Sponsorship Update

I'm really pleased to say that I have hit £1,200 on my "100runs4jdrf" JustGiving page.  Thank you to everyone who has donated so far.  My target is £2,000 and to reach £1,200 at this stage is brilliant news.

Everyone who donates via the JustGiving page should automatically receive a thank-you and acknowledgment, I've also made space to mention them on this blog, however I've had more donations since I last did this, so to bring it up to date I'd like to thank:

Yogita Mistry, June Roebuck, Kirsty Jones, Lucy Howard, Laura Brown, Fran Benson, Gareth and Nicky Dean, Jaci Morton and Jacqui Stephenson-Kirkbride.

Thank you!

My sister gets married next Saturday, where I am due to undertake the role of Master of Ceremonies.  Lucy and Mike have made a very touching and generous way of acknowledging the 100 runs challenge on their big day and I'm very humbled by such a gesture.  When the wine is flowing, who knows? I may enlist more runners to join me the day after for run number 93...

Get moving

I've been using the weekends to get away from the "routine" of very early starts and road running, switching to later runs, with company (my running parnter Pat) and swapping asphalt for the fells.  This worked a treat yesterday, however I was determined to pay close attention to my pace per mile on this morning's run.  I set off at 6am on the dot and decided to get weaving whilst there was a let up in the monsoon that's been ever-present in the district since Friday night.

All was going pretty well, clocking on average 8m 20 secs per mile, according to the GPS.  I had to find a secluded spot for a very quick toilet break, however my pace was broken by not one but two seperate lorries of workmen I met along stretches of the A62.  They must have come in from Oldham, in need of directions to a place called Diggle (followed by a chuckle). I must have the kind of face that says "Stop me, please - I'm happy to give you directions..."

I'm also betting Usain Bolt dosen't get this on his daily runs.

I was running the new route I made up on the spot on Friday.  On the way back along Dobcross New Road, I treated myself by leaving the pavement by the Newbank Garden Centre and joining the "Delph Donkey" and back along the canal side to Diggle, and home.  Whilst ever so slightly shorter than Friday's route, it still came in at just over 7 miles.

One of the local Micro-breweries, Greenfield Real Ale produces top quality real ales, one of them is named after the Railway Line that used to connect Oldham and Greenfield to the Huddersfield line.  It closed in 1955, and the "Delph Donkey" trail is where that line used to be.  The Greenfield Brewery ales are sold on site or in local outlets as well as selected pubs. 

I'm going to suggest to Pat that we reward ourselves with a tour of the brewery when the challenge is over.  Visit the site at www.greenfieldrealale.co.uk

Today's run - 7.1 miles

Onwards

Run 16.  6.2 miles

This morning was the first time since I started this challenge that I didn't feel like running in the morning and considered putting it off until the evening.  It may have been a combination of the muggy weather, and the nice weeknd, where I could afford to run later, without the pressure of getting the morning train into Manchester.  Louisa from the JDRF Press Office emailed me a cutting of an article that the Manchester Evening News printed last Saturday on my challenge.  This gives me a much needed boost, and that the challenge shouldn't be seen as a chore, but an achievement each day, until I get to the 100th run.

Thanks to Jotie, Andy & Caz and Martin for their sponsorship over on the justgiving page - really appreciated and it's taken the total so far to £550.

A frustrating day at work today will be eased by working off any bugbears in the morning up to the floating light.

It's a new day.

100 runs in 100 days

I've set up this blog to support my "100 runs challenge", which I started on June 12th - exactly 100 days until the Bupa Great North Run on September 18th 2011.

My 7 year old son, Jake was diagonsed with Type-1 Diabetes in December 2008, aged 4 years old.  This has been a life-changing experience for not just Jake, but the whole family.  Although he is a happy and well little boy, he must live with twice-daily insulin injections as well as blood sugar testing around 5 times a day.  If this is not managed properly, it can lead to a number of side affects, and complications in his later life.

Last year, my wife Carolyn and Mother-In-Law Ann, trekked Mont Blanc, and raised over £3,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

This year it is my challenge to run at least 6.2 miles each day in the 100 days leading up top the Bupa Great North Run in September 2011.

I will track my progress on this blog, along with photos and hopefully will raise both money and awareness for the JDRF and Type 1 Diabetes.

My Fundraising page is www.justgiving.com/100runs4jdrf