The Mini Moss Project » running

Leg is getting better!

barn — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:20:46 +0000

My leg is getting a bit better at last, I can run again!

Title:	Victoria Park Lunchtime Run
Description:	I've already run more miles in February than I did in November

Get a better browser!

Marathon, and on, and on…

barn — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:48:12 +0000

And now a short message for my sponsors – thank you very much! I hit my £1,500 target with £500 from Credit Suisse, £184 from a cake sale (thanks, bakers!), more from a work jeans day, and around £800 on the justgiving sites. In return I burnt 4,700 calories, lost 2cm in height, and ran 40,000 strides on the day, and around 150 miles in training for you!

The final preparation went perfectly – plenty of pasta, rest and fluids. The day started well and it was a beautiful day. I was pretty hopeful for my target of 4h 10m – 4h 20m. At 9:45 the gun went, and I crossed the start around ten minutes later. Everything was going well, my first mile was bang on time around 9m 30s, and I was still confident. But five minutes later all my hopes were dashed when I was overtaken by a bright yellow sperm.

Slightly disheartened, I pressed on nevertheless, and the first twelve miles flew by. Music all along the route (reggae in Deptford, trance in Woolwich, jazz in Greenwich, Korean temple drummers under the A2) and Morris dancers outside Surrey Quays MacDonalds) and people giving me jelly babies everywhere. I got annointed with Holy Water by priests and vicars as I ran past their churches (it didn’t help, confirming my suspicions), and saw Pip & Laurie by our house.

Jamaica Road was the best stretch, with amazing support. Getting to Canary Wharf and I was starting to feel my legs, but I led an Oggy Oggy Oggy in the underground roundabout at Westferry to get my juices flowing. The Isle of Dogs was the hardest, around miles 14-19, and I slipped my times as I slowed down and got overtaken by the ten-minute-miling pacer. The crowds were the thinnest here and the end seemed a long long way away.

Back through Canary Wharf and the twenty mile marker was a huge boost. The long final straight from Poplar all the way down to the Embankment and Westminster was pretty easy and I got faster and faster along here. I saw Pip again, and the crowds were getting thicker and louder all the way. A lady running next to me was sick on my leg but neither of us stopped. By now I was several minutes off 4h 20m, but was determined to come in under 4h 30m. Unfortunately I was running amongst a lot of walkers by now, and people were literally collapsing around me, so even with a real sprint for the last mile I couldn’t quite beat the clock. My final time was 4h 31m 35s, which is disappointingly close to the 4h 37m in which I did the much hillier (but quieter and cooler) Loch Ness Marathon.

When I finally found the SIA reception after at least a mile of very stiff walking, I got a round of applause, then straight into the massage room where three osteopaths went to town on me for 40 minutes.

Then on to the pub to end my week of abstinence, and the next day I felt fine, so I cycled in to work!

Luckily the ballot for the 2010 London Marathon is already closed I hear!

Photo gallery here. My results here.

Run Ran

barn — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:22:45 +0000

I finished my marathon, in 4h 31m 35s. It was hot hot hot! I was a little disappointed with my time – I was aiming for 4h 20m, but I knew it was a bad omen when I was overtaken by a yellow sperm after 15 minutes.

A few pictures then, and my results here. I was 18,474th overall, out of 35,000 odd.

Tin Shaking

barn — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:23:03 +0000

I’m running in the 2009 London Marathon – because it seemed like a good idea at the time. I’m running with a team from work for the Spinal Injuries Association. We’ve each committed to raise £1,500 for the charity.

I ran the Loch Ness Marathon in 2007 in 4h:36m, and I’m hoping to improve on that. There are no hills on the London Marathon, which should help, but there are the two small matters of an extra 38,500 fellow competitors in between me and the finish line, and also the almost complete lack of training that I seem to be (not) doing this time round.

So, please sponsor me – after all, you all sponsored me loads when I did the Caledonian Challenge, and that was in aid of Scottish people. This is a much better cause.

You can monitor my training and my sponsorship progress in the sidebar, if you’re a geek.

And, err, thanks.

Barn’s Barnes Run

barn — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 23:44:06 +0000

I’m running again. Today I ran from our home to Venetia and Dave’s house in Mortlake. That’s over 14 miles along the Thames Path. Unfortunately it took me nearly three hours…
Canada Water to Mortlake
Find more Runs in Canada Water, United Kingdom

Guess what I’m doing?

Gorilla Run – RAN!

barn — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:03:52 +0000

I ran the Great Gorilla Run 2008, as promised, in my full gorilla suit, and a pink feather boa.

At the end I got a hug and a medal from Bill Oddie, a fearless task as I kept my head and hands on all the way round, and it was a hot sunny Saturday morning in the City. Sweaty doesn’t come close!

I finished 193rd out of 637 finishers, and almost 800 starters – that’s more people dressed up as gorillas in Mincing Lane, EC3, than there are mountain gorillas left in the world. It took me 50 minutes to cover the 7km.

For the rest of the photos see the album here.

Great Gorillas!

barn — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:13:11 +0000

I’m running 7 km through Central London on Saturday 27 September. 7 km isn’t a long distance (for me!) so I (and 800 other runners) will be dressed in full gorilla suits.

I’m aiming to raise £500 – if I reach this magic number Credit Suisse will match it, so your donation will be doubled.

Come and support me on the day – I’ll be the one in the gorilla suit.

To raise funds for my challenge, I’ve launched an exercise video. If you enjoy watching it, please consider sponsoring me.

Sponsor me here – http://www.justgiving.com/barnzilla

Marathon Ran

barn — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:45:45 +0000

On October 7th 2007, my brother-in-law Jo & I ran the Loch Ness Marathon. We both finished, he in 4:15:24 (866/1427), and I in 4:36:05 (1096/1427).
Pip & Ginny ran the River Ness 10K at the same time, and Griff, Clare, Amy and Skye came up to babysit, as did my parents in their motorhome.

Despite the hills I didn’t have any of the injuries I feared, except for a bad case of jogger’s nipple where I lost a nipple-nut after around 10 miles.

See all the photos here, or download a Google Earth KMZ file here.

Marathon Coming Up!

barn — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 21:47:37 +0000

It’s my marathon in one week – Sunday 7th October.? I did my last 12 miles of training run this morning, and my broken toes have magically got better, so maybe they weren’t broken after all…

Wish me luck (and also some for brother-in-law Jo, who’s also doing it, although he doesn’t need as much as I do because he’s younger, fitter and lighter).? And Pip & Ginny should have some luck too, as they’re entering the 10 km race.

Laurie’s competing in the 3 km buggy dash.

Three Peaks Challenge – August 10th/11th

barn — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 22:55:03 +0000

After my pleasant walking holiday in Scotland last year (the Caledonian Challenge, a double-marathon along the West Highland Way in twenty-four hours), and as a warm up for this October’s Loch Ness Marathon, I’ve signed up at the last minute for the Three Peaks Challenge, in aid of the Anthony Nolan Trust.

I’m attempting to climb Ben Nevis (1,344m), Scafell Pike (978m), and Mount Snowdon (1,085m) – the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales. In twenty-four hours.

That’s 26 miles of hiking up and down mountains (a marathon), and 475 miles of driving.

I need your help, and you can help in two ways. Either come and pick me up from the foot of Mount Snowdon around 4pm on Sunday 11th August, and drive me back to London while I sleep, or else SPONSOR ME! If I raise �500 then Credit Suisse will match it, doubling your donation.

Here’s me at the end of last year’s Cally Challenge, just in case you think I don’t work for your money.

http://www.justgiving.com/threepeaksbarney