The Final Countdown !

We're heading for Venus !!

Ok so we're not heading for Venus but very soon the 13 Gladiators tackling the 10 in 10 will be heading off on day one of the 10 marathon challenge in the lake district.

Just a week to go before I can rekindle my love affair with Britains largest & most beautiful lake.

This time will be different, last year I vaguely knew a few of the guys having met them for a few minutes at races earlier in the year. This time round I know most of the guys, 5 of whom are returning to the 10 in 10 for the second,third or even fourth time & "Charlie's Angels" (Naomi,Anna & Heather are at just about every marathon i do !)

The build up to this & the training has not been ideal due to injuries but once stood on the start line in Clappersgate that will all be forgotten as i head off in search of the Steam train & pub at Newby bridge at 12 miles before the turn for home through Bowness, past the waters Edge pub & this time remembering to turn left at the Rugby club (note to Heather ) for the half a mile grind up the hill to the finish.

I now have to pack for every possible weather condition - shorts & t-shirts or snow shoes & ice axe ? - after coming home in hail the first 3 days & getting sunburnt on day 4 last year anything can happen ?!!!

I'm now just £100 short of my £2000 fundraising goal & if anyone "got any spare change mister ?" can help i would be most grateful.

http://www.justgiving.com/davidbayley10

Keep on running & running & running ..............

Best wishes

Foxy Gump

Romeo & Juliet

A bit of Dire Straits for you today in honour of running the Shakespeare marathon - apparently Bill wrote the original before Marc Knopfler ?!!! - you learn something new every day !!

I ran today with my mate Paula & before you start thinking about the title no I ain't Romeo & she ain't Juliet - she ain't that lucky !! LOL !!!

We had a lot of fun out there today saw lots of friendly faces both old (some very old !!) & new.

I must apologise to my clubmate Paul for not finding him at the start today - I was amazed how busy the start was & didn't take that into consideration.

The goal was to get Paula round in a PB today & she got the job done 4.48.01 according to my watch - a huge 9 minutes off her previous best - that's over 20 seconds per mile - that's a huge PB - well done

In typical style we spread our wings to finish

There was a good showing in the pub afterwards - even Gymfreak got to the pub - without getting lost or going 8 miles out of her way LOL !!!

There could only be one recipiant of today's champagne - Paula McMahon top drawer girl

keep on running folks

The flying fox

Livin' on the edge !

the edge of the Cornish cliffs that is ! (a bit of Aerosmith for you)

I was rather dreading today's Cornish Coastal marathon & even more so when the Endurancelife organisers announced it was the toughest of their events - I did the Gower Coastal which was hoffific !

We set off from a Golf club & headed straight for the Cornish cliffs - it was very much a race of 2 halfs the first half along the cliffs & the second half a flatter inland section across moorland.

I managed to get lost by 2 miles whilst chatting away but still managed to get round in 5.46.01

It was tough but as I beat my Gower time by about 30 seconds that means Gower is tougher - simples !

Was a long hard day at the office but number 83 is done & in the record books.

Other song titles were "the first cut is the Deepest"
As I was indeed cut battered & bruise after 3 falls although my falls weren't as hard hitting as my mate Michaels who really did look battle worn by the time he came home.

Another day at "the office" beckons tommorrow with the Shakespeare marathon in Stratford upon Avon.

Keep on running

Foxy x

2 out of 3 ain't bad ?

A bit of Meatloaf from the classic "Bat out of Hell" album

Why such a title I hear you asking ? well because that describes my marathon performances this month. Today was the highlight of the 3, I went round the Taunton marathon marathon today in a season's best of 3.42.27 running with the speedy Paul A.

The 2 out of 3 would the 2 sub 4 hour marathons today & Good Friday at the Enigma the third one being the less than impressive almost 6 hours it took to get round the Bath Beat Marathon yesterday.

The song came on Mr Ross' ipod on the way home & I thought perfect the song also reminds me of the fact I played it to an ex girlfriend many years ago just after we had split up in a vain hope of winning her back & as I'm sure you'll guess it didn't work. (The fox wasn't always the super smooth creature you now know lol !!!)

The race today semmed very much a half marathon with a marathon "bolted" on to it - the facilities at the start & finish were excellent there was chip timing a bling medal & pretty good t-shirt. The first lap was packed with runners doing both events & the second lap felt as though we had been abandoned out there & the traffic especially up the hill around mile 23 was a bit dangerous to tell the truth. The course weaved through some lovely little villages & Paul managed to drag me back from the tempation of some lovely looking country boozers

They've just text me my time - that's a good feature

I started to stuggled around 17 miles & was on the verge of telling Paul to go as I was starting to struggle but just hung in about 20 yards behind him & found a new lease of life at about 22 miles as Paul struggled a bit himself but between us we kept each other going & picked each other up when the going got tough, at 25 miles Mr A suddenly became a gazelle again lengthing his stride & taking the shorter legged Fox with him. We passed 26 miles & with the finish in site I thanked him for his company & support & asked him "How are you're wings ?" & we bought it home with the trademark flying finish in tandem

Today's champagne moment undoubtably goes to my Wingman Paul - top drawer mate

Other songs passed over for today's title were the Isley brothers "Summer Breeze" as there was a gentle refreshing breeze on a rather warm day, "Everybody Hurts" by REM but then it didn't hurt quite as much as I anticipated & "allright now" by Free - things are improving a bit but they're not quite Allright !!

