Doing the legwork

Sorry it's taken so long to update this. Well, it's finally happening again. I'm aiming to run the London Marathon for the fifth time running. This year, I'll be running for the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), and they are a fabulous charity that is committed to creating a world without barriers for deaf children, providing support for them and their families and campaigning for change. As those who already know me will know, this is a charity that is very close to my heart.

The prospects for deaf children have improved massively over the years, but it still makes for grim reading. Statistically, deaf children are still extremely vulnerable to isolation, bullying and low self-esteem. 65% of deaf children fail to achieve five GCSE passes. Deaf children are more likely to experience mental health problems and are twice as likely to be abused than other children.

So far, my training has gone well. As with previous years, I'm now doing 20+ mile runs at the weekends, so I'm definitely getting the legwork in. I've no idea whether I'll beat last year's finishing time but I am hoping to raise more money than in previous years. We'll see how that goes then....

For now, here's a photo of me modelling my running vest. This time it's more of a lilac colour. They always give me such nice colour vests, these charities.

If you would like to sponsor me, you may do so at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/martinpampel.

Many thanks once again to all for your continued support!

Great North Run

I recently fulfilled another ambition of mine - to take part in the Great North Run. I completed it in 1hr 33mins (93 minutes), beating my own personal best in a half-marathon.

I ran for Children With Cancer, one of a number of charities that I admire. They asked me if I would be interested in running for them, and without really thinking it through properly, I said "yes!" I was initially concerned about being able to raise enough money, since I had only completed the London Marathon a couple of months before signing up for this one, and was worried that nobody would want to spend even more money on sponsoring me.

I did not have to worry too much as I was able to meet the £500 target and in fact exceeded it, raising a total of £680 - thanks to some very generous sponsors.

The Great North Run was interesting but not necessarily because of the run itself. I had to sort out the logistics of getting to Newcastle in the first place, finding somewhere to stay overnight, familiarising myself with the city, and doing all of this on my own.

I drove up there the evening before, checked into my hotel room and got myself prepared. On the morning of the run itself, I woke up early and made my way to the start line, helped by a crowd of friendly people who I got chatting to. 

Eventually the race began and the weather conditions were just perfect for me. Warm, but not too warm. I wanted to do my very best, but not tire myself out completely, so I hoped to take it easy and take in the sights of Tyne and Wear. I didn't really take it easy, as I ran like the proverbial clappers but I still got a chance to see some of the views. 

At one point, about ten miles in, I was handed a bottle of water by a lady who looked a lot like Tanni Grey-Thompson and said to me "well done Martin, keep going." But it might just have been a random woman in a wheelchair. Apparently she was there handing out drinks so perhaps it was her after all, and I wasn't hallucinating due to tiredness and dehydration!

Eventually I finished, spurred on by the crowd, even though I had nobody that I knew cheering me on. It was nice anyway just to hear my name being called out.

I finally met the nice people who work at Children With Cancer, got some food and drink down me, made my way back to my hotel room, showered, got changed and then drove back to Manchester. I think the drive from Newcastle to Manchester took twice as long as it took me to do the Great North Run. I certainly found it more tiring....

There's a photo of me, below. 

Before anybody asks, yes, my nipples were bleeding, as you can see. It's not a Gorbachev-style birthmark on the child's head in the charity's logo....

Me after completing the Great North Run

I have now begun my training for 2015's London Marathon. I know, it never ends...

London Marathon 2014

Hello everybody.

I completed the London Marathon 2014 in a time of 3 hours 27 minutes and 51 seconds, beating last year's time of 3 hours 34 minutes and 19 seconds (and my own personal best) by about seven minutes. This marks the third year in a row that I have beaten my previous year's finishing time. For all that talk about me getting less fit as I get older, I seem to be getting better at this year on year.

The pre-race routine was the same as last year's. Meet up with my uncle, cousin and cousin-in-law who were also taking part in the race at our nearest Underground station, get the tube to Greenwich, walk over to Greenwich Park, sort out our various bits and bobs and then head to the toilets to get all the last-minute nerves out of our systems. I must have spent about half an hour in that portaloo, and most of that time involved waiting for the smell of the previous user's waste matter to subside, fixing the gel dispenser so that I actually had something to clean my hands with, and covering the toilet seat with several protective layers of toilet paper before sitting down.

