Paul Young - Marathon Man

Slack period

2006-11-16T11:02:00.000Z

It has been a really busy period; every Thursday evening something has been going on, this time of year is massive for Off The Fence. Excuses over; I have been slack. To be honest I am still a bit cautious after the Doctor's visit. I have even had offers from people not to run the whole marathon they will sponsor me, out of interest, how much are you willing to sponsor? It’s worth a try……

Next week I am out the country for sometime, but I will keep up the running in warmer climates Training for the day... every half hour roll over to even out the sun tan.

The team is coming together nicely, should have fifty runners for the charity by 18 February 2007.

Thank you to the swimmers who swam the last two nights, we are starting to get a number of people asking about a sky dive for Off The Fence in March 2007. If you are interested please phone the office 01273 733732. Does anyone want to go to the China wall challenge in September?

Thank you for all your encouragements. We still have a few spaces left for the marathon, so come and join us.

Lucozade is the answer

2006-10-31T15:48:00.000Z

Things are looking a lot better, I ran four miles in 50 minutes, but I had prepared before, two small bottles of Lucozade before and my legs just kept going, my heart was screaming stop, but my Lucozade shouted go.

That means I can run one mile in 12.5 minutes, but even more staggering is that I could run 800 meters without stopping.

Okay I now can run four miles, what about the other eight? I do not know how it’s going to be possible to go from four to five miles it will need to be stronger than Lucozade.

One negative is that the Doctor was not that happy me running so soon, although I have been feeling good. I realized that I am not 100% when going swimming this week I think the chlorine reacts badly to my chest, it felt like it was going to kill me.

The sponsored swim takes part in two weeks time our eldest participant 93 if anyone would like to take part we have two spaces left phone the office 01273 733732.

Full Metal Jacket experience

2006-10-23T09:36:00.000Z

I was watching this film, just the other night, a Young recruit is not making it, and suddenly he snaps, and madness pursues.

Saturday morning my wife Wendy said “let’s go to the Marina; we will be ready within the hour.”

Madness came over me and I said “I will meet you there, I will run it” by the time I got to the Lagoon, I was mad with myself not bringing any money as I would have happily got the bus. From the lagoon the Marina looks like a dot in the distance.

Technique run two rubbish bins and walk the third, keep focused, but then a little old Gran toddled past me, every two bins I would pass her, on third she past me. Once we got to the King Alfred even the little Gran was miles ahead.

Six miles in one hour twenty five minutes, no it’s not Sebastian Coe but it’s the first run by myself probably in the last thirty years.

Conspiracy Theory

2006-10-23T09:34:00.000Z

Now over the weekend there is a conspiracy, I have had a number of people willing to sponsor me if I do it in a certain time three and half hours. If the sponsorship is right I will attempt it if not I am still planning to stop at Marconi’s Ice cream parlor half way round. The other Conspiracy is that all of a sudden people want to sponsor me to lose weight….Lose weight where does that come into the Marathon? It is now a case of get the fat bloke to lose a stone or two. Again I will attempt it if the price is right, but I am not going to end up looking like Gandhi.

Four and a half miles in less than hour, and we ended the run climbing the biggest street in Hove.

Rob my work colleague and personal trainer was on the phone to another runner the day after this amazing feat of athletics by me, and I heard him say “It's really hard to know how much I should push him” For the record I am on maximum, no beyond maximum.

But the time has certainly got better.

Things are getting better..

Week (1) 16:39 minutes per mile

Week (2) 14:35 minutes per mile

Week (3) 14:22 minutes per mile

Week (4) 12:59 minutes per mile

"I am the most unfit person doing the Marathon"

2006-10-16T12:32:00.000Z

Here I was starting to feel I am not doing too bad, perhaps in a year I could run for England. You know the flights of unreality when you start running. So, I asked the fatal question as I was running this week, “Is there anyone on my level of training that I could run with?” Rob's reply, “I don't know of anyone running the Marathon as unfit as you are”. And on top of that devastation we collected Rob's 8 year old son from Crusader Club - that young boy could not work out why I needed to stop at every second lamp post, to suck in enough air to survive.

We ended up running up one of the steepest hills in Hove, I ended up at my front door and Rob and his son shot off running home. I was left at the door, the only part of my body working was my nose. So, with my nose I rang the bell, my wife Wendy opened the door. I can faintly remember hearing, “Are you alright?” And it was not until I had a steaming bath did I feel human again. In fact as the feeling of sensation came back to my body I can remember feeling this bath is mighty hot.

