Overview

I just got my entry for the Athens Classic Marathon confirmed!! WOO HOO!!!!

Sunday 31st October. THE 2500TH ANNIVERSARY RACE. AWESOME IN THE EXTREME!!

Who cares if I can't run, lol. I've entered the POWERWALKING option...

Anyone else got what it takes to do it?? This has got to be an incredible one to do. why not get on there and get in THE BIG ONE, while entries last........

Sponsorship opportunities abound - PM me if anyone is interested....

Also, looks like I'll be on Radio Five Live on saturday night - I'll be in the studio with Stephen Nolan, apparently between 11:30 and midnight, if all goes acording to plan.

Right then, off to find out about powerwalking, and set up a training plan. What's the betting I can walk it faster than I ran it in 2008?

BIG SMILE tonight!!

Mike

Tags: Ramblings

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Hi folks - another long time without a post...

I noticed Way Too Slow had posted a pic of us together at Dorney Lakes last weekend. It was terrific to actually meet up and have a proper chat at last, too good an opportunity to miss as I was virtually in his back yard.

It had been a truly awesome weekend - I was totally awestruck the whole time being in such illustrious company. Firstly, especially for the Ladies, I have to report that, without a shadow of a doubt, Miss Ruby Rose Yelling is a total charmer in every sense, and will break hearts wherever she ventures.  (Although I will also be slightly un-gallant and say her surname is uttely suitable - from the perspective of having spent the night in the next room at the hotel....!!!)

As for her Mum and Dad, what can I say - lovely lovely people, and also her auntie, Hayley, who pitched up to assist all on the Sunday.

But I think the 'bright idea' that Martin Yelling had for the start of my 'motivational (????) talk' will have to go down in history. In many ways it has produced what is probably the most iconic photo of my varied collection. If you think about it, it probably sums up almost the whole of my last 5 years, from start to finish, in one single photo.

This photo, just for the record and with a detailed explanation for anyone who might not recognise them at first glance, is a simple photo of

On the left, Hayley Yelling, current European Cross Country Champion, and on the right her sister-in-law, Liz Yelling, double Olympic Marathon Runner (Athens and Beijing) who wrote the foreword for my book.

And they are standing in a pair of my old trousers!!!!!!!!!!!

It was actually hilarious watching them try to walk out into the front of the hall at the appropriate moment in my talk. They were barely able to control themselves from laughing so much....

Anyway, I thought it might be fun to share....

I may have to come over to visit my Mum and #1 next weekend, so if anyone in the vicinity is free for a catch up and a small anti-oxidant at some stage get in touch in the usual way. I might be involved in a little media thing at the same time, so I'll let you know if it looks like actually happening...

Finally, on the 'ankle' front, it seems like I may have acquired a referral to somewhere special for a 'second opinion'. Absolutely NOT getting my hopes up, but never say never... Still keeping an eye on the Athens Marathon website for entries to open...

which reminds me, I haven't checked today yet, so I'm off for a look....

Keep smiling

Mike

Tags: Ramblings

Post Views: 108

Hi Folks - long time no posting....

As I've just finally got 'Project 1' up and running, thought I'd let you know. this one was the big work project, and getting this going will finally give me the opportunity to take some time to consider the other projects.....

The work project can be viewed at  www.thebps.co.uk

For any of you that work in teaching, at any level from Juniors right up to the very top of Universities, or in the public sector, or marketing / advertising, this might just be worth a little look.... quite revolutionary...

Worth mentioning also that I met an old blogger friend at the weekend, as I had to 'do a talk' at the Cambridge Festival of Running. Maija was looking good - as ever...

Also met Charlie Spedding who was there too - a real blast from the past, to be sure. He had his book with him too, so we swapped copies....!!

Later this month I have to do a simialr thing down at Dorney Lakes for Virgin and some people doing the London Marathon ...should be fun, to say the least....

Hoping everyone is in good shape for High Legh and things to come...

and don't forget entries for Athens open the first week in March...

take care all

Mike

Tags: Ramblings

Post Views: 172

Just dropping by to wish everyone a HAPPY CHRISTMAS

-          and give a quick update on life without running…

Fit and well, and the effects of the whiplash are finally starting to ease off. It has stopped me really doing anything worthwhile in the gym at all – its amazing just how much it affects your back and shoulders as well as the more obvious neck problems. Looking forward to getting back to doing some decent exercise programmes.

