SevenDeadlyMarathons

Marrakech Marathon 28th January We arrived on Fri...

SevenDeadlyMarathons.com — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:50:00 +0000

Marrakech Marathon 28th January

We arrived on Friday evening and met up with Charlotte from Wateraid, Dominic a reporter and Suzanne a freelance photographer. The weather was not quite what we expected from Morroco however it is the coldest month they have here. On Saturday morning Charlotte, had organised a trip to a small village up in the Atlas Mountains called Toulkin, This village had little access to clean water until water projects had been completed there.

With just a few facilities the villagers struggled with sanitation, but through all of this came the welcoming, friendly and excited kids. Suzanne took some photos and we received great hospitality from the villagers especially the guest house there who provided us with lunch and tea. The journey up and down the mountain was a bit to much for some (Ben) as we were in an old 2cv which drove close to the mountain edge. Ben then decided after seeing the 2cv struggle and slip in the snow that he would be safer walking down the mountain and felt rather dizzy watching myself and Dominic sit on the bonnet of the 2cv to give it more weight. Eventually the car did break down just as we got back to the bottom of the mountain which we then had to get a taxi back to the hotel where I crashed out for the night in preperation for the early start to the marathon the next morning.

At the start of the marathon I was nervous as I wasnt sure how my body would cope with the distance after very little training within the past 6 weeks due to a minor knee injury. I set off in a cool slightly damp conditions perfect for marathon running. My pace was a little fast over the first few kms, but I settled into a good pace fairly quickly. At about 15k I met Dave a runner from the 100 marathon club here in the uk and he said he would take me through at the right pace. So I stuck with Dave until the last few kms where I was really struggling with the build up of lactic acid in my legs. I tried my usual sprint finish but got cramp metres before the line. Finishing in 3hrs 31 mins got me inside the world record time for the accumalative time over 7 marathons on 7 continents. Now finally I can relax a little and concentrate on collecting money for Wateraid.

Thanks to you all for the support (words and donations)
Tim

Temp Antarctica Post Whilst we wait for Tim and t...

SevenDeadlyMarathons.com — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 22:48:00 +0000

Temp Antarctica Post

Whilst we wait for Tim and the Antarctica gang to fly back to Punta Arenas, Tim would like to let everyone now he has DONE IT!! 5hrs and 15mins and 2nd place, a tremendous acheivement I am sure all will agree.

UPDATE.....

Tim has now arrived back in Punta Arenas and has a few days rest which will be much needed due to the fact that not more than 48hrs of running the Antarctic marathon he decided to undertake the 100k race there as well. Tim will surely be please with completing additional race and becoming the first Englishman to complete the 100k Antarctica race

Destination Antarctica - Update I am still in Pun...

SevenDeadlyMarathons.com — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 13:05:00 +0000

Destination Antarctica - Update

I am still in Punt arenas, got all dressed up and ready to go yesterday only to be told that visibility isnt good enough to land the plane, that has been the case too this morning! Our next update is at 6 tonight so we hope to go then! With the delays the marathon will not be until tomorrow now at the earliest (13th)! I just really want to get out there now! In the mean time I am having a good time with the guys I have met out here! Also meeting people that have come back from the mountains in the antarctic too, it seems like Punta Arenas is a temporary home for many adventuras and crazy people! meet people who have climbed Everest almost every day! Might go and see the penguins later today! They are chilling out on the coast of Punta Arenas somewhere,so will keep me amused! Meanwhile I am trying to keep track of the finances, Was warned that there is likely to be the same delays coming back into the main land once we get out there! so will have to ring the airline from the antarctic if that is the case!

..............7th December.............

Today I leave for my seventh marathon, the Antarctic Ice Marathon! I am feeling so nervous and very excited but the jet lag and effort from the last five weeks means that I am too tired to get over excited.

I have 20 hours of flying to do in the next day to get to Punta Arenas, Chile where I will meet up with the rest of the runners and logistics team that are taking us out to the inner circle of the Antarctic also I am looking forward to meeting all the other runners and race organiser Richard Donovan as these guys are all experienced marathon runners and many have completed marathons in the hardest environments around the world. I feel privileged to be running with these people and will try to learn as much as I can from their experiences.

