Wednesday 21 September 2022

Team Run Geordie Run 2023

Did you know that since 2010, Team Run Geordie Run runners have raised a whopping £53,876.74 for local charities. Specifically, that's £33,946.85 for The Children's Foundation and £19,929.89 for the current charity, St. Benedict's Hospice. With some donations still to collect this year, there's every chance that the £20,000 barrier for St. Benedict's Hospice will be smashed.


None of what has been achieved would be possible without the dedication and effort from the 82 individuals who have ran the Great North Run as part of Team Run Geordie Run. I'm pleased to say that several of the team have participated more than once. Their support is truly appreciated by St. Benedict's Hospice and myself.  



If you'd like to join the team and participate in the 2023 Great North Run then please read on. The cost of signing up to Team Run Geordie Run is £30 for those who have never been on the team before or £15 for those that have. This is an early bird offer that will run until 5pm on the 12th of October 2022. There is a commitment to raise £300 for St. Benedict's Hospice

Team Run Geordie Run members will receive: 
  • Entry to the 2023 Great North Run.
  • Exclusive Team Run Geordie Run t-shirt. Additional t-shirts are available to purchase.
  • Access to the St. Benedict's Hospice hospitality marquee in the charity village near the finish line. This is where you can enjoy refreshments and meet up with family and friends.
  • Exclusive Team Run Geordie Run goodie bag* at St. Benedict's Hospice hospitality marquee.           * Alcohol content only available to those entrants 18 or over.
  • Half price entry to the 2024 Great North Run as part of Team Run Geordie Run.

If you'd like to do the Great North Run in 2023 as part of Team Run Geordie Run in aid of St. Benedict's Hospice then please visit the official Hospice link here.


Previous Team Run Geordie Run members should email sponsorship@rungeordierun.com for the special £15 link to the early bird offer.


Monday 11 July 2022

The Run Geordie Run 51st Birthday Challenge

To "celebrate" my 51st birthday, this year I have decided to take on a quite unique and difficult challenge. On Wednesday July 13th I will be running, cycling (all uphill), rowing and climbing a combined distance of 51km (that's 31.7 miles in old money). I'm calling this the Run Geordie Run 51st Birthday Challenge


The challenge will be split into the following parts: 
  • 20km run around the boiling hot streets of Northumberland 
  • 20.9km cycle up Mont Ventoux (using the Zwift app and a Watt Bike Atom)
  • 9.1km row around Lake Bled (using the EXR app and a Concept 2 rower) 
  • 1km climb (3281ft) using a Versa Climber (as seen being used by Ivan Drago in Rocky 4)
I expect the entire event to take around 8 hours to complete. That's around 8 hours of gruelling effort which won't be too dissimilar to a typical day during my run across the USA for example. 

I'm sure you'll agree that this challenge is worthy of whatever small (or large) change you can throw the way of St. Benedict's Hospice who I remain indebted to for the care given to my Mam during her final days battling cancer. 

You'll be able to follow the challenge on social media. Simply search for Run Geordie Run on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Thanks in advance for any kind donation you are able to make. Every pound really matters to the hospice, especially in these tough economic times.

Sunday 29 May 2022

2024 The Impossible Dream

While the global events over recent years have made the future route around the world look very uncertain, I have been plotting, scheming, thinking and looking at maps! When the world decides to calm down I will be able to resume the 20,000 mile run. I have the will and the means to complete it. All I need is the end to conflicts and pandemics! 

If the first 10,000 miles are anything to go by, then things rarely go to plan. I don't expect the remaining 10,000 to be any different. The ability to adapt and be resilient are two of my key strengths. Both of those things will be needed in abundance, once again, as I go chasing another multi thousand mile dream in 2024.

I will announce the details of the 2024 run as soon as I am able. My initial task is to drum up some commercial sponsorship interest. Without that, this run won't happen. What I can say for now is that the 2024 run will be up there in terms of distance, risk, difficulty and chance of success as the run across the 3100 miles run across the USA back in 2011. There will be another fundraising target of £50,000 which, given the current cost of living crisis we find ourselves in, is a huge ask. As ever, an event of the magnitude I have in mind must have an appropriate fundraising target. It's no wonder I'm giving the 2024 run a working title of "The Impossible Dream". 


