It's now the last week in February and it's one month and thirteen days to go, before the off.
It's a bit like a suspense movie with the clock just ticking towards the climax. Well maybe that's a bit dramatic, but I'm now very aware of the days left. I cannot afford to pick up another injury at this stage. So it's still a case of finding the balance with training, doing enough to ensure I can complete the run with a degree of comfort and not putting too much strain on the body.

It is, however, time to say a few thank yous for the support I'm receiving: the media have been fantastic, the press have all run the story and with genuine interest. Most have been in contact to make sure that they have the details correct and to wish me good luck.
Wessex FM have interviewed me with a view to putting my plight on air. A man called Mike was great and helped me through it, my only request was not to make me sound like a real prat.

I have sent out over 60 begging letters to various local companies asking for sponsorship. I hope I get responses as I'm still a long way from my goal of £3000. I will say it's easier to train than to raise money.

The surrounding area is flooded with posters, so there is not much more I can do regarding awareness.

I must comment on one newspaper article that got the metric conversion wrong and gave my weight as 25 stone, that caused a few laughs not to mention a couple of rude phone calls.

For the first time last night the first half of my evening run was in daylight, so spring is on the way. Mind you, as the sun disappeared it got very cold, so nothing has changed there.

Continued

One of the problems the Physio picked up whilst trying to sort out my groin was that due to my not having run for many years, my Hamstrings had shortened. "Not uncommon", she said, "for someone of your age and considering the lack of exercise over the last few years".
So not only is my groin a problem, but if I don't do the exercises she has given me, as sure as "eggs are eggs", she assured me, "you'll be injured within 6 weeks".
I now have to treat myself, by rubbing my own groin and performing strange and painful exercises, not at the same time I'm glad to say. Mind you, they must be working because I appear to be on the mend.

Not one week, as she said, but two weeks after my disastrous race I ventured out on the road for a very gentle jog of about a mile, just to see if all was settling down, and I'm glad to report there were no real problems.
As a result, I donned the thermals on Monday evening and jogged 5ks, at 3ks I felt the legs start to complain and by the five I realised how much fitness you lose sitting on you arse watching TV, but the big plus was no groin pain.

Wednesday evenings training run was back to my normal route around Bridport, about 11ks and flat. What made this so different was that my Daughter (eldest) vollentered to join me for part of it. The last time I saw her run was as a teenager running Hash (Hash House Harriers, not drugs) in Durban, SA. Now, two children and a mayor knee op later, she was waiting halfway round my route and raring to go. This was great for both of us. I ran at her pace, a gentle jog so helping my recovery, and not putting too much strain on her. I had anticipated her running about 2ks, but in fact we ran to our local harbour from the town, about 3ks where we took a breather and she was supposed to wait for her husband to pick her up, but she was feeling good enough to start running back. Mind you, I think she was pleased when he did show up. I was very proud of her. I must give her a call and see if she has sore legs - better still I'll wait till tomorrow when they will be at their worst.

I'm a bit disappointed by the number of cheques I've received, but I suppose it's early days yet. It looks as if I will have to send out far more begging letters.

I have agreed to do a promotion for the Ladies section of our local Golf club, who's charity is also Wessex Autistic. They are proposing that I run around the golf course, all fairways and greens to tees and they will try to guess how long I will take. So more on that when its been formalised.

Until then its ever onward and upward..............

This is more of the continuing saga of my preparations for the London Marathon.

To enable you to become gripped by this ever continuing soap-opera you may have to read the previous entries, or not as the case may be !!!
I have progressed reasonably well during January trying not to do too much too soon, as they say, but I had the urge to try and increase my speed - this is to enable me to finish before the bloke in the diving suit!!
I started with sessions in the gym, pounding mindlessly on the treadmill. I have to say this is a boring way of training, but at least it's warm, and you can watch other people suffering. It looked like a major influx of people determined to uphold their New Year's resolutions: by the start of February most appear to have decided flab wasn't that bad after all!!
Now we come to my first real set back: so grab a coffee and tissues......
I had entered my first road race, a half marathon in Sherbourne. On the weekend prior to the race I had a run from Weymouth to home, about 10 miles, no real problem. It was even mild with sunshine. About a mile from home I felt a pain in my groin area. That became proggresively worse. So it was a case of easing off and jogging home.
Now, as all sportsmen and woman know, rest is a good healer. So out with a packet of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel clamped firmly but carefully in my groin... This, of course, raised many a chuckle and comment from the family. I also applied some gel that made parts become numb, much care was taken applying this!!
No running for the next week and by the Friday all seemed well and the pain had gone.
Sunday saw me with lots, about 400, other souls eagerly awaiting the off. It was cold and windy, but what the heck, it is winter in the UK!!!
It should be noted that there appears to be two types of runner: the ones who warms up first, jogging round the field in skimpy shorts and vests, then stretching and doing all manner of strange contortions and then theres the others (like me!), who sit in their cars near the start with the engines running, to ensure the heater is nice and warm, who, on seeing everyone line up for the off, make a mad dash for the start, timing it to arrive as the mob set off.
I was in the latter group - surprise-surprise!!.
5 Miles in and ouch!!! the pain was back, bu.....r or even stronger words. I limped to a pick- up point and a lift back to the car park and home. No finishing time, no free t-shirt just a pain in the crutch!!
Was this the end? The family were very supportive, friends saying helpful things like, "it's your age catching up" and other reassuring comments.
Monday and a visit to the vet (country doctor), "you need a sports physio", the mans is a genious, 10 years of training to tell me that. The NHS will take a month for an appointment. The afternoon saw me in Weymouth having my groin inspected by a young woman and paying for it privately. Ten minutes later and me with gritted teeth, she declares "it's ok, you'll be running next Monday", Blast another excuse to quit has gone.
So today I'm resting under physio's orders.
My local free paper came out today with a nice article about my running the Marathon and my attempts to raise money for the Wessex Autistic Society.

To be continued.........