David Fairlamb Fitness - New Sponsor

What a week for getting commercial sponsors on board it has been for Run Geordie Run! Chapman Ventilation was announced as my main sponsor on Thursday. Soon after that, Taylored-Fit Physio, Steven Bell Property Rentals and D-Line Cable Management also pledged kind support which all goes to benefit St. Benedict's Hospice of course. Active Edge, who have been supplying me with the   Cherry Active recovery drink for 10 years had pledged their continued support at the back end of last week. It all adds up to a quite remarkable set of sponsors. 

As I've mentioned already this week on the blog, these are all family owned and ran businesses. They all share my passion, determination and vision and I'll be going all out to deserve their amazing support over the coming months.

There are now just 2 slots left to fill on the shirt that will be on my back for 50 miles per day as I run the gruelling 250 mile Stage X of the run around the world. This special stage has been inserted into the around the world schedule due to the current pandemic. I'll be going back to Ukraine to tackle the 2100 mile route to Kazakhstan via Russia when it's safe to do so. For now, this "intermediate" stage has been dreamt up to provide a safe local event that is very worthy of sponsorship.

I'm pleased and very proud to announce that the penultimate sponsor this year is none other than David Fairlamb Fitness. I've worked closely with owner David for the last 13 years. He has been a trainer, mentor and very good friend (not to mention Best Man) during that period and has played a critical part during many of my trans continental runs. Dave knows how to get the best out of me and that was very evident back when he helped me claw back a seemingly insurmountable mileage deficit during the run across the USA in 2011.

I've seen Dave turn around a lot of people's lives around through fitness and mentoring over the years. To say that he is more than a personal trainer is an understatement.

I've probably never written about the time during the run across Europe in 2016 when I was running up the Stelvio Pass. The motor home had recently suffered some careless damage that would go on to cost over £10,000 to fix (thank goodness for insurance but I paid £1000 out of my own pocket for the excess!). There was also frequent alcoholic like behaviour on the support team at the time. If running up to 43 miles per day wasn't difficult enough, the performance of those who were supposed to be helping me affected my morale and overall mental health big time. Anyway, I was 8 or so miles up the Stelvio on the Bormio side and I rang Dave while I was running. I told him that I didn't think I could take any more and continuing the run was looking in doubt. I will keep private what Dave said to me that day but suffice to say that I kept on running and successfully made it to the finish line in Belgrade 3 weeks later. 

During the run across the USA I remember Dave being in constant contact, particularly near the end. There was one day in Pennsylvania when I was having a particularly bad time and he arranged for numerous people to ring me up to boost my morale. It was one of those game changing defining moments and I'll be forever grateful. That day was also very humbling as he got Olympian Chris Cook to chat to me. The rest, as they say is history, and with constant contact during the final weeks of that run I made it to the finish line at Coney Island, New York on time.

Fast forward 2 years and Dave was helping me prepare for the run across Australia. The video below are his thoughts on my chances of success, a look back at the run across the USA and the eternal issue of my weight. It's a video that I often revisit and I can't tell anyone how much it means to me to have such a person in my corner. I said earlier that Dave changes people's lives. It's no exaggeration to say that Dave has had a quite profound impact on my life over the years. 

Fast forward to Monday 12th April 2021 and there will be only 90 days until the start of Stage X. After a very time consuming but successful and rewarding work project I'm probably in the worst condition that I've ever been this close to a major event. If it wasn't for Dave's Zoom sessions and the odd long run the situation would be far worse. I say "worst condition" but I still cracked out a 20 miler last week and lived to tell the tale. There is a lot of work to be done however!

I've always trained to be able to get through just the first few weeks of a multi month ultra distance event and never taken care of my weight. When you get those first few weeks over with having, say, ran up to 43 miles (as was the case with the run across Europe) the fitness levels just get better and better and the weight loss is considerable. With Stage X I won't have that. It's 250 miles over 5 days with 15,000 ft of elevation. The previous strategy just doesn't fit. This event will be over before it's began in comparison to previous stages around the world.

