The climbs in Europe

I decided to create a graph representing the summit of each of the 16 major climbs I'll be running up in Europe. I kind of wish that I hadn't.

I did a lot of uphill running during the run across the USA but nothing anywhere near on the scale of  Europe. Day 44 in the USA was a run up to the summit of Berthoud pass (pictured below) at 11,000 ft. To this day, it remains one of the greatest days of running that I've ever had. 

People who know me are fully aware that I enjoy a mountain to run up. Give me 41 miles in the Rocky Mountains over a 41 miles on the long straight and flat roads of Australia any day.

The images below were taken from my GPS data from day 44 in the USA and recently uploaded into Veloviewer and Strava.

I'll be uploading similar images from each of the 16 major climbs in Europe. It should really help to illustrate just how difficult each climb is and bring the slopes to life.

New website sponsor

The charity fund for The Children's Foundation and Sir Bobby Robson Foundation received a welcome boost this week. North East based manufactures, D-Line, are now the proud sponsors of rungeordierun.com.

This award winning blog will be celebrating its 10th birthday next year. During that time it has chronicled the highs and lows of my fundraising adventure around the world. It's going to be be jam packed with news of the progress made in Europe very soon so watch this space as proceedings get underway on May 1st on Guincho Beach.

Thank you to D-Line for their very kind donation to the 2 charities.

"D-Line is a UK company with a global reputation for innovative cable management products that satisfy popular demands where time, safety and appearance matter."

Run Geordie Run Support Team vacancies

For 95 days out of the 100 days it will take to run 3,400 miles across Europe there are at least 2 people on support team duty. For the remaining 5 days (day 85 - 89), Andrew Skelton (pictured below) is unaccompanied. We've already lost 1 person in this slot but had hoped that Andrew could help us through that shortfall in personnel. 

In a cruel twist of fate Andrew suffered a fracture in his right foot at the weekend. This is a huge stroke of bad luck which means that Andrew won't be "fit enough to carry out support team duties to the standard that is required and expected".

We wish Andrew a speedy recovery. I know from speaking to him today, just how deeply disappointed he is and he feels that he has "let the team down". This isn't the case but I know that is little consolation to Andrew. Thankfully, his very caring wife Karen will be on hand to nurse him back to health. Just when you thought she couldn't possibly run around after him any more than she currently does. But seriously, get well soon Andrew.

Andrew's absence means that there are now 3 support team slots that require filling. They are as follows:

North East Spain

Sunday May 8th to Monday May 16th. Vigo to Dijon. 1 person needed.

A flight into Vigo on the 8th May and out of Gijon on the 16th May would be required. 

Serbia, Bulgaria

Friday July 22nd to Friday July 29th. Belgrade to Sofia. 2 people needed.

A flight into Belgrade on the July 22nd and out of Sofia on July 29th would be required. 

Support Team Duties

Being a member of the Run Geordie Run Support Team is one of the most difficult and rewarding jobs there is..... or so any previous member of the team often tells me. Driving a large Motor Home (the one we had in the USA is pictured below), ensuring that, as the support nerve centre, it is functioning at the optimum level at all times, is just one of many tasks that needs to be undertaken.

Ensuring the safety of the runner, cooking, cleaning, identifying safe overnight stops, liaising with local police (inevitably a motor home in the middle of nowhere can be seemed as suspicious!), spreading the word about the run to passers by, not getting lost, ensuring that the route is safe depending on changing conditions and coming up with quick and effective solutions to whatever problem or hindrance occurs are just the tip of the iceberg when talking about support team duties. Support man Steve Harrison is pictured below driving in the USA.

The support team pay for their own flights and any accommodation (if needed) at the respective airport. Accommodation is provided for you en route, obviously in the form of the RV.

There are a whole host of pictures of the previous support teams on the Run Geordie Run Facebook page here.

If you would like to apply to be on the team for the above slots then please email  sponsorship@rungeordierun.com in the first instance. Closing date for applications is 17/04/16.

I look forward to hearing from any interested people who are willing to join the current team below.

Your questions answered (Part 2)

Thanks again to everyone who asked a question on the Run Geordie Run Facebook page and via Twitter recently. Here are the latest set of answers with more to come in the coming days.

Dave Shenton

What is the highest point you will reach? The highest point on the run from Lisbon to Istanbul is actually the highest paved point in Europe at 9088 ft (2770 m). The Col De L’Iseran in the French Alps (pictured below) is the 15th of 16 major climbs that I’ll run up. 