Keep on running

"the Flying fox" x

Here comes the sun :)

A bit of Steve Harley & Cockney rebel for you today.

The sun did indeed shine, was a cracking days weather & never saw it coming - I had gloves & hat packed ! But was shorts & T-shirt weather or If I'd packed it I could have run in my Mankini ! Not sure the residents of Bath are ready for that ?!

It was a tough day out there today & running whilst injured is rather frustrating as you know at back of your mind if you were fit you could do so much more.

I ran with my good buddies David & Mel & they helped get me round just inside 6 hours

Was a very scenic hilly course with many contrasts rivers, the canal, hills, wood, roads, fields.

I was glad when it was over today & decided to go for an upbeat title - other more negative options were "something for the pain" by Bon Jovi & the
Verves "the drugs don't work" & they don't but would have struggled even more without the ibuprofen !

The obvious choice was MJ's "Beat It" given the race title !

Taunton marathon tommorrow hopefully ?

Whilst out there today struggling I have had to
Revise my planned time for Comrades from sub 9 to Sub 11 hours, but just want to finish & then have a much needed rest - today started a span of 15 marathons in 7 weeks !

Keep on Run walking !

Foxy x

Smoke on the Water !!

Dan dan dan dan dan da dan !!! - come on get those air guitars out for a bit of Deep Purple - you know you wanna ?!!

Ok so there wasn't any smoke on the water but there was rain on the water, ducks & a heron on the water & even a few runners around the water !!!

I have never been so nervous on a race day as I was on Good Friday & the easy part was running just short of 27 miles !

Inspired by Rory Coleman's Leahurst event & Noel Jones' local Bedford Clanger I set about organising my own small local marathon, The intentiion was to make it self navigation with 15 - 20 friends from the 100 marathon club & Fetcheveryone website.

Things took off on a grander scale when I emailed my club Coach Yvette at MK Lakeside to see if any of my club colleagues fancied doing the event but most of the marathon contingent had already made plans for London,Shakespeare,Brighton or Boston (& good luck to them all) but Yvette mentioned the idea of marshalling it & was something I had never considered & to be honest wouldn't have asked as I don't like putting people out.

With more interest in the event than I expected I decided to extend the numbers to 25but then found I really struggled to say no & didn't want to dissapoint anyone - numbers did at one point hit 34 but by the time my head marshall Richard counted down "3-2-1 go !" 31 of us set of around the beautiful Caldecotte Lake guided by club mate David Cooper on his trusty 2 wheeled steed, ultimatly heading for the Grand Union canal.

Yvette had managed to aquire race numbers from our friends at Leighton Buzzard fun runners - many thanks to them & also aquired the local Park & Run timing device - many thanks to local Sports Physio / Park & Run organiser Gareth Sneldon for the loan of that.

The 3 Amigos - David's Pell & Ross headed off with Paul Allen & were still there for the "podium places" at the end.

I got to chat with Colin Evans (looking very Marco Pantani !)before he left me in his wake as we headed on to the Canal & subsequently ran with Alan Burrows before he too left me in his wake & the same can be said for Stephen Young & Rob Bishop - with the adrenaline pumping I had come out of the blocks a bit quick & in the early going was doing 7.45 min miling far too quick with my injuries, I did later on catch Stephen on the canal & had a good chat for 6 or 7 miles before My good friend Michael Grehan caught us & I ended up running the final 5 with him & I really needed his support, the pain in my knees made the final 4 miles agony.

I was very pleased with a 3.50.27 finish, although with the heavens opening 15 mins before the end I really didn't fancy the 800 metre loop at the end & hated that & I'm the one who designed it that way - I won't do that again.

Coming round the corner with 100 metres to go I put my arm around Michael & thanked him for his company & support before bringing the Airplane out of the hangar to finish in the traditional manner.

Apart from that demoralising final loop everyone seemed to enjoy the event & a pub finish is never gonna be unpopular with my mates :)

Without doubt the champagne moment was the eggsellent (it is Easter !!!) Marshalling from the wonderful guys & girls from Milton Keynes lakeside runners & I raise my glass to them all.

As Dave Ross would say "It was a good day at "the office" !!!

Keep on Flying :)

Foxy xx