BLOG 17 21/06/11  What a week it has been since I last updated this blog. Having joked about feeling almost as sprightly as a whippet (see blog 16), just the other morning I turned a corner off Willow Road only to be confronted by a bloke with a pair of whippets on the leash. I kid you not.  Mercifully they were on the leash and I managed to jokingly exhale that 'I bet they could give me a run for my money' to the startled owner.  From the look on his face, being confronted by a Green Hornet cracking jokes at 6.15 in the morning took a while for him to compute that I wasn't an early morning mugger. As I sailed off into the distance I just about heard him call out after me 'Yeah, I bet they could... in their day!'  Of course, they were retired whippets.  But I though it quite amusing that they should appear this week.

I saw Eric and Davina at Mass on Sunday and we got together for a cuppa rosey lee and a chat on the sofa yesterday evening. So good to see you both and your lovely family. If anyone is reading this blog this week, please take the time to log onto the MNDA website as well.  This is MND Awareness week and it wouldn't hurt any of us to connect with this important charity this week.  I klnow they are being enormously supportive to Eric and Davina right now and you out there have helped raise a wonderful sum of money to further the good work this charity does.  I know how much they rely on donations and sponsorship and also just how much difference their support can make to people's lives; good people like Eric. I will be running in blue and ornage this week - the MNDA colours, so keep a look out!

One of the things we discussed last night is getting some of the children together on their bikes and scooters to join me on at least a section of my usual run and Eric will join us too in - hopefully - his new motorised wheelchair. (No turbo boosters please Eric!) We are going to do this in a few weeks time and then have a bbq to celebrate. Let's hope we get some decent weather. My own personal challenge is to stage a run from here to Oakwood and back, measuring out a 10km trail. in total. So, now I've voiced it, I've got to do it.  Besides there are a couple of sleepy dogs I want to give an early wake up call to! They know who they are! I've noticed I've not included a running tally just lately, so bring you up to date we have now run 186km since the beginning of June.  We'll see how the tally stands at the end of the month and then I'll stop counting (but not running).

Some very big thank yous to go out this evening. Firstly, a very big THANK YOU to Julie, Ann, Helen, Jenny, Diane, Brian, Sandy, Sue, Wendy, Angela, Cath and Val at St Michael's Primary School. You all helped me break the £800 mark, just when I needed that extra push.  You have all been in my thoughts with grateful thanks as I have been out running this week.

Finally, but by no means least, I want to thank Susie and Foxy and Brandy and John and Silvana (four legged friends as well as two legged friends) who have made a very generous donation (again) to take us to that magical £1,000 target. Thank you thank you thank you.

Thank you to every one who has donated so generously these past couple of months, who have supported this effort, who have been so supportive in their words and deeds, who have taken the time to read these blogs, who have asked about Eric and Davina whenever I see them, who have offered their prayers and best wishes, who have made a very big difference through a simple act of kindness.  Thank you all. We did it! The final total if you include gift aid is something like £1,250, which is just tremendous. I will continue to keep the blog update until I finish off a few goals, so feel free to return!  Goodnight Peace n love , Peace n love!

BLOG 16 13/06/11 If you are reading this then the problem I have been experieincing for the past 10 days has been (partially) resolved! I'd better qualify that, hadn't I? The reason why there have been no blog entries for over a week is that in my effort to keep you posted every step of the way I have exceeded the maximum number of characters allowed for said purpose!!! The good people at justgiving are looking to increase my allocation (they understand how we like to keep in touch) but as a temporary measure I have had to delete entries 4-11 to create some more space.  These will be available in paperback in the Autumn... not!  It's such a shame this has happened really because 1/ it looks like I abandoned you avid readers (never!) and two - you'll just have to take my word for this - the 3 or 4 entries I tried in vain to post were some of the most intelligent, urbane, humorous observations I have ever attempted to share with you. And if you'll believe that....