I’ll reach the summit on day 50 of the run across Europe. It will start with a category 5 climb in the first 4 miles. Then it’s an uphill marathon (26.2 miles) with 6213 ft (1894 m) of ascent to the Cold De L’Iseran. The day will end with 10k (6.2 miles) of running downhill. 

The total elevation for day 50 is 7851ft (2392m). It promises to be possibly the toughest day of running that I’ve ever done. 

No day that I ever ran in the USA comes close to what I will be facing on day 50 of the run across Europe. 

Have you done anything different with your training for this run? I haven’t ran as many miles in training as I did before the runs across the USA and Australia. While I'll be going into the run across Europe carrying the usual excess weight, I'm probably in the best mechanical shape that I've been in for a quite a while. That includes my feet too.

I’ve been going to Crossfit Northumbria a lot since July 2015. While it's very enjoyable I’ve really found myself way way out of my comfort zone. Yes it's very challenging but what an almighty buzz you get after a session. 

The quality of fellow attendees is very high indeed. While I look out of place, it's impossible to feel out of place with the encouragement offered from trainers and peers alike.

Not many people will know this, but the whole Crossfit Northumbria experience has helped me get the all important mental edge back that I had going in to the run across the USA. 

Having to dig deep when there is nothing left in the tank and attempting something that seems unachievable are two valuable lessons that I’ve had to re-learn after the tough times in Australia. This was evident recently when I ran 65 miles unsupported from Edinburgh to Wooler. I approached the event with a really positive mindset and finished a good few hours ahead of my predicted time. I got stuck into the many climbs that the Scottish borders offered with a quick finish on both of the days that the run spanned.

I'll get lighter, fitter and quicker in Europe during the 100 days. That's inevitable. Getting my mind and therefore my focus and determination attuned to a highly consistent level from day 1 is what will give me the best chance of success.   

How many calories do you think you will burn a day? Based on previous experience and recent stats I should burn between 6500 and 8000 calories per day. This is based on recent 30+ mile runs wearing a heart rate monitor and GPS watch. 

How many will you consume? Again, based on previous experience this will average between 3000 and 4000 calories. Some days will be much less as I always struggle to eat during the big events. I wish I had that problem in normal life!

Gary Phillipson

How many plasters will you go through? I have no idea. I can say that we have an extensive medical kit thanks to C&P Medical who once again have supplied everything that Sports Therapist Jason Stobbs and Podiatrist Alison Meldrum asked for.

Mark Wilson

Which country's food are you least looking forward to having on the route? Being the broad minded foodie that I am I can honestly say that almost anything goes in Europe. It's the finished cooked product from some of the less domesticated support team members that concerns me. 

The low point, in terms of food, in Australia was David Fairlamb's omelette offering where he used iced coffee as an ingredient. Oh how we laughed!

If the team can get anywhere near to the quality of John Dobby's bacon and egg sandwiches (pictured below during the run across Australia) then I'll be very happy. 

Sarah Doy-Banks

What will be your luxury item in your suitcase? I don't have a suitcase because I'll be fortunate enough to have everything that I need packed in the motorhome in Newcastle. The one luxury item that I do have is Cherry Active's cherries covered in dark chocolate. There are almost 1000 calories in a bag!

   

How many pairs of trainers will you go through? I have 8 pairs of Brooks Glycerin 13 shoes. That's a lot of shoes and once again I'm extremely grateful to Brooks for their continued support.

How much weight are you expecting to lose? If I start the run across Europe at 17 stone (108 kg or 238 pounds) and 25% body fat I would expect to finish at 12 stone (76 kg or 168 pounds)  and 11% body fat by the time I reach Istanbul. 

While this is pure guesswork, I was very close to the final figures in the USA and Australia. The image on the left below is me at 18 stone on day 4 of the run across the USA. The one on the right was taken 100 days later. I lost 20% body fat and 5.5 stones (35 kg or 77 pounds) of weight.

Which parts of Europe are you excited about running through and which parts of Europe are you dreading if any? I'm looking forward to running through the Pyrenees and The Alps most of all. The Pyrenees alone will see me run 60,000 ft uphill in 7 days. That's the same as sea level to the summit of Mount Everest twice.

I'm not dreading any particular country or region but some border crossings in Eastern Europe are a concern in terms of the delay they may cause.

Your questions answered (Part 1)

This is the first in a series of posts which will answer the many questions that were asked via my social media pages.