It is summer time in the Antarctic so I will be experiencing 24 hour day light but because of the strong winds I am told to expect temperatures of -20. So I have packed my thermal underwear, thick socks and the obvious hat, gloves and scarf! My bags will be considerably lighter than previous weeks as I will be wearing most of my clothes all the time!

I would like to thank everyone who has supported me through email and posts on the forum at sevendeadlymarathons.com. Every single one I receive helps spur me on when I am particularly tired and exhausted. This challenge has been by no means an individual effort and I could never have done it without the support of so many. Together we are raising money that will really make a difference to the lives of so many in Uganda and that thought is enough to get me through any marathon.

So its back to airport check-in once again and shortly I will be in the air, speak to you soon and most importantly, Thank you!

Tim

P.S Please see the latest video of myself crossing the finish line at the Singapore marathon.
http://www.sevendeadlymarathons.com/singrun.html

Singapore Marathon Complete – Six down one to go! ...

SevenDeadlyMarathons.com — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:18:00 +0000

Singapore Marathon Complete – Six down one to go!

The heat hit me immediately as I came out of the air conditioned Singapore Changi Airport, and this was at 1.30 in the morning! My brother Jon and his girlfriend Natalie met me and we spent a couple of days together looking around the City and visiting the Zoo (where Jon felt right at home). Since leaving the US a good night’s sleep had eluded me, due to the constant changing of time zones and humidity, so by Sunday, race day I was absolutely shattered.

The Marathon started at 6am so this meant getting up at 4am and making our way to the start! Jon gave me a constant supply of water before the start of the race but within minutes of the start my body was crying out for water! This was a well organised marathon and so there were numerous water stops, where I could attempt to keep hydrated! I intentionally slowed the pace of my first half of the race and felt fairly good going past the halfway point but a few kilometres later I was really struggling and although still taking on water at every opportunity I was still dehydrating! Beginning to feel dizzy and tight chested I made my way through the last few kilometres and crossed theline in 4hrs and 42mins. After crossing the line I experienced such a sense of relief that no other race or run has ever given me, but also found myself short of breath and in need of some first aid assistance to control my breathing!

Shortly after Jon and Natalie came and found me and took me back to the Hotel where I was able to recover! I fly back to London tomorrow and have a day at home before flying out to Chile to meet up with the group running the Antarctic Ice Marathon on Thursday! I have been taking it one race at a time, but the Antarctic marathon has always been in the back of my mind and now with six marathons done I can focus on what will be an incredible experience! Please have a look at www.icemarathon.com to get an idea of what it will be like!

Speak to you soon!

Seattle Marathon – Marathon Five Complete Certain...

SevenDeadlyMarathons.com — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 01:13:00 +0000

Seattle Marathon – Marathon Five Complete

Certainly the coldest conditions I have been in so far but definitely not going to be the coldest overall, due to the location of Marathon 7! On the morning of the race I woke up at 6 in time to get a little breakfast and make my way to down town Seattle for the start of the race. It was pouring with sleet and rain and the temperature could have been no more than 1 or 2 degrees, consequently the time spent at the start area, preparing for the race was awful. Trying to take photos and video footage was very difficult as having forgotten to bring my gloves my hands would go numb after holding the camera for more than a couple of minutes! As I tried to warm up by lightly jogging around I was getting absolutely soaked so I decided that I would cut that part of the warm up short and go and find some shelter to do some stretching!

I stripped down to my race gear, gave my other clothes in and headed for the start line. At 8.15am, still pouring with rain and sleet the Seattle Marathon started. Surrounded by thousands of runners, I set off down 5th Avenue and out of down town Seattle. I had a plan to stick with nine minute miles and that’s exactly what I did. I ran through half way feeling great with 2 hours dead on the watch. I planned to run a four hour marathon and was bang on course. As I passed the 16th mile marker I was starting to feel it a little in my legs, which I expect in every race but not usually this early. The effects of jet lag and the fact that it was my fifth consecutive race were beginning to kick in I thought. Then my legs got heavier and as I went through 20 – 21 miles there was a steep hill. At this point I thought back to Patagonia and realized that compared to the Argentinean race this was nothing but a mole hill. At the top I felt rejuvenated after a surge up the incline and went on to keep my nine minute pace. Coming into the last few miles and there were the usual water stops and carbo gels available but only in America could you run past someone handing out donuts and a lady with free hugs available at the 24 mile stage. I didn’t take advantage of the latter two but made sure I continued to take on water.