Back to the aforementioned date (tomorrow) when I have a session at David Fairlamb's new gym. For me that will be the equivalent of standing on the start line at Huntington Beach in California. It's day 1 of a very long campaign. I simply have to be in the shape of my life come day 91 when I stand on the start line at Bamburgh. It will require unprecedented discipline and the kind of effort that has seen me run almost 10,000 miles around the world so far. I will have my critics and doubters but I'm going to use that to my advantage.

I'm really looking forward to getting started at David Fairlamb Fitness tomorrow at 0715. I'll then be training on my own during the day before returning for a double session later in the day. I'll be straight on the Cherry Active tomorrow night! The video below gives you a sneak peak at Dave new premises. It's got all my favourite bits of equipment in there and I'm really looking forward to getting in the VersaHub for a session on my favourite machine, the VersaClimber.  The lighting and sound in the dedicated studio have been optimised for a fitness class. I don't believe there is anywhere quite like it in the UK.

Thanks to Dave for the continued incredible support. The David Fairlamb Fitness logo fills the final place on the front and back of my running shirt. I'm sure that you'll agree that this is a formidable set of businesses that I'm now representing. We all share the same passion, determination and vision to do what we do well. This very important fact is not lost on me. In fact, I'll be using that sentiment to my advantage over the next 95 days and beyond.

There is now just one more sponsor to reveal. That will be done as soon as I have agreement to use their new logo which I'm very excited about by the way! I think a lot of other people will be too. I can't say any more for now.

D-LINE - New Sponsor

You know the drill by now. A successful family run business that shares the same passion, enthusiasm and vision as myself. That ethos can be applied to my next new sponsor without any doubt. It gives me great pleasure to welcome local cable management company D-Line to the generous list of sponsors who will be helping to make Stage X of the run around the world a huge success for St. Benedict's Hospice. 

I was really surprised to receive a nice email from owner Paul Ruddick yesterday pledging continued support. D-Line are no stranger to Run Geordie Run. In fact, this will be the 3rd campaign that D-Line have been involved in after Stage 4 across Europe in 2016 and Stage 5 from Serbia to Ukraine. It's brilliant to have them on board for Stage X of  the run around the world which will see me run 250 gruelling miles in 5 days around Northumberland. Of course, the run around the world proper will resume when it's safe to do so with Stage 6 from Ukraine, through Russia to Kazakhstan next on the list.

Back to D-Line where their website explains that they are"... a UK company with a global reputation for innovative cable management products. Our range includes the world’s fastest cable trunking systems, as used by trade and consumers, to hide and protect cables in ways that blend with modern surrounds. Market-leading fire-rated Safe-D Clips secure cables, while eliminating the risk of fires causing potentially fatal cable entanglements. D-Line Cable Tidy and Cable Safety solutions include Cable Protectors that address trip hazards, Cable Tidy Units to contain extension sockets and cable clutter, and popular Cable Organisers Cable Organisers for use in homes and workplaces.". 

I'm a curious old soul and I've been lucky enough to visit the D-Line premises a few times now. It's situated on the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate. I'm a huge fan of innovation and to say that their products are exactly that is an understatement. The factory setup is impressive but for me, it was the warm and friendly nature of the staff that I met that struck a chord with me. I feel very privileged to have met so many kind people on the journey around the world so far. D-Line have become part of that experience in recent years.

As you can see from the image below, the kit sponsorship "jigsaw" is nearing completion with just 2 or 3 spaces to fill.  D-Line now sit alongside Taylored Fit Physio, Active Edge and Chapman Ventilation with Steven Bell Property Rentals keeping St. Benedict's Hospice company on my left sleeve.

I will announce the next sponsor tomorrow which will complete the lineup on the front and back. There is a very special sponsor to go on the right sleeve above the flag of Northumberland very soon. They are currently undergoing a quite outstanding but very subtle branding change which I know people are going to really love. That will get announced as soon as I get the go-ahead. 

There is still space on the right sleeve for a final sponsor and I'll be doing my best to get that filled next week. 

