Nutritional menagarie that got me through the Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days

A massive thank you to the London Wellbeing Team for all the wonderful advice and nutritional products that it provided during my recent endurance challenge – 10 marathons in 10 days on behalf of Brathay Trust.



Without London Wellbeing’s help, I am sure that I would not have been able to complete the 262 mile challenge.



Throughout my 10 marathons in 10 days it provided unbeatable products that sustained my energy levels. Indeed, I was running faster on day 10 than on day one – a testimony to London Wellbeing! No wonder it now advises many people training for triathlons, marathons, ironman events and mad cap challenges such as the Brathay Trust 10 in 10.



The magical potions that London Wellbeing provided me with are as follows:



PROTEIN SHAKES

One carb and one protein based. The Carb was taken before every race while the protein shake was taken within 40 minutes after each marathon. Both contain RDA food groups.



BEE POLLEN TABLETS

Provided energy levels within 15 to 20 minutes. By taking them throughout my run, they kept my blood sugar levels stable and gave me a super food full of B vitamins and other nutrients which provided a high dosage of mineral/ vitamins. These tablets became so important that one day I forgot them – and insisted that someone retrieve them from my bag and give them to me as I ran on the course!



FREEDOM DRINKING SPORTS GEL

120ml taken on waking up, increased absorption of other nutrients taken. Contains MSM Chondroitin and Glucosamine. Taken with the Argi, it increased my energy levels.



ARGI

Before each marathon I took one scoop of Argi in a pint of water. I also sipped Argi as I ran from water stop to water stop. It increases nitric oxide levels, and in turn increased my performance times and reduced mu recovery times. It lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Argi is endorsed by Nobel Prize Scientist Doctor Ferid Murad who discovered the benefit of nitric oxide on the cardio vascular system. An absolute gem of a product.



HEAT LOTION

Before the race I rubbed it into my leg muscles. It helped my muscle fibres afterwards by reducing swelling. I also used it after each race to reduced stiffness – after the obligatory ice bath!



MSM GEL

An Aloe jelly combined with MSM. I applied it on my joints and Achilles area – and it helped reduce inflammation.



ALOE JELLY

It helped heal wounds- blisters and chafing for example.

Brathay10in10 2012 marathon challenge - thoughts from afar

'Yeah, it's over now, but I can breathe somehow
When it's all worn out, I'd rather go without

You know it's been on my mind
Could you stand right there
Look me straight in the eye and say
That it's over now.'

(Alice in Chains - Over Now)

 

 

IT is nearly a week since I completed the Brathay 10 in 10 marathon challenge in the glorious sunshine of the Lake District and in the welcoming grounds of Brathay Trust, alongside the mesmeric shore line of Windermere.

And what a week it has been. A week full of emotion – tears, laughter, a little pain and a lot of joy.

First of all, I was saddened to learn that Adrian Shandley - my running mate, laughing mate  and roommate – has been told he has a stress fracture of the leg and must wear a pot for the next six weeks. To think this man ran the last three marathons with such a condition is mind boggling.

It demonstrates that a) the Brathay 10 in 10 is a challenge not to be scoffed at and b) Adrian ‘little one’ Shandley is as hard as Southport nails. A hero? A legend? He is the best thing to come out of Southport since Marc Almond and his tainted love.

Morecambe has a statute to Eric Morecambe. Maybe Sefton Council should sanction the construction of a Shandley statue on Southport’s shifting sands although of course it would have to have him wearing a pot on his leg!

Apart from a sore Achilles heel, I seem to have come out of the Brathay 10 in 10 challenge relatively physically unscathed although I have yet to resume running (it could be a while!).

But emotionally, I am like a Blackpool rollercoaster – up one moment, down another. I smile at some of the experiences of the marathon challenge week (for example, 10in10er Lee Boniface tracking me like a slowed down version of an exocet on the last day and then saying I had a really relaxed running style which helped him get around the course ) and then I cry when someone sends me an email of congratulations or a donation via www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge. The generosity of some has been extraordinary.

