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.

Day 105, 106, 107, 108 and 109

Day 105, 106 and 107 were done on the treadmill after more late starts. Times of 03:18:20, 03:18:58 and 03:11:42 were achieved. The first two were done watching the telly in front of the treadmill. The final one was simply listening to music. I felt equally as tired in all 3 but listening to a beat made a difference.

By the time day 108 came around, I was desperate to get out onto the roads again. The finish line was Newcastle where there was a home game. The actual finish line is just opposite the Town Moor. There's the small matter of walking 1.5 miles to the match then back again so match days at home are big days on my injured feet.

I was greeted by an incredible start at the half way point just north of Seaton Burn. A convoy of motorbikes were travelling northbound. There must have been 150 to 200 of them. Possibly even more. Their presence saw me run the quickest mile of the entire day. A final time of 03:01:18 was managed.

After a day of doing regular family stuff, day 109 was another late start on the treadmill. Once again, I simply ran to music and I managed to finish 13.1 miles in 03:10:11.

Day 102, 103 and 104

It was an early start from the hotel on day 102. A completely random route around Croydon and Selhurst Park gave me 9.5 miles. My plan was to mop up the remaining mileage after the match and subsequent train journey home. There was a small risk of a train delay causing a problem but thankfully that didn't happen. 3.6 treadmill miles back at home gave a final time of 03:28:00.

I finished running at 23:40 which meant that my planned early run on Monday was very much in jeopardy.

Day 103's early start didn't happen. In fact, it was another late start on the treadmill. I've lost count of these 8pm and later starts. A time of 03:01:18 was the quickest I'd managed for nearly 2 weeks. That's what 20 hours of recovery gets you! It's a pity I never have that luxury on the coast to coast events.

I opted for a change of scenery and a new route on day 104. This one took me through Bedlington, Choppington, Guidepost and Stakeford before I reached the banks of the river Wansbeck. 

The 18:30 start meant that I'd need to be ahead of my recent average pace if I was to leave the river side by sunset. The route down the north bank of the river was deserted. There wasn't a soul about. Instead, my company were rabbits, swans, geese, ducks and horses.

I made it to the "top right" of the run just after half way in Ashington. I headed back towards the river knowing that it would soon be dark. I ran for just over a mile along the north bank and made it to the bridge at Sheepwash (I love that name) just as the light was fading.

I tiptoed across the bridge so as not to disturb a couple of sleeping swans underneath. 

There was a nice climb back up to Guidepost. I don't mind admitting that I had nothing left in the tank by the time I reach the top of the hill after 10 miles. I got a second wind with the finish line was in sight. One quick check of my watch told me that I'd need to run a quarter of a mile past my house then back again to get the full 13.1 miles in. It was during that section that I saw my last bit of wildlife for the day. An owl flew right in front of me. 

I was very pleased to finish this new and challenging route in 03:21:35.

The real success of day 103 was in the form of a £1000 donation from Chapman Ventilation. They have supported my runs for 15 years now. Imagine my utter elation when I saw the email notification come though from JustGiving. A huge thank you goes to Chapman Ventilation for their amazing generousity.

A few fundraising landmarks were reached on day 103. Firstly, the £185,000 barrier was breached for St. Benedict's Hospice of which £3,000 was for the 365 campaign. Finally, the overall fundraising total surpassed £380,000. 

Thank you once again to everyone who has donated and continues to donate. I see you and it's not lost on me that numerous people continue to donate after all these years. If you'd like to sponsor my running by making a donation to St. Benedict's Hospice then please visit www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365.

Day 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 and 101

Having worn out 2 pairs of Apple Airpods, I had to use my bigger earphones on day 94. This was a fairly standard out and back run to Morpeth. The first half was pretty quick with a rare 11 minute mile being ran. That's far too fast a pace for this relentless day in and day out epic. Needless to say that I paid the price on the way back with a collapse in speed. A final time of 03:27:27 was poor but, once again, I'd got another half marathon done.

Day 95 was one of those "hybrid" runs where, due to being pressed for time, the day was split into an outdoor 4 miles followed by a treadmill 9.1 miles later in the day. This type of split has kept the campaign alive a few times now. This was done in 03:30:22.

Day 96, 97 and 98 were treadmill runs which all started around 8pm. Once again, I tried to get started earlier but failed. Opting to have something to eat, letting it digest then running meant that it was gone 11pm before I finished running. Times of 03:24:11, 03:18:19 and 03:21:54 were achieved.

Day 99 was a run home from work. It was done with a backpack containing my laptop and a few other bits and pieces. 

I decided to take a different route. It was one that I knew had no paths for a few miles after Seaton Burn. Looking back, that was a mistake. As well as being too close to the passing cars, my feet and ankles took a right battering on the grass verges. Lesson learned! I won't be going that way again. 

Another slow time of 03:31:17 was nothing to write home about! However, if I'm comparing this to my previous trans continental runs and as another epic ultra distance/month event then I'm probably quicker than average. I'm slightly clutching at straws with that comparison. Especially given the much larger distances. Out of interest, they were:

2007 - John O'Groats to Lands End - 23.6 miles per day for 37 days.

2011 - USA coast to coast - 31 miles per day for 100 days.

2013 - Australia coast to coast - 29 miles per day for 82 days.

2016 - Lisbon to Belgrade - 31.7 miles per day for 83 days.

2018 - Belgrade to Kiev (unsupported) - 16.8 miles per day for 48 days.

2025 - Coney Island to Forrest Gump Point - 24.9 miles per day for 74 days.

Day 100 was another run to Morpeth and back and another late start! By the time I finished I'd equalled a new personal best record for consecutive days ran. Although the 1310 miles ran so far this year doesn't come close to the 3100 miles ran during USA 2011 over 100 days. 

Tiredness once again played its part and a final time of 03:33:11 was achieved. 

I really struggled to get going on day 101. This route from Bedlington to Ridley Park in Blyth was mostly done in sunshine. However, on mile 9, the heavens opened with a torrential downpour. It lasted all of 5 minutes! 

I had very little left in the tank on the way back. It was yet another half marathon distance I was very relieved to complete. 

03:39:40 was the slowest time since day 77. I've ran the Great North Run dressed in a full lion outfit a good 24 minutes quicker than that! That's me below pictured with Donna my guide in 2013.

As well as being a personal record breaking day (101 consecutive days of running), the charity fund for this year hit a very pleasing milestone. £2000 for the 365 campaign had been raised so far for St. Benedict's Hospice. 

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. If you'd like to do so then please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365.