There. I feel less self indulgent and more like I’ve made sure I don’t forget my own, and my running buddy’s birthday this time round. You’re another year older, and arguably another year wiser Damian

This morning was a tough run. I was a bit worse for wear after last night’s drinks and felt it this morning. There was an element of being a bit sluggish initially and then I got going. I think I was still mildly intoxicated if I’m honest! Since I’ve started running so often, my capacity to drink has gone through the floor and the morning after is a struggle.

Despite a slow start, the run was reasonable time wise. Then I spent a while on the tube (strikes!) and finally arrived at work about a quarter to ten. Tomorrow I need to get a quick three miler in, early, I have to be in town for 08:45. Thankfully the tube strike will be over and I won’t be spending ages waiting on platforms like today. I’m off up north for a wedding on Friday too, so don’t be surprised by an unreliable blogging service and a couple of random runs in random places.

The recruitment of runners for the Tuesday run continues in earnest. Our recent recipe contributor has been clocking up a few miles recently and there are another couple of people I’ve spoken to who may be persuaded to join us. Fingers crossed, we may hit double figures on a regular basis soon.

That’s all for today folks,

Andy.

Miles today: 3.07
Target: 132
Miles to date: 139.55

Last night Elaine and I went to the Soho Theatre to see a guy called Jason Cook. Jason is a Geordie comic, and a very good one at that. He’s been touring his show “The End (Part 1)” and I happened to see it mentioned in the Metro on Friday. Elaine and I have seen Jason before, with considerably longer hair, in Manchester at XS Malarkey (I really recommend it for those of you in Manchester) and he was really good. His story of a life affirming experience truly is a riot, he’s superb at getting the crowd involved (whether they want to or not) and delivers some great personal experiences in a thoroughly entertaining fashion. Without giving the game away on his latest set piece, I felt the need to meet him after the gig to mention the blog and the challenge, hoping he’d join me/us for 3 miles somewhere along the way. He sounded very interested, go see the show and you’ll understand why! Fingers crossed.

Until tomorrow…

Andy.

Miles today: 3.00
Target: 39
Miles to date: 40.28
Please support my *huge fundraising target* for Sense via the donation button –>

It’s a Monday therefore dragging yourself out of bed, especially when it’s so cold, is true torture. Made a minor adjustment to the route, in light of the struggling ankles, to avoid the main hill. I’ve discovered that if I squat down, knees bent, it hurts as it’s stretching the inside ankle bits. Maybe I should do that a bit more and get em into shape.

I’ve been running for a year now, but my short run every couple of days or so has always been about 2 miles, never very much more. The jump to 3 and daily has been a big one. I’m looking forward to another Tuesday group run, it’s nice to see a few familiar faces (and would be equally good to see any new ones) but most of all I’m looking forward to giving it 36 hours before the next run. Give the ankles time to calm down and me some time to stretch the painful regions. I prescribe some desk based rest for the day!

Enjoy yours…

Andy.

Miles today: 3.00
Target: 21
Miles to date: 21.62
Please support my fundraising for Sense via the donation button –>

Today was a tough one. The legs are realising the punishment is daily and the ankles are crying for mercy.

I shouldn’t have let Rich convince me to have that final beer last night.

Running early gives you the opportunity to get a good half hour plotting the blog. Sadly all the interesting ideas I have were lost in the shower and consequently today will be brief.

I’m looking forward to beginning the Tuesday night 1095 plodders next week and getting out for a run with some interesting people. Put it in your diary boys and girls and we’ll see you there.

Anyone know where I can buy a copy of the Harrow Times? I’m supposed to be in it, but I don’t know where to get one!

Have a great day, it’s the end of the working week and the weekend is here!

Andy.

Miles today: 3.05
Target: 12
Miles to date: 12.60
Please support my fundraising efforts for Sense here – VirginMoneyGiving
Thanks, it’s appreciated!

Yesterday, I didn’t mention it, but at times, the body felt very heavy and I felt like I was struggling along. Today the body felt heavier than ever. You’ll notice I haven’t made and reference to my perfomance in my 3 mile runs thus far. I don’t intend to. I’m trying to ease myself into the running every day concept as slowly as possible. Stupidly, I decided to include Harrow on the Hill in today’s run. It’s one hell of a hill. It’s also a weird place that I have run through probably fifty times over the last year. It still entertains me that it’s always like a little oasis of calm and security, atop a big mound of grass. The school (repeat after me, in a moderately Orwellian tone, “The School”) own the lot, lock stock and barrel as far as I can see. Sprawling cricket pitches and sports fields. Elegant buildings and houses. As my late Grandmother would have said, “How the other half live, eh!”