I'll post more updates as I get them. You can also watch out for the #impossible2024 hash tag across the Run Geordie Run social channels.

Sunday 27 March 2022

Run Geordie Run - Next steps

During the run around the world things have rarely gone as first planned. Thankfully though, I have always managed to come up with a plan B, C or even D! Unseasonably warm weather in the Mojave Desert, the hottest Australian summer on record, a military coup in Turkey, Chappie (my buggy which allows self supporting travel) seized by Serbian customs and a mileage deficit on every continent I’ve ran across so far are just some of the situations I’ve had to contend with. Thankfully, I’ve always managed to get to the finish line across five world stages, attracting the kindness and generosity of thousands of people. Perhaps the journey would not have been half as exciting and, more importantly, the charity total not been so high, if things had actually gone smoothly and to plan. 


The window for stage six of the run around the world was summer 2021. That is a 2100 mile route from Kiev, Ukraine, across Russia and finishing up in Nur Sultan (formerly known as Astana) in Kazakhstan. I selected the time slot for that stage a full 3 years in advance. Sadly, the pandemic put paid to that plan. With the current invasion of Ukraine by the Russians, goodness knows when that stage will happen. That is, of course, insignificant when I think of the death, destruction, suffering and displacement being seen in Ukraine. The kind Ukrainians that I met when I ran across the country in 2018 are in my daily thoughts as is the country as a whole. 


A total of 9,799 miles have been ran around the world so far across 16 countries with £340,000 raised for charities in the north east of England. The ultimate goal of running all the way around the world raising at least half a million pounds for good causes is very much an achievable one. The dream is very much alive.

With pandemics, wars, work and family responsibilities and the football season there is plenty to consider. Not only are the metaphorical goalposts constantly moving, the entire pitch is being lifted from one stadium to another! 

For the benefit of new readers, the run around the world has so far seen 874 miles ran in the UK from John O’Groats to Lands End, 3,100 miles ran across the USA from California to New York, 2,384 miles across Australia ran from Perth to Shellharbour, 2,633 across Western Europe from Lisbon to Belgrade and 808 miles across Eastern Europe from Belgrade to Kiev. 


In terms of what is still left to run, there are 5,600 miles from Kiev to Nur Sultan then onto Shanghai. It's around about the same distance as the route across the USA and Australia put together. That section will see that continent well and truly done! It's a daunting task.There is also Japan from South to North and finally New Zealand from North to South still to complete. 

I think the order that I tackle the remaining stages is unclear at present as is the timeframe in which I could run them. There are a few options and permutations, however. If I assume for now that the next time-slot available to me to run is 2024, then I believe the current uncertainty that war brings rules out the stage from Kiev to Nur Sultan. I also believe it rules out any new start line in Russia to Nur Sultan for that matter. That is, if I was to consider changing it that way and coming back to complete a run across the final miles of Ukraine at a later date. 

Another option is the possibility of an unsupported stage from Nur Sultan to Shanghai. Thankfully, I have Chappie, my trusty buggy, at my disposal for that. Chappie, of course, is the 70kg “accommodation” on three wheels that I first used on the stage from Belgrade to Kiev. It was thanks to the generosity of the very kind folk at Chapman Ventilation who paid for “his” production. Hence, the name “Chappie” seemed an obvious one. 


Chappie, for those new readers, has a carbon fibre body with a steel chassis supported by three wheels. It is pulled along like a sled as I run. I’m attached to it via a standard snow sled harness actually. As well as containing my food, water and other kit Chappie has a solar panel. This means I can charge my phone, laptop, GPS watch and any other small electrical equipment. After I finish a day’s running I simply climb inside and it’s the perfect size for a good night’s sleep. I’ve used Chappie in temperatures ranging from -9 celcius to 32 celcius. Chappie has given a really good level of comfort and protection in all kinds of hail, rain, snow and storms. Running the miles between Kiev and Shanghai without Chappie is not an option. 



