My Daughter, Lucy (the one on the right in this picture with her chum Paula someone who is always getting into other people’s photos) got me into running. However, until 3 years ago my daughter was unable to participate in any sport that didn’t have hair-dryer sockets. Then it all changed when she did her first road run in which a truck was to be driven alongside her carrying a generator and six strapping lads pointing hairdryers at her - BUT owing to the fact that she had not looked at the publicity properly, it turned out to be a cross-country run through heavy rain and mud. Even though the truck had got stuck in the mud miles back, she enjoyed it (especially when told the mud was good for her skin and cost £60 per ounce) and realised that there is life beyond the length of a hairdryer cable. It was She who suggested running when I stopped smoking. She is a very competitive girl and I know that if I ran against her in a race then she would have to win - she was bad enough at Monopoly aged 6, bankrupting me within seconds! I am very proud of her and she has promised to sponsor me in my Great Manchester Run - fortunately she is not running in it as there are no fashion designers in the line-up! I just wanted to thank her for getting me running… which now seems to have escalated in a very short time to my running a 10K for Alzheimers’s Research UK, in Manchester England on 10th May. For those of you starting out with c25k - stick with it because it is not long before those 1 minute runs unbelievably turn into 30 minute runs and possibly even more! Why, 10 months ago I never thought I'd be running the GMR - I mean I couldn’t even spell the word ‘RUNE'
Now as you know Young Poppypug is running in the GMR too, and will be there to settle my nerves and prod me along with the old pitch-fork but if anyone else is participating let us know and we can all try and get together afterwards and get a group photo hopefully without Lucy’s chum getting in the background this time… humph!
Here is the shipping forecast - sorry, a brief update… I have been training hard this week mixing my running with a bit of cycling and cross training which includes crocheting running socks. However I think I overdid it slightly on Wednesday whilst running alongside my beach when almost over a mere five steps my left calf just seem to seize up and I found myself grinding to a halt in some distress - now admittedly there was a rather attractive girl person running towards me and I may have overplayed it in exacting a little sympathy but the fact is that I had to hobble hop home. and was a tad worried, but it has made a pretty speedy recovery and I should be out again tomorrow - so a missed day of training which unfortunately will probably mean I don’t manage the sub 10 minute 10 K but all is well otherwise and if I start on the Saturday I may well be crossing that finish line on Sunday with the rest!
Now hopefully in the next week my race-pack (along with my six-pack) will arrive and I shall be choosing my running colours and Manchester Mantra and the right pair of crocheted running socks. Major things like whether to wear the iPod or iPhone and which colour gps watch strap to use and baseball cap v headband are beginning to bug me now and there are so few training manuals about this sort of thing available. Lucy says her chum knows a thing or two about this - but she hardly looks the part does she - I mean how do you tell a person they're just not the running type!!!
Finally, to all the really wonderful people who have contributed towards Alzheimer’s Research UK and are helping to make a difference and destroy this dreadful disease - a very big, in fact gynormous, THANK YOU X
A lovely post and a lovely pic. You must be very proud. Have a wonderful day tomorrow can't wait to read all about it. I hope you manage a c25k gathering! X
Ah 'no-excuse' thank you - You're very kind. BUT, sorry I think my post is misleading - I'm doing the Manchester 10K which is on May 10th (22 5/8th days away) tomorrow is The Big Boys and Girls Race - the Manchester Marathon which is like a whole 42Kilometers long or almost as far as America and back! Have no fear - when I manage it I shall write about it X
No it's me rushing to get ready to go out and not thinking properly or concentrating. I knew pops was running in may and just had it in my head that she was dishing out sweeties to both Moger and yourself! Silly me. I'm getting caught up in all the excitement! Plus anywhere north of Watford gets me all confused! Lol x
Thanks MarkyD - She does look familiar doesn't she - I've seen her in the back of lots of people's photos - She may be off one of those Soaps or something. There's a sports centre in Sharnbrook but that's named after that runner lady
Thanks Juicy - well done to you again - being able to run in French is amazing - do they run on the wrong side of the road? Yes very proud of all my little sprogs X
they do a few odd things, and disappointingly the only fancy dress I saw was a flamingo....the French just don't do that sort of thing!!! you should be proud, she sounds like an amazing person....a chip off the old block x
I think it's great fun - just wish I had the hair to use it on - may go in for a beard in stead! My son seems to bring a suitcase of the stuff when he's back from college!
