Team Seriously Unfit Finishes (and in record time!)

Well, we've done it. After weeks of training, days of sponsorship collecting and hours of preparation we've completed the Sports Relief 3 mile challenge...and in less time than we expected.

As a couple of kebab loving, beer drinking, computer game playing kinda guys we were pretty exercise shy before the idea entered our heads of running 5 km for charity. But after a bit of practise (and remembering that we were stuck behind all kinds of fruit, smurfs, wizards and other costumed walkers on a pretty tight course) we managed to complete the run in little over half an hour. Not bad for Team Seriously Unfit.

Before the event started at 3pm we were ushered into a fenced off area to warm up to some 'inspirational' trance music led by the fitness instructors from our very own gym. Being naturally shy I'll admit I wasn't the first to savour a chance at dancing about, wiggling my hips and clapping my hands whilst shouting 'oggy oggy oggy' in front of a thousand or so strangers but with a little improvisation my running partner and I managed to survive long enough to start the run.

With a few starting words from 'actor' Richard Fleishman (however spelt) and some terribly misplaced and ungrateful comments about how we the runners should give a big thanks to all the 'celebrities' who had taken time out of their lives to run the 1 mile part of the course, we were off.

Taking an age to pass the starting line and crawling at a snails pace it took a while for the runners to even out as those intending to sprint made their way to the front, those just out for the jog (with us amongst them) ended up somewhere around the middle and those with children or dressed to the nines for charity found themselves towards the back of the human snake, collecting money from onlookers as they went.

Running a one mile course three times (and collecting a red sports relief band on each lap to show how many miles you had already run) I have to say, my three red bands did give me a huge sense of pride. I didn't take them off after finishing and I doubt I'll take them after until bed. In fact, I honestly believe they'll probably go back on before work tomorrow as well.

In all it was a great day. The atmosphere was good, we completed the course in much less time than we thought we would and we raised a lot of money in the process.

A massive thanks to everybody that has sponsored us so far both on and offline, we're slowly edging towards the £600 mark as I type and with a million and one more exciting events to come before the end of 2008 (including the St. Anns Hospice Midnight Walk and a sky dive!) it shows no signs of stopping.

If you know any or all people involved with us so far in our 'Charity Year' project and want to get involved then let us know. Otherwise check back soon for more information. I'm running the BUPA Great Manchester Run 2008 next and at double the distance I'm going to have some fun training between now and May. Check back soon!

Two Hours & Counting

Tracksuit bottoms are on, red t-shirts have been found and race numbers are busily being pinned to the front of them. In two hours the Manchester leg of the Sports Relief Mile (or three) begins and preparations are well underway to allow Team Seriously Unfit to survive what promises to be an embarrasing ordeal.

I've spent the last few minutes on the phone to my team mate discussing possible routes due to our inability to find anything out about the course online. As of writing the only information we have is the starting point and the the distance we're running, which we apparently have to keep for ourselves.

In sponsorship news our pre-race total is £87.65 plus £24.98 gift aid if my calculations are correct, which I'm confident in predicting is over £100. But with a solid resolve to pester and coerce as many of my friends as possible over the next few weeks I'm sure this will rise further.

I'm setting off now anyway with my Lucozade Hydro-Active and my camera so more updates will be forthcoming before the end of the day. Wish us luck! And sponsor us!

Team 'Seriously Unfit' Gets Ready For Action

With the Pennine Way Trek under our belts and a few months to go until the Great Manchester Run I found myself roping in a friend to run this weekends Sports Relief 3 mile run to pass the time. At the moment I'm frantically calling and emailing friends in order to coerce them into send me their money (total to date is £33 with a fair bit more promised) and training at the gym in my new red and white Sports Relief socks.

My race number arrived yesterday along with sponsorship forms and related information regarding the route and where to meet etc. After seriously damaging my leg on Saturdays walk I've been away from the gym for almost a week but as I'm feeling ambitious I'm going to force myself back there today and attempt to run the whole distance to see how long it takes me.

If my camera allows I'll take some photos from the course on Sunday and update the blog then. Wish me luck! And give me money (via the funky new wiget on the right hand side of this page!)

Pennine Way Trek 2008 a Success!

Following several dissapointing drop outs from the team; yesterday saw the loyal few head out to Edale for a day of hard walking, torrential rain and gale force winds. After trekking many miles up to the summit of one of the highest peaks in England, braving some of the fiercest weather conditions many of us have ever experienced, today finds us aching, limping and generally just realizing how foreign walking really is to us.

Present on what is now known to us all as 'The Death Walk' were our mutual friend Sarah and her friend Marcus. After some debate as to a team name (with suggestions ranging from the Fantastic Four to the The Famous Five Minus A Dog) I believe we settled on the Fat Four, or at least that was my preference.

After a late start and an hours fine weather the walk initially seemed to be going well with high spirits, good conversation and a general sense of purpose. This was, afterall, the open country, with no limit on the abundance of wonderful scenery, fascinating wildlife and enough tales of ghostly animals, phantom highwaymen and air crash victims to fill a Goosebumps omnibus.

With 3 miles under our belts and a third of an ambitious climb behind us we decided to stop for lunch at about half 12 on a break in hillside overlooking the valley we had just traversed. With an abundance prepacked food, fruit and chocolate raisins moods were still high and Marcus took the opportunity to entertain us before hitting the trail again (see video to be attached).

The rain came after another hours walking and, combined with gale force winds, the novelty to being blown against rocks whilst soaked to the skin soon wore off for some of our merry band of adventurers. In fact, with the realization of the scale of how far we had yet to walk (provided by a clear view of the not insubstantial valley and reservoir we had to trek across in order to reach our destination) prompted even the hardiest of spirits to wane.

With cloud cover providing a soup-like fog and wind preventing much walking at all we took our second food break around five hours in to the walk to re-coup, re-gain the feeling in our fingers and generally check that all the limbs we could no longer feel were still attached to our bodies. At this point resolve was definitely on the way out, I was still laughing manically into the elements and the people behind me, I suspect, were beginning to despise my cheery disposition.

But what do you do when the people you are responsible for are clearly fed up with a walk you know has at least 6 miles to go? You downscale of course!

And so it was that the 2 mile path that led to the gate that led to the 3 mile road that led to the pub became the little path that ends in the gate which is technically right next to the pub in question. But trust me, in the rain and when you can feel water running down your back and the blisters on your feet are so big you can't actually see your foot anymore; you want to hear that the end is in sight. Whatsmore, I was looking forward to the end that much that I actually believed every word I said myself.

The best part about all this was that when we arrived at the pub in a condition I can only relate to the survivors of the movie 'Hostel' it was closed for refurbishment. And with a group already tired, angry and hoping for home this was the part when I decided I really should be watching my back.

We survived though. Wet, cold, tired and in pain we ambled into the nearest village and sat dripping in the warmth of the local pub. Never before have I appreciated a pub more.

Needless to say, I was eventually forgiven.

Total amount raised for charity will be updated soon.