I'd like to tackle George Caulkin's questions first. George is a well respected journalist for The Times and a patron of The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. 

What are the biggest physical challenges? I've had plantar fasciitis and Achilles trouble from over exercising. How do you deal with, prevent that or are you just made of elastic? Any tips? There are many physical challenges but I think you are specifically referring to coping with injury and damage sustained during the run. 

During the run across the USA my feet were in a terrible blistered state during the first 2 weeks and the final 2 weeks. The run across Australia saw damage to similar areas of my feet from day 2. It got much worse for the next 60 days. Up to 3 hours per day was spent treating my feet during the final weeks of the run. That proved just enough to get me to the finish line. 

A lot of the time I just put up with the pain and damage. There were times in Australia when I was taking more painkillers than I probably should have been. The best painkiller proved to be sparkling wine given to me by a passing owner of a winery called Tony Gorman (pictured with me below). The positive effects lasted an hour or so. "Good times" so the saying goes.

The tip for any troubles you may have is to seek expert advice and treatment. I see podiatrist Alison Meldrum at The Cradlewell Clinic in Jesmond on a regular basis. She has an excellent reputation amongst the North East running community. She was responsible for looking after me after the USA and Australia runs. For the first time in many a year I’m running as pain free as I can ever remember. Alison is part of my support team in Europe and we have been looking at prevention rather than cure this time around. As a result of her diagnosis I now wear a specially designed insole. One other change we’ve made is a simple one and that’s to go up ½ a shoe size. This will hopefully reduce the amount of blisters when my feet inevitably swell due to the high mileage. 

Favourite music while running? I regard myself as a music snob, yet seem to end up listening to high energy camp disco while running? Why is that? You probably can't answer that. I probably don't want you to. I listen to all kinds of music when I run. The most effective for me is dance music and trance in particular. A local DJ, Ross Anderson, has supplied me with some playlists for use in Europe. I’m going to use these sparingly and when the time is right. I listened to all of the Now That’s What I Call Music series in Australia. The rest of what I listen to is too vast and far too embarrassing to talk about! 

Any running superstitions? I always run on the side of the oncoming traffic. That’s more for safety than a superstition I suppose. I always finish a run on a round mile. That’s probably more OCD than a superstition. So I guess "No" to superstitions.

Plans to watch Euro 2016 while away? No plans. There’ll be very little spare time unfortunately. 

Can you imagine life without running? I can’t imagine life without fundraising therefore I can’t imagine life without running. 

What do you dream of, fantasise about on a long run? A favourite food? A feather pillow? A hot shower? The day to day training thoughts are usually filled with ideas of how to raise further funds and raise awareness. I’ve had some major PR and fundraising victories over the years as a result of thoughts while training. 

During the big events, if there is a thought to be had, good or bad, I usually have it. I once sent a message to Donna saying that it would be nice if we could get a new vacuum cleaner. At the time it seemed very important. After months of being away from home, I guess I long for normality. 

I think the most common thought in any circumstance is that of a bacon sandwich! 

Do you ever stop to look at the view? And what has been your favourite? I've run around the bottom tip of Manhattan and the length of Copacabana beach and couldn't stop smiling. I do get the opportunity to take in the view while I’m running. The Mojave Desert in California was an incredible place. Later on in the run across the USA, the Rocky Mountains and in particular Rabbit Ears Pass and Berthoud Pass (pictured below) were simply stunning as well as being incredibly tough places to run. 

What is the one thing you couldn't run without? You can only name one. I’ll not say the obvious answer which is my trusty Brooks Glycerin running shoes. In Australia, I don’t think I could have finished the run without a fly net (pictured below). Surrounded by thousands of flies every day for 82 days was very unpleasant.

Thanks for those questions George. Watch this space for more questions very soon.

Return to Oz

The next segment of the run around the world will start in just 147 days time. In preparation for the 3400 mile run across Europe from Lisbon to Istanbul I've recently undertaken a few testing training runs. What is to come, however, will provide a really tough test and give me a good indication of how well my training is going and how well prepared I am for next year's epic run through 14 European countries.  

I recently managed to run 5 half marathons in a week. The first was done on my favourite route across 6 of the Tyne Bridges. Support man Carlton kept me company for that one and it presented no problems at all. The next 2 were up in Glencoe Scotland where it absolutely lashed down with rain. The conditions were miserable but, again, no problems were encountered.

The final 2 half marathons were from Aviemore up to the Cairngorm Mountain Railway (pictured below) in freezing conditions. This route was the steepest that I'd ran for a very long time. The scenery was incredible and this really helped the miles pass by quickly. I'm hoping the same will be said in Europe next year.

