaking of gear, Orca have given me compression kit, tops, and shorts for the MDS. Their KillaKompressor compression running tights are awesome! So is  the rest of the gear (cycling top and shorts). Review to follow…thanks Chuck..

The downside of the week was my car getting smacked into when it was parked! The good news is that, apart from zooming about in a shiny black BMW all week, my car is mended! Yay! See, good things even come from shite moments. Take my PD. Sometimes, I can’t type well or use the bloody mouse on the PC and I get fed up of running over invisible boxes or having jazz hands at the wrong moment. I could let it get to me but I don’t. The upside is that it really has focussed my life and I am living each and every moment and getting the most out of it! You should too!!!  

Off to Morocco for the MDS so will have race report, gear reviews and will finish that article for TRI247 when I am back…

Till then keep a positive outlook…we will find that cure…