Been extremely busy getting a new work project organised ready for a launch in January, so that has kept me out of mischief while I’m not able to get to the gym.

“The book” will become a ‘Collectors Item’ in the not too distant future, as I have taken a firm decision not to order any re-prints. When the first edition has finally gone, that will be it…. if you haven’t bought one by then, you’ll never be able to get one. I’ve got a few left for some of the talks I’m booked for in the New Year, and some for the website sales, but as I said, no re-prints!!

Once I get back in the gym, I’ll start on the powerwalking as a try-out, with Athens as my main target for 2010. That race still totally inspires me – the 2500^th anniversary of the original Marathon, along the same route – totally awesome, once in a lifetime opportunity. Entries should be open next month, and it will be fascinating to see how many entries they get this year. The organisers have already told me they have a limit, which they will not exceed, but my guess is it will be a lot bigger event than it is usually. If anyone else is interested in doing it, let me know and I’ll have a crack at doing some organisation…

Christmas this year is going to be on the 26^th, as far as I’m concerned. The girls have to do their partners Christmases  this year, so we’ll all be together for a full-on Christmas lunch etc on the 26^th. It’ll be my first ever 25^th on my own, so complete freedom with the remote control!!

Still made absolutely no decisions on the future, whatsoever. But I have to say that one or two ideas are starting to take shape for when I get the business stuff sorted out and create a decent income again. Not going to drop any clues as yet, at least until a decision is finally taken.

But for now, I want to wish everyone here a really Happy Christmas, and a great 2010 achieving more dreams, and scaling the heights of ambition beyond expectation.

Still smiling!!

Mike

Tags: Ramblings

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Its almost 5 years to the DAY that I had a car accident. At the time I had absolutely no idea that it would prove to be the key to the most amazing 5 year journey of my life. In that 5 years I went from being a 50 year old, 28 stone, couch potato to a 55 year old, 13 stone, multiple marathon runner.

I made an amazing number of new friends, visited wonderful new places I had never been before, and on a 14 mile long hill in Athens came to understand, for the first time, exactly how deep and incredible my inner strength really is.

And that knowledge is now crucial to me, and gives me a confidence I would not have had before.

In the early part of the last 5 years (I can now look back and realise) I made so many changes of so fundamental a nature that it created a vacuum which I needed to fill with something to give me a purpose and stability.

‘Running’ stepped up and gave me that purpose.

But now running has been taken away from me by bone degeneration in my foot that was just a matter of time, it turns out, and that fits strangely, but comfortably, alongside the book having been a terrific process of realisation and reflection.

The coincidence of these two ‘full stops’ EXACTLY on the fifth anniversary of the car crash is surely the greatest serendipity.

I can now reflect that running has been part of the re-building process, and that it has now done its job and life is telling me in no uncertain terms that it is time to move on. I was adrift on a stormy sea, and running was the log that drifted by for me to cling to. But now it has got me safely to shore, so it is time to let go with thanks and move on.

The absolute joy of the current position, the unbelievable privilege, is that I am now standing on a deserted beach with the ability to walk on in ANY direction I want – buoyed up by the certain knowledge that I am prepared to take on whatever is ahead.

I am now totally content with the situation, and simply waiting for the right idea to pop up and take hold till it feels like the right thing to do.

But I HAVE taken one or two little decisions that help to clear the decks, and the mind.

I have realised, especially from the recent publicity around the book, that in far too many ways, and in far too many places, I am currently DEFINED as TISM, so it is now time to ‘retire’ that persona which was associated with the running, and a period of time which is now in the past.

It is now time to re-assert my true self – MIKE!!

So I am saying goodbye to TISM with a hug and a Thank You.

He was a great friend to me, but he is now consigned to the past.

Realbuzz has also been a great experience, but I really don’t like the changes, especially not the very latest changes – and by another strange coincidence they have conspired to lose the bulk of my subscriptions, meaning I have ‘lost touch’ with many of the wonderful folk I followed.

So along with TISM, Realbuzz is going to take a back seat for me while I find my bearings. I am NOT turning it off permanently, but will drop by again to update anyone interested when I know what I am doing and where I am doing it.

