The first post...

I'm Andy Wallis and on Monday 27th January 2014 i will start a year long challenge to run 5k a day in aid of the Nottinghamshire Hospice.

Ill be using this blog to share my runs and experiences as i go. There is a film in making and once I've finshied the editing i'll be sharing here also. I've decided to kick off the new blog with a previous article written a couple of months back.

I took up running in 2010 after seeing Eddie Izzard run his mammoth 43 marathons in 51 days for Sport Relief. As someone convinced that they were not designed for running, seeing what he had achieved and hearing him say we 'were' designed for just that was very inspiring. That year saw me run the Robin Hood half marathon and a 10k race, not bad for someone who couldn't run across the road without gasping for breath! But I had a fall on an already dodgy ankle and it forced me to stop. At the end of last year (2012) I was the heaviest I've ever been, around 14.5 stone and I was feeling pretty ill. A combination of working late, eating badly and no exercise, what did i expect? 

Me and the Clan. Christmas 2012

I decided enough was enough and I started to cut out bread, cheese, oats, caffeine, crisps and even chocolate, all the things I love. I think I used to eat bread and cheese every day without fail. It was hard but I knew I needed to do something drastic to change the ever expanding me. I replaced them with water and real fruit and vegetables.

Within a couple of months I was feeling better and surprisingly, a little lighter. So I dusted off the asics and started to run again. Short gentle runs with plenty of walking thrown in, while all the time sending images of steel bars down to my previously damaged ankle just to be on the safe side. After a while those metal bar signals were working and were actually cramping my knee! OK time to relax about the joints...

Me at the finish line of the half
marathon in 2010

It's been fun getting back in to shape, and I have been amazed how quickly I've changed shape. I'm now around 12 stone. My decrease in size has caused a bit of a stir, some still ask if I have anything terminal and why I seem to have kept all my hair. Nice! My favourite one so far though is being called Chester Copperpot. The Goonies discovered Chester, well his bones at least! And remember the skeleton from the Memorex tape ads? I get that too.  "Re-record not fade away"

I am of course taking no interest in this incredible 'ribbing' no pun intended, as so far, i have never felt better. I am even having to buy smaller clothes (not so good). I haven't been 12 stone since I was 25, I'm 40 now. With all this good news and improvement i was bound to hit some kind of wall, and I have. Over the last month improvements have deseased and I'm running out of enthusiasm. As motivation is massive part of any exercise I needed something to help me to continue. What about a marathon? too far, i don't do huge distance. OK, a half marathon, yeah i have done one in 2010 so i know i can do that. The trouble with that is that so many people run a half  these days and do it for charity. I'm not belittling these achievements, its bloody hard work, but i wanted something that felt like a proper challenge, but suited the sort of running i do and something that people couldn't help but give up some reddies for.

Here we go then, I've been thinking about this for a while since I spotted a similar thing was being done for the Karen Green foundation by a guy called Brendon Birch.

So Ive decided my new challenge is thus, I'm running 5k a day, for a year, that's 3.1 miles for you old money types and I'm going to complete it on behalf of the Nottinghamshire Hospice. Its a really achievable distance as it stands on its own, i run that distance a lot, although my longest run has been 13 miles.

I already donate time and some profit as a pro photographer to the hospice, but this is the first time I will be actually raising funds and although we have yet to agree a start date, I'm really looking forward to getting started.  The Hospice offer a free service to patients and their loved ones which aims to take care of not only the physical needs of patients but also values their emotional, spiritual and social needs. They provide support to families and close friends, both during the illness and in bereavement. They have a Hospice at Home service and Day Therapy facility, complete with Complementary Therapy, Physiotherapy, Counselling and Bereavement services. They have 148 employees and around 300 volunteers. In order to run the Hospice need £3 million per year in which one third of this comes from NHS funding. The rest of the shortfall is raised through their retail division, donations, legacies, weekly lottery and fundraising activities.

one of my images from a hospice event.

All services are provided free of charge and offered regardless of age, gender, ethnic origin or religion. Each year they provide over 7,000 Day Therapy places for patients with a life limiting illness and their families through the Day Therapy facility and deliver over 36,000 hours of care through our Hospice at Home service.

They are a fantastic team and always appreciate the work volunteers like me do for them, i of course feel like a bit of a cheater as i just take photos for them. Its what i do, i really enjoy it and i don't feel like i put myself out to do it. Running the 5k a day challenge or '#5kaday' for you tweeters will allow me to be able actually generate some funds directly.

I'll be completing each 5k on foot obviously, but would love to hear ideas for locations and routes. So If you think you have an idea in mind, or feel you can help, please let me or the hospice know. I can't promise I'll actually do it but I'll certainly consider all your suggestions. 

To follow my progress, i'll be using the iPhone app 'Endomondo' you can see my profile page here, I'll be blogging too from time to time so please come back.
Follow me on twitter, find me on Facebook or email me at info@andywallisphotography.co.uk.

If you feel you could give anything at all to help me raise vital funds for the Nottinghamshire Hospice please check out my Just Giving page.