My son is only 8. He also is developing a taste for designer clothing. No idea where it comes from. His elder sister looks like she has been dragged through a hedge backwards and usually has been, as she spends her life climbing trees and falling out of them.
My son sat me down for an earnest talk the other day about 'Just For Men' hair dye and how it would only target the white hairs and would stop when it reached my natural colour.
This whole conversation has just made me snort with laughter. He'll be fine, you'll see. My sister had a phase of knowing/caring about such things around the same age, and is a committed up-trees-and-through-hedges-backwards woman these days.
Many thanks Marlyparly - I'm lucky to hav two really beautiful daughters but then all daughters are beautiful Thanks for your support - talk about progress though - who of us would have thought we'd be doing this sort of thing X
Thank you Ully - yes it is all rather exciting - Manchester is going to a lot of trouble just so that Poppy and I can have a little run - they are getting 40,000 pacers in for us - amazing! Yes Lucy's chum does seem to be getting about a bit - wouldn't surprise me if she just turned up at the GMR - the cheek of some people :))
She's not bad Irish Princess - and she does make Einstein look a bit of a wimp - she is very poor at crocheting though which is what I tend to judge people on - and her chum couldn't crochet to save her life - she'll never come to anything - sometimes you lose faith in the education system Hope you are having a brilliant weekend x
Fab post Ru-non Tres bien ! you and poppypug will have such a great day! and for a really good cause thats close to my heart too ..... i'm very tempted to come up there next yr!
Your daughter is super glam, and of course 100% gets her good looks from you!
i'll be thinking of you both as i tromp through the countryside on my "walk the wight"on the 10th too, bet we'll all be deserving of a beer at the end of that day! and yours is televised too so remember to wave, we want to see you two! Will be a great group photo again i hope!
He, Merci Aliboo - we are going to have a wonderful day - just the run through showers will be a laugh - though I hear Poppy is bringing her 'head & shoulders' and may be borrowing my daughter's hairdryer. You must must must come up next year - the air is a bit thinner than dowan sowarth but the people are friendly Poppy will definitely wave - I shall be too tired and just lift a little finger but I shall be thinking of your tromping on your "Walk The Wight" fundraising jaunt. A beer at the end sounds like a good idea - though Juicy JU was drinking wine during the last few Km in Paris - If I were you I would carry a barrel of beer with you just in case you get thirsty.
The dear daughter does do glam quite well but really is getting into the mud runs too - must have dome something right then. Have a wonderful weekend
hope thats not a rude finger gesture!! You'll be fine, i'm 100% sure!
Id love to do that next year, will have to check out cheap flights from Southampton! i was up north in Hartlepool in January, some of my relations are up there, so i know you're a good sort!
i'm walking with my older brother and sister so i will get them and their mates to carry the beer, if not the finishing place has a nice bar that we frequented last year, god, that cider tasted good! then we hobbled off to the complementary bus home! why does walking downhill hurt SO much after 26 miles!? maybe this yr my legs will be better??!! just done my longest ever run(with stints of walking!) after work today along local cycle track 15.2K, legs and feet feel slightly knackered , just having pasta and garlic bread tea in a min! been down beach with dog just now!
Heaven forefend - just a tired finger gesture Hey well done 15.2 K is brilliant and fantastic and amazing and probably 6 times round the IOW! The 26 mile walk sounds a bit of a killer - I've only done one of those and got real blisters and had to soak my feet for about a week! Cider will be good at the end though - having said that bathing your feet in scrumpy before the walk should harden them up! It is a tremendous cause you are walking for and I'm looking forward to seeing the celebraion picks - xx
That looks a great route and it looks quite hilly to begin with - then everything is hilly compared to where I live - in fact Manchester is hilly compared to Southport - Now how do blister free socks work ???
Ah Turbo you shouldn't envy my hair - oh I see my daughter's hair - right - with you now - you can see why the hairdryer thing has been important to her. x
I hope your calf is okay today ? Oh , we dont want you getting injured at this crucial stage of the proceedings.
Mind you , we can always mount the Injury Couch on castors and get people to push us around, whilst we sit there giving it the Royal wave
Are your daughters coming to watch you ? Oh I bet theyre so proud of you xxx
Now then, I must admit I am already pondering what to wear myself. Vest top or T Shirt ? Shorts or Capris ? Sunglasses or glasses or no glasses at all . I am going to drive myself mad before the day. Oh you must let me know what colours you will be wearing so I can either contrast or co -ordinate with mine , we dont want to clash do we ?