And I suppose that is the one overwhelming thing about post Brathay10in10. I have been simply blown away by the amount of money that has flowed to Brathay Trust via my justgiving page. Blown away. Overwhelmed. Shocked. Humbled. Happily surprised.

To each and every one of you (and I know some have contributed more than once) I say thank you. As I have said before, I will write to you all (writing is in my blood) to thank you. It is the least I can do.  With nearly £69,000 raised, I am getting ever closer to my ambitious target of £100,000. Maybe I won’t get there but I just might surprise myself and the wonderful people that make up Brathay and hit it. All it will take is one generous benefactor.

I will now continue with my confused life and try and become the  good person I strive to be. I know I am a good person at heart. I just need to let it all hang out.

Thanks for reading. Do comment on the Brathay page and give me your thoughts/reaction. Alternatively, email me at jeff.prestridge@hotmail.co.uk or tweet via twitter.com/jeffprestridge.

And if you want to be reminded of the emotion that is the Brathay10in10 I implore you to visit www.cumbrialive.tv/10in10 and watch the video of day 10. It will move you to tears.

This is my last Brathay10in10 blog – unless you ask me for more!

 I will not be doing the Brathay 10 in10 in 2013 (one is enough for anyone despite the heroics of four-timers Foxey and Steve Edwards). But I hope to do the Brathay Windermere marathon where I will cry as 2013 10in10ers complete one of the country’s toughest/best ultra-running challenges.

It’s been a joy writing. It’s been a joy running. Joy uber alles.

The thoughts of a ginga finisher in the Brathay 10in10 challenge: 10 marathons in 10 days

IT is the day after – the day after I managed to hobble over the line and complete my 10^th marathon in 10 days for the wonderful children’s-focused charity that is Brathay Trust.

I have mixed emotions.  On the one hand, I am thrilled to have joined an elite group of people who have taken on this 262 mile battle and conquered it. I surprised myself with my mental strength and my ability to keep on running even when the legs wanted to wander off into the Lakeland bushes and rest awhile among the wild garlic (Ransom).

On the other, I am upset that it is over. Over the past 10 days I have met an extraordinary group of individuals from all walks of life who, like me, have conquered the Brathay10in10. They are all heroes in my eyes – and they will be until I can see, talk and breathe no more.

Could I run another marathon today? Yes! Do I want to? No. I have been told by those close to me that I should not run for 12 days! I will try to observe their running curfew but the Nike Free running shoes are already itching to hit the byways and highways of London.

Over the past 10 days, I have experienced all kinds of emotions.

I have cried both as a result of joy and physical pain (usually because of the marvellous recovery work done by BodyRehab).

I have laughed myself silly - usually as a result of yet another prank performed by the master prankster Adrian Shandley (10in10er) or because of yet another dour put-down by grumpy 10in10er Nick Woodward.

I have smiled as people have shouted support from their cars or from the roadside – or provided me with engine fuel in the form of hot steaming homemade cheese and onion pie (as Nick’s parents did and Nick’s wife ‘BigUn’ did).

I have cried when loved ones have not understood what the Brathay10in10 is all about (it is, unfortunately, an exclusive bubble which outsiders –including loved ones - find difficult to penetrate). I apologise for not understanding that and failing to deal with it.

I have also shed tears of familial pain at the failure of my mother and father to turn up to see me over the finishing line. It is a deep sadness I will take to my grave. Pride? It should be wiped away on occasion.

I have been overcome with the support of work colleagues - Helen (someone described her as my daughter!), Richard, David Budworth (of the Times) and Toby - who gave up a weekend of their crazy lives to wave a flag for me and supply me with champagne at 262 miles!

And to see my sister Joy turn up with her husband Simon (who completed the Brathay marathon on the Sunday) and their handsome son Oscar (a star in the making) will live long with me.

