Many thanks to everyone for your kind support and donations to Cancer Research UK! Well, what can I tell you about the Mudrunner? It was a beautiful day, but the previous 48 hours had been rain filled, and so the course was indeed very muddy. My running buddies decided they wanted to start in the first group, which I knew would be too fast for me, but I joined them anyway. As predicted it was too fast for me, and I soon lost contact with them, but it didn't matter as my mission was just to complete the course! Despite my slightly more relaxed pace, I can say that it was the most difficult thing that I'd ever done! There was much mud, a great deal of water, and some very tricky obstacles. There were points when I didn't think it would end, but it eventually did, and I feel very pleased to have done it. I have a few 'battle' scars, and very sore legs (at the moment), but it was great. A truly fantastic atmosphere, and very well done to all of my fellow runners! :)

 

I understand that these days there are many people wishing to put their hand in your pocket, and I'm sorry to add myself to the queue, but I hope you agree that supporting Cancer Research UK is a very worthy cause.

I'm sure that like me, you will have friends and/or family members, who have had their lives badly affected or destroyed by this indiscriminate and horrible illness. Personally I lost my Mum to it when she was just 64, and a very dear friend, when she was just 30. Over the course of several years before her death, I watched my Mum; who was a very brave lady, endure great pain and suffering due to the spread of this truly evil disease. While my son was being born in one part of the hospital, my Dad was in another part of the same hospital, awaiting surgery to remove part of his colon due to cancer. Visiting the hospital was a cruel mixture of extreme emotions, as I had the joy of visiting my newborn son, mixed with the worry about the extent of my Dad's cancer. Fortunately in the case of my Dad, the doctors had caught the disease early, and we were able to enjoy him being in our lives for a further 13 years.

At Cancer Research UK, they are helping to make real progress in seeking new methods of diagnosis and treatment, in what seems like a relentless battle to overcome the disease itself, and the effects of the disease. They're making excellent progress, but it's still an expensive and ongoing journey, and they need all of our help and support.

So what am I doing to earn your support on their behalf? Well a few months ago, in a moment of weakness and/or madness, I agreed to join a work colleague in taking part in the Mud Runner Oblivion Event. Details are as follows:

So you think you're fit, or perhaps you want to get fit, well, 
Mud Runner Oblivion is the challenge for you.

Set in the beautiful Eastnor Castle Estate this is a 6ish mile cross country interspersed with physical challenges of strength, endurance and co-ordination.  

Your legs will wobble, 
your lungs will burn, 
you will wonder why, 
but when you finish,
you know you will have faced oblivion

Race Details

Date:   Sunday 9th May 2010 
Location: Eastnor Castle Estate, Herefordshire 

Course Details:  A supreme test of fitness !  Participants will complete a 6ish mile gruelling cross country course interspersed with ten different tests of strength, endurance and co-ordination
This is a different course to the Mud Runner cross country held in the autumn and as it is held in May, we cannot guarantee it will be muddy, however, competitors will need to be able to swim !

The Tests:  The fitness tests will be spaced across the whole course and include:
The Discovery Crawl:  5 Land Rovers lined up bumper to bumper which you need to crawl underneath
Cargo Climb:  It does what it says on the tin, it’s a cargo net and you have to climb it.
Posh Toby's Hurdles:  Series of horizontal logs set at awkward heights, go over or under but not through or round.
Jake's House of Pain:  It involves a lot of squats and it hurts
Big Si's Hose:  Massive hose to crawl and struggle through
The Splash:  Collect your duck and cross to the other side of the lake, however you like, we would recommend swimming (note: it might not be a duck as wee Adam has asked for something a little more manly)
Tyre Pull:  Kind of like soap on a rope, but with a tyre, good test of arm, back strength and endurance
Monkey Bars: Swing from one side to the other, or drop into the filthy pit
Bergies Bales:  yes, it's something to climb up and over again.
Balance Beams:  Surely I don't have to explain these!
The Wall:  Do you remember superstars! Course you do, Ed Moses could do it without the rope, can you?  (If you can’t, don't worry, Elsie is a proper big unit and will be on hand to throw you over, or alternatively you can always get help from another runner or team mate)

Thanks to all those who have donated online, but also many thanks to those friends and colleagues who have made offline donations!