Less than a week to the Abersoch 10km for the RNLI!

Doesn't seem too long ago I was training in sleet and freezing temperatures! This morning's run was in clear blue skies and 24'c sunshine... This whilst fantastic is not ideal running weather... A complete energy sapper!

An ever so slight variation of the 'Romping Donkey' pub circuit (which has opened again!) until after the Abersoch 10km just to keep the regular training distance... A slow run of the 6.7 miles in 59 minutes.

Hope to get another run in midweek as a last training session before this coming Saturday's Abersoch 10km for the RNLI. The course is going to be quite a test! A mile of beach with some groynes thrown in & some soft sand, a very steep lane up off the beach on to the headland, some undulating roads for 3 miles before joining the beach again for another mile back to the start/finish line! I'd originally thought this would be good training for the Great North Run later this year, but I'm now not sure which will be most testing! :-) More details here... http://www.abersoch10k.com/abersoch-10k/more-info

You can support my run with a donation at http://www.justgiving.com/daves-rnli-run if you like! It would be most welcome and goes to a very worthy cause!

D

Training run

6.7 miles this evening in 57 minutes... A slight variation on my regular 'Romping Donkey' circuit to get me back in time to watch the United v Barcelona final... Need I have hurried back?

D.

Cross training?

Took a break from the running over the weekend to have my first wakeboarding lesson from Off Axis in Abersoch... What a scream! 15 minutes of ear to ear smiling! The coach, Johnny was great and as you can see... Somehow managed to get me on my feet (that is me... Honest) !

D :-)

Back to the training...

Training now for my next run which is the Abersoch 10km on Saturday 6th June for the RNLI. Still a bit stiff from the Great Manchester run, had a run this evening up to the Romping Donkey Pub in Hassal Green, Cheshire and back again... Did 6 miles in 51 minutes and then completed the route of 7.35 miles in 1 hour and 4 minutes.

Loosening Up!

Went out for a short run this evening. Nothing too strenuous after Sunday's Great Manchester Run, just a jog and a few stretches around the Wheelock Rail Trail in Sandbach... 2.5 miles, 21 minutes 30 seconds.

D

The 2009 Great Manchester Run... Is Done! :-)

What a fantastic day! I'd optimistically hoped to get under 50 minutes but ran a new personal best of 48 minutes 31 seconds which I'm chuffed to bits with (beat my time from last year by 4 minutes)! I came 3,707th out of around 33,000 runners :-)

You can see my full results here - http://www.nike.com/europerunning/grs/index.jsp?runner=736749&rid=122

The girls were in full voice in support ->






... and it was great meeting up with the rest of the team afterwards who all ran well!
<- Me and Dominc

Rob, Lucie and me ->

Also met up with my brother Kev & his wife Bev who ran the run for the first time and had a family beer with them afterwards to round off a great afternoon!

It's not too late to add a donation for the Isaiah Trust, the donation page will remain active for another 3 months, but your donation could change a childs life forever!

http://www.justgiving.com/daves-isaiahtrust-run

D

Serious Fun!

In a bit of a break from preparations for the Great Manchester Run, I took part in a videoed testimonial interview for the RNLI this morning for the update of their Serious Fun! DVD (very kindly hosted by Astbury Sail sports in Congeleton ~ Thanks guys!). Just a bit of a recount of my sailing mishap of 2007 hopefully showing that despite training and preparation, accidents still happen and that the RNLI volunteer crews are on hand to help if they do! Anyway... Not sure if they'll use some, all or none of the footage but I figured it was the least I could do to agree to help!

The current DVD is really well put together. It features 11 water sports ranging from sailing, diving, power boating through kayaking to surfing, water skiing, Jet skiing and sea angling with practical advice on staying safe on the water and tips on training and developing skills... The DVD is free and well worth a watch! If you're interested you can get a copy here: http://www.rnli.org.uk/how_to_support_us/give_money/give_regularly/seriousfun/promo

So... Back to the running!

I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be for the Great Manchester Run tomorrow, looking forward to representing the Isaiah Trust again and hoping for good weather! Funds as of today stand at £580 on my own donation page and another £526 on our IT team page! Thanks to everyone for their huge generosity and support!

D.

On track for the weekend

Had another really good run last night up to the Romping Donkey Pub in Hassal Green, Cheshire and back again. Did 6 miles in just over 50 minutes and then completed the route of 7.35 miles in 1 hour and 1 minute.

Last year I ran the Great Manchester Run in 52 minutes and 22 Seconds. This year I'm hoping to get under 50 minutes which I know will be a challenge!

I'm in the Orange wave on Sunday, race no 5063. I'm giving Haile Gebrselassie a head start as he's younger and smaller than me but this will be my only concession!

D.

A good run!

Had a really good run up to the Romping Donkey Pub in Hassal Green and back again this evening... Did 6 miles in 49 minutes and 50 seconds. Had a bit of a breather and then completed the route of 7.35 miles in 1 hour and 2 minutes... Felt great :-)

D

One week to the Great Manchester Run...

Ran the Romping Donkey route again this morning, clocked 6 miles in 53 minutes, had a bit of a stretch and completed the circuit of 7.35 miles in 1 hour and 3 minutes.

Fundraising for the Isaiah Trust is going well... Funds stand at £810 as of today with £470 from my own donation page - http://www.justgiving.com/daves-isaiahtrust-run and £340 from the Express teams page - http://www.justgiving.com/express-it

Pleased on both fronts :-)

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far! It really makes the training worth while!

D

Just under two weeks to the Great Manchester Run...

Out for a training run this evening in wind and showers... Did the route up to the Romping Donkey pub again, clocked 6 miles in 55 minutes and completed the circuit of 7.35 miles in 1 hour and 4 minutes.

D