And I have cried at, cried with and cried for Joanna my partner who has struggled with the whole event – both from afar and when she joined me on Saturday night. One unfortunate consequence of the Brathay10in10 is that it tests the strength of the bonds that entwine to make that magic potion called love. Joanna, I love you. The potion is strong.

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank all of you have who have tweeted me with messages of support.

And, of course, I thank everyone who has donated through www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge. In the coming weeks, I will thank every single one of you.

My justgiving page will remain open for the next three months and I will get to £100,000. If you have a rich uncle, aunt or you are next day neighbour to Chris Evans/Alan Sugar/Richard Branson/Stephen Hester/Bob Diamond/Crispin Odey/Tony Blair – do let them know about my journey and the magnificent charity that is Brathay Trust.

Auf wiedersehen.

Day Nine: Brathay10in10 challenge: My running mates - all heroes of mine

We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers

MY blog today is dedicated to the 17 men and women who are running the 2012 Brathay 10 in 10 challenge with me. They are all heroes, men and women of steel with big hearts of gold. I salute them all.

They/we are the proverbial champions of Windermere.

In no particular order:

ADRIAN SHANDLEY:  A fun guy who can play cards as well as he can advise people on the attractiveness of ETFs (low cost investment funds). Also, when he’s in the mood, he can’t half shift around the roads of Windermere. A lovely sense of humour, indeed some would say wicked.

NICK WOODWARD: A man who seems to have been hewn from the slate mines of Coniston (but was actually born in Poulton-le-Fylde). Nick is a  brick-house of a man who you would not want to mess with on a Friday night outside the Ambleside kebab house. A man who you would want alongside you in the trenches. He also possesses a special wife – ‘Bigun’ who makes special banana and chocolate chip muffins.

DAVEY GREEN: The heartbeat of the 18 Brathay10in10 runners. However many hours he spends on the road, he is always happy, singing and cracking jokes. And he possesses one of the best backsides in running history. A man with great humour who women adore.

DAVID (FOXY) BAYLEY: A running legend who is about to complete four Brathay10in10s, an outstanding achievement. He’s loud but he has a big heart. Don’t do any more 10in10s!

DIANE SHAW: The woman who keeps Leeds railway station running smoothly. She is also an excellent runner who wears her heart on her sleeve. Many a time have I heard her crying while she has been running. Tough and lovely at the same time.

HOWARD BAILEY: Two hundred marathons down and at least another 300 in him! He’s a running machine who just grinds out the miles. He’s the Mr Reliable of the Brathay10in10 – and would make a wonderful pace setter for the London marathon.

JIM META: My ice bath companion. A top bloke who is doing his second 10in10. He has a fantastic attitude to life – enjoy it while it lasts. He has a super line in thongs, shirts and shorts. One of the stars of the Brathayt10in10 show. A guy who never has a bad word to say about anyone.

KAZ HURRELL: A super runner who sets her stall out from the start and rarely veers off it. Like Howard, she grinds out the miles and her face never flinches. Her reward for grinding out the miles is to have a gin and tonic in the ice bath!

KEITH LUXON: A quiet man who is simply an outstanding runner. Quality, quality.

LEE BONIFACE: A hairdresser who cuts a dashing figure on the race course. Like Keith, a quality runner who has a wry sense of humour. Self-deprecating about his profession.

MATT DUNN: A running legend who possesses three of the most beautiful children that God has ever looked down on. It’s either Matt or Sally to win this challenge. Matt will look 21 when he is 51!

PAUL DEWAR: A quiet innkeeper from Ulverston who takes his running deadly seriously. A stunning pair of legs and a super backside. A fantastic, lean and mean runner who has supplied ale from his inn  to keep us going.

PAUL  FOSTER: How Paul is cranking out such fantastic times is beyond me. His ankles are smashed to smithereens but  he’s getting better every day. If fully fit, he would be challenging both Sally and Matt.