So on to the next training challenge. I can think of no better or worse place to do this than in Australia. The sheer thought of pounding the roads that caused my feet so much damage in searing temperatures surrounded by thousands of flies fills me with absolute dread. The plan is to travel to Australia just before Christmas and attempt to run 250 miles during the 2.5 weeks that I'm there. It's an unrealistic target of miles but then again so is the 3400 miles in Europe to be run in just 100 days. If I manage to hit that target then the rewards for fitness and confidence will be massive.

Training in Australia will give me an opportunity to test out a number of things. Firstly, the insole that was specially created by Podiatrist Alison Meldrum at The Cradlewell Clinic. I've been wearing it in my right shoe for the last 4 months. It corrects my running style and makes me a neutral runner again following my ankle break in 2010. I'll be testing a larger than usual pair of Brooks Glycerin running shoes. I've gone half a size up which should help with blisters when my feet inevitably swell in the heat and due to the high mileage. Finally, I have various types of socks to try out. Choosing the correct type of socks for the run across Europe is massively important.

So that's how I'll be spending my Christmas and New Year. It's pretty much how I spent that same period back in 2013 when I approached the final stage of the run across Australia. As per usual, I'll be keeping my Facebook page and Twitter and Instagram feeds up to date. So watch this space for details of progress down under. Please take time to watch the video below which is a reminder of how tough my Return to Oz is going to be.

We had a ball!

The Around The World Ball was held at The Biscuit Factory last Saturday and it can only be described as a huge success for Run Geordie Run, The Children's Foundation and The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

The ball was hosted by BBC Newcastle's Gary Philipson and Lisa Shaw and backed by a team of volunteers from The Children's Foundation. The sell out crowd contained Lady Elsie Robson, Dr Martin Ward-Platt from The Children's Foundation, sponsors, friends, family as well as people I'd never met before. One thing I did notice was that almost everyone I spoke to knew someone from another party who they hadn't seen since school/used to work with/was an old next door neighbour of.... I could go on. It was a most unusual situation with a huge number of people seemingly connected in some way. As I later found out, Dr Martin Ward-Platt was to thank for treatment to one of my support team's family's premature baby.

Gary and Lisa did a brilliant job of hosting the night and they were on very good form. It was great to see them working together again as, of course, they now have their own separate shows on the BBC. The pair's interaction with the guests was hilarious and we all had such a good laugh. You just knew that a bald man would win the posh hairdressing prize!  

The evening was filled with various opportunities to win prizes such as an Apple iPad Air, a Links of London bracelet, a rare bottle of whiskey, various hospitality packages, signed memorabilia and so much more.

The formalities kicked off with a reminder of why we were all there. The following video was shown.

After a hilarious version of Heads and Tails, we tucked into a specially designed 3 course meal with hints of Chinese, French and Turkish cooking. The food was by far the best I've ever had at an event of this size. The feedback we've had since has been in keeping with my thoughts. A huge well done to the Biscuit Factory. I've got to say that this came as no surprise as the Ball Committee were fully aware of what the venue was capable of.

I addressed the audience after dinner and spoke of my motivation for running around the world and what the charities meant to me. This part of the evening also allowed me to say thank you to my support team, sponsors and of course Donna.

Before the auction started, the following video was shown.

Our auction raised a huge amount. There were some tremendous bids for our very impressive line up of goods donated by SOS Group Ltd, Jury's Inn, Virgin Money to name but a few.

The final part of the evening saw local band Tiny Afro take to the stage to entertain the guests with hits from The Jam, Killers, Kings of Leon and many more.

The final total raised on the night was a very pleasing £8,223.17. Thanks to everyone who attended and gave so generously.

The Around The World Ball helped to get the overall Charity Fund very close to the landmark of a quarter of a million pounds. After 11 months of fundraising, the total for the European campaign currently stands at £27,082.49. It took me until day 52 of the run across Australia to hit that figure! Thank you to everyone for their continued support.

We are already looking forward to the next Ball on October 8th 2016 to celebrate reaching Istanbul and the half way point around the world. Watch this space at the end of October for details of how you can buy tickets at a special early bird price.

In the meantime, photos from the Around The World ball can be viewed below.