Dont forget to bring your packed lunch will you cos if that guy is running with the fridge on his back , we can pop it in there at the start and pick it up at the end
Oh , whilst I remember, please will you ask your mates at the BBC, just to film me on my best side ( my left ) and any close ups need to be approved by myself and " my people " prior to viewing . Oh I also require the following for my rider in my dressing room :
Ball Pool ( filled with football size Maltesers )
6 x Pug Puppies ( 3 Beige , 3 Black )
Jimmy Choos size 5
Jelly Babies ( Red and Orange only )
Yorkshire Tea
Hairdryer
Oooh Alex for post run massage
Denzil Washington , gently rolled in honey and then dipped in Belgian Chocolate .
Pretty reasonable requests I think , compared to what I hear Paula Radcliffe and Jo Pavey have asked for Tee Hee !
Oh yes , we must meet up for the post run photo , you will possibly have to hold me up though .
We're ready Runon, but is Manchester ready for us ? xxx
Oh Poppers I don't think Manchester is ready for us yet but it has got three weeks to get its act together - now just who are these Radcliffe and Pavey chaps with their excessive demands humph!??? Sounds as bad as that other runner fellow - Pavarotti - did I tell you I once used his shower - big as a house it was - anyway Denziel says he has an allergy to Belgian chocolate - Lucy is away in a warmer climate in May but daughter 2 is hoping to pop up from Londinium - though it may be dependent upon the party the night before As for the rest of the list I think you can have everything.
Now hopefuly the calf thing will be runnable tomorrow - if you hear screams you'll know what it is. The injury couch on castors is a darn fine idea and if we could just get the fridge man to run alongside us we'll be well away.
Now wear-wise I thinking David Shilling for our hats - definitely vest top - capris for you and shorts for me - but with the calf I'm thinking of matching compression socks - sunglasses definitely - blue is the colour obviously. Personally I haven't decided which trainers I'll be wearing - I suggest we hold back on this to see who will make us the biggest offer to advertise their goods. Obviously we'll be expecting a pre-run offer from the BBC and you can hold image rights to you left profile - otherwise I think we just sell out ot SKY - it doesn't have the kudos but money talks right. Tatler not OK mag - I think they shouldn't be allowed within a mile of us.
Think that's everything. Oh VIP party - I'll leave that to you dahling but don't forget Cruise likes hot milk. Toodle-pip xxx
Poppy, I want your rider. I'm running up there to steal your rider. All of it. Except maybe I'll have a couple of gangly lurchers instead of the pugs? Longer legs make better running buddies.
My people have just informed me that " Hello " are offering us a 12 page special for an exclusive for their June issue. They are in negotiations at the moment...... I think we should stall them and hold out for Tatler or possibly Vogue .
Failing that we always can go with " Peoples Friend " " Yours " or " Take a Break "
You used Pavarottis bathroom ? I bet you give it a coupla renditions of " Nessun Dorma " didnt you ? I wouldnt have been able to stop myself ha ha
Hey , Hailie Gebralassi is taking part in our Runon and he's doing it twice ! As soon as he finishes taking part in the Elite race , he is going to do another lap with the rest of us
Do not trip him up - you know what you are like. I'll go for 'Peoples Friend' - it will be nice to appear in something new for a change
I have to admit old Pav's bathroom was something special - but not a plastic duck in sight. WIll they have plastic ducks in the run in showers? Hey Poppers we need a mascot - suggestions please??? xxx
Cor ! I bet you have loads of stories you could tell, but you are far too much of a honourable gentleman to disclose them...... And I truly respect you for that ... £50 quid ?
Oooh yes a mascot ! Hmm I will have to have a think about this one ...
Done... I could tell you about... Ah did you say just £50? Anyway not Mr. Patches - he's a bit supernatural Although you could perhaps crochet him? Come on lass - a kind of running bear would be good - I once saw Tony Blair trying to run - no the mind boggles - time for my hot milk xxx
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have some super duper 1000miles blister free socks i'll be putting to the test! 
Feel like a "proper runner" now... 
W9R1 - meep meep... Road runner today! 
W6R3 and officially a runner!!!
Running with a dog.
Am I too old for this?
