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 last week has been quiet.  Training has been progressing, notwithstanding the debilitating effects of my flu jab at the beginning of the week.  However, aside from planning the trans-USA challenge I have been learning about patience.  I’m sure that those who know me would describe me as impulsive, stubborn, and occasionally single-minded.  However, I believe that recent events have highlighted that I can be, at times, more patient than I thought possible.

This line of thought started, I believe, on my arrival home from the Otter Trail Race earlier this last October.  I knew that it may take some time, with my injury, to get back to full fitness and ability.  This has not meant that I would forsake every effort to get back to racing as quickly as possible, but it’s more an awakening to the fact that it would take effort across a longer period of time and that there would be no quick bounce back.  Considering this I’ve realised that the same thing occurred to me back in 2005 and I recall that I exuded patience…albeit on a slight learning curve.

Once a year there is a race called the Hairy Legs Challenge.  This race takes place in the gorgeous countryside around Goring on Thames, in Oxfordshire, UK.  The area is outstandingly beautiful and has more Trail than you can shake a stick at.  The race is a duathlon, comprising a 5k run with a 20k bike ride with a 5k run at the end.  No great shakes you might think.  However, it’s the terrain the makes the challenge a challenge.

I would like to say at this point that I have the dubious honour of being the guy who changed the bike route.  It was 2005 and I was a week away from running the Three Peaks Challenge when I took part in the Hairy Legs as a pre-Three Peaks warmer.  The 5K run went well and transition onto the bike was smooth; with a quick exit towards the Ridgeway.  What was not so smooth was my descent down the Ridgeway, the then challenging bike route.  The Ridgeway is a prehistoric road stretching over 85 miles from Ivanhoe Beacon and ending near Avebury in Wiltshire (which I ran back in 2009). The track is rough and in places rutted; sometimes extremely so.  What I failed to appreciate on my rapid descent, at over 40 miles an hour, was the small but not insignificant sign on the left, which clearly stated the words “bear left”.  Well, the red mist was down that day and I was determined to finish strong.  So, shortly after passing the small but not insignificant sign I hit the drainage pipes graciously put there to preserve the road from the deluge of water it receives when it rains.  I made it over the first two pipes but the third stopped my bike short. I was thrown from the bike and somersaulted as I covered the twenty metres before landing; narrowly missing breaking my neck but triumphantly separating my shoulder, breaking my collarbone along with most of my rib cage and puncturing both my lungs.  They airlifted me…as they said I would die if taken by road.

After returning from hospital, there were weeks of frustration and inactivity.  Boredom got to me and I even tried to do press-ups within a month and a half but my shoulder was just too crunchy.  Finally, after many failed attempts to do crunchy press-ups, I learned to be patient and that great achievements (like getting well) take small steps.  Returning to the present, my injury in the Otter Trail Race has again made me realise that patience is needed and that, although I am back running very short distances, with diligence and a little time I will be able to cover the distances that I’m used to.

So why can I not apply the same patience to the imminent arrival of my third son?  This week has seen both myself and Aurélie at the hospital with all the right indications that my boy is ready to be born. However, the midwives have alternative views and sent us home.  I have patience. It truly is a virtue, but one I am finding hard to find…. Endeavour to persevere is what I keep telling myself.   Endeavour to persevere.

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!

Hi all,

Hoping that this latest instalment for 10MillionMetres finds you well?  I have had an interesting couple of weeks. The first big news that put a smile on my face was the news that I don’t have a stress fracture of my right tibia.  It was the waiting that got to me.  I don’t mind admitting that I approached my MRI scan with some trepidation.

I needn’t have worried as the MRI process was really straight forward.  I’d had one before, when the good doctors were assessing me to ascertain why I had a tremor. Apparently, notwithstanding rumour and the efforts of my Parkinson’s to kill my neurones, I do have a brain.  The huge machine surrounded the bed that I was lying on. Straps holding my legs in place made me feel more of a prisoner that a patient.  However, after quite some time of listing to various noises I was just on the verge of falling asleep when the nice nurse abruptly woke me!  Typical when one is getting comfy!!

The news was fantastic.  I can explain the relief I felt which was then followed by the realisation that I had little is no time to do any run training for the Ironman distance Challenge Henley Triathlon!  Not what I had intended.  This has been coupled with my personal battle against my fear of water.  Last year I completed the swim at the London Triathlon in 38 min which, for a bloke who doesn’t swim very comfortably, was a real success.  In fact, I’d like to think of it as a watershed moment.  Nonetheless, that feeling of triumph faded in January when I discovered that I was still afraid of water.  Since that date I have been working on my swimming with Russ Cox; a very dedicated coach and talented Ironman competitor. You can check him out at www.trainstravels.co.uk

The difference and improvement in my technique for swimming is remarkable (even if I do say so myself) and according to Russ, I’ve come a long way.  Personally, I agree as well as acknowledge that there is still a lot more to learn and plenty to improve.  However, am I good enough for a 3.8KM swim?  I’d like to think that I can do it but I am scared.  Getting in the river and swimming has really helped but has that come too late?  Well, I’ll find out on Sunday morning at 6:30 AM when my wave starts.  I will of course be wearing my Orca 3.8 wetsuit.  I have to say this is a really great piece of kit (honestly).  It certainly gives me more buoyancy than my last 3.8, which for me is a huge boost.

