One of the keys to success!

In my mind, the chance of successfully running 3100 miles across the USA is about 5%. That may sound a bit negative but rest assured there are plenty of things that can and will be done (apart from the obvious running 12,000 miles in training!) to increase that number. For instance, I've always been a great believer in surrounding yourself with the right people.

It makes perfect sense when you think about it. In fact, a certain Theodore Schumann once said "Surrounding yourself in your practice with the right people who have great attitudes is truly one of the keys to both success and happiness.". So with that in mind, I've been thinking about trying to get a proper coach and mentor to keep me on the straight and narrow and ultimately increase my chances of success. Mr Schumann explains further - "In order to grow in your field, you need a voice that understands where you're coming from and what your goals are. A mentor provides the wisdom you haven't yet achieved, or the motivation you need to take bold action. While you won't always agree with your mentor, you will learn to appreciate all he or she teaches you.".

On Thursday this week I met with 2 potential suitors - David Fairlamb (pictured left) and a mutual friend Mark Fleming (pictured right supporting me on last year's big run).

David runs a very successful personal fitness company (David Fairlamb Fitness) and Mark, who recently left Northern Rock, is studying to join his company.

Just to give you an idea of the scale of David's outfit; he currently employs a number of accomplished male and female trainers, a highly qualified nutritionist, masseurs, a sports psychologist and a life coach. His business motto is quite in keeping with the spirit of my next big run; "No goal is too high if you climb it with care and confidence.". I think it is therefore reasonable to say that David is extremely well qualified and established and there is no doubt that he will prove a key partner to the USA 2011 team.

Mark on the other hand, is just at the beginning of his fitness career. I think his real passion will eventually be to specialise in teaching fitness for golf. He has a lot of studying to do and qualifications to gain but no amount of text books and exams can provide what I think Mark can bring to the table. Without going into too much detail and bear in mind that this is from my viewpoint, Mark has given an unbelievable amount of care and support in a situation where all seemed lost. He has driven another person, in what has often seemed to be small painstaking steps, to reach their goals. If you read Mr Schumann's last quote above you would almost think he was talking with Mark in mind. Again, just like David, there is no doubt that Mark will be another key partner to the USA 2011 team.

The three of us met last Thursday to set out an initial plan and the first step is an initial consultation with David. One of the things I was asked to provide in that meeting was a list of all of my calorific intake between Thursday and the consultation! It's a good job it didn't start from Wednesday as I had a massive Chinese banquet that night! The consultation will be detailed and intensive and will look at many aspects of my health and fitness. The outcome should make for interesting reading!

After this, I will have regular coaching sessions with Mark which I've been told will not be easy. These will be a useful compliment to the current training schedule and should provide a regular benchmark as to my progress. I also have the opportunity to attend David's "Beach Bootcamp" on a Saturday morning in Tynemouth (pictured). This is a 45 minute workout on the scenic Tynemouth Beach. The sessions are open to everyone and all fitness levels are catered for. Running alongside this session is BeachKid Bootcamp for 6 - 11 year olds. What a brilliant idea!!! I might even get Jack along to train.

So, after having read this, I'm sure you'll agree that the chances of success are set to increase now that David and Mark are on board.  Mark, I know fairly well.  David, I only met for the first time last Thursday.   It is easy to see why personal training is his field.  He has an infectious motivational attitude about himself.  I felt like I could be a world beater after the chat I had with him.  That, together with Mark's drive and support means I may actually stand a chance of completing the required amount of training and ultimately the next big run across the USA in 2011.

As an added bonus, I've certainly got a few more training options on top of running, cycling, spinning and gym work.  I'm looking forward to getting on the beach on a Saturday morning!  Fish and chips always taste nicer bought from the coast!

9 weeks until training starts!

There are only 9 weeks left before I start training for the next big run.   I have spent the last week putting together a high level training schedule.  Training starts in November with a steady 50 miles a week and builds gradually to 110 miles a week by July 2009.  Thankfully, every 4th week sees the mileage reduce temporarily.  This will be the time when I hit the gym and work on building my legs up. 

Now here's a stat to make you weep!  The total mileage to be done during training (Nov 2008 - May 2011) comes in at 11,800 miles!!!  Add onto that the 3100 miles across the USA and over the next 36 months I will be running just under 15,000 miles. 

Sounds like a great plan when I write or talk about it. Believe you me I can't wait to get on with it! 

I've talked recently about trying to get a coach and mentor (like Mickey was to Rocky!) to assist me and keep me on the straight and narrow.  I don't want to speak too soon but I've got a meeting tomorrow with a very experienced and well respected personal fitness trainer.  If I can get him on board it will not only be a great coup but a superb addition to the USA 2011 team.  Fingers crossed!

