365 - Day 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145 and 146

On day 137 of 365 half marathons I felt battered, bruised and sore. The constant miles without any rest days continued to take their toll. I seem to write this type of thing in every post. It's all self inflicted so there'll be no complaints from me.

Back to day 137 and the route took me from Bedlington to St. James Park for the last home match of the season. "Is a field full of black and white cows a good omen?" I wondered as I ran past them at the 7 mile point.

It was a really slow first half to day 137 and I knew I'd require a quicker second half to get to the match in good time. Once I reached the north end of Wideopen, I picked the pace up. My pacing is more to do with the need to be able to do all of this day after day. I've got a lot more to give but being sensible has served me well so far. That said, I feel like I'm bordering on injury. Let's hope I can keep this going for many days to come.

I bumped into an old work mate at the 10 mile point. He was waiting for a bus to the match. I declined his offer of joining him and was soon on my way again. The finish line at mile 13.1 was the entrance to Exhibition Park. I stopped my watch but continued running to St. James Park to ensure I wasn't late. My definition of late is other people's on time. Needless to say that I was in my seat a good 20 minutes prior to kick off. A final time of 03:18:32 was achieved.   

Days 138 and 139 were done on the treadmill. I split day 138 into 2 separate runs due to work and other stuff going on. Final times of 03:22:11 and 03:10:15 were pretty decent given the previous week's exploits.

Day 140 felt like I was very close to snapping point. Muscles and tendons felt very sore and tight. It was a run home from work. I wrote the following on the Run Geordie Run Facebook page - "...battling a lot of tightness in my legs. Feels very similar to John O’Groats to Land last End and early weeks in Australia. Still moving forward though. Special thanks to Graeme who drove past and offered a lift. Tempted but no thanks.". See below for his later reply.

To prevent what felt like an inevitable snap, strain, ping or tear my plan was to briskly walk for the first 2 miles. That took me to the south end of Wideopen. I started to pick the pace up ever so slightly until I left the town at the north end. Once I got over the Seaton Burn roundabout, I strode out a bit more. That 3 mile section to Stannington always brings out the best in me. It's a nice tarmac surface and there's not too much traffic on one of the widest roads I've ever seen.

I reached the railway crossing at Stannington and, as per usual waited for a train to pass. While doing so, I got talking to a local couple. It's not like me to miss an opportunity so I left them with details of what I was doing and the usual "next time you're online search for Run Geordie Run".

I struggled to get going again over the last 2 miles but I was quite pleased with a time of 03:26:02. I was even more pleased with the fact that I'd escaped injury.

Days 141 and 142 saw me back on the treadmill with times of 03:08:40 and 03:07:55. I think they were the most consistent back to back indoor runs so far this year.

Day 143 was a strange one. I used the first mile to run with Órlaith at the beach. I got a life home and then set off westwards. I didn't have much of a plan and knew that I didn't fancy running to Morpeth again. I decided to explore the roads around Stannington. They were really quiet and I was able to get some quick miles done.

At mile 8, I wondered how I would get back to Stannington Station Road as I was certain that the A1 lay ahead. At mile 9, as luck would have it, there was a route across the A1. It was pretty busy so I had to wait for a safe gap in the traffic. Thankfully, there was a short path down the central reservation and subsequently down the southbound side of the A1.

I was very pleased with a final time of 03:07:05. Especially so, given how comfortable I felt in the very warm conditions.

Day 144 of 365 was done in glorious sunshine in London. The day had started early with a drive to Doncaster to catch a train to Kings Cross. As soon as I left the station, I was on my way to Fulham to watch the final match of the season.

It was a very slow start battling crowds of tourists and road crossings. 

I managed some decent running on the south bank of the Thames after mile 7. However, I faded badly at mile 11 and the final miles seemed to take forever. The final half a mile was done up and down the concourse in Fulham's ground! The recent good times came to an end and I just managed to creep under four hours with a time of 03:59:48.