Thank you again to D-Line and all of the other sponsors who have been incredibly generous this week. I'm looking forward to revealing the current Stage X fundraising total on Sunday so please watch this space. In the meantime, if you'd like to sponsor my 250 mile effort, please visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/rungeordierun. 

Steven Bell Property Rentals - New Sponsor

It appears sponsors are like buses! You wait for one, then a whole load come along at the same time. Hot on the heels of the support pledged by Chapman Ventilation and Taylored Fit Physio this week is Northumberland based Steven Bell Property Rentals. 

One thing about the current set of sponsors is that while they all vary in size and scale, they are all family owned and run. Steven Bell Property Rentals is no exception. The company logo will sit proudly on my left shoulder while I undertake the gruelling 250 mile route around Northumberland dubbed "Stage X" of the run around the world this July.

A huge thank you to Steven Bell Property Rentals for kind support. Their support along with the other sponsors has had a significant impact on the total amount raised for St. Benedict's Hospice during this current campaign. Watch out for news of that on Sunday.

Tailored Fit Physio - New sponsor

There has been a quite extraordinary response to my request for the commercial sponsorship of Stage X this week. Yesterday's news was all about finding a main sponsor, Chapman Ventilation. Soon after that, I had a call with one of the owners of a local physiotherapy company. Quite soon into the conversation with Vicky Smith of Taylored Fit Physio I knew that I'd be a perfect fit for them and they would be for me. 

Vicky's enthusiasm was quite evident right from the start. I brought her up to speed with a potted history of the Run Geordie Run journey and she declared that she was more than happy to be on board as a sponsor. 

Getting a new sponsor is always an amazing feeling. Knowing that their money is going to benefit St. Benedict's Hospice makes it all worthwhile. Having a sponsor that shares your same passion, enthusiasm and vision is the icing on the cake. Just like my other sponsors, I firmly believe that Taylored Fit Physio ticks this box and then some.

As an aside, their premises in Langley Park is quite near to where my Dad grew up. They are situated in a renovated old Baptist Chapel. It wouldn't surprise me if my Dad, who was a professional musician, was once heard on the church organ there. I know that later in life he had a residency at a social club in Langley Park. That was my Mam's housekeeping money! You'll please forgive me for getting slightly sentimental, but to have this logo on my shirt means a lot to me on numerous levels. 

Now to the nuts and bolts of what my new sponsor is all about. Following the conversation with Vicky it became apparent that her large multi-disciplinary team offer many different services and treatments. I must admit, that some of them were new to me. It is summed up perfectly on their website "....we’re incredibly proud of our friendly, approachable, talented and knowledgeable team. We have combined our years of experience and expertise to create a physiotherapy, health and wellness centre you can trust. Together, we provide physiotherapy, craniosacral therapy, acupuncture, sports massage, podiatry, chiropody, bowen therapy, traditional chinese medicine, acupuncture and holistic treatments and deliver a range of physio led pilates, aerial yoga, reiki and qigong classes.".

Owners Mark and Vicky (pictured below) must be extremely proud of the business they have built. It's not difficult to see how Taylored Fit Physio were award winners at last year's North East Business Awards.

After speaking to Vicky, I had a good look about online to see what else I could learn. The Taylored Fit Physio social media presence is very informative as it is impressive. As well as reading about the staff, I really enjoyed taking a 3D walkthrough of their "Physiotherapy, Health and Wellness Centre" on the website. 

I think this text from the website tells you a lot about the vast array of benefits they offer to their customers both young and old. "We offer a wide range of personalised physiotherapy treatments for adults and babies and run a series of classes, all from our renovated chapel in Langley Park, Durham. 

Why are we called Taylored Fit? Because we care about you! We take time to understand you, your symptoms, your aims and your requiements and we and use our clinical reasoning and expertise to ‘taylor fit’ our treatments to suit you and help you get the best results we possibly can. 

Whether your goal is to gain a diagnosis or a self-management plan, or if you’re looking for a course of treatment to help you until your symptoms have resolved… we’re here to help. 

We also run classes, such as Pilates and yoga, which allow you to have fun whilst reaping the fitness and wellbeing benefits.".