So how far did I go? I did 6.10km in 59:41. 4 miles in less than an hour, in hostile terrain, mainly facing monumental hills, almost mountainous conditions.

Every pound raised for the Charity from my sponsorship will be paid for through sweat and blood. Please sponsor me……

What would you have chosen?

2006-10-09T15:14:00.000Z

I have had a number of emails asking why I had not updated my blog this week, well there are two reasons, and the main reason why I never ran on Thursday night was that a friend of mine invited me out for an Indian Curry. It had taken a full year to arrange. What could I do, Run or Indian curry, Can you see my dilemma Run or Indian Curry?

Well the Curry won.

Second reason, Rob my work colleague said to me “We have been warming up, its time to start really running” Now picture it I am on maximum, only warming up. To do a run or an Indian curry?.

Well I failed miserably this week, two fry ups also.

Enough of feeling bad, Thursday is my running night. Does anyone want to go for a Curry Thursday night?

4 Miles in less than an hour

2006-09-29T12:32:00.000Z

It is true; I have been running at breakneck speed. After carrying over a ton of books at work, we went out running, not on the flat but over the hills, I was struggling, and anyone sponsoring me is getting there money worth, for pain.

I am currently writing this blog while eating a celebration bag of chips; ..well you can go over the top. The team of runners are up to thirty, just twenty more we need to sign up for the February run.

If you are not up for that, then how about the Swimathon in November?

If I receive another £100 sponsor money this week I will run five miles next week. Not only do you get the pain factor of the 13.1 mile Half-Marathon, but you get to see me making unrealistic challenges to my body each week.

Finally look out for my article in the Evening Argus and Leader entitled from Sickness to Superman!

It has "Finally" happened...

2006-09-22T10:56:00.000Z

I was hoodwinked, my work colleague said lets go out and do some stretching exercises. I thought stretch I can do that.

Outside my house, Thursday evening, we started across the green, on tip toe, then long strides…To be honest I felt a bit embarrassed, hope my neighbours do not see me.

We got to the park, long strides fast walking. I felt at that time that’s enough, then I was tricked, lets jog to the next tree, and we ran and walked fast for two and a half miles, most of it up hill and across fields. The only place I felt happy about running was through the gypsy site, I could hear the dogs in the field, and it was the only time I wasn’t listening to my pounding heart.

2.4 miles in 40 minutes it’s not going to win the Olympics but I felt alright, surprising considering only a few hours before I went to the Chinese Buffet, all you can eat.

I am aiming to break the five hour mark for the 13 miles.

Batman has become Superman

2006-09-15T14:23:00.000Z

Yes it's true…I was given a fantastic Superman suit, which it is possible to run in. The Batman hood was just too hot. This morning I was outside my office (Main Road) running in my Superman kit, for a picture and short clip for the blog. Everyone was looking, what I do to raise money for this Charity.

Thank you to the people that have sponsored me, it is steadily rising and it’s at the point of no return.

I am back walking to work and a bit of power walking, so we are on the way, I am even eating less. Fifteen signed up runners so far with the promise of fifteen more let’s see if we can reach the fifty runner mark. What a Challenge.

A temporary set back

2006-09-06T14:40:00.000Z

Once again I was in hospital, still checking why I have the pains in the side, it is all to do with the amount of Antibiotics pumped into me while I was critically ill.

But I am going to do this Marathon.

Yesterday while with Sir Ranulph Fiennes (The most famous living explorer in the world) I was quite pleased with myself as I explained I was going to do the Half Marathon along Brighton beach only one year after having Pneumonia, Sir Ranulph explained that three months after having a Triple heart bypass he ran seven full marathons in seven days in seven different Continents. I kept quiet after that.

So far I have only got £10 sponsorship if it does not start going up I will pay the £10 myself not to do it, go on start sponsoring….

Online Sponsorship

2006-08-24T12:21:00.001Z

Rob Lines writes: Paul is currently on holiday for a couple of weeks, but in the meantime we have completed the set up of his online sponsorship page. If you would like to support Paul in this challenge please click here.