Having done what I needed, I made sure I was well hydrated and drank plenty of water and Lucozade (other energy sports drinks are available) and then had to nip to the toilets once again. With only ten minutes to go, I headed towards my starting position, did some stretching and warm-ups and tried my best to mentally prepare myself for the race. I felt ready, yet at the same time, unprepared, contradictory as that sounds.

The starting pistol went off at 10am and about two minutes later, I crossed the start line. In previous years, I got off to a rather slow start as I found myself stuck behind slower runners and not easily being able to pass them. This year, this did not seem to be much of a problem and I got through my first mile in about seven minutes, whereas in previous years this would have taken at least eight or nine. By the end of the first hour of running, I had already completed eight miles and was showing no signs of slowing down.

Having passed the Cutty Sark at mile 6, the next major landmark was Tower Bridge, around the 12-mile mark. I completed the first half in 1 hour 37 minutes. Considering my fastest half-marathon time of 1 hour 36 minutes last month, this was pretty good, given that I still had another half of the marathon to come.

I managed to run 20 miles before needing to slow down and walk for a little bit. In an ideal world, I'd have carried on running but I really did need to rest and recharge the old batteries. Still, 20 miles without stopping is impressive (for me, anyway) and is the furthest I've managed in one go.

Finally I reach the Embankment. As usual, it seems to go on forever and ever, my legs have turned into unmovable stone pillars and the rest of my body is screaming at me to stop abusing myself. Somehow I kept on going, and although I didn't quite have the strength for a sprint finish, I was able to overtake dozens of people on my way to the finish line.

At the end of those 26 miles and 385 yards, I crossed the line with a time of 3 hours, 27 minutes and 51 seconds, although the sports watch with built in GPS that I was using said that I had in fact completed just over 27 miles and that I had apparently passed the 26.2 mile mark at around 3 hours and 21 minutes. As is the case with a lot of runners, we ended up running a little bit more than the 26 miles through having to zigzag around other runners and slightly deviating from the middle of the road to pick up drinks, etc.

Totally exhausted and barely able to stand, let alone walk, I collected my goodie bag, had my timing chip taken off my shoe, got my photo taken and headed for the Cancer Research UK runners welcome centre for a well-earned massage and a rest, all the while swearing to myself that I would never do anything stupid like enter another marathon again.

I've finally recovered and the aches and pains have all gone. Now all I feel is emptiness inside. I think I've got the post-marathon blues. I've lost all sense of purpose and don't really know what to do with myself. In the absence of another challenge to get me out of bed in the mornings, I think I'll have to either apply for next year's marathon or get myself a girlfriend to occupy my time with. Hmmm....looks like the marathon'll be the easier option.

So far I have raised over £1500 for Cancer Research UK, a charity that means a great deal to my family, and hopefully I can raise some more. If you would like to sponsor me, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Martinpampelmarathon

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With nearly a month to go until my fourth London Marathon, I am feeling quite confident.

I was down in Essex last weekend, where I took part in the Roding Valley Half-Marathon, an event that I last completed three years ago. I finished it with a time of 1hr 36minutes, comfortably beating my previous finishing time of 1hr 48minutes. I can attribute that either to being fitter and more experienced than last time, or perhaps overdosing on Lucozade before the race, giving me enough energy to get through it.
It is a very hilly course so I am pleased to have finished in good time, without needing to stop, and I got a medal for my efforts.

I ended up finishing in 96th place, having started very near the back in 459th position! Perhaps if I had not had to meander through slower runners in the first few miles, I might have completed the race with a faster time and in a higher position but it was quite a confidence booster being able to overtake and pass by several hundred runners.

I can assure you that I will not be running anywhere near as fast during the London Marathon. I will be pacing myself somewhat slower so that I have enough stamina to get through the entire 26 miles, not just the first 13. Having said that, I hope to complete marathon number four in good time too.

I have received my running vest from Cancer Research, and here is a picture of me modelling it. I think I'd make a great model. What does Claudia Schiffer have that I don't have? The vest is a bit too big but I would prefer it to be loose than skintight because this will reduce the chance of it rubbing against certain body parts.