The finishing line was in the Memorial Football Stadium, and the finish was lined by crowds creating an amazing atmosphere. I crossed the line in 3 hrs 57 mins a happy man as I had managed to break four hours again! The next few moments were perhaps the hardest of the day as once I had stopped my legs seized up and I now that I wasn’t running I began to feel the cold. With the rain still pouring down, I was getting soaked and had to make my way up the stadium steps (you can see in the photos) to get my warm clothes. This was certainly the worst part of the day but was worth it as I looked at my medal and thought just two to go!

I fly out to Singapore on Wednesday, from San Francisco, one of my longest flights. Temperatures in Singapore are likely to be about 30 degrees and the humidity will be insane, so I will not be trying to break 4 hrs again and will settle down to 5 hr pace and concentrate on keeping hydrated! I am looking forward to this one as I will have my brother, who is traveling around the world and has agreed to meet me in Singapore, to keep me company and hopefully scrape me off the finish line!

Speak to you soon, Tim

Palermo International Marathon I found my Italian...

SevenDeadlyMarathons.com — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 20:40:00 +0000

Palermo International Marathon

I found my Italian wasn’t up to the standards it was when I studied it five years ago at school, and consequently drank a lot of Coca Cola as it was the only drink I could translate at first. However, I eventually worked out the word for water (aqua -pretty obvious really) and managed to drink a fair bit which was important as the three days I had in Palermo prior to the marathon were 20 degrees plus. I was able to rest and enjoy the weather which I knew I wouldn’t enjoy so much come the day of the race.

To my pleasant surprise race day brought some very English weather. Conditions turned out to be similar to those that I had experienced in New Zealand. Interestingly the two places I would have expected to give me the hottest running conditions have actually given me perfect running conditions.

The 26.2 mile course was a scenic two lap route of 50% mountains and 50% city centre. It looped round and back on itself a few times which meant on the other side of the road I could see the Kenyans, not even breaking a sweat, flying past several kilometres ahead. I longed to be in their position. I promised myself, and loved ones, that I wouldn’t push myself as hard as I had done in New Zealand. I planned to run a 2 hour first half and then hold that pace, and managed exactly that. At 37km and 5km from the end I felt fine so allowed myself the luxury of a fast finish and came through the line in 3hrs 51mins.

I’m off to Seattle next and from there straight to Singapore without the usual return to Heathrow. I’m expecting Seattle to be wet and windy but going on my weather predictions so far I could be running in blistering heat!

Thanks for all your support and posts on the Forum, it’s very much appreciated.

The Fielding Marathon We arrived in New Zealand t...

SevenDeadlyMarathons.com — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 09:22:00 +0000

The Fielding Marathon

We arrived in New Zealand to torrential rain and gusty winds which was unexpected to say the least as I thought I would be getting the sun cream out and donning the sun glasses. We were picked up and are staying with a family of friends who live in Palmerston North, just 20 minutes away from fielding. This family is Bill, Tina, Stuart and Pip Littlejohn. They have made myself and Dad very welcome and in return we had brought them some very English Weather. It is not usually this wet this time of year but in marathon running terms I would much prefer to run in these wetter cooler conditions than to be running in 20 -25 degree temperatures that had been present in last years fielding marathon.

The marathon itself is organised by David Penfold and Judi . They were fantastic in helping me register and also getting the local media involved. They also did a collection for WaterAid, raising 300 dollars which is amazing and helps me towards my target.