Harder than expected

2006-08-16T13:54:00.000Z

I have been in at work, but just about, the antibiotics have just kicked in with this chest infection. I think I am realising that the marathon is going to be a lot tougher than I hoped. My body has not fully recovered from my earlier illness. But I am going to do it, it is important to me to raise money for the most in need within this city of Brighton.

Temporarily out of action

2006-08-11T13:59:00.000Z

I was doing really well but early this week I got myself a chest infection, with having pneumonia a few months back it’s a lot more serious than usual. I am on antibiotics and the Doctor almost commanded me to take it easy. As soon as I feel up to it again I will be in training. Today we have our number thirty volunteer to run with us, only twenty more places left, and its only August.

The Engine will not start.

2006-08-08T08:03:00.000Z

Yesterday I power walked to work ready to take on the world.

Today every step was an effort, at any point I would have been happy getting a lift.

I am not sure if it is the effects of the long walk Saturday, or days were my body is still recovering from the illness. I really do not know, but it just was not happening.

The Marathon day will completely depend on the way I wake up on that morning.

This walking lark is going to be miserable in the rain.

Hitting the Wall

2006-08-07T14:39:00.000Z

At midday my wife said, “so much for that walk to the Pier”. I was stirred into action.

I took my two youngest children from my house in Hangleton to Portslade. Not far I hear you say, I then suggested we walk to the Lagoon and we did. After a phone call my wife was going to take the children swimming so we walked to the King Alfred.

And I said, “I'll pick you up in a couple of hours”, and off I went, to the West Pier. I am feeling fresh, sun out with a breeze. Next target: the Palace Pier. That was easy because Brighton was rocking, wall to wall people, live bands along the beach, I even watched Elvis sing at the entrance to the pier. As a celebration I bought myself a punnet of cockles. But I kept going, past the Concord and to the Marina, I am starting to ache now, and I am feeling hot. I have had no fluid all day, sun is really beating down. But I am doing okay…I reached nine miles and mistakenly I stopped to buy a pair of sunglasses for five pounds. Bargain. I was trying them all on and then bang a terrific migraine hit me. I had hit the wall and I was in trouble and walked a miserable mile back to the King Alfred swimming pool where my wife and children were. I felt really quite rough in the evening, bad head. The lesson I learned: a desperate need to take water to drink. Ten miles! I will give it another go later in the week, walking to work has become a habit, so we are on the way.

While I was walking I thought up another challenge event to save people’s lives in Brighton, to have a team swim a continuous relay at the King Alfred in November, with the swimmers’ combined swimming the distance of the English Channel. Are their any swimmers out there willing to swim and raise a bit of sponsorship for a Brighton based-charity?

Momentum building

2006-08-04T15:54:00.000Z

I walked both ways to work yesterday and today momentum building and I am speeding up, Friday night is a downer it’s curry night.

On Saturday morning I plan stage two, walk from the Lagoon to the Pier and back that must be at least six miles. I am starting to feel the pain just thinking about it.

Batman enters Brighton half-marathon

2006-08-02T11:16:00.000Z

It will be exactly one year at the start of the race when I was in Intensive care unit at the Royal Sussex County hospital. I was suffering from pneumonia and extensive blood poisoning and was given a very slim chance of pulling through. The half-marathon is my personal goal for my recovery. At the same time though I am running and raising sponsorship money for a terrific Brighton based charity called Off The Fence so that they can provide a Safe House for young people coming out of 24 hour care.

So here is my journey of preparation for the half Marathon.

First step

Today end day of July I walked two miles to work…It’s a start, I can hear the cynics, that no start, but I have begun. It was not a great success as I met so many people on the way to work, stopped and talked and I was fifteen minutes late for work.

Second step

A quicker walk to work, at the top of my road I met up with another of the runners who will run for the same Charity. I felt real chuffed, someone has seen me preparing, I told him, “I was walking to work as the first stage of my preparation”. I felt slightly deflated, when he said, “You cannot train with a great big Muffin in your hand”. I totally forgot I had my breakfast, so a little deflated I started walking while munching my muffin. If I was to run the Marathon today within five miles I would end up in intensive care once again, probably heart failure….

Third step

I am guaranteed to come last out of 3000 runners, so I have a cunning plan, run it in a Batman suite, disguised at the back, people will immediately recognise and think yet another lunatic. I am slightly worried though what the children will think lining the Marathon route when their super hero is puking up after five miles.