In aid of The Children's Foundation and The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation at The Biscuit Factory Newcastle, http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/rungeordierun

Posted by Run Geordie Run on Sunday, 11 October 2015

The Run Geordie Run AROUND THE WORLD BALL

I'm pleased to announce that there are no tickets left for the Run Geordie Run "Around The World" Ball. The fundraiser, in aid of The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and The Children's Foundation, will take place at The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle on Saturday October 10th 2015 from 6pm.

We are honoured to have as our special guests, Lady Elsie Robson and Dr Martin Ward-Platt from the charities.

The ball will be hosted by BBC Radio Newcastle's Sony Gold Award winning duo Gary and Lisa and musical entertainment will be provided by the superb party band; "Tiny Afro". There will be the usual host of games, raffles and auctions. Although many of them with a twist and not your usual charity ball fare. Previous attendees will know that the quality of the food at The Biscuit Factory is second to none and we have created a unique "Around The World" themed menu.

The charity fund is currently hurtling towards the quarter of a million pound mark. It will be interesting to see how close we can get to it on the evening of the Around The World Ball.

The last Run Geordie Run charity ball in 2011 was a complete sell out and I can't thank everyone enough for making this one a success too. If you're lucky enough to have a ticket, I'll see you next week for a fun filled evening of fundraising. 

New commemorative Australia technical t-shirt

Sales of Run Geordie Run t-shirts have raised over £25,000 since they first went on sale in 2009 for local good causes. I'm pleased to announce that there is now a new one available to buy in aid of The Children's Foundation and The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.  

Following on from the recently sold out Europe t-shirt, this latest design, by Dave at Shenton Creative, commemorates the 3rd of my 8 segments of the run around the world; Australia.

The design, printed on technical fabric (ideal to wear in the gym or out running), proudly carries The Children's Foundation and Sir Bobby Robson Foundation logos as well as the Run Geordie Run Around The World logos on the front. The rear of the t-shirt shows the 2384 mile route across Australia from Perth to Shellharbour. T-Shirts are £12 each.

Thanks to my sponsor Chapman Ventilation for paying for production of the t-shirts, ALL PROCEEDS from t-shirt sales will go to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and The Children's Foundation.

Look out for similar designs in the future for each segment of the run Around the World. In the meantime, commemorative Australia technical t-shirts can be ordered below.

Europe 2016 Support Team finalised

I'm very pleased to report that with just less than 8 months to go until the run across Europe starts, I now have a full support team. It's a hugely strong team of individuals from many different walks of life. 

Amongst the ranks we have a software tester, company director, forensic scientist, podiatrist, project manager, personal trainer, sports therapist, software developer and both current and retired police officers (including a 1st responder).

It's a mixed bunch but a quality bunch. Of that I'm sure. 5 of the 15 strong team have previous experience on tour. Carlton and Dave were with me in the USA and Australia. Donna and Jason were with me in Australia. Steve was with me in the USA.

I spent approximately 15 hours over the recent bank holiday weekend working on the support team plan for Europe. This involved putting support team names against each day of the run across Europe. One moment saw me working on the plan and another saw me contacting each of the team to check and double check their availability. 

Since the plan was created things have really fallen into place. I only had 11 team members at the time so there were a few "tbc" in the plan. I'm very relieved that the plan contains the full compliment of 15 names. 

There will be 2 people on the team at any one time and the support rota is as follows. The run starts in Lisbon with Jimmy and Donna on duty. They will see me all the way to the Spanish border at Vigo where Andrew and Phil will take over. Patrick will take over from Andrew and join Phil in Dijon. They will then both leave the tour in St Jean Pied de Port when Alison and Dave will see me through the Pyrenees to Andorra. Malcolm and Nickela will then take over and hand over to Jason and Louise on Mont Ventoux. Giles will join Louise and take over from Jason in Turin. They will stay on the tour until Munich where Steve and Dave (for a 2nd stint) arrive. Phil will arrive for a 2nd stint with Richard in Ljubljana, Slovenia. They will take over from Steve and Dave. Donna and Carlton will then take over in Belgrade and will be joined by Jimmy for a 2nd stint in Sofia. The 3 of them will stay on the tour all the way until the finish in Istanbul. They will be joined by Andrew for a 2nd stint in Greece. Donna will fly back to the UK the day after the run finishes and it will be up to Carlton, Andrew and Jimmy to drive the RV to Amsterdam before we set sail for Port of Tyne! Phew! I hope you kept up there!

I'll talk more about the individuals in the team in the coming months. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to getting the team together on the 27th September for our 2nd team meeting at The Jury's Inn on Gateshead Quayside.