So chuffed I ran far and quick for me!

Thinking about my sister's and I's long run last week, it's such a good feeling!

In 2000 I ran my first marathon. As I was 'in my prime', as I call it, I only needed to run 3 training runs: a 14 miler, a 12 miler and a 20 miler. I call it in my prime because my amateur american football playing was going well, and I was already physically fit.

As my 20s went on, I always looked at my fitness and endurance levels as waning and thought the 'good old days' were long gone. Then, to run well in 2011, running a 20-miler in 3:40, running 3 marathons in 3 days, gave my ego and self-esteem such a boost!

In the last 6 months, my running has felt slow and sluggish. But, to run that distance with Carla on Saturday, 16.5 miles in 11-minute miles, feels amazing! The pressure now is to keep it going!

But you can't beat the feeling that it gives you!

You know, now I'm not running for a cause, I get knotted up about whether I should be running now. Is this what God wants me to do now? Do I run just out of guilt? But one thing's for sure, it sure does make me feel good. And sometimes in life, we do need our release, our reason to punch the air and say 'I am'.

I pray that I'm made aware by my rescuer and redeemer when it's right to run and when it's not. That I can learn about myself through running and about this world that we live in.

Rest In Peace Deepen

I should pay tribute to Deepen Rai who was sadly killed on Friday in a plane crash in Nepal. This is the same crash that has been covered in all of the British press. Deepen was leading a group to Everest Base Camp.

Deepen was our guide last year on the trip to trek up Stok Kangri. He was an amazing guy. He taught us about the local Ladakh culture, about Buddhism, about how to look after ourselves on the trip. He also cared for us 24/7. The guy was up at 1am knocking snow off our tent so that we didn't get wet!

He also gave us some awesome coaching to give us the spirit and determination to get up the 6,150m peak. When we were looking at the peak one evening he said, 'It's tough, but not impossible.' To give us the right walking speed he would say, 'Slowly, slowly, catch the monkey.' He also affectionately nicknamed me 'Mr Pee' as I couldn't hold my bladder!

Rest In Peace Deepen Rai - your facebook page already has a flurry of touching tributes. You have made, I'm sure, a lasting impact with the hundreds of trekkers who have been lucky to have had you as a guide.

He leaves behind a wife and two sons and I pray for them to be comforted in this most difficult time.

Rest In Peace Deepen Rai xxx

Still running in 2012...

Hello all,
I've wanted to update this blog for a while.  Not that I've got anything major to say, but because a lot of people supported me in 2011 and just wanted to fill anybody in who was interested!

I've been fairly active still in 2012.  My running is actually going pretty well this month.  I've run 50 miles in September, and my pace is getting better which is a great feeling.  I fulfilled my one ambition for 2012 sports-wise and completed a triathlon (Coniston in June).  I've also done a duathlon (Parbold in March), a 60-mile bike ride (Manchester to Blackpool in July), the Great North (2 hrs 33 mins) and the Rainbow Ramble (11 mile walk).  I'm currently training for the Preston Guild Marathon with my sister and that has been great fun.  We're pushing each other and we did a cracking training run yesterday of 16.5 miles in 3hrs 5 mins.

There was no way I was going to do any running for charity this year - I think there's only so much you can ask people to sponsor you!

I've loved keeping going though and trying new things.  Swimming has been a blast - I've managed to swim a mile in the open water!  Cycling, I've not loved as much.  First there was the 4 months of constant flat tyres and punctures before I realised I needed a track pump.  Then, there's the fact that it's flippin' hard.  When it's flat, it's all good.  But, the slightest bit of uphill and it's horrible.  I don't know why running gets such a bad rap!

Saw this at the Great North Run and it seemed quite apt!

Biking it!

Last night I managed a stonking bike ride, cycling from my home to the other side of Parbold Hill and then back again. The hill is the steepest one near me, so I was proud of myself to get up it twice with stopping!


Cycling definitely feels like a whole different ball game. The workout last night was completely different to a run of the same amount of time. My breathing gets called into play, and of course my leg muscles are used in a way I'm just not used to. If I had run up that hill, I knew I wouldn't have felt as fatigued as I did when I'd pedalled up.

It felt really good!

1000 miles is done!

Well I'm done!

Last Saturday the 31st of December I ran the Liverbird Marathon which put me at 1000.1 miles ran in the year of 2011.  I ran a PB of 5:28:51 (although my official time said 5:33 I know I started my timer when I began) which a real bonus.  After covering the distance 9 other times in the calendar year I can say my fastest came on the final day of the year.

And.....my goal of running 1000 miles in the year is done!  I suffered a flu virus from Saturday the 10th to Tuesday the 20th of December so it was a real effort to finish the challenge.  I had to run 54 miles over 8 days to put me within reach, including a half-marathon on both Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.  With just a four-day taper (!), I ran the 26.2 in Liverpool on New Years' Eve to officially finish the challenge.

If you would like to sponsor me for my challenge you can do by going www.justgiving.com/runclimbmather or by texting PAUL56 £5 to 70070.