ROBERT DALLISON: A man who has faced the precipice and come back to fight another day. A man with true grit in his soul. He will finish the Brathay10in10 come what way.

STUART PYPER: A man who wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s had an emotional Brathay10in10, veering from the utopia of day one to the misery of day three. But he’s still going strong and will finish. He has the back-up of a wonderful girlfriend (marry her!)

TOKS OGUNDARI: Toks set her stall out from the start – get round the course in one piece, even if it means walking most of the way and stopping off for fish and chips. Another star of the Brathay10in10 show.

SALLY FORD: A running hero. A super runner with a wicked dry sense of humour. Words fail me when it comes to Sally’s prowess as a runner. I think she will win the Brathay10in10 although Matt will run her a close second (I could be wrong).

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! Support us!

Day Eiight: Brathay 10in10 challenge. 8 down, 2 to go. Love is in the air

‘Love is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound

And I don't know if I'm being foolish
Don't know if I'm being wise
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when I look in your eyes

Love is in the air
In the whisper of the trees
Love is in the air
In the thunder of the sea.’

DAY eight of the Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days is drawing to a close. The rain is hammering down outside and the wind is picking up in anger. The forecast, however, is for a good sunny weekend in the southern Lakes – I hope so if only so that the Brathay Windermere marathon on Sunday can be the resounding success it deserves to be.

I must admit I am emotional tonight – although love, I am sure, is in the air.

Little Adrian, my roommate, is tired, battered and injured and gone to bed early to sort himself out. I offered to tuck him in but he refused (an indication that he is not well).  I miss him – he’s a good man with a bubbly, infectious character. Knowing him, Adrian will be sparky tomorrow and run the marathon of a lifetime. I hope so. A happy Adrian is good for everyone. This sour world of ours needs happy Adrians. I have developed a soft spot for him.

I am also slightly tearful because I am reaching the end of my physical reserves. My body is stiffening up day by day – and today I had a pretty gruesome throbbing pain in my right knee which started as soon as I began running. Thankfully, a high dose of nurofen sorted me out. The brilliant physios at Body Rehab tell me that all will be well – but it’s put a little doubt into my mind. I would be devastated if the Prestridge diesel train was derailed on day nine.

A few thank you’s for those who helped me through day eight of the Brathay Challenge – 209.6 miles gone, 52.4 miles to go – and have kept me going throughout the event.

First thank you goes to Rita Samson for returning to the course to hand out jelly babies at mile 10. This welsh legend should have a statute erected in the car park at mile 10 in recognition of her services to Brathay 10in10 runners – ‘the jelly baby queen’. I look forward to her welsh jelly babies tomorrow.

Secondly, a mighty thank you to ‘Big Un’ – wife of the ‘miserable’ Nick Woodward. Nick and I are the two grumpy old men of the 18 10in10ers and we spend most of the time running together and putting the world to rights.

‘Big Un’, a mean runner in her own right, is never far away (apart from when she is going for a pee in the woods) ready to hand out offerings – bananas, chocolate muffins and Jaffa cakes. ‘Big Un’ is one of life’s good people. The fact that she puts up with Nick speaks volumes for her. You would struggle to find two nicer people than Nick and ‘Big Un’ – salt of the earth people who call a spade a spade and can suss people out straightaway. Certainly, when I am in the Lakes running up Loughrigg, I wil hunt them down and take them out for a slap up lunch.

Thirdly, I have to thank Body Rehab for their marvellous healing hands. What a team. What wonderful people. Professional to the core. I am sure that without them I would now be in a crumpled heap somewhere out on the course, undetected to man or lamb.

Fourthly, Aly Knowles and Mac, the Brathay team that make the Brathay10in10 event run like clockwork, have been brilliant. Nothing is too much trouble for them. And God, have they helped me out, finding my phone, searching for my bee pollen (it keep me buzzing throughout the run) and handing me out coffee when I’ve asked for it.