Well, some of it was quite good.  When last I was able to write, I wrote how I was looking forward to going out on my usual run following my exertions in the tranquil, yet arduous, lanes of the Cotswolds.  My expectation being that I would record my fastest times ever. Sadly, this was not to be; initially at least.  My first run out and it felt like I was running with a deep sea diver's belt hanging off my back. Not quite sure what that was about; obviously skipped a weetabix that morning. The next day however was great.  One of those days when I felt like a whippet. Alright, alright. Perhaps not a whippet, maybe a sprightly St Bernard. But it was a good time anyway. I then had to take a break of  4 days.  I think I'd over done it a bit and needed to give my ancient pins a breather. This was a really good move as I have been pushing it a bit, particularly in the Cotswolds, and there is always the risk of injury.  Happily, I didn't have anything more than a niggle and by the weekend I was out again. Saturday was amazing with a really quick time     , but more importantly, a really comfortable, controlled run. Sunday, not quite as quick, but a very satisfying run all the same.  So, where are we then? Just look at the scores on the doors folks. £760!!!! That is terrific! Thank you all so much.  Big big thanks to those of you who are keeping edging us closer and closer to that £1000 target.  It is very definitely in sight. Plus, I know of some money that has been collected which will be added to the total very shortly which will take us over the £800 mark!! How superb is that. Plus, there's the gift aid to consider, which makes an enormous difference.  We are still going to do the fun run version of this at the end of the month, so I look forward to telling you about that.  Plus! I hope to do an extra special run before the month is out.  Stay tuned. Once again, thank you to everyone who has supported me in this, who is supporting Eric by supporting me and are just doing something amazing by supporting the MNDA. You lovely lovely people. Peace n love, Colin

 

BLOG 15 03/06/11 Now, I have to tell you, I have been away for a week in the deepest depths of some of the most beautiful countryside this country has to offer. Indeed, it has remained unspoilt for centuries, so much so - and rightly so - I have been without internet access and unable to update my blog. However, that is not to say I have not been availing myself of this beautiful countryside, because I have!!!  I have dumbfounded the locals, scared the wildlife, been stared at by sheep, confounded cattle lying low in the rain, but been saluted by cyclists (of the serious variety) and photographed by a coachload of Japanese tourists.  Not only this, but as well as having run in some of the most beautiful countryside as I have already said, I must add that it has been far more demanding than my usual run at home.  It must be like what serious athletes experience when they do their altitude training.  Not only that, but I feel I have worked harder, run harder, dug deeper and really upped my game.  And do you know what? Do you know who I have to thank? Eric! That's who! If it wasn't for Eric I wouldn't have upped my running, taken it much more seriously, developed a sense of purpose or focus or commitment/ Really.  Thank you Eric.  I've said it before, you are   a truly inspirational man.  You have inspired me massively and I thank you so much for that.  Mentally, physically, spiritually I feel better for doing these runs in your name, to raise money for the MNDA and your tribute fund. By the time I close this blog tonight we will have tipped the scales at £700 when I add the couple of cash donations I received before I went away.  On the last day of May we had completed 126Km. I have already said I am going to keep running throughtout June until we reach £1000. I'm not going to stop now. So far then, we have run 138km! Thank you to Yetunde, Geoff and Moira for keeping the donations flame alight.  You are very good people for supporting this most important cause. Thank you again. You know, I almost can't wait now to go out on my usual run, just to see what time I do it in, or just to feel how it goes. Actually, there is another run I have been toying with for ages now.  Perhaps I have reached the point where I am ready for that challenge!!!! Watch this space! A very BIG THANK YOU once again to all my supporters over the past 5 weeks.  You can't imagine how important your support has been.  Bless you all! C

 

BLOG 14 25/05/11  Please, please, please excuse me for not having updated my blog for a few days.  I won't bore you with excuses, save to say  I did have a bit of a niggle and I thought it best to stop running for a couple of days. To be honest I have been running more than I have run in a very long time these past few weeks, so I think it was prudent to take my foot off the gas a bit.  However, since I last updated you I did run on Saturday, Tuesday and today - Wednesday. SO!!!!!!!! Ladies and Gentlemen!!!!!!! At 6.50am today, we notched up not just 100km, but 101km and 102km!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeh!!!!! I am just so chuffed and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support and how much Eric values your support too. We are all in this effort together. It's funny, because I kind of knew it was going to be 100, but hadn't prepared a big fuss for it.  Having said that, when I came back this morning and mentioned to Cristina and Dillan that I had completed my fastest time yet on this circuit and that we had just broken through the 100km mark, they both errupted into spontaneous applause and cheers.  How wonderful are they? 