Unlike the first four world stages, it would not be financially viable to have a support team. Can you imagine driving a motor home/van or heaven forbid a car across Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China? I know that I can’t. Logistics, safety and cost make it virtually impossible. 

Away from the Eurasian continent, what is left is running “up” Japan and “down” New Zealand. Those are two stages where using a support team of volunteers would indeed be possible. In fact, I have received interest from various people over recent years about supporting those stages. Although, I think that Chappie would attract a lot of local good interest in Japan in particular. Ultimately, what has to be weighed up are the costs of getting Chappie to these far flung places versus having a support vehicle. I’ll state again, that using Chappie from Kiev to Shanghai is my only viable option. 


As you can see, the options, the permutations, the training requirements and the overall logistics are now very challenging. That is, if they weren’t already after almost 10,000 miles of running around the world. One thing is for sure. I’m just as determined now, if not more, as I was when I set off from on mile one from John O’Groats with the charity total sitting at £10,000. Having attracted generosity to the tune of £340,000 some years later, is beyond my wildest imagination. That’s an incredible amount of kindness which has benefitted The Children's Foundation, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, Useful Vision and St Benedict's Hospice. None of what has been achieved so far would have been possible without the incredibly kind support that I’ve talked about so many times before. 


While costs for the first two world stages came out of my own pocket, the remaining stages' costs have been paid with commercial backing. I felt after stage two, across the USA, with the overall charity total hitting £156,000, that I owed it to local charities to continue to raise funds by running across huge continents. I couldn’t finance this myself but I’m glad to report that an additional £184,000 has been raised since then thanks to the backing of generous companies such as Chapman Ventilation, SOS Group, Benfield, Active Edge, Virgin Money and FFG to name but a few. 


Gaining further commercial backing in the future is imperative to ensuring that the journey around the world continues. There will then be an excellent chance of being able to attract the continued generosity of the general public with donations into St Benedict's Hospice. It’s a simple process when you think about it in those terms. Commercial backing gives me a platform to run these incredibly tough distances in far flung places helping to capture the public’s imagination which in turn helps get much needed funds into St Benedict's Hospice and similar good causes in the region. 

With 2024 pencilled in for the next, as yet, undetermined stage the question is “what are the next steps?”. There are three aspects on which I’ll be focussing on in the near term. Firstly, getting into good physical condition is a must. I’ve yet to start any stage in anywhere near perfect condition and always improve as the miles and weeks tick by. I’ll be 53 in 2024 and I won’t get the next stage “signed off” unless I’m physically at my best. That will take an effort similar to the years before the run across the USA (up until I broke my ankle riding my bike that is). I lived, breathed and slept running. I actually feel that I out trained a bad diet for a good 18 months. After the accident, I continued to eat at the same poor level, in terms of quantity and quality, but couldn’t achieve the same volume of training. That resulted in me being very heavy as I set off from California in May 2011. It took a good six weeks or so to get down to a decent weight. Of course, by the time I reached the finish line in New York I was in the best condition of my adult life. 


The next key ingredient is to get adequate commercial backing. By that I mean enough to cover the costs of the stage and go some way to benefitting the charity total. It may be that the pandemic and other global factors may limit the commercial opportunities. That said, I’m hopeful of finding a group of generous businesses who will be able to back the next world stage. 

Finally, I’ve always been a firm believer in taking people on the journey with me. Not literally of course. I’m referring to the content that I’ve put out on www.rungeordierun.com and the Run Geordie Run Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. Daily blogs, photos and the odd uploaded video have helped enormously to get the funds in. I think the final area to be added is YouTube. Producing a brief, engaging, informative and inspiring film on a regular basis versus writing a blog post require a completely different set of skills. It remains to be seen whether or not I’m up to that challenge but I’ve started giving thought as to how I can best go about it. I expect a “soft launch” of content in the not too distant future. 


