Lands End to John O'Groats

The London Marathon 2004

The proudest moment of my life. Taking the finishers medal to show my Mum in hospital. With two weeks minimal training it was left to positive mental attitude to complete it.  It rained solidly and was freezing cold but the crowds were fantastic. There was only ever one aim and that was to finish and take the medal home for Mum. I'm glad she saw it, a treasured memory and a stepping stone for other things.... 5hrs1min39secs Also met Paula Radcliffe my marriage has never been the same since.

Ben Nevis via the arete

Wow! Camped in Glen Nevis, awoke to bright blue sky. Amazing day, no cloud on the summit, scorcher of a day, and tested my vertigo to the limit. Thanks to Sarah for the patience of a saint. Just as you think you've finished the ridge there's a nasty little test. Erm...9hrs?

Edinburgh Marathon 2004

Who decided we should run up Arthurs Seat first? I thought I'd got it wrong this must be the fun run, but no. By mile three I didn't think I could go on, maybe I should actually do some training runs. Somehow I managed to finish, terrible sunburn and sadness that Mum wouldn't see this medal but happy....5hrs16mins6secs ( there was a big hill!!!)

Great North Run 2004

Well having achieved a childhood dream to run the London marathon I thought I'd do the hat trick.  Only personally speaking there's nothing great about the great north run other than the sponsorship money raised. Ruddy awful and people dropping like flies all over the place. Badly paced myself and sprinted the last half mile. Didn't look at the medal until I got home. I'm guessing there's no water on a hot day for the first few miles because you're on main roads that need opening? 2hrs 20+mins

London Marathon 2005

You'd think by now I'd have trained but no. Though this was special again as I was running with my best friend Steven. Steven has invented an incredible method of running through the wall, he gives you an architectural lecture on the fine buildings around the course. I managed the odd grunt of appreciation but was laughing on the inside... no really I was. He's a top bloke and apparently there was some sort of fire in London a while ago? 5hrs25mins ( Who cares, we had a pit stop but someone had turned the portaloo into a fountain euchhhh )

Edinburgh Marathon 2005

By this point I was getting a bit fed up with slowing times I'd wanted to beat 5 hours for Mum but failled by 1min39seconds. This hilly course in Edinburgh was better than 2004, and my sister was running which was incentive not to embarass myself. I still did as she was having a bath after a meal by the time I crawled over the line. Special thanks to the student who played Eye of the Tiger as louldy as possible in the last mile. I finished in 4hrs58mins49secs and the tears flowed with elation. Thanks to the marshalls who held me up so I could breath on the finish line. I didn't fancy waiting another year to crack 5hrs but it was close.

Coast to Coast 2005

A dream come true again, 2 days 2 hours. the coldest day of the year ( post summer ) left Mat and I freezing cold until we found a coffee vendor in Keswick.  Castlerigg Stone Circle is one of the most breath taking sights you'll see especially in september on a frosty morning with mist in the valleys and clear blue sky. I've already mentioned the delightful B&B. Thanks to Dad for the chocolate rolls once in Guisborough and Suggets Ice Cream in Great Ayton hmmmm.... half a litre in 5 minutes. Also thanks to the mini bus driver who didn't mind the bikes in the isle on the way back from Whitby. I'm still to ride the Esk valley railway.

York Brass Monkey Half Marathon 2006

Erm.... I did start training in October for this one but got hit by a *&%$£*& car 400 yards down the road.  A driver pulling out over a pavement from a certain museum. Hit the front wing with my hip but she wasn't going too fast, and I ended up asking her if she was alright rather than vice versa. Still continued the three miles and vowed never to train again. Thanks enormously to Mateus who provided the lucosade durign the run and my wife Rina and daughter ABigail who waited for me at the finish.  It was a scary day, club runners train and seem to know each other ( this was a club run ). Still took 10 minutes off my PB very happy! 2hrs10mins

The Potter to Scotter (105 miles)

The first hundred miler of the year. Set off at 5am from the Barbican in York with Mateus. Bleary eyed and wondering if I could still do 100 miles. Got to Selby before daylight, but it started raining just after that. April showers ensued, the type to make one side of your face numb. Fortunately with full E2E gear in the panniers I had water proofs with me. At times the wind and rain made it hard to cycle at all and 3/4 of the way to Goole the weather turned really horrid. I would have been soaked if not for the full winter gear. Mr Motivator (aka Mateus ) said we should keep going and hopefully the wind will help us on the way back. We reached Scunthorpe and blue sky! celebrated with one of "Sallys Sarnies" Bacon Butties all round. Then plodded on to Scotter. Enormous thanks to Anne and Mike for the welcome. Having had a less than perfect morning it was perhaps not the best day to just drop by.  Special thanks for the freshly ground coffee with enough caffine to get me home. The weather was better on the return and it was nice to have seen Uncle and Aunt for the first time in ages.  Got to York in rush hour and with the adrenaline flowing slip streamed a mini, and raced a taxi the half mile from the station to home.  Great day, super to see the relatives, celebrated by having full roast beef and the works (thank you my dear wife) and listened to the new Embrace album that we'll hear live after my E2E.