 

It ended up being a 38,000 step day followed by a train journey back to Donacaster then a drive home. It was a long old day after a 0515 alarm. After a really tough week of running (they’re all tough) I’m looking forward to some distraction free days (other than work). i.e. no more football for a few months.

Days 145 and 146 saw a return to form with times of 02:59:28 and 03:08:33 on the treadmill.

365 - Day 131, 132, 133, 134, 135 and 136

Day 131 was another attempt at trying to finish work at a decent time in order to get to Pegswood on time for picking Órlaith up. Yet again, I didn't set off on time so an 8.5 mile route was chosen. The now familiar road through Nedderton, Stannington and northwards to Morpeth and over the river Wansbeck felt like I was wading through treacle. It was an absolute struggle to try and muster any pace at all. It soon became obvious that this was to be one of those days where just getting the miles done was the aim. No matter what.

My route selection given the time I had to get to Pegswood was spot on and I reached the first finish line of the day just as Donna arrived in the car. After a short drive home, it was time to complete the remaining miles around Bedlington. By this time, my legs had really stiffened up. I was even slower than before (if that was at all possible). A final time of 03:54:06 was disappointing in some ways but not in others.

With fatigue well and truly hitting me, day 132 was a customary late start on the treadmill. Getting underway just before 8.30pm was a huge risk if I had a repeat of the previous day. A time of 03:24:01 for 13.1 miles meant I was only 8 minutes before the midnight cut off time. 

Day 133 started off really well. Having worn out 4 pairs of shoes, I had a brand new pair of Hylos on. I'm sad to report that my right foot was in agony for the last few miles. The pain was reminiscent of that which I felt in the USA last year. I don't blame the shoes themselves more the fitting. A size 12 in these are too small and too narrow. I really didn't give myself a decent chance of success last year in the USA given my choice of shoe selection. 

Setting off from work at 5pm, I decided to choose a different route home. Without too much deviation, I thought it would give me exactly 13.1 miles. I was only half a mile out which meant running past my house (never good for morale) and back again a bit. A final time of 03:12:53 was really pleasing. I felt like I had plenty left in the tank at the end. 

Perhaps the recent slow days should be viewed as an active recovery. I certainly seemed to reap some reward on day 133. Not that I fell that I'm getting much recovery mind you. Órlaith's idea of helping me to recover was to fall asleep on my sore right foot.

Days 134 and 135 were done on the treadmill in 03:14:50 and 03:14:22 respectively. 

Day 136 was one of my now favourite routes. It takes in a good stretch of the river Wansbeck. There was the usual amazing selection of wildlife. The highlight of which was a swan and it's young waiting to hatch.

Once again the path along the river was pretty much deserted. As well as the scenery and wildlife, I think this is what I like about this particular route. I probably saw more people on the banks of the Missouri last year and that was in the middle of nowhere!

When there are more incredible animals and birds to spot than people then it really makes for happy running.

A final time of 03:21:19 didn't tell the full story. The first quicker half felt really comfortable. The latter half was far from that. It meant that my quickest 13.1 miles for a while slipped away and, once again, it was a fight to get to the finish line.

365 - Day 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129 and 130

Day 124 saw me venture down to the river Wansbeck again. It's 3.5 miles to the river from my house through Bedlington, Choppington, Guide Post and Stakeford. The first spot of wildlife was a nesting swan. Then there were the ducks followed swiftly by a Grey Heron (I think). If anything was going to take my mind off running for 124 consecutive days then it was these incredible sights.

Slightly down the river was a swan who cast an amazing reflection on what was a very still early evening. The thing that amazes me about the river Wansbeck is how quiet it is. I've only ever seen a handful of people all the way from Sheepwash Road down to the mouth of the river. Oh and what about these place names in south Northumberland. Tremendous.