So that’s where I currently am in terms of the run around the world. There are certain things in my control and also things that aren’t. I will be doing my best with a pencilled in 2024 event in mind.

I’ll close with a reminder as to why I’ve chosen to run 20,000 miles around the world raising funds for local good causes. Regular readers will know that I owe a debt of gratitude to St Benedict's Hospice for the care that they gave my Mam. (Margery) during her final days battling cancer. It is in her memory as well as my Dad (Terry) and brother’s (David) too. 

Something positive has to come from this personal loss and I’m beyond grateful that it has and continues to do so. If you’re reading this, then there is a good chance that you have backed my running over previous years. For that, I can’t thank you enough. The kindness and generosity shown by so many people is never lost on me. It’s something that I will never take for granted. 

That’s all for now and well done for making it this far. There was a lot to talk about. There is a lot to do. 

Friday 11 March 2022

Team Run Geordie Run continues to inspire

Since the creation of "Team Run Geordie Run" in 2010 a staggering £50,000 has been raised for local good causes such as St Benedict's Hospice (Charity No. 1019410). The team was set up to use the power of the Run Geordie Run brand to attract others to raise funds for a charity that they have no direct connection to and probably wouldn't otherwise have done so. To say that it has reaped rewards for local good causes is an understatement. The primary event that the team participate in is the Great North Run.



The size of the team has varied over the years from four of us in 2010 to twenty in 2018 and various numbers in between. While the intention is to use the inspiration of my around the world run to attract runners to the team, what I've found is that the team members always bring a good dose of inspiration themselves. Everyone has their own reasons for joining the team. The deeply touching stories that these people share have, time and time again, been quite something to hear about.


One of the team, who will be running this years Great North Run, in aid of St Benedict's Hospice is called Noel. He had never ran before and won't mind me telling you that he has gained a lot of weight in recent years. Noel has a young family and you can see from the photo below (taken last summer) that he is a doting dad.


Noel was at a children's Halloween party last October when the penny dropped that he simply had to do something about his weight. It was around the same time that I first advertised Team Run Geordie Run's Great North Run 2022 places. Noel didn't hesitate to enquire about joining the team and he set about getting fit with only a few minor pointers from me. 

I know only too well that you can receive all of the great advice in the world and fail. If you don't apply that advice and add the required amount of discipline and enthusiasm then you won't reach your intended goal. It took very little in terms of motivation to get Noel started and what was to follow over the next 4 months (and he's still going) was nothing short of remarkable and inspirational.

Noel's waist size was 42/44 and he weighed 18 stone 4 pounds (116 kg) before he started on his fitness journey. He wore XXL sized clothes. 

Noel spent the first few weeks in a local gym doing only light cardio and some weights 3 - 5 times per week. Noel used MyFitnessPal to track the amount of calories he was consuming. This helped to ensure that he was always in a slight calorie deficit while having enough energy to exercise. Once he'd gained some fitness and lost a little bit of weight, then it was time to see how he got on with running. Running 1 - 3 miles, Noel was managing to run each mile in 13 minutes. That soon dropped to 12 minutes and then down to 11 minutes per mile. By mid December with the improved fitness and weight loss he was ready to try a 10k run. The running hadn't been easy up to this point and Noel admitted that he was starting to enjoy it having hated it at first.

After only 2 months of eating well and exercising regularly, Noel saw the number 15 on the scales for the first time on December 30th 2021. At 15 stones and 13 pounds (101 kg) Noel also noticed that he was a waist size down and was wearing XL or even L clothing. 


The effort didn't stop there and Noel's weight was down to 14 stone 13 pounds on Jan 31st 2022. I've just been speaking to him and he's pleased to report that today he's feeling fitter and healthier than ever weighing in at an amazing 14 stone 3 pounds (90 kg). He's also down to size L or M clothing and a 34 inch waist.

The approach, effort, discipline and dedication shown by Noel has been so inspiring to see. He looks like a new man which is not surprising given that he's lost just over 4 stone in weight and is exercising regularly. All that, with the Great North Run still 6 months away.