1 year ago today!

Once again it is time to look back on what I was doing this time last year! 

In fact, the Lap of Honour, I was awarded by Newcastle United, still feels like as much as a dream now as it did then!   

It was raining apparently as I ran round the pitch with arm aloft "Shearer style".  I remember having the widest grin imaginable and was ever so pleased to sign 3 autographs along the way (2 of the autograph hunters were planted!).  

The Lap topped off the whole event quite nicely and stamped a big Geordie seal of approval on what was essentially one Geordie running 874 miles down the length of the country backed by 1000's of other Geordies.   There are some super photos of the event taken by BBC Tyne which can be viewed here.  My in depth analysis can be viewed here.

Oh and while I think on, I was featured on a cracking local website today.  Newcastlecentric.com ran a story on the up and coming USA 2011 run.  It can be viewed here.   I've also added a link on the right hand side of this page under media links.  I've made a few appearances on various sites now.  Long may it continue!

1 year ago today!

It is 12 months ago today since I reached Lands End with Katy and Jack in support (pictured).   Little did we realise at the time that that photo was taken, but the final total for the run from John O'Groats to Lands End would be £34,108.  I never dreamed that a sum of that magnitude could be raised, moreso given that the initial target was £5,000 for St Benedict's Hospice!  Good times, as they say!

The last 12 months have flown over and while it is nice to look back on last year's successful 874 mile run, my sights remain firmly fixed on running 3100 miles across the United States in 1000 days time.  That's right!  I've got just 1000 days to prepare for the next big run. 

I've got to say that even though the next big run is a long way off, I feel very well mentally prepared for it.  I've got to keep this positive attitude over the next few years and add the physical side to go with it.  It's going to be tough but if I surround myself with the right people and listen to what they have to say and they help me keep my feet on the ground I have every chance of success.  I already have a few good running mentors.  They know who they are.  These guys have a quality record in the world of running and I'm sure that they will be as much an inspiration to me over the coming years as they were in the build up to last year's big run.   

That said, I'm looking for one individual to be my mentor and coach for the next big run in 2011.   I'm looking for someone who knows what it takes to achieve impossible goals.  Someone who can drive another person, against all the odds, to achieve those goals.  That person has to have the ability to tell me that I can do something when I say I most certainly can't.  

I do have someone in mind for the job!  I'll be buying him a few beers on Thursday and if time allows (and he's drunk enough) I'll be trying to persuade him to take on one of the most badly paid jobs going.

All work and no play.......

Well I think it's been long overdue!  Of course, I'm referring to a good old drinky poos!   

It's been February (before the Villa game actually) since I last had a drop of ale and I must say that I'm looking forward to my first pint in a long old while tomorrow afternoon.  

Mind you, I've got a small matter of a spinning class to attend to first of all, at lunchtime.  I'm aiming for a personal best average heart rate of 160.  I hear Andy is taking the class so I'm in with a good chance of putting in a good effort.  If I manage to achieve that, then I'll have one heck of a thirst on for the beer session that is to follow!

Tomorrow is just a warm up for a leaving do next Thursday where I'll be bidding farewell to a few colleagues in Town on what has been promised to be a full on night.  

I'm looking forward to both do's as it's often been said that I'm as good at drinking as I am at running.  I think that was a compliment!

Getting off to a flyer!

After having spent the last couple of weeks studying the route across the USA I've now got a much better idea as to the size and scale of this task.  As if I needed it!

Make no mistake, the distance is massive!  It's absolutely massive!  I've felt for the last couple of weeks that the key to success will be to get in a long sustained period of high mileage in training.  

The aim has been to be able to run 110 miles a week from July 2009.  I don't wish to change that too much.  What I do wish to change, though, is the build up to that mileage and the recovery around it. 

The initial plan was to hit the ground running with 50 miles a week from January 2009 and add on a few miles per week until July 2009.  I now intend to bring this forward a couple of months and start my training proper in November 2008.  Once I get up to 110 a week in July, it'll be a case of 3 weeks of doing that followed by a "recovery" week of 70-80 miles.  I'll be adding to that lot the usual mixture of Spinning classes, weights and cycling.  I'll be pushing myself to the limit but it will be worth it by the time I set off from California in May 2011.

The soundtrack to the next big run!

On day 6 of last year's big run I received an email from one Alan Millen (pictured left) entitled "The Exiles and their Toon Army tunes could be the soundtrack for your run".   I didn't know this at the time but Alan was one half of a band called The Exiles. I later found out that Tim Readman (pictured below right) was the other half. As I understand it, Alan (based in Switzerland) is the lyricist and Tim (based in Canada) does the instruments and that.