I put my foot down a bit for the 3 miles that it took to cross the river. The north bank of the river is quite undulating. It's a mix of tarmac followed by stones.

Before I crossed the river I was treated to a sight of as many swans as I've ever seen in one place. I simply though how lucky I was to have this amazing sight virtually on my doorstep.

The route south of the river took me along the coastal path through Cambois (pronounced CAM-ISS). I then took a right hand turn at the 8 mile point. This is next to where the old Blyth power Station was. I had a job interview there once for my year out from university. It was definitely one of those sliding door moments. I didn't get the job but I did get a better one which was working on the same technology that I still use today. If I didn't get turned down for the job then my life would have been so much different. I don't think Run Geordie Run would ever have existed for starters.

I reached the outskirts of Bedlington just as the light was fading. My energy levels were also fading and the final 3 miles were very slow. Yet again, however, I'd completed another half marathon distance. This one took 03:27:21 to complete with that drop off over the last few miles really costing me.

Day 125 and 126 both started after 8 pm and were done in 03:22:55 and 03:20:02 respectively.

Day 127 started four hours after I'd originally planned to. That's work for you! With not much fuel in the tank and a heavy backpack this was the now very familiar route from Gosforth through Wideopen, Stannington and Nedderton before reaching home in Bedlington. 

This one was the slowest for a while at 03:29:21. I wrote on the Run Geordie Run page "Day 127 with a heavy pack starting a good 4 hours than I’d hoped saw a 9pm finish. What a difference the light nights make. With Take That blasting on the iPod and very pleasant temperatures, this particular half marathon was one of the good ones. It really helped that a donation to St. Benedict’s Hospice was made just before I set off! As ever, the generosity remains the best fuel for running (and Take That helps too)."

Day 128 was yet another 8pm start done on the treadmill. It was the quickest for some time at 03:11:14. 

Day 129 was supposed to be the one where I had some running company. I was due to run with support man Carlton, starting off with a Park Run then adding another 10.1 miles. Unfortunately, a headache and vomiting (which Donna reckoned the neighbours at the end of the street could hear) put paid to that. It was another 8pm start on the treadmill and a final time of 03:08:01. 

Day 130 was a difficult one logistically so was done in three sections. The first 3 miles were done in Bedlington with 2 miles around Wetherby Services (while waiting for the car to charge). I added a further 3 miles in Nottingham before the match. The final 5.1 miles were done on the treadmill when I got back home at 9pm.

After 130 consecutive days of running half marathons, I've managed to run 1703 miles. Running shoes pair number 4 are on their last legs so I’ll be switching to a new pair at some point soon. 

In other news, I saw some stats from St. Benedict’s Hospice this week which highlights the impact of their services on people with life limiting illnesses and their families. 

“Here are just a few examples of how we have supported our Patients in the last 12 months: 

💙We cared for 4,000 patients across Day Services, Therapies, Counselling and In-Patient Unit. 

💛We made more than 5,500 Patient Transport Trips. 

💙We fulfilled more than 75 dedicated patient comfort requests. 

💛Counselling provided 1196 hrs. of sessions to bereaved adults and children. 

💙Our Occupational and Complementary therapists helped 140 people.” 

That’s a staggering set of figures. All of that doesn’t mention the costs of running a palliative care facility including keeping the lights on, paying staff and all of the nuts and bolts that are needed to keep St. Benedict’s Hospice providing such expert care. I dread to think about a world without hospice care. 

That’s why if you have made a donation then you should be very proud to have made an important contribution. I think of it like a big jigsaw. Along with all the other volunteers, what we do is such a small piece of the puzzle. But without that piece, then the picture is not complete. 

Thank you to everyone who has sponsored my mission to run 365 half marathons this year. If you’d like to do so then please visit www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365.

Day 119, 120, 121, 122 and 123

Day 119 was a run from work in Gosforth back home to Bedlington. I didn't make the same mistake as last week, opting to leave my backpack in the office. It was a glorious afternoon and the sun shone brightly down on me. What a difference compared to all of those dark, wet and miserable days during the early stages of the 365 campaign.

