Weekly update - Autumn has finally arrived in style

So after an extended end of summer and some unseasonably dry and sunny days Autumn has finally arrived and it's time to dig out the hat, gloves & high vis jacket. The last few days have been torrential and foggy, why is it when you divert from the normal routes to find a drier route you always end up getting wetter and muddier :-) Shoes suffered and half run with rucked insoles (not ideal)

Otherwise all going well and back in the gym after a few weeks lay off too which certainly helps the all round fitness levels. Just need to get back in the pool and see if shoulder can cope with swimming strokes.

I am nearly ready with my photography that I will be selling as part of my fundraising activity and these will be available either directly from the Boathouse at Rouken Glen or via my ebay store

                                                 Vinyl_Spurs ebay store Photography

Eilan Donan Castle - Road to the Isles  - Scotland

 And of course my JustGiving page is already active via this link - https://www.justgiving.com/Michael-Ward55          ........must run

3rd November 2015

Good evening everybody wherever you are in the world
So as the weather continues to stay unseasonably dry and warm I have been able to get some good training runs in and try and improve upon my preparation for 2016 (avoiding a fractured toe would certainly be an improvement).

Running through a rural landscape on a sunny autumnal day is certainly good for the soul and backed with a cracking playlist and a renewed surge of energy makes for a very fulfilling run.

In addition to the running I will add gym sessions, badminton and when my shoulder improves swimming too. This combination of exercise seemed to stand me in good stead for last year, although my time can definitely be improved with a faster pace and less high fives around the course.

After having received the official "SORRY" Marathon news a month ago it was great to get the "YOU'RE IN" copy today along with official notification from the John Muir Trust charity who I will be fundraising for between now and May 2016. 

Michael's John Muir Trust 2016 Triple Challenge JustGiving Page

 

Michael's 2016 John Muir Trust Triple Challenge

Good evening to my blog followers

I have now set up my JustGiving fundraising page for my forthcoming challenge for 2016.

Michael's 2016 John Muir Trust Triple Challenge

I will be Running the Virgin London Marathon, Hiking up Ben Nevis and Walking the John Muir Way.

1. The London Marathon is of course one of the world's most popular races 26.2 miles/42.2km through the centre of London with some 38,000 entrants.  

Virgin Money London Marathon 2016

 

 

 

 

 

2. Ben Nevis is the UK's tallest mountain/munro at a height of 4,409ft/1,344m and the summit and a proportion of the Ben are owned by the John Muir Trust.Ben Nevis 

 

 

3. The John Muir Way stretches 134 miles/215km coast to coast from Helensburgh in the West to Dunbar (John Muir's birthplace) in the East. John Muir Way

 

 

 

 

The John Muir Trust believe that wild places are special, and I tend to agree with them - Help us protect those wild places. 





 

 
You can donate by simply clicking the button below

My JustGiving Page

Parkrun ...a small part of the bigger picture

Good morning from a wet Glasgow ..just a quick update on my most recent PB at Strathclyde Parkrun on Saturday. I have been sitting on 23:40 PB for a while now so without any competitive races for a while the time was right to GO FOR IT! A lovely morning by the loch saw a good crowd of 218 runners all ready to put their best foot forwards in their own personal challenges.
Here they are as they gather at the start.

We were ready for the off and were joined by what looked like an Olympic wheelchair racer who was given a short head start, then it was our turn. The pacers started just ahead of me and I quickly caught up with the 24 minute pacer and then fixed my eyes on the 23 minute runner and kept him just ahead of me the whole way round. As we turned onto the far side of the loch the wheelchair hurtled past us at an amazing speed (the surface is not particularity flat either) . Then up and around the turn and towards the oncoming tail end runners. I always aim to speed up as we exit the short path through the wooded section and emerge out for the run home.

There was only a couple of runners between myself and the pacer but he was still quite a way ahead, I managed to pick off one of them but couldn't catch the other one or the pacer. As we crossed the line I asked the pacer his time (22.42) so I estimated I must have been just outside the 23 minutes but I was delighted to see the txt appear from Parkrun 22.56 and a whole 44 seconds off my previous PB!

As usual after the Parkrun I did a full lap of the loch at slower pace and enjoyed a  good mornings run

As far as other runs are concerned it's still another 7 weeks until I get a chance to runaround central park again :-) and 9 weeks until the GSR in Glasgow where I will be looking for a half marathon PB of 1:45 After that it's waiting for a London marathon place and applying for Berlin 2016.

My medal haul to date (New 5K PB not updated)

RUNNING FOR FUN & RUNNING FOR FUNDS!

 Well I did it! I ran the London Marathon in a time of 4hrs 26 minutes just ahead of my target 4.5hrs
And what an amazing experience it was too.....the support from the crowd is absolutely amazing unlike anything I have witnessed before as a runner and I would definitely do it all again

VLM 2015 Runners EXPO at EXCEL

Greenwich Park runners arriving at the start

For a first attempt I am happy enough with my time but I know I could achieve more, although due to sheer weight of numbers it is quite difficult to gain pace at all parts of the route. At the moment my fundraising total stands at £1450 and my fundraising page remains open throughout May so there is still time to add to my total. https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com

Finish line in the Mall 4:26:42

Now to work on the rest of my 2015 race schedule and targets & races for 2016 :-)
Once you get the running bug it's hard to shake off?

Royal Marsden runners London Marathon 2015

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Welcome to my new running blog and you join me in the lead up to the race of my life in 9 days time at VLM2015   https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com
Over the last 6 months I have been in training for my first full marathon and where better to start than my hometown London. Now celebrating it's 35th year and gets bigger every year and is lauded as one of the best marathon's in the world alongside NYC, Boston & Berlin (although there of course other major events too) I tried entering both via the ballot and via a charity place and I was delighted to be chosen to run with The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity

 

GLASGOW GREAT SCOTTISH RUN

I will be one of about 30 people running for this London based charity which is particularly important to me as my dad was treated and cared for there after he was diagnosed with cancer 20 years ago, unfortunately he lost his battle with cancer and I am once again running in  his name and honour and have pledged to raise £2000 for the charity. So if you are a fellow runner, Londoner or have experienced pain through loss of a loved one you will identify with my excitement and pride in taking part and fundraising for such a worthy cause.  

FOR YOU DAD

                            To visit my Virginmoneygiving fundraising page just follow this link            http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=MichaelWard10

I used to run in the 80's and did a couple of the Guernsey half marathons whilst working out there. Here I am looking a whole lot younger and slimmer in 1986

Then there was a 25 year gap until my next race in 2012 at the Glasgow Great Scottish Run pictured above. I really enjoy the buzz of race day and my medal haul is starting to grow with London being my 11th race. Here are few more pics from Dublin and Edinburgh last year

And finally ...........................

JOHN WARD

This is my dad, he was a lovely man
Always wanting to please, always the life and soul of the party
He won't be there when I cross the finish line on the Mall
He won't be there when I celebrate my achievement with my family.
He hasn't been there for 18 years now and won't be ever again!
But hopefully the money I raise will help in sparing someone else the loss of a loved one prematurely through cancer.

So if you feel inspired then please donate to my charity total & hopefully you will enjoy reading my blog again in the future, please also visit my walking blog @ http://happyhoofers.blogspot.com