This inspirational story does not end there. As well as the personal benefit to his family (chasing round after the bairn must be a lot easier these days) Noel has a quite remarkable reason for becoming a leaner, fitter and healthier man. This story is about to take a profound twist.

Noel's mother in law only has one kidney. Not only that but it is in renal failure meaning she requires dialysis 3 days per week just to keep her alive. 

While Noel is not a direct match to donate one of his kidneys, he has signed up to the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme. This means that "Under the scheme, when someone in need of a kidney has a willing donor but they are incompatible, it may be possible for them to be "matched" with another couple in a similar situation and for the donor kidneys to be 'exchanged'".

Given Noel's weight back in November, being part of the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme would not have been possible. Fast forward, five months and it is not just a possibility but Noel has recently undergone tests. Unsurprisingly, his weight is now under where it needs to be. He is waiting on an operation to donate a kidney which is likely to be in July. 

All of a sudden, the word "inspirational" seems nowhere near enough. I'm sure you'll join me in wishing Noel and especially his mother in law all the best for a successful outcome.

Back to what seems like far more trivial matters and if you'd like to sign up to join Team Run Geordie Run by doing this year's Great North Run then please read on.


The cost of signing up to Team Run Geordie Run is £58 for those who have never been on the team before or £29 for those that have. There is a commitment to raise £300 for St. Benedict's Hospice. 

Team Run Geordie Run members will receive: 
  • Entry to the 2022 Great North Run. Exclusive Team Run Geordie Run t-shirt (or vest if you prefer). Additional t-shirts/vests are available to purchase. 
  • Access to the St. Benedict's Hospice hospitality marquee in the charity village near the finish line. This is where you can enjoy refreshments and meet up with family and friends. Exclusive Team Run Geordie Run goodie bag* at St. Benedict's Hospice hospitality marquee. * Alcohol content only available to those entrants 18 or over. 
  • Half price entry to the 2023 Great North Run as part of Team Run Geordie Run. 
If you'd like to do the Great North Run in 2022 in aid of St. Benedict's Hospice then please complete the form below to register your interest.

ENTRIES NOW CLOSED FOR 2022
 


Saturday 1 January 2022

Virtual Mount Everest - DONE!

I'm very pleased to report that the Virtual Mount Everest climb supported by David Fairlamb Fitness was successfully completed on the 18th of December. It was, without doubt, THE most difficult thing I've ever done in a gym setting. It was also certainly up there with any of the tough days running around the world. 

The aim was a relatively simple one to comprehend, to climb 29,029ft on a Versaclimber as quickly as possible. I knew it would be far more difficult to execute however. With a good opportunity of hitting my own personal fundraising target of £500 for St. Benedict's Hospice I was determined as ever to have a right good go.



I started climbing just after 0830 in the Versa Hub at David's gym. My heart rate was high even before I started climbing probably due to the excitement and adrenalin. I'd never seen that before at the start of a session! My heart rate was to remain quite high for the first thousand feet until I settled in to a good rhythm. It took just over 10 minutes to reach the first thousand feet. I attempted to calculate a finish time based on this start but, as per usual, I found maths quite difficult while exercising. I've never quite figured out why that is.


Donna did a great job on the support team where, for once, no blisters needed to be tended to, no food needed to be cooked and I was never in danger of getting lost. Just having her in close proximity was a great comfort. 



After 10,000ft or so a few gym regulars, Heather, John and Karen turned up to lend support with David Fairlamb. Heather and John paid a quick visit to McDonalds and brought back McFlurries and coffee. I had one McFlurry after 13,000ft and drank the other one much later once it had melted. That sugar hit complemented the bananas I brought to use throughout the session quite nicely. Not once did I feel lacking in energy. That was surprising as I had calculated that the calorie deficit would be in the 1000s by the time I finished.