The sponsorship is starting to pick up and I have raised over £650 so far. That's very nearly a third of my target. My plans to increase this amount are gathering momentum. It gets harder with each year to raise money as apathy increases and the credit crunch continues to crunch but I'm absolutely certain I'm good for the money.
If you want to join in and sponsor me just like all these other generous people, here is the place to go:
http://www.justgiving.com/Martinpampelmarathon

If The Shoe Fits

It's been a couple of months since I last posted anything. After four years of writing a blog about my marathon training, it's hard to come up with something genuinely new and not rehash old topics. Stepping up my training? Talked about that before. Injury scares? Done that. Bought a new pair of shoes? Mentioned that before. Mind you, that was a while ago. I think sufficient time has passed for me to be able to revisit that subject.

It had been nearly two years since I bought my last pair of running shoes. Normally runners are advised to replace their shoes every 300-400 miles and I think my last pair of shoes had done at least three times that distance. Really, I should have replaced them a long, long time ago, but sometimes you just get so attached to some things, that it becomes so difficult to let go of them. I still often run in the same shirt and shorts that I wore in training for my first marathon three years ago. If they're comfortable and still have plenty of use in them, then I shall continue to use them. In a way, they're like lucky items of clothing to me and I can't imagine running without them. I worry that running in different clothing, I'll somehow jinx myself and give myself an injury. It's totally irrational but that's just the way I am.

And so I have a new pair of running shoes. Despite being worn out, I still think there's some use for my old shoes. I might still rotate between the old and new shoes as I wear into the new pair, which will take a bit of getting used to. I'm not sure they're quite the same size as my old pair. In fact, they feel a bit smaller, but I've already tried them out on a treadmill for half an hour with no ill effects, so tomorrow I will take to the streets and see whether the new shoes pass muster.

Martin's on the Run Again

I am blowing the dust and cobwebs off this old blog because it's time to start posting again. I have once again thrown my proverbial hat into the ring and entered myself in the 2014 London Marathon.

You'd think someone would be satisfied with having done the marathon three times in three consecutive years, each time beating their previous time. And I am satisfied, but I want to carry on fundraising. I guess you could say I've been well and truly bitten by the marathon bug. There's no greater feeling than knowing you've accomplished such a feat of endurance and helped to raise lots of money for a good cause.

In 2011 I raised over £3500 running for the RNID, in 2012 I raised over £2700 for Action on Hearing Loss and in 2013 I raised over £2500 for Whizz-Kidz (you can see the law of diminishing returns at work here, but still very, very, very impressive amounts of money to raise).
In 2014 I shall be running and fundraising for Cancer Research UK. This is a charity that means a great deal to me as my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer about two years ago. Though she is now in remission, it was a worrying time for all of the family, most of all for her. A number of other family members have also battled various forms of cancer, including aunties and uncles, not to mention many family friends. 2014 also marks 30 years since my grandmother passed away from pancreatic cancer, so as you can see, the pursuit of a cure for cancer and scientific research into finding a cure and developing better treatment is one that I believe in strongly.

My training began some time ago and I am gradually increasing my strength and stamina as I go. Already I am running over ten to fifteen miles each weekend. Against my better judgement and normally financial prudent ways, I joined a local gym, so if it ever gets too cold, snowy and icy outside, as it did last winter, I have no reason to miss out on my training as I can take to the treadmill instead. It's no substitute for the hard surface of a concrete pavement, but in an emergency and as a last resort, it'll do.

If you would like to support me, you can sponsor me by visiting: http://www.justgiving.com/Martinpampelmarathon

London Marathon 2013

Dear readers,

I completed the London Marathon 2013 in 3hours 34minutes 19seconds, beating my previous year's time (of 3hrs 38mins 58secs) by nearly five minutes.

I'm exceptionally pleased with this result for two reasons - 1) I had done a lot more intensive training than last year and 2) I wasn't even sure if I would finish in a faster time than last year, despite the extra training, so I am glad to see that it had not gone to waste. Not that I would have been particularly bothered if I had been slower than last year. As I've said from the beginning, the fundraising means more to me than anything else.