Speaking of the locals, to the several people who passed me in the street today, post run; I didn’t die, despite the hacking cough indicating a fatality was imminent. And the guy with the dog in the park, it did rain, a bit. Thanks for the weather forecast! I managed the two miles further…

There’s been some media attention (my local rag Harrow Times linky) and as I know you’re all observant and switched on readers, you’ll notice the rather large error in the headline…

That’s right, they’ve increased my target by a not insubstantial £16,200! Now, *comments below if you please*, should we bite the bullet and make it a crazy target? Damian, you in? How would we go about raising such an insane amount of money? I know that Sense could do with it and it would send ten people on Sense Holidays next summer instead of just the one, but… …eighteen grand! We’d have to be mad!

Anyway, enjoy your day peeps and try and convince me that we should let a typo change the challenge!

Andy!

Miles today: 3.16
Target: 9
Miles to date: 9.55
Please support my fundraising efforts for Sense here – VirginMoneyGiving
Thanks, it’s appreciated!

I spoke to a lovely guy called Martin today (from www.timetorun.co.uk) about some 1095miles.com running shirts I’ve ordered. He told me he’d seen lots of crazy challenges over the time he’s been kitting people out in their finest challenge advertising clothing. Martin mentioned the 7 marathons in 7 days and other truly insane challenges that are, in his view, nigh on impossible. It was nice to hear him say that the 1095miles.com challenge was, in his words ”achievable”. “It’s a massive personal commitment, but at least it’s an achievable target” he said. Thanks Martin…

Nice to hear. Achieveable, yes. Daunting? Without doubt! So here it is, I’m going to run *at least* 3 miles every day, for a year. There, I said it. To the world. I’m in and there’s no getting out now.

In an attempt to make myself feel better about the situation, I checked my trusty (not so trusty at present but more on that at some later date!) Garmin 305 to see what I have achieved in my first year of running. 450 miles. Ah. Nowhere near then! It’s been an incredibly long year of running for me with many a set back and a few injuries to contend with. I’ve seen more physio’s than you would believe and have, in great detail, had medical explanations of why I’m not really a runner physically. As I hope you’ll understand, the next year is going to be a challenge in many ways.

So why? Well, those of you who know me already will be aware I’ve been working with a charity called Sense for some years now, leading holidays for deafblind people. The prospect of coping with the loss of my sight or hearing is enough for me to decide that to put myself out for an hour a day to raise a few quid and make sure a few more people hear about what Sense do is a small gesture in support of their work, and one (that Martin says) I can achieve.

Enough of the reasons why I’m personally taking it on and back to the man of the moment, James. I met james a few months back now and he’s a really great bloke. I had been following his blog for many months prior to this as it was a great motivator. There’s a sense that you’re not the only non-runner trying to run and finding it hard work. I think James has made the transition to being a true runner and athlete through the months of dedication and I am in awe of his achievement. He still claims to not be a runner but I think we should all congratulate him on a superb achievement and one which has driven me to keep running and to accept the baton in just a few days time.

I hope you will enjoy following my challenge over the coming months. James will continue to blog regularly too, though I believe he wants a break from running daily for some reason There is a third blogger joining us too, Damian but I shall leave the honour to him to introduce himself. I also hope you will be able to (geographical location permitting) join one of us for a few miles. I have 365 possible dates available in my diary, it’d be great to have some new people to run with. We’ve also had this crazy plan to try and get the “1095miles.com plodders” off the ground too. If you’re London based and available on a Wednesday evening, come and join us for a few gentle and not at all competitive miles.

Anyway, here’s to (hopefully) another great year for 1095miles.com and give one of us a shout if you’re interested in getting some miles in with us… see you on the 21st… or beyond!

Andy.

Please support my fundraising efforts for Sense here – VirginMoneyGiving
Thanks, it’s appreciated!

When the cat alarm (thanks Mini) went off this morning at 3.30am, I wanted to just curl up and die. Luckily, I was so whacked, I managed to pull her under the covers and get her and me back to sleep.