I did my best to maintain a pace of 100ft per minute and while this was 130-140ft in the early stages, I just about managed to keep it at 80-90ft later on. I knew that my cadence was consistent throughout. What did lessen was the depth I was getting with each stride.

I reached the 19,000ft point in poor shape. I was finding each block of 1000ft physically tougher but the mental battle around this time was agonising. It was the kind of thing I've felt many times around the world as I neared the end of a stage. I can only liken it to when your football team is hanging on for a much needed result and there is still 10 minutes to go plus added time. Imagine that feeling for days on an around the world stage or thankfully just a few hours on this event. It's enough to drive you mad. I think it did in Australia and the USA was almost as bad.


When I hit 20,000ft I started to really find it tough going. Yes, it had been getting progressivly tougher but this was next level toughness. By that I mean, numb feet, aching legs and an increasing level of mental anguish. I can deal with the physical side quite well. I usually have to resort to something in my mind when the mental battle really hots up though. This has taken many forms so far during the run around the world. I've recently heard this referred to as "self talk". I'll do my best to explain what I mean by all of this. It may come out as me simply rambling as it's  hard to put into words what happened that day.

At 20,000ft I simply said to my watch "Hey Siri, play the old songs playlist". That's a list of songs that take me immediately back to another time and another place. One where my parents were still alive and usually a lot of fun was being had. Other songs have a profound meaning given by my Mam and Dad. All in all that day, it added up to me being taken to the brink mentally. 


When I said "Hey Siri turn the volume up to 90%" the Versa Hub seemed like it started to shake! I should add that I was connected to the Hub's superb sound system. I didn't even have to push a button and simply spoke my requests to my Apple Watch.

After 20 minutes of the old songs and having shed as many tears as beads of sweat I was ready to tackle the final 7000ft or so. I had come through the other side in a good place, having to take my mind to a dark and emotional place. For a few minutes the mental and physical pain subsided.

With a swift "Hey Siri, shuffle the Virtual Mount Everest playlist" none other than the absolutely banging tune that is "Badman Riddim" blasted out in the Versa Hub. The change of musical pace and tone gave me a renewed sense of purpose and desire. Next up was "If you could read my mind". "Very apt" I thought. 


The final 5,000 ft became even more difficult physically. I could hardly feel my feet and my thighs were in a world of pain. Mentally, though, I put the event to the sword. It wasn't just the music that was to thank. There were a number of very kind donations coming in to St. Benedict's Hospice. They made a massive difference. 


I reached the 29,029ft virtual Mount Everest after 7 hours and 47 seconds of climbing. When I got off the VersaClimber I was walking like a chimpanzee. I was absolutely not in full control of my legs! I found that quite amusing actually.


What a relief to have finished such a tough event! My immediate thought was that I wouldn't be doing that again any time soon. It was easy to say that I'd underestimated the challenge but I'd never done anything like it before. It was a case of completely going into the unknown. An average heart rate of 139bpm for that duration is definitely close to some of the best performing days of running around the world.



The Apple Watch stats were interesting. I can't vouch for their accuracy though. 56,766 steps taken equating to just over a marathon distance. I did liken this event before it started to a marathon in climbing terms. I wasn't far off that.


A very kind donation from long time sponsor Chapman Ventilation saw the total for St. Benedict's Hospice smash through the £1000 barrier. Given my target for the Virtual Mount Everest Challenge was £500 I felt that it was even more worthwhile doing.

I'm pleased to report that the final amount raised was £1020 and you can see the kind donations here.

As the clock struck midnight on 31st December 2021 the current fundraising campaign came to an end. A very pleasing £13,780.43 had been raised for St. Benedict's Hospice. The challenge had also seen the £340,000 barrier hit for the overall total and within that the barrier of £145,00 for St. Benedict's Hospice. 

So many donations. So much kindness. All of which I feel have been fully deserved through my endurance efforts. 

The debt of gratitude to the Hospice continues to be repaid. All of this, despite world events stalling the progress of the run around the world for now.


Thank you again to everyone who has donated. Together we have made a huge difference. 

It's all to do again in 2022 and beyond.