It was a very steady (aka slow) start as I made my way casually up the Great North Road. Once I got to the Seaton Burn roundabout I decided to pick the pace up. This has happened on numerous occasions on this section (both north and southbound). It's a wide road with a decent surface. The oncoming traffic forces you to concentrate which in turn helps the pace (I've no idea why).

I took my foot off the gas at mile 9, then even more at mile 11. I coasted home through Stannington and completed the 13.1 miles in 03:16:10. It was another comfortable one where I left enough in the tank to do it all again the next day!

I managed to finish work at a decent time on day 120. The planned route was from Gosforth to the airport and back. It was another warm one but I'm pleased to report that I felt very acclimatised to the conditions.

I ventured through Woolsington and onto a trail. I came out of the other side in a place I'd never ran before. I went a little further and spotted a "no pedestrians sign". I was just about to turn back when a guy in a car pulled alongside and said that "you shouldn't be here". I apologised and headed back towards Woolsington.

I maintained a slow pace all the way to mile 9 which is when I decided to put my foot down a bit. I was due to meet my team in the pub in Gosforth so there was an incentive to get back in good time. The last 5 miles flew over and after a quick shower at work I made it to the pub just as the team were tucking in to their first pint. My time of 03:08:00 was incentivised by only my second beer of the year. Perhaps I should go to the pub more often!

Day 121 was a late start on the treadmill. Beginning a half marathon close to 8:30pm when there's a self imposed midnight cut off is risky. All it would take it some cramp or running out of energy to jeopardise the whole campaign. Thankfully, I finished this one in 03:11:36 leaving 30 minutes spare on day 121. 

I woke up feeling very tired and groggy on day 122. My run to the match was at risk of being delayed as a result. I instead chose to get dropped off near Newcastle Great Park and run to St. James Park. My intention was just to do a couple of miles, watch the match then run the majority afterwards.

As soon as I got the first mile complete, I felt a lot better. With that in mind, I decided to do a random tour around the west end of Newcastle and then go to the game. I ended up running 8.5 miles which left 4.6 to do afterwards.

The miles afterwards were very straightforward but very slow. A final time of 03:44:37 was not the best but given how rotten I felt at the start of the day I was very pleased to have finished in daylight leaving plenty of recovery time for the next day.

You can see from the route below where I decided to head further after mile 1 instead of running direct to St. James Park. 

Day 123 started at 8.30pm on Sunday night. I literally left it until the last possible minute to get going on the treadmill. A time of 03:09:58 left just over 20 minutes before the midnight cut off.

With a 3rd of the 365 campaign over, it appears that using my intended year off to continue to fundraise for St. Benedict's Hospice is paying off. The kindness and generosity being shown is quite something. £3,525.11 has been raised so far this year. There is still a long way to go to hit the much needed target of £20,000 for the hospice. 

St. Benedict's Hospice are desperate for financial support from the general public. I'd hate to think that some of their vital services wouldn't be able to continue. It's not just the palliative care offered to people in the region with life limiting illnesses that is of vital importance. It's the likes of their counselling services, day care, complimentary therapy, patient transport and bereavement support for families that rely on public donations to continue. It's with that in mind that I decided to carry out this year's fundraising challenge. My feet will have plenty of time to rest in future years!

If you'd like to sponsor my mission to run 365 half marathons in 365 days (that's a whopping 4,781.5 miles) then please visit www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365.

Day 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117 and 118

Day 110 was the start of a brand new week. This had the effect of feeling like I'd had a rest and the coming 7 days were all a brand new event. That couldn't be further from the truth with 109 days of running behind me without a rest day. I tried to finish work early enough to make it to Pegswood in time for Donna picking up Órlaith from doggy day care. As per usual, that didn't happen and I split the run up. The first 9 miles were done between Bedlington and Pegswood. I then got a lift home and did the final 4.1 miles around Bedlington. That last 4 miles were really slow with legs feeling like lead! A final time of 03:41:44 was achieved.