So that's the next piece of the jigsaw slotted in as I prepare for the gruelling 250 mile course around Northumberland in just over 90 days time. The spaces on the kit are starting to fill up nicely.

Another surprising connection to Taylored Fit Physio comes in the form of one of their current staff who has played an instrumental part in my journey around the world so far. I am, of course, referring to Jason Stobbs (Stobbsy) who was part of my own support team in Australia and Europe.

It seems fitting to finish with a heartfelt thank you to Taylored Fit Physio and also get Stobbsy's view of things. "Being at Tayloredfit, is a great clinic environment with a multitude of professionals. I thoroughly enjoy being part of the team and love that the staff and the clients form a strong community. The rapport between the clients and the staff is fantastic and I feel like Tayloredfit is aligned with my ethos. I went into this line of work to help people and I feel that Tayloredfit is all about this.".

Chapman Ventilation - Main Sponsor

I'm very excited to announce that Run Geordie Run has a main sponsor for the Stage X campaign with all proceeds going to St. Benedict's Hospice. A huge and sincere thank you goes to Chapman Ventilation for their continued generous support which now goes back 10 years to the time of the run across the USA. Believe me, that's a lot of support and has made a massive difference to the amount raised for local good causes.

As well as numerous kind charitable donations over the years, regular readers will know that Chapman Ventilation were responsible for funding the build of the Chapman Ventilation Around The World Buggy (Chappy for short) in 2017. Of course, Chappy will be called back into action when it's safe to resume the run around the world proper in Ukraine. In the meantime, I'm very proud to have the Chapman Ventilation logo on my running kit and it will feature across all of Run Geordie Run social media.  

Chapman Ventilation was founded in 1967 by Vin and Fran Chapman as a general ventilation business, fitting fans in homes and industrial settings. Within a year they were commissioned by Pizza Express to install a canopy and ductwork in one their very first restaurants. 

In 1998, Ant and David Chapman took over the business from their parents, bringing a new, ambitious vision and direction. They now boast their own in-house manufacturing capability in a state of the art 40,000 sq ft facility and head office in Welwyn Garden City. Chapman Ventilation serve many sectors with their products and services including hospitality, hotels, airports, industrial, commercial and education.

Once again, a massive thank you to Chapman Ventilation for their very kind support of Run Geordie Run and the 250 mile Stage X which gets underway on July 12th 2021 at Bamburgh Castle.

Please tune in tomorrow for news of the next kind Run Geordie Run sponsor.

Cherry Active back on the menu

My efforts in training have ramped up recently in preparation to run 50 miles per day during Stage X of the run around the world this summer. As a result of that, my muscles have been "in bits" this week. It's beyond funny! 

I was in agony on Sunday the day after Dave Fairlamb's "Zoom" session. Monday was just as bad. I went into Tuesday's 20 mile run in the nice sunshine feeling not much better. I battled through the aches and pains in my legs and probably couldn't give much more for 12 miles. The remaining 8 miles were just about survival with no quality at all. 

The fall out from Tuesday's 20 miles felt very familiar in terms of feeling tired and sun beaten. What I'm simply not used to is the muscle soreness. My efforts in training over the next 100 or so days will increase to such a level that by the time I start Stage X on July 12th, I will have already gone through a lot of miles and suffering. With only 50 miles to run this week and a few sessions in the gym, this is a "quiet week". I simply won't be able to get through the required workload without the help of an old friend. 

Regular readers will know that I'm referring, of course, to Cherry Active that magical product made by my pals at Active Edge. 

In these days of various "influencers" flashing products and staking all kinds of claims, let me lay down some background. For that, I need to rewind just over 10 years when I was training for the run across the USA in the University of Northumbria's environmental chamber. Assisting with that were PhD students Jamie Tallent and Chris Toms (pictured below) after I'd ran for 40 minutes on the treadmill at 37 Celsius and 70% humidity. During my time at the Uni, Dr Glyn Howatson (Laboratory Director and Associate Director for Research in the Centre of Sport Exercise and Wellbeing) told me about a product they were studying. This product was an antioxident in the form of concentrated Montmorency Cherry juice. Its name was Cherry Active. 