Fifthly, I thank family and friends for keeping me going with their texts – everyone from my Mum (Mum: you better come on Sunday), my sisters (Joy and Pauline), my brother and brother in law (Dave and Simon – the latter is running the Windermere marathon on the Sunday), my boys (Matt, Mark and James), work colleagues (Jo, Stephen, Toby, Richard and Helen) and of course my gorgeous partner Joanna. Indeed I am thrilled that Joanna, Richard, Toby and the wonderful Helen are all trundling up to Windermere to support me on my final day. True friends, true friends for life.

Finally, from the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you who have donated via www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge.  Every penny is gratefully received. And I thank all of you who have read my blogs at www.jeffprestridge.blogspot.com  or tweeted via www.twitter.com/jeffprestridge.

Remember: love is in the air! Always will be. Always should be.

Brathay 10in10 challenge - a joyous Friday for the Joy in my life

‘There's a reason for the sun shiny sky
And there's a reason why I'm feelin' so high
Must be the season
When that love light shines all around us
So let that feelin' grab you deep inside
And send you reelin' where your love can't hide
And then go stealin'
Through the summer nights with your lover
Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams
And let your love show
And you'll know what I mean, it's the season
Let your love fly like a bird on the wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine
And you'll know what I mean, that's the reason’
(Bellamy Brothers)

DAY Eight of the Brathay 10in10 challenge has arrived and I am beginning to see the finishing line a little over the horizon. 183.4 miles completed and just another 78.6 painful miles to trundle out. Unless some motorist takes me out or a pot hole consumes me I am going to finish this challenge to end all challenges.

It’s a good morning in the Lake District. The blackbirds are singing. Or as Cat Stevens would say:

Morning has broken, like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning

Praise for the springing fresh from the word

Today, the person I can’t stop thinking about is my younger sister Joy. For a start, she loves the Bellamy Brothers and as spotty teenagers we would listen to them ad infinitum in the downstairs study at home while pretending to do our homework. We would also listen to Cat Stevens, Wings, Wizard and Rod Stewart (Joy’s teenage fantasy).

What I love about Joy is that she lives up to her name. Rarely do you see Joy without a smile on her face and a laugh in her throat. She is one of life’s ebullient people. Put her in a room of strangers and she will have them all smiling within the hour. She’ll talk to anyone and laugh at anything (if she could see the state I am in now, she would laugh out loud).

Joy is happily married to Simon (a top entrepreneur who builds cranes for a living) and she has two wonderful children, Os (a mad Manc) and Sonia (a clever student at Cambridge).

Os and Sonia both take after Joy while possessing a slice of Simon’s intellect (the Bamfords carry more intellect than the Prestridges have combined).

Joy has supported me in the past few difficult months as I have tried to rebuild a life fractured by separation. For that I will love her forever more.

We need more Joy in our lives, people who believe life’s glass is half full as opposed to half empty.

Let’s all have a joyous Friday. I will run the eighth leg of the Brathay 10in10 challenge with Joy creasing my face.

I will tweet all day with Joy – www.twitter.com/jeffprestridge.

And hopefully, this blog will bring a little Joy into your lives – sufficient for you to sponsor the marvellous Brathay Trust via www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge.

As the Bellamy Brothers would say: just let your love flow! Just let your joy flow!

Have a joyous day.

Rita - a jelly baby provider who makes the Brathay10in10 the wonderful challenge it is

‘Into the streets, we're coming down
We never sleep, Never get tired
Through urban fields, and suburban life

Turn the crowd up now, We'll never back down
Shoot down a skyline, watch it in primetime
Turn up the love now, listen up now, turn up the love

Who's gonna save the world tonight?
Who's gonna bring you back to life?
We're gonna make it, you and I
We're gonna Save The World tonight’(Swedish House Mafia – Save the World tonight – dedicated to Shavaun Glen)

DAY seven of the Brathay10in10 challenge has gone better than I ever expected. Despite waking up to the bleak sight of Adrian Shandley smiling at me like a demonic cat in search of cream, and feeling as if I had been run over  by a number 9 bus, I ran pretty well.