In fact, I was on course to finish around 3hrs 30mins. However, I let things slip a little around 23 miles in, but to finish only four minutes after that is still an incredible achievement all the same. My other family taking part also finished the marathon, including my uncle Mark and my cousin Darren who got cramp in both his legs around 9 miles in, but bravely soldiered on through the remaining two-thirds of the race. It is hard enough to run a marathon as it is, but to do most of the race after picking up an injury and carrying on to the very end without giving up takes a hell of a lot of guts. I am very proud of his determination.

The organisers and participants took part in a 30-second silence before the beginning of the race, in memory of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing last week. It was a very moving and respectful 30 seconds, followed by loud applause. It was absolutely the right thing to do, and many of the runners, like me, also wore black ribbons as a mark of respect.

I got off to a good start as I was much closer to the front of the crowds than I had been the previous two years, meaning I did not spend so much of the first few miles trying to wind my way around slower runners in front of me. Despite the only landmark in the first 11 miles or so being the Cutty Sark and therefore there not being any sights to see, I was able to keep myself motivated.
Running along Tower Bridge was a wonderful experience again, and the sight of so many people cheering me on is one I won't forget in a hurry. At the 13-mile mark, my cousin Matt was there to greet me, with his colleagues from the Alzheimer's Society who were all cheering on the runners for that charity.

I kept up the pace but after around 18 miles, I was beginning to flag a bit. A short walk and a drink of water and Lucozade were enough to put a spring back in my step and I carried on again. I saw some more family at mile 23, near the Monument. At this time I had slowed down and started walking again as fatigue set in. Their shouts of encouragement spurred me on. I counted down from 5 in my head and zipped off, yelling "AAAAARRRRGHH!"

My brother and my Dad were at mile 25 to cheer me on, and they saw me, although I did not  see them properly, expecting them to be standing on the other side of the road. Another cousin of mine, Claire, was also at mile 25, and it was great to see so many family and friends turn out to support me (though to be fair, they were mostly out there supporting other people as well).
As with last year and in 2011, the Embankment and Birdcage Walk just went on and on and on, with seemingly no end in sight. That last mile or so down Birdcage Walk was like mental torture. I ran past a sign saying "800m to go!" After running what I thought must surely have been at least half that distance, if not the whole lot, I approached another sign saying "600m to go!" Things continued in this fashion when I got to a sign saying "200m to go!" as I turned into the Mall for my sprint finish. By this point, I did not have much energy left so it wasn't so much a sprint finish, more like a "relatively fast-paced jog" finish but I at least had enough energy left to overtake a few people down the final stretch.

I crossed the finish line, and who was there to greet me? None other than Richard Branson, founder and chairman of Virgin, who are the sponsors of the London Marathon. He very kindly shook my hand but I was too exhausted to even say anything, let alone thank him. What a nice man though.
I could barely walk down to Horse Guards Parade to collect my kit bag and had to sit down for a while, but eventually I summoned up the strength to get up and go. I went to the institute where the charity Whizz-Kidz were hosting their post-marathon reception, and there I got some food and a massage. I was hoping for a hot, blonde, Swedish masseuse (as in my mind, this is what all people who practise massages look like) but instead it was a 15-stone bearded man called Peter from Birmingham. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

I was initially worried that the heat would affect my performance, as most of my training had taken place in the coldest winter I have known for years, but fortunately the temperature on Sunday did not turn out to be too hot. In fact, it was quite frosty first thing that morning, and though it did get very hot later on, it was just about bearable, and I did have to slow down and walk a few times, but this was more due to tiredness than any adverse weather. I'm happy and I've raised nearly £2000 for a really deserving cause - the charity Whizz-Kidz, which provides disabled children with wheelchairs and other mobility equipment that is not readily available on the NHS.
https://www.justgiving.com/martinpampel/

So that's three marathons done in three years. Marathon number four next year?
To paraphrase the rower Steve Redgrave's apparent retirement after winning his fourth Olympic gold medal at the Atlanta games in 1996, "I give permission to anybody who catches me in a boat again to shoot me," I say "I give permission to anybody to shoot me if I enter another London Marathon."
Of course, we all know that Redgrave changed his mind and went on to win a fifth gold medal after competing at the next Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000. So who knows?

After all, tomorrow is another marathon day

One more day to go! This is it, now. Third marathon in three consecutive years. All the hard work in training has been done, and it's up to me to put in a good performance tomorrow.