Six am and I was up, feeling like the body weighed about 20 stone rather than 13. A five miler seemed impossible today so I Vaselined up on all the sore bits and headed out to do three at as slow a pace as I could.

At 42, I am also now discovering the joys of Sudocrem – an antiseptic ointment that helps relieve discomfort from things like nappy rash!

Click here for a link to Garmin Connect for a map and details of the run

Miles today: 3
Target: 1017
Miles to date: 1,418.68

Please donate to my chosen charities by clicking here

The run took me from home, around Tooting Common and back through Streatham where I picked some money up from the bank for the trip. On the way, I decided to cheerily greet every runner I passed to see how many responded. I passed eight on the way… only two bothered to even respond. What happend to the runner’s union?

Click here for a link to Garmin Connect for a map and details of the run

Miles today: 5.5
Target: 927
Miles to date: 1,250.33

Please donate to my chosen charities by clicking here

It seems as though running 1095 miles is not enough…

… for some people, so I’ve moved the finish line…

• 1. I still have to run at least three miles a day for the next 61 days
• 2. In that time, I have to average at least 4.6miles a day.
• 3. I have to clock up 1,500 miles by September 20

Click here for a link to Garmin Connect for a map and details of the run

Miles today: 5
Target: 912
Miles to date: 1,224.63

Please donate to my chosen charities by clicking here

Did I use the time wisely? Well I answered some emails and did a bit of work but I didn’t do any last minute cramming, I have a theory that if you’ve not learnt it on the day of the exam, you’re hardly going to learn it in the last few hours before you pick up a pen.

At just after 6am, I went out for my run, heading down into grimey, industrial West Croydon and scaring a couple of blokes I passed on their way to work (“bloody hell, where did he come from”).

While showering, I caught a glimpse of myself side on in the mirror and cursed for the 1,00oth time that I did not start my fitness kick five, 10 or 15 years ago. Despite all the running, cycling and gym work, there’s still that last bit of tummy fat that I find impossible to shift.

I was working at The Express today on the travel desk and had booked my test for 9am, the earliest slot possible, and had hoped when booking that I would be quick enough to get in, get out and get to work for just after 10am.

A 35 minute, 7.5mile cycle later and I was sitting my first test bar driving since the distant days of Uni, almost 20 years ago.

I’d half expected other people sitting to be yoof but there seemed an even spread, though I was the only one with grey hairs doing an exam (they have different courses all sitting in the same room being examined at the same time). I think some of them must have wondered who the old bloke in the cycling gear with the salt-and-pepper beard was but I did get talking to one lad a little closer to my age before the exam started. He was doing his last module and had only high praise for the course so, hopefully, the fees have not gone to waste.

Thumbing your nose: the answer is saddle

I ended up finishing early – it took me about 30 minutes to go through the 50 multiple choice questions  and re-read them twice and I think I did okay. There were a couple of questions I was kicking myself over, I’m finding characterising some of the joint movements a bit complicated but feel this will right itself when I can see what the difference is between some of them when I start my practical sessions tomorrow.

Oh, and for the life of me,  I could not remember whether the thumb is a saddle joint or a condyloid joint and I spent ages umming and ahing and changing my mind before finally getting it wrong!

Anyway, I think  (I hope) I did enough to pass…

The Express is a long day on Fridays. Press day for both papers and we spend hours checking and re-checking facts and re-writing little bits to get things just right. It’s interesting work and I’d rather us get it right than not of course, but it does mean we don’t tend to leave the office until almost 8pm and then I had another 7.5 mile cycle home….

In the midst of all this, I forgot to mention I went out at lunchtime and bought a new pair of Brookes Adrenaline GTS 10 stabilising trainers. Readers who’ve been coming for a while will remember that before the Brighton Marathon, changing to these trainers saved me from a really bad bout of shin splints. Sadly I’ve passed 500 miles in them now and the wear makes them less effective at supporting my ankle when I run… they are the fourth pair of trainers I’ve been through since I started the challenge…

Anyway, must go… I’ve reading to do before the practical course over the weekend and I can hardly keep my eyes open.

Click here for a link to Garmin Connect for a route map and details of the run

Miles today: 5
Target: 858
Miles to date: 1,128.61

Please donate to my chosen charities by clicking here