So far, you wonderful, generous souls have donated a staggering £675!! There's another £120  or there abouts of reclaimable tax we can add to that too. I'm gonna keep running until we hit £1000.  I'm probably gonna keep on running because I don't think I can stop now. But let's get to a £1000. Please spread the word if you can. We're still gonna do the kids on bikes and scooters version of the run (hopefully next weekend - not this one, the next) so we can look forward to that.

Thank you to our most recent sponsors, Anna, Bernadette and Keith - thank you so much for injecting another burst of life into this fundraising effort. If you have read any of the previous blogs you will know that I carry your support with me every morning on the run and run those extra Kms  fuelled by you making the decision to sponsor this effort in Eric's name. Thank you good people.

Peace n love you good good people.

Colin

BLOG 13 20/05/11  Ok this is going to be a very short blog. One, because it is quite late and I have been out with my very good mates celebrating my birthday last month (we're a bit like that; any excuse), Two... er, see one. Three there's lots of stuff I want to tell you, but to do it justice I need a bit more time.  I will tell you however, that that bloke who got in my way last week (big time) did it again this morning! Don't let me forget to tell you about that one! Don't let me forget to tell you what Stu did to up the ante either! Also, having received today a wonderfully helpful and inspiring pack from the MNDA, what may turn out to be a slightly longer journey than we had originally planned. By the way, when I say 'we', I don't mean the 'royal we.  I mean all of US who are getting behind this run. YOU and me. Always inspiring to see my mates too, so watch this page.  Finally, before I sign off tonight... I am now able to run in some MNDA livery, as today I got one of their official running vests in the post.  Slight warning,.. it is a sleeveless number which I don't normally sport, but hey!!! It's blue, so it matches my eyes and that's where you'll be looking.  But I can't wait to wear it for the first time.  Really looking forward to that.  Also - and this is my parting shot before I shiut down this evening, I have a small flyer advertsing this fundraising effort (4 messages to an A4 page). I am going to be handing out to those poor souls I encounter (walking their dogs, power walking, blocking the highway , see notes passim). If you would like a sheet, then let me know by email address and I'll lmail it to you.  We gotta get more people on board. That's just about it for tonight.  Did I tell you I was out on Thursday morning? 84Km is where we are at.

Thank you all for your spectacular support. Dave and family... big love to you and many thanks.  Big love to Danny  Many many thanks. Gotta share it... And Eric.. well, we're all here dude. We are all here!  peace n love  Col

 

 

BLOG 12 18/05/11 He's back! Just when you thought it was safe; safe from the vacilations of the bespectacled bug boy, he's back on your screens! Sorry.  Really, I am. I've been glued to the computer every evening for the past week finishing off some college stuff and I've had to give the blog a miss for a few days. Now I know there are those of you out there   who follow this avidly, so I wholeheartedly apologise to ye! Still been running though. Sat and Sun, we clocked up another 12Km and then I took a break of 2 days instead of the scheduled 1.  That was Mon and Tues, but I was back out this morning in the drizzle - which is actuaslly quite a nice feeling really - so we are now up to 78Km! Which is great in a little over two weeks (for me anyhow). So, we are very much on target to exceed my original target of 100Km. Couple of things about that.  One is that my main aim now is to raise £1000.  We're all doing so well, thanks to your wonderful donations out there.  We're up to £600 can you believe it!!! But   I need a big push now to get to £1000.  When I first thought about doing this run for the Eric Rivers Tribute Fund YEH!, I had it in my mind to recruit 9 other people, who would each get 10 sponsors to sponsor them £1 a Km and we'd do a 10Km run toegther. That way we'd raise £1000.  However, something in side me said I didn't want to do just one run.  I wanted to keep on running and so here we are doing the 100km.  I sort of liken it to Bob Dylan's never ending tour (as he calls it), which has been going on for 10 years or something.  Stats fans can correct me on that.  I babble. But anyway, that's how we reached the 100km idea and the £1000. So, if you are following this or have just dipped in, then please do give it a mention on your facebook or twitter page if that's your thang. It is    for a very very good cause as we all know. Michael R thank you for your very generous contribution today.  You helped us hit that £600 dude!