So it’s now Mike, looking forward, with an incredible lightness of spirit and sense of excitement again.

To all who followed my ramblings here I say a huge THANK YOU, and Au Revoir, NOT goodbye.

Learn from my experience that you should NEVER put off ANYTHING you want to achieve, because you never know what lies ahead to get in the way.

Embrace every chance to achieve something new, to meet new people, to see new places, to feel new experiences.

Don’t just Dream -

BELIEVE

and it WILL happen!!

Mike

Tags: Ramblings

Post Views: 532

Felt that I owed everyone an explanation for almost total silence.

Three things, one big, two small.

Small 1 – amazing response from EVERYONE who has actually read the book!! No one associated with it can understand why sales are so unbelievably small. I personally can’t understand why people I know will NOT buy it.

Small 2 – Great Eastern Run is run by the City Council, with support from the local running community. I have given an incredible amount of time and effort to this event, and at the Pasta Party the Race Director was kind enough to say in his speech that he thought entries at record levels were largely down to my efforts. This week, during the ‘de-brief’ emails ahead of the next meeting I was personally insulted and my efforts denigrated by the most senior Council Official responsible for it. As a result I have severed all contact with the race permanently.

BIG REASON.

My surgeon has now identified the problem with my ankle as abnormal bone growth around the mid-foot joint as a direct result of the accident when I was 16 (40 years ago). The result is a total, permanent, irreversible BAN on ever running again. In addition, I will eventually need surgery, removing the extra bone growth and fusing the mid-foot joint in order to be able to walk into my old age. He wants to do the surgery now, but I have declined for the moment because of the risks attached to it. I have to wait until I am in constant pain, THEN get the surgery as a last resort.

Needless to say, at this precise moment, Life SUCKS!!!

TISM

Tags: R

Post Views: 440

Had a slightly mad morning getting a few urgent bits and pieces out of the way, then after the first phone call I hooked up with Tina, Scott and Tina’s dad Joe for a stroll around the city centre familiarising them with the start and finish areas for tomorrow.  About an hour later and I was having a coffee with Paul, Annemarie & the utterly devastating smile machine called Grace!! OMG that girl is going to break hearts over the years…. Then Kim joined us and we had a good chat for a while.

Took some time out , then it was nearly 6 and time for the Pasta Party at the Park Inn.  An excellent turn out from the sponsors and all the local running clubs was the recipe for a very relaxed evening, and a great choice of pasta and salad on the buffet too. Our little group included #3 and her BF Ollie, Paul and his two girls, Kim, and Maija (superrunningmummy) and her partner in crime Dawn.

Andy TFO couldn’t make it, but I had a little ‘chat’ on emails with him this evening. At the moment he has had to assume a very low profile but in case anyone is worried I am in contact and he is well. He might get up here tomorrow at some stage, but he will almost certainly NOT be running.

The Race Director and Course Director and their crews have to start at 5am, but luckily I’m not on duty till 8:30, with a day of Radio and TV, on stage stuff, at the starter’s rostrum, and some bits with the race commentator during the race. Slot in some time at the Waterstone’s stand maybe signing the odd book, drop by the VIP suite to chat to the sponsors – just a fairly relaxed day really, doing ‘my thing’… Also want to try to get away for the lunch with the bloggers for a while too!!

I’ve topped up the camera batteries, decided what to wear, so it’s time to set the alarm and get some kip…

Oh – the weather forecast is now for dry and not too warm… perfect!!

A definite smiley weekend so far…

TISM

Tags: Ramblings

Post Views: 176

GER wheelchair race is going to be a cracker – found out at this morning’s meeting that we have all bar one of the top wheelchair racers in the country entered for Sunday!! By the time we get the Half started, and then the fun run, it’s going to have to be a quick walk down to the finish area to catch the first ones in…

Local weather forecast for Sunday is 14C and light rain, so it should suit the runners rather than the spectators.

I think it is all under control now, so a few bits to do tomorrow, then it’s the ‘do’ in the evening and an early start on Sunday morning.

It’s going to be fun, but I for one will be glad to see Sunday evening, and to know that I can actually have some time to myself. I need some….

TISM

Tags: Ramblings

Post Views: 176