Anyhow, they wanted to send me two of their CDs to listen to when I was running the 874 miles to Lands End. "Brilliant", I thought and I had the CDs in time for the second half of the big run. I listened to both of their albums a few times in the remaining weeks on the run but it wasn't until later on the many school runs in the car that Jack and I really started to get hooked on their music.  We found that, the lyrics as well as the melody of so many of their songs were so catchy and once you know the words you just have to sing along and tap your feet.

It wasn't unusual for us to be driving through Rowlands Gill on a frosty morning singing "Wor Jackie's the greatest, that canny Geordie son, he scored the goals that won the cup in 1951....". "Can we listen to that one again Dad?" was Jack's usual response after each song.    You might think I'm making this up but I promise you I'm not!

A few weeks ago when I was riding my bike home (and saving another fiver towards the 2011 Tour Fund as a result!) I was listening to The Exiles' 2nd album - And 50,000 in the stands. I think the song was "My Friend Tim, thinks he's Jinky Jim" and I was just about to join the Derwent Walk for the final 9.5 miles home. All of a sudden I had a flash of inspiration! I thought it would be an amazing idea if I could get the Exiles to write and record a song for the next big run. My initial idea was for it to be used in the regular videos and podcasts I intend to send back from the USA in 2011. "Why stop there" I thought! We could make this a charity song, sell it as a download and in the shops and proceeds could be split between The Children's Foundation and St Benedict's Hospice.  Genius!  Not just a Civil Servant's son born in Jesmond, I'm a blooming genius! 

As soon as I reached home that night, I was on to Tim and Alan via email. Just hours later, I got a response from them both. It was no surprise that they were on board straight away and thought it was a "fascinating" idea. I've since supplied them with a few "inspirational" details and the plan is for them to take them away for a few months and come up with a charity song to be used as the soundtrack for USA 2011. As an old friend once said "You just couldn't make it up"! Watch this space for further developments on the song as I get them.

For further information on The Exiles to to listen to a few tracks, check out their myspace page here. Why not buy/download their CDs!  They are even on iTunes.  That's canny impressive!  

I'm extremely grateful for their help.  I've not told them this, but I have visions of them performing the song live on stage at the Fed Brewery at the cheque presentation evening in October 2011.  Now that would be "Domino to Danny"!  You'll have to read their myspace blog to find out what that means!

One small step for mankind, one giant leap for Geordiekind!

I've been trying to determine how many people have actually managed to run across the USA.  Tonight, I stumbled upon a brilliant website - www.seejohnrun.com which has very detailed info about everyone who has ever managed the mammoth distance.

Now the stats on that website really put things into perspective!  So far, 184 people have been successful since the records began in 1909.  Only 14 of them are British and as far as I can tell none of them are from the North East of England.  This could be history in the making as I attempt to become the first Geordie to run across the USA.  I was amazed to find that only 7 British people have ran the distance since I was born in 1971.

Grounded!

Well I've failed to save this week's training schedule.  But I've got a good excuse.  I've got my first cold (aka Man Flu) in over 2 years!  

The symptoms are a high temperature, a banging headache and generally feeling sorry for myself.  I thought something was on the cards like this when I couldn't get out of bed to train earlier in the week.  It's just not like me to back out of any training.

I doubt I'll be cycling in to work tomorrow morning as planned, but you never know. 

Anyway, enough of feeling like I've got the plague!  There have been 2 bits of good news this week.  Firstly, the GEORDIE RUNNING ACROSS THE USA group on Facebook, now has 215 members!  Thanks to everyone who has joined and has told their friends about it.  At this stage it's good to know there are so many people interested in the next big run.  That number, together with the steady stream of website hits, may be enough to attract corporate sponsors in the future.  You never know!

I'll reveal the second bit of good news on Wednesday!  It's a cracker so be sure to check back then.  Hopefully, I'll have gotten rid of this black death like man flu by then.

That's more like it!

Determined to rescue this week's training schedule, I put in a cracking little shift yesterday.  First off, it was a 17 mile bike ride into work (£5 into the Tour Fund as a result!).  Then at lunchtime, I managed an 8.4 mile run around the Havannah Nature Reserve with Carlton, Jeff and Carl.  I saved the best till last however with a PB time for the 17 mile bike ride home (And another £5 into the Tour Fund coffers).  All in all it was a good day's exercise with approx 4,200 calories burned!

I followed that up with a good boxercise class today with sparring partner Simon and I intend to put in a good effort for tomorrow's spinning class.  If I manage to get a couple of runs in at the weekend I'll consider this week's training schedule saved.  Then it's time to start all over again next week!