I was determined to do better on day 111. I chose a route which is fast becoming one of my favourites. It heads north out of Bedlington through Guidepost and Stakeford before heading down and back along the river Wansbeck. 

Once again there was plenty of wildlife to spot. A real bonus was that there was hardly a soul about yet again. Where else do you get that kind of solitude in a densley populated part of Northumberland. Pure bliss.

In order to get the full 13.1 miles in, I had to do a little extension around Bedlington as I neared home. I was very pleased with a time of 03:07:03. Especially so, given the undulating course at the bottom end of Ashington.

The "speed" (and I use that word loosely) was once again evident on the treadmill on day 112. A comfortable 03:11:18 was the final time. That wasn't too bad considering the previous day's effort along with an 8pm start for this one.

Day 113 was a run home from work with a heavy back pack. The real kicker was the fact I left work 3 hours later than originally planned. By the time I hit mile 6, the tank was empty. It became one of those slogs where the only immediate focus was putting one foot in front of the other and just "getting to the next lamp post" then the next one and so on. Despite the increased difficulty I made it home in 03:20:37.

You might be wondering how I make it exactly home in 13.1 miles almost every time. Well, quite often, I have to run a little further past my house and turn back. Sometimes, I have an extra half a mile or so to do. I always resent that!!!

Day 114 was an 8pm start and done on the treadmill. Gone are the days where a Friday night would be a nice meal or watching the telly. Running is how I roll these days. I started this one off with heavy legs but soon loosened up. I finished day 114 in 03:08:11. Day 115 was another late treadmill run done in 03:07:18.

When I set off on day 116, I really didn't have a route in mind. It was one of those where I just set off and let each juction present me with a late decision to make.

I eventually made it to the river Wansbeck again. There were quite a few route choices to make along the riverside. I just kept heading due east towards the sea. At one point I was having flash backs. The river looked an awful lot like the section of the Missouri I ran on last year. The conditions underfoot were pretty similar too. Thankfully, my feet aren;t in the state they were last year so there was no pain encountered.

There were numerous swans swimming on the river. This really is a great part of Northumberland to run in. I probably should have taken a right hand turn on the foot bridge you can see in the image above. That came later and I headed towards the sea.

I eventually made it to the mouth of the Wansbeck and continued right to the north sea. In true Forrest Gump style I thought of those immortal lines "I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going.".

There was just enough time for a quick photo then I headed back towards that foot bridge. I crossed that then made my way though Cambois and on the road back to Bedlington. 

I could feel a sharp pain in the big toe of my right foot. I suspected it was some of that sharp grass that I'd ran through on the dunes. A quick wiggle of my foot as I ran saw the pain subside a bit.

I started calculating the projected mileage in my mind. It was hard to judge on a new route but I suspected I'd be a couple of miles over the required 13.1. I sent Donna the following message.

As it turned out I was less than a mile from home at the half marathon distance. I decided to use the time wisely and did a Facebook live video on the Run Geordie Run page. I was very pleased with a comfortable time of 03:13:50.

I think I'm getting close to a "favourite" route. I think I'll try this one again on bank holiday Monday (day 124). I think I'll hit the river at Guidepost and make my way to the footbridge with a return via Cambois and East Sleekburn. Watch this space for that one soon.

I musn't forget to mention the very sharp object that I found sticking in my big toe. I pulled it out and blood was drawn! That;s never happened before in over 15,000 miles of running.

Day 117 and 118 were both 8pm starts on the treadmill. Times of 03:09:41 and 03:07:12 definitely show that some progress is being made in terms of speed. 

The fund for St. Benedict's Hospice currently stand at almost £3400. Thank you to everyone who has made a much needed donation at https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365.