I attended the London Marathon Expo at ExCeL in the Docklands yesterday (as I did in previous years) and got my name printed onto my running vest, although the letters of "MARTIN" have come out slightly smaller than I would have liked. I spent most of the morning wandering around the Expo, looking at the various stalls and listening to people advertising marathons in other parts of the country or in other countries, and trying to sell me running equipment, energy food, etcetera that I didn't really want or need.

More and more people have sponsored me with the marathon getting closer and I should make my target now, and hopefully even exceed it. I set up another sweepstake at work, asking people to guess my finishing time in the marathon, for £1 per guess. Nearly 200 employees at the corporation took part, so a lot of money was raised! I have my quiz evening in two weeks' time and I expect to raise even more money then.

£200 in the money mug!

People have been asking me "are you going to beat your finishing time last year, Martin? Are you? Are you?" I don't know. I wasn't setting out to finish in a faster time. I just wanted to raise more money and take part again. Now I feel under pressure to be better than last year, and it's a pressure that I don't really want or need. The fundraising is more important to me, so if I perform better than last year, then great, but if not, I won't be too bothered about it. With the death of a 23-year-old runner in the Brighton Marathon last week, and the death of a young lady in last year's London Marathon, as well as the horrible events of last Monday's terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon, I think there are more important things to be worrying about than how quickly I finish, so it's good to have a sense of perspective.

One thing is for sure, I will endeavour to do my very best. So I would like to end by thanking all of my supporters and sponsors for their kind donations and good wishes. I would also like to wish my fellow runners (including my cousin Darren, my uncle Mark and his uncle Paul, who is again the oldest runner in this year's race at the age of 88) all the best for tomorrow, and hope that the event is a safe and enjoyable one for all participants and spectators.

My running number - 49914.
I am not a number, I am a free man!

You can follow my progress (or lack of) as my running number is 49914 and if you wish to sponsor me, my JustGiving page is here: http://www.justgiving.com/martinpampel

Boston bombing

The excitement of the upcoming London Marathon has turned into a period of shock, sadness and disbelief at recent events.

Yesterday, at around 14:50 local time, three people were killed and dozens injured in a twin bombing near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Of the three murdered, one was an eight year-old boy called Martin.

Even though I was not in Boston and have never even been, and even though I only found out through watching the news last night, the story has shocked me to the very core. I just can't get my head around how this could happen at such an event, or anywhere else for that matter. Why anybody would want to bomb runners and spectators at a marathon is beyond me. I cannot for the life of me see any reasons. There's no military, financial or strategic reason to do this, so the only conclusion that I can jump to is that someone, or some people, simply wanted to kill and injure as many people as possible. Pointless, utterly senseless violence. Whether it is an act of domestic or foreign terrorism, or the work of an individual or a terrorist group remains to be seen, but I hope that the perpetrators are caught and duly punished.

The security measures for the London Marathon have always been stringent but I expect that they will be re-examined just to ensure that all participants and spectators on Sunday are completely safe. I am not worried and I have nothing to fear (in regard to terrorism anyway). I will feel no more or less safe than I did during the last two marathons, and I know that the police will do as brilliant a job in policing the event as they have every single year. The horrible news of yesterday has only made me more determined to start and finish the race on Sunday, as an act of defiance against the terrorist scum, and as a show of solidarity to our friends across the pond who have been affected by this atrocity.

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Twelve days to go until the London Marathon. I have completed the last of my long runs and started tapering down the exercise to allow me to recover and take it easy before the big day, so that my body is in peak condition.

My sponsorship has now exceeded £1000, I have attempted several runs in my green Whizz-Kidz vest, my friend Sam and I are in the process of organising a fundraising quiz evening, for which I have been able to obtain a number of very exciting and sought-after prizes, and I have also received my running number for the race - it's 49914. I am not sure what the numbers mean. I think they're either completely arbitrary or sorted by charity, but last year I was 33743 and in 2011 I was 46411.

In short, everything is coming along nicely as we head into the last few days before the Marathon. I am excited, although it is a nervous sort of anticipation. I will just do my best and just keep on running, even when my heart, head, legs and feet tell me to stop.

In the meantime, if you wish to sponsor me, here is the link to my JustGiving page: http://www.justgiving.com/martinpampel