Im in the Nottingham Post!

As promised, here is the link to the article written in the Nottingham Post

Image courtesy of The Nottingham Post

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Andy-s-year-long-run-marathon-hospice/story-20510503-detail/story.html

As usual with these things they get a few details wrong, like the 'amateur photographer' status (try telling that to the Inland Revenue!) but it is about right in the main and we are very grateful for the coverage.

Run 1 - Complete, 364 to go

I woke this morning feeling nervous, not sure why, it's only running. As the day progressed it looked less and less likely that i was going to be doing run number 1 of 365 consecutive runs in the rain, it did look a bit windy in the forecast, i could live with that. I tried to eat something early just in case i brought it back up! why was i so nervous about it? I'd run this distance lots of times, I'd even run this actual route only a few days ago.

I arrived at the Hospice at 1.20pm, after a quick telephone interview with a reporter at The Nottingham Post i found a loo to change in. The Post photographer arrived and we both went out in to the garden for a quick photo shoot. A bit of running on the spot and staged stretching (it felt very weird being that side of the lens) and we were at the front of the building where a crowd of staff and patients had gathered waiting for the off. They were all in coats complaining about the cold whilst i was in my shorts itching to get going, if only to get warm!

2pm - One last photo and i walked to main road while a small gathering followed behind and the photographer headed down the road to get a couple of action shots. I knew from the trial i ran last week that the route would be 5.1K as long as the run started from the entrance gate side of the car park.

This was the 'best' one eh?

Phone in hand - Endomondo on and I was off. 100 yards down Woodborough Road i passed the snapper, crouched by a wall. Another 100 and a beep from the horn of my partners car as she headed off for a meeting, then a hoot from Rebecca, the PR and marketing coordinator at the hospice as she drove to The Cornerhouse which was to be the end point of run number 1. The final blast from a car horn came as the photographer past me. I settled in to the run just as the freezing rain/hail hammered down. It was the coldest rain I've run in, i guess i'll have to get used to that. I turned the corner on to Huntingdon Street, aiming for the Capital FM arena with a brain freeze from the rain hitting my head. Hat... i have a hat.... just wasn't on my head.

freebee at the slug and lettuce

As i was climbing up Maid Marion Way i passed The Nottingham Post photographer again! "It's a small world" and as rhetorical as this usually is i felt i should acknowledge him with a "It certainly is". Of course what i should have said was "Yeah well, you ought to try running it mate." Up and across to Wollaton Street and down passed the Theatre Royal, then to make sure i run over 5k i had to run passed The CornerHouse and up Kings Walk, then on to The CornerHouse.

Donald and I at the Cornerhouse

Approaching the door at the finish and it was opened for me by Donald The Cornerhouse compliance manager. inside was Rebecca with a flag and Dan from Tank PR. I was soaked due to not having a waterproof on as i was wearing a hospice Tee shirt and i didn't want to cover it, a few more photos then Donald walked me down to The Slug and Lettuce to meet Ellen who kindly poured me a large coke on the house. As i stood there getting colder i joked about swapping it for a hot chocolate. a couple more photos then back to the hospice.

Ellen 'supervising' me with my freebee

So thats run 1 complete, see the route here,  just 364 to go.

Just great... my nose is now running more than my legs!

I have already raised £100, thank you all who have taken the time to donate.

So,  just four days before the 5k a day challenge starts and I've got man flu coming on! i have been running nearly every day for around  month, but I've decided to stop until Monday, a few days break before the 27th january should be enough to shake off the worst of it.

The trial route run went well and comes in at 5.05k so its perfect.

Outside the Hospice with Steve on wednesday before the test run.

The route starts at the Nottinghamshire Hospice Building on Woodborough Road and ends at The Corner House. Ill be running passed the Capital FM Arena, Broad Marsh Bus station, up maid marion Way and then past the Theatre Royal before making a quick loop to top out 5k.

The route i'll be taking on monday 27th Jan.

The Official 5k route for Run Number 1

Here is the official route for run number 1 on Monday 27th January.

 It’s just over 5k at 5.1k according to the app.

 After a few issues I have finally managed to get endomondo to tweet my runs. Twitter is now set to automatically post to my facebook page as well. After a good 30 minutes sat creating dummy runs on my phone and then checking twitter, only to see nothing appear, I did as all men do and refer to the instructions… What…? Well there no point wasting time reading when there’s swearing and all this switching off and on again to get through!

 I finally gave up and started looking for forums and the like, it turns out that endomondo has to see some form of GPS movement, or to put it another way – it will only post actual exercise! I got up and took the phone for a brisk walk and would you believe it, it works!

Ill be starting off at 2pm so should arrive at the CornerHouse at around 2.30pm.

The Hospice Blog

As well as being able to catch up with my challenge here on my blog, the lovely Caroline at the hospice has set up a blog on the hospice website too.

There is the short video also included there to start things off.

Check out Carolines handy work here

A few great reasons why you should donate to the 5k a day challenge.

When you donate to my 5k a day (#5kadaynh) challenge through Just Giving, you will be helping the Nottinghamshire Hospice directly.

Nottinghamshire Hospice is committed to ensuring the best possible palliative care for adults with a life limiting illness, and to give respite and support to their carers.

Day therapy, Counselling services, support for carers, bereavement service.

To read more about the services your donations will help to fund click here.

An interview with me about the 5k a day challenge filmed by me at the Hospice.