I started off on the 42.2km route feeling pretty good and concentrating on the watch making sure I didn’t go too fast too soon. A couple of months before I left for Argentina, Sir Ranulph Fiennes wrote me a letter giving me some good advice about not racing the clock or others on my seven marathons. This is advice that I had clearly at the fore front of my mind at the beginning of the marathon but half way round I was feeling pretty fresh and had run a 1 hr 45 mins half marathon, a fairly steady pace so I decided that I would pick up the pace, from 25 -35 km. A wrong decision!! In the last 7 km of the race I paid the price of going too hard! I finished in 3 hrs 40 mins then found a nice little corner away from the other competitors to throw up and that I did several times!

I will be aiming for a slower time in Palermo for marathon number four.

A Tale of Two Sides of the River On Wednesday nig...

SevenDeadlyMarathons.com — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 21:09:00 +0000

A Tale of Two Sides of the River

On Wednesday night we arrived late in Cairo with the hope of finding somewhere to complete our 26 miles, whether it would be around a track, on a treadmill or on the streets! Unfortunately after asking several guides and searching the streets of Cairo for help, not to mention the endless emails that were sent out from home to any contact that was found on the internet that looked as though it might be helpful, we were unable to find a measured route for the marathon. We visited a couple of athletics tracks but were denied entry regardless of how much money we offered as the owners insisted that we had to be members. Eventually we decided that the best place to try and complete our 26.2 miles would be alongside the river Nile. We planned to run 13 miles away from our hotel and then turn back and complete the second half of the race!

At 6am on Saturday morning we set off from the hotel and began our second marathon. The first 15 minutes were fine, a nice steady pace and then I unfortunately started to feel unwell (not sure whether it was something I ate or the bottled water that I bought). However, we continued on. The further we ran the dirtier the streets became. There were more people shouting at us in Arabic (it didn’t sound very friendly), excrement on the streets, fallen and unfinished buildings, wild dogs becoming more aggressive and the whole atmosphere became a great deal more intimidating. At six miles in I began to feel really quite ill and we turned to run back to where we started and picked up the pace a little to get out of there!

We got back to the hotel, covering roughly half the marathon distance and Chris and I both used this opportunity to avail ourselves of the facilities. At this stage I was throwing up and also suffering from diarrhoea and the question of whether to carry on or not crossed my mind. After battling with my thoughts I picked myself up to continue and myself and Chris, both now very dehydrated, continued the run.

This time we crossed the bridge over the river and made our way down the other side. This immediately seemed a lot safer and cleaner compared to right hand side. We managed to dodge our way through busy traffic and ran for roughly another 45 minutes before turning around and heading back again. On this last bit back, dehydration was really making me feel dizzy but I was fortunate to have Chris encouraging me through.

Looking back at the whole Egyptian experience, it was pretty tough, gruelling and definitely challenging and far from the picturesque setting of Patagonia

Well I’m back home now for one day, before heading onto the plane for a 27 hour flight to New Zealand via Singapore. I have to say the flight to New Zealand seems a bit daunting but can’t wait to start the next race and adventure!

Speak to you soon.

Cheers Tim

Patagonia Report Hola, I am currently sat in Buen...

SevenDeadlyMarathons.com — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:13:00 +0000

Patagonia Report

Hola,
I am currently sat in Buenos Aires Airport enjoying the last few minutes of argentinian hospitality! I completed the first out of seven marathons on sunday and it more than lived up to its name of the Patagonian Mountain Marathon.

Many thanks to Ben Wallis who has updated my website for me so pictures and a video of the race can be seen on www.sevendeadlymarathons.com.

It was the toughest course i could have imagined. We began on sand next to a lake and then it rose steadily up hill through a wooded area, with fallen trees and many bogs! It did get a little flatter at around 6 miles only to rise again up to 5000 feet. At this stage myself and chris encounted snow and cold winds but also great views! However what goes up must come down, and that we did in some speed, desperately trying to avoid any major dips or rocks that could turn our ankles. The race flattened out a little at 20 miles before undulating to the finish in the heart of Villa La Angostura, a beautiful town!

I managed to complete it in 4 hrs 45 mins and chriscame in 4 hrs 20 mins. Out of 450 runners we came in134th and 79th respectively and most importantly uninjured!

The next installment to follow...