David Bayley is fundraising for Brathay Trust - JustGiving

David Bayley is fundraising for Brathay Trust - JustGiving

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Concrete & Clay

This weekends 2 races were run on concrete,clay,mud,rocks,pebbles,road a bit of everything beneath my feet over the 52 plus miles i put in.

A fantastic weekend which kicked off with the rather tough Portland Coastal marathon on Saturday, This was my third shot at the event & it doesn't get any easier, although to keep my mind on the job in hand I set myself 2 tasks to run the first big hill which is about 800 metres at a 45 degree angle - a real lung burner & then to run the 1.5 mile stretch on the pebbles of Chesil Beach & it was tough but I got my mini goals done (i didn't repeat either feat on the second lap !!)

I really should have used my shirt as a sail as we finished at the 2012 Olympic sailing centre,but as per the norm I spread my wings & flew on in, finishing 10 mins inside the 5 hour mark, a few of my buddies struggled a bit more than me but we all got the job done

Was good to see fellow ten in tenners Leon & Lorna as well as future ten in tenner Naomi.

Day 2 took us to Gloucester for an 11 am start & we arrived at the school gym & it was like a who's who of 100 club nutters,fetchies & 10 in 10 ers past & future - lots of handshakes hellos & women throwing themselves at me for hugs - Who can blame 'em ?!! LOL !!

Super Mick & Phil were there & must have been a tough one for Mick pushing Phil,s wheelchair round a steady undulating course through the scenic Gloucestershire countryside. There were some fine performances from my buddies - Trinity got her Comrades qualifier with 10 minutes to spare & my good mate Michael bounced back from Saturday's Portland with an excellent 3.41 pacing a club mate to a new PB.

For me it was a case of Animal magic as "Foxy Davy" ran with the "plodding hippo" (my mate Ruth) & with a 4.31 finish we were hardly plodding & indeed there were points where we both spread our wings for a stereotypical "fly by" Was a lovely day out.

The champagne moment of the day was the wonderful support on the course from Fetchies "Zoom" & "Rebel" who treated us to Welsh cakes & fabulous support as we passed them on the 3 lap course.

my bag came back with a new white techical shirt, dog tag, lovely glass paperweight & a Black & hot pink t-shirt which is really nice even if it may not sound it !!

keep on flying

Foxy

Wonderful Tonight :)

The Cream of Clapton to kick off the new decade & indeed last night (or more accuratly very early this morning) was indeed Wonderful :)

Along with a few buddies I got to spend the New Year doing what we all love - running marathons.

The temperature was suprisingly mild & warmer than we had left behind at home, certainly shorts weather for team GB, not a sole from any of the other nations agreed with us, I wanted to go with shorts to work on my tan :) the race is four laps up down & across a river starting & finishing at the local tennis centre, visibility wasn't great even with a head torch & was a rather foggy climax.

Was a day of Milestones my good buddy Allan Rumbles became a centurion completing his 100th Marathon in 3 hours 22 & in doing so became the fastest British marathon runner of the new decade, I was 3rd Brit home in 3:47. Naomi Prasad came home inside 4 & half hours to become the fastest British lady & I logged a couple of minor milestones, my fastest ever Friday marathon & the Sub 4 now means I have broken that barrier in every country I have run in, you can't count Wales as Allan himself will tell you it's not a proper country - lol !

There was no way I was starting the new year without the airplane & I think i pretty much nailed the landing, my first ever indoor landing :)

The early morning racing was followed by a few glasses of bubbly & a beer before grabbing some breafast en route to the airport - not sure Hal Higdon would recommend a recovery strategy, that involved drinking on an empty stomach after a marathon & going a night without sleep !!!

I really was spoilt for song choices even though I forgot my ipod - others that were close but no cigar were - obvious choices from Abba & U2, plus Friday I'm in love from the Cure & Switzerland 's own Yello with the race !

just 25 to go until I can get my own shiny medal & 100 club vest,still a long way to go.

Wishing you all a very happy new year

The flying fox :)

Cold as Ice !!

It was a chilly Tuesday in deepest Derbyshire & I headed into the Leahurst marathon feeling like death warmed up - not that it was warm !! after the year I'd had the wheels were falling off, but I somehow had to put 'em back on one more time ? In hindsight I should have taken a break after my tough early December double but just kept on running.

I got a lift off my running buddy Dave Thompson & met a further friendly face in another Dave who I had run the Greensands Ridge ultra with in June.So off went the "3 Dave's & a little lady" (Lisa Barry) It was a race of two halves in many ways an even split between trail (fields,hills,a golf course a country park) & road (side roads,main roads, trading estates & the Long Eaton high street) plus I was even able to lauch the new series of "dancing on Ice" on some parts of the course !! Mentally there were 2 halves too by 12 miles I was starting to feel it & really had to start digging deep mentally, the extra mile on top of the 26.2 didn't really help, but eventually marathon 74 was in the record book in 4 hours 39 minutes.

Following the event Rory Coleman's wife very kindy fed us baked potatoes & bolognese. I have to say the hospitality at the Coleman's was the Mustard :)

Another running year over & what a fantastic year it was with my highest marathon tally to date - 28 in total (but I did cheat a little in May !! LOL !!)

In case you were wondering about the title a bit of Foreigner for you old timers like myself,I got my Amsterdam marathon results magazine today & I'm listed in the Masters results,horrified & yet I'm the same age as the world record holder !!! (If i'm in the Masters do i get the same as Tiger Woods ? I meant the green jacket not a golf club round the head from the Missus !!