Take care all of you.  Peace n love Colin

 

BLOG 3 02/05/11 Ha ha! Forgot that today was a Bank Holiday Monday.  So, instead of setting off at 6.30 this morning, I didn't get going until 7.15am. Sorry if anyone was looking out for me earlier. But what a lovely mornng it was. Lovely and bright and a great breeze too. Amazing how inconsiderate some motorists can be. What exactly is the big hurry to turn directly into the Green Hornet's path! Grrrr!

Last year there was a guy who published a book called something like 'Things I think about when I am running.' Surprise, surprise said the reviewer I read, but he thinks about... wait for it.... are you ready for this?... It'll floor ye.... yes, that's right.... he thinks about running! Well, you do.  Breathing. Check.  Posture. Check.  Arms. Check. Promination. Check.  And so on. But your mind does also wander onto other stuff. Like... how long do I think it is going to take to build the arbor for my wife that we bought 4 weeks ago? Well, I'm in the middle of it now and the answer is 'too long!' Trust me, buy a ready assembled one if you are thinking of getting one.  Ready assembled and painted too! You'll thank me.

Some more top drawer donations have come in, including from my wonderful wife (must have been the arbor) and from Eric himself.  "Eric! Donating to your own Tribute Fund?"  Didn't I tell you he was an inspiring person. He's supporting me, supporting him!  Thank you everyone and please spread the word far and wide.  There are no small donations.  Every one counts.

12Km and counting.  We are out again with the lark tomorrow morning. Peace n love C

BLOG 2  OK, well today is officially Day 1, May 1st and so I set off on the first run of this challenge this afternoon and ticked off the first 6km. There was a fair wind a blowin', so it didn't get too hot and we recorded a good time for that. My son, Dillan, who has a bit of form as a photographer, took the shot opposite and I couldn't quite work out why it took him three attempts to achieve the image he was after.  I thought it would be a pretty straightforward head and shoulders shot.  Of course, it was only when I spottted the green trellis protruding out of my head that I realised what he was doing!  I've taken it quite well.  A cross between a green bugs bunny and an oversized ant.  Hence the Green Hornet!

After only a couple of days, we have raised almost £200 including Gift Aid.  This is terrific and I am very very grateful to those sponsors who have got this fundraising effort off to  such a flying start.

If you can, please, use your Facebook pages or Outlook contacts list to circulate the link for this effort. 

Next run is scheduled for around 6.30am tomorrow morning. So far I have had an offer of tea and a walk round the block in Bounds Green and a supportive cycling companion on Green Lanes.  I quite like the idea of both of those, so if anyone else has a smart accompanying suggestion, let me know and we'll see if we can make it happen!

Keep in touch!

Colin

BLOG 1 Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Eric Rivers is an inspirational man who is living with Motor Neurone Disease. He is also a friend of our family; his girls go to the same school as my son. Toward the end of last year he held a fund raising event for the Motor Neurone Disease Association which was also a celebration of his wonderful spirit, the joy of having his family and friends around him and his wife Davina's birthday. It was a great night and I promised him then that I would like to do something to raise some funds for the important work and support this charity carries out. This is it!

It's not a marathon, but I am going to up my running miles throughout the month of May and I aim to run no less than 100 Km. If all goes well, I hope to have run the equivalent of a marathon a week for the month of May. Most of the runs I will be doing at 6 am in the morning before work, but I hope to do some at more sociable times of the day too.  So, if anyone wants to join me, get in touch!

Last week, Eric and I talked about this project of mine and he said something that really struck a chord. It was that you never know which donated pound is going to sustain that vital piece of research that yields a breakthrough. And he's right. So please, if you can, donate a little something; it really could make a very big difference.

All donations will make their way to the 'Eric Rivers Tribute Fund' at the Motor Neurone Disease Association. I will keep you posted through these pages of my progress and in the unlikely event I can secure a flattering picture of me in my running kit, then I will post that too!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Many thanks,

Colin