All the excitement of the forthcoming event has been tempered by the news I received last night from my physio Paul Martin (a top bloke and an exceptional physio – who has never been wrong regarding the various races I enter and the physical issues that manifest as a consequence of participation).  Paul examined my foot; the same one that you may have read about in my Facebook updates. He quickly diagnosed that the pain that I felt, both, on the instep and across the top left side of the right hand foot was due to an agitated nerve.  But the nerve was not the culprit. Oh no, that honour goes to the wonderful hotspot on my tibia.  This angry bit of bone is causing the trouble and presents a new worry; the risk of stress fracture.  I was gutted!  Paul’s initial opinion was that I should not run the marathon part of the Challenge Henley Tri.  I did not sleep well last night and after a few calls to some good friends, and subsequent agreement from Paul (thanks mate) I have decided to walk the marathon part of the course. This means that I will swim the 3.8km in the Thames (it’s cold I can tell you!) and cycle the 180km of the bike course as best I can but I will have to resist the urge to run the marathon!  If can do this and keep a steady pace then I’ll make it.   This is my first long (Ironman) distance Triathlon and I it certainly will not be my last.

So, I have registered and am sporting the shiny red band around my right wrist with the words “Challenge Henley-on-Thames Athlete” emblazoned around the band in white.  Am I really going to do this? Holy crap!

Time to raise the positive vibes as another piece of good news is that my baby-to-be is perfect according to the Royal Berkshire Hospital.   This is a massive boost and lifts the weight of the concerns  off of mine and Aurélie’s shoulders.  Certainly brings a big smile to the face but also the realisation that in 12 weeks my third son will be born. There is so much going on and the little guy isn’t even born yet.

Speaking of which, the Otter Trail (www.ottertrail.co.za) is fast approaching. Both myself and Johnny Ultra fly out very shortly to compete in the Holy Grail of trail races. This also raises the issue of my lack of run training. However there is a short time to get the body back to some familiarity with running and with time I have opportunity and if I have opportunity, I can succeed.  So I am going to use the Challenge Henley tri to improve (hotspots aside). I’ll keep you posted!

On the subject of success, the successful deVere Group have run a four-page article in the Investor Insight magazine ( www.devere-group-investorinsight.com ) about my 10MillionMetres challenge, and running to Rome.  Thank you guys!  As ever, your support, help and encouragement are first class.  I’d also like to thank those who have been so kind for the messages of encouragement and occasional concern.  You know who you are and it means a lot to me!

So what are you waiting for? Challenge your fears, push beyond your norm and make change happen!

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 best laid plans of mice and men often go astray, so said Robert Burns. Now I’m not sure if Mr Burns was a runner. I know that he was a prolific and celebrated writer who coined the above phrase which in short states that you can plan for everything but the unexpected. Over the last week I’ve learnt that, often than not, this statement by Mr Burns is so true!

As you may or may not know I am preparing to run over 1800 miles across Europe. I hope to do this in 30 days and achieve something that nobody else has done previously; at least not with Parkinson’s. However, like the best of intentions, things don’t always go to plan. At the beginning of last week I was seriously on form. Training was going well. In fact, my training is not what you would think that I would be undertaking in view of the incredible run ahead of me. No, for me training is a mixture of swimming, bike and short runs, with a mixture of weight training thrown in for good measure. These sessions would to build me up to a training weekend (this last weekend to be precise) where I would run 80 miles on the Friday, 40 miles on the Saturday and a final 20 miles on the Sunday. A session of back-to-back runs in preparation for what is yet to come.

However, Monday came and with it I fell ill with a virus. This thing knocked me for six and I spent the best part of last week getting over it and getting better. It’s left me feeling slightly like the wind has been knocked out of my sails. But if you know me, that only makes me more determined to make up for lost time and get myself ready. After discussing the issue with my co-runner Dave Clamp (World Deca-Ironman competitor and former team GB triathlete) and other Ultra runners, the thinking now is not about fitness (which I will work on in any event) but more about avoiding injury, staying well, and being rested. As a result, instead of doing massive mileage prior to the race, I’m going to run to work and back three times a week (60 miles in total), bike to work and back twice a week (40 miles in total) and run a 30 mile Trail run on the weekend. I aim to intersperse these sessions with circuit training and swimming, whilst reducing the 30 mile run by 10 miles per week.

So what have I learned? I know understand the value of rest. As they say, it’s the most important part of one’s training. I also have taken on board the realisation that as much as you plan there’s always something that can throw your best plans into disarray. I need to factor this into my mentality when approaching my 1800 mile run. I will do everything in my power to realise my thirty-day target. However, the flexibility in approach that I have utilised to continue my training with only three weeks and five days left until I start the run is something that I need to remember if the timeline steps out; Also, to remain optimistic and positive whilst keeping an open mind will be a must.

In short, notwithstanding the virus, I’m back on track! Keep moving!!