The following week, I contacted the company and they sent me some Cherry Active to try.  I distinctly remember the first time I drank it. It was March 2011 and I'd just finished a 31.8 mile run from Alston to Shotley Bridge in the North Pennines. There were some tremendous climbs over that course totalling 3288 ft. Based on the rest of my USA preparation, it was one of those runs that would take a few days to recover from fully. By that, I mean both general fatigue and the dreaded muscle soreness. 

Within minutes of finishing the epic run I had 60ml of Cherry Active diluted (I later discovered that 30ml was the optimum amount for recovery) and thought nothing more of it. That is, until the following morning. I remember getting out of bed and within minutes had a lightbulb moment "Hang on! Why am I not riddled with pain?" is what I thought. I continued my day fully expecting the muscle soreness to appear at some point. It's like that with some people and some sessions. There were no aches the following day either or the one after. 

The following weekend involved running from Edinburgh to Newcastle over 3 days. I consumed 30ml of Cherry Active diluted in water at the end of day 1 (35.5 miles), day 2 (38.6 miles) but not day 3 (31.7 miles). Hey presto, I was able to run with virtually no aches on day 2 and 3 and the day after the event the old familiar pains were back. 

I continued to use Cherry Active during the remaining weeks before the run across the USA started on May 1st 2011. While hardly a scientific study, I had seen tangible and quite unbelievable benefits to recovery in terms of muscle soreness. 

The rest as they say is history and I managed to run across the USA in 2011, Australia in 2013, Western Europe in 2016 and Eastern Europe in 2018 while using Cherry Active to recover. 

As an aside, in 2016, I also used Active Edge’s BeetActive which works a different way to delay the onset of fatigue. By day 52, I was 39 miles ahead of schedule after running 1765 miles. This beat my previous best over the final 52 days of the run across the USA by 7 miles. 

Back to the present day and I’m pleased to say that Active Edge are once again stepping up as a sponsor of Run Geordie Run for Stage X of the run around the world with the supply of Cherry Active. Given what you've just read, I'm sure that you can appreciate just how relieved I am about this. I simply can't continue to go through the pains that I've experienced this week. 

I've got to say a huge thank you to Active Edge for 10 years of continued and unwavering support. Getting commercial backing is appreciated at any time but now even more so given the current state of the world in which we trade and conduct our business.

This is just the start of the good news with just over 100 days until the start of Stage X of the run around the world. Watch out next week for news of further commercial backing and how the Stage X Support Team is starting to come together. 

Beach Bootcamp is back

This Saturday sees the return of David Fairlamb Fitness Beach Bootcamp. It’s always a hugely special thing for me to participate in and I first attended back in 2008 to help build the foundations for the run across the USA. 

One of the most humbling sessions for me was on August 13th 2011 where I was greeted by the participants just days after I finished the 3100 mile trans USA run. It was probably the easiest session that I've ever done. I had a really good excuse to take it easy!

There was a Q&A at the end of the session and by the looks of the photo above I was telling one of many stories that Dave's antics had provided me with. Perhaps it was the one where I admitted stealthily throwing stones in nearby bushes as Dave and I ran along the long roads during his time on the support team in the USA. If this was done around about dusk it didn't half freak him out. "Watch out for coyotes Dave". Oh how we laughed.

Fast forward to the summer of 2020 and Beach Bootcamp really helped me rediscover my love for exercise. It became the focal point for the week and the positive impact it had on my general mood and overall mental health was incredible. I'm generally a very positive and happy fellow anyway and bootcamp elevated that to such a level that I would have been high fiving strangers in the street if it was allowed! 

The Saturday morning Beach Bootcamp sessions have played a huge part in my journey around the world so far. I’m really looking forward to getting back down to business in the sand at Tynemouth among such a friendly and positive group of people. See you at 9am for a socially distanced Beach Bootcamp. Is there a better way to start the weekend? 

More info can be found on Dave's website here.