Keep on running & ice skating !!! LOL !!

Foxy

Where the streets have no names......

Maybe that's because there were no streets, but there were cliffs,hillsides,beaches, trails,paths,fields, woods......

What a weekend !!

The weather made both runs incredibly tough.On Saturday I headed off to the Gower in Wales & it sure is a remote part of the world. The conditions & terrain were appalling & due to a coastal path getting washed away the run was extended to 27.5 miles, I ran with Tom, a cracking Irish lad & have to say without him I'd still be stuck on one of those cliff tops it would have been miserable to run it alone.We laughed in the face of adversity & as the saying goes "when going through Hell.....just keep going !"

With 3/4 of a mile to go on a treacherous hillside I fell twice, toboganning 30 yards on my back the second time, before spinning & somehow flipping myself back to my feet just before the jagged rocks !! (literally following in my mate Allan's "footsteps" - clumsy old fool - lol !!)

There was a point were I was wondering if we'd make the news with a headline "idiot runners airlifted to safety" !!

Sunday's Doyen of the Downs 30 miler started in the rain & was a very muddy affair but fuelled by Arundel's Finest Indian curry house I battled on through the fatigue & over the styles to my fastest ever 30 miler (due to flooding the course re routed us making it "just" the 29 miles).

There were many other alternative titles considered for my weekend blog including

99 Red Balloons by Nena as my good friend Allan rumbles ran his 99th Marathon at the Doyen & it also marked my 99th consecutive day of running. Many congratulations to the mad Welshman :)

Dirty deeds done dirt cheap, by AC/DC but with entrance fees of £50 & £37 it weren't cheap !!

The seasonal choice was "lonely this christmas" by MUD (obviously !!)

I finished yesterday with the usual finish "opening" Arundel's new airport :) LOL !!!

Keep on running

Foxy x

Under Pressure

It was lovely in Florence & certainly no Ice Ice baby, but I certainly felt the pressure in the final 5km in the beautiful Italian City.

The race starts in the Piazza Michelangelo overlooking a wonderful city scape, The start was delayed to allow for TV coverage but whilst in my pen I found a Brit & an Austrian to chat to & at 9.20 we were off.

It was a little congested in the first KM which is flat (before a nice downhill stretch from there until around 4km's)& after 1km I was already 45 seconds off the pace I wanted, knowing I needed to run 4.28 for each Km to achieve the goal of a sub 3.10 marathon.

In the early stages i ran into (well not literally - I wouldn't have been popular !!)a guy called Ron from Bristol & we discussed the Comrades marathon & our Mutual friend Trin :)

Over the next 13 miles I gradually chipped away a few seconds each KM & was aided by the company & challenge of keeping up with a lad from Watford I had bumped into at 5km - not sure how he knew I was British (maybe it was the Union Jack shorts & Buff or the very British (non) tan ?!!).By half way I had caught up with a chap from Aberdeen & there was some real competition in the fashion stakes - My Union Jack shorts v his Tartan shorts !!) my halfway split was 1.34.55 (5 seconds inside target !) We were both going for the same time & really helped push each other along but with 5km to go i really had to push it as i knew it was slipping away & had to run 4.20 min km's to get to my goal.I was feeling the pressure but just dug deep & with 50 yards to go I knew I was just going to make it & even had just enough time for the most picturesque of airplane finishes in front on the church in the plazza St Croce & finally touched down in 3 hours 9 mins & 27 seconds. whilst for much of the race I was behind schedule I just wouldn't let it go & my tenacity was rewarded.

yards after the finish I bumped into Ron again & chatted somemore - I met & ran with some wonderfully supportive people which makes a big difference.

If you want a destinbation marathon that combines it all this is THE ONE,a great city, scenic flat race & i bet it was warmer there than it's been here ?!!!

FORZA ITALIA !!

Ciao Bella :)

Foxy !

RUN TO THE HILLS .....

& when you get to 'em you got to run up them & when you think you've reached the top you turn & see the same in front of you.

The Cornish marathon was a bit of an animal, the first 8 miles were incredibly brutal but to my suprise I ran up every hill (a first for me)normally I break into a walk on hills but I have been feeling fit & strong lately.

The whole weekend was fantastic had a few beers with friends old & new & enjoyed the company of a foreign visitor Mr Stella Artois on Saturday night.

After vaselining up my nipples, with arguable assistance from Mr Rumbles (as shown !!)we set off round the Cornish countryside, my goal was to get round in 3.30 but 5 miles in that seemed optimistic but I kept going with great support from Allan,Chris & Colin.

Colin's much better looking other half Trin was a fantastic support around the course -taking photos, cheering us on & taking away our excess clothing, it was a lovely day, much to our suprise following the previous days storms & high winds, I was rather over dressed.

I reached halfway in 1.45.33 a fraction off 3.30 pace & by 18 miles I was over a minute off, so 8 min miling became 7.50's then 7.45's & the final 3 were 7.30's I dug deep refussed to give up & got my rewards with my 5th fastest ever marathon finishing in 3.26.48.

Over the moon I got the airplane out of the hangar for the trademark finish :)

Easily the toughest road marathon I have ever done, but the most rewarding too.

The Cornish pasty was a fantastic treat at the end & i'll be back in 2010.

In case you were wondering - Iron Maiden !!

Keep flying Foxy !!