Although I will never be more than a third-rate Matt Dunn or a fourth- rate Sally Ford (both are ace 10in10ers) I trundled along in a half decent time of 4.35. Amazingly (maybe the clocks had gone back) it was my quickest time so far. It’s incredible what the body can do when taped up expertly by the team at BodyRehab and gently massaged into a state of utopia.

Today’s run was not quite like the other seven – and it was the worse for it. Each day, until today, mile 8 has been one of the highlights of the whole 26.2 mile journey around Windermere. Why? Because there to greet you is Rita Samson, mother of Aly Knowles who has so marvellously organised this event with her loving (and down to earth husband) Mac.

Rita hands out the best jelly babies in the land – they are the best because they are from Wales. And her mere presence provides us all with a lift, especially after the ardour of climbing the hill that dominates mile 7. If you are really polite, she even lets you kiss her although you don’t take liberties with a woman from Treherbert in the Rhondda Valley.

Today, Rita was not there because she had much more important matters on her mind – she wanted to take time out and think of her late husband Bernard who died late last year. You see, it would have been their 54^th wedding anniversary and they were very much in love until Bernard suffered a fatal heart attack. Sometimes life is so bloody cruel.

Bernard, I am sure, would be proud of Rita standing out in the rain, hail and sun handing out jelly babies to 18 deranged runners. I also am sure he would be mighty proud of daughter Aly who is one of life’s givers. Nothing is too much trouble for this spicy woman – whether it’s providing pass codes to get into our sleeping quarters at 11.50 at night (sorry Aly) or hunting down lost mobiles.

And of course, Rita will be back tomorrow with a smile on her face and Welsh jelly babies aplenty. Bless you Rita. You make the Brathay 10in10 the special event it is.

Love to all. If you fancy donating some of your hard earned pay to Brathay feel free to do so via www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge.

If you want to catch up on events, visit www.cumbrialive.tv/brathay10in10.

And if you want to send me a tweet, I will always take them – night or day (I will be awake come what may). www.twitter.com/jeffprestridge

God bless.

Day Six: Brathay 10in10 challenge. Thoughts after a tough day in the sun

‘Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.’

(Eva Cassidy, over the rainbow – one of Penny Perkins’ all-time favourite songs)

ONE of the first half marathons I ever did was back in the late 1980s – the Paddock Wood in Kent. I remember it vividly for a number of reasons.

I had spent the previous day down in Cardiff watching a Five Nations (as then) rugby international between Wales and England. I remember little of the day, match or return home train journey but I vaguely recollect that Wales won, I didn’t know who I was by the end of the day and that I was assaulted most of the way home (verbally and physically) by my school mate Alan Perkins (six foot seven and a tiger when filled with gallons of Brains bitter).

Within six hours of going to bed (which resembled a night on a ferry in the middle of a raging Bay of Biscay)   I was up bright and breezy to compete in the Paddock Half. Alan, who had invited me to run, had conveniently been called into work – he was a transport policeman – which left me to start the race with his delightful wife Penny.

The less said about the run, the better. But I do remember thinking at mile six that I would never ever do another half marathon. At mile seven Penny waltzed past me full of the joys of spring. I think she finished the race at least 45 minutes ahead of me.

I say all this because my dear ‘brained’ friend Alan kindly donated £100 today on my website www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge. Sadly and tragically, the wonderfully kind Penny is now only with us in spirit. She died earlier this year after a fight and a half (a battle royale) with cancer.

Penny was one of the kindest individuals I have ever had the privilege to meet. She could not say a bad word about anyone (even me!)  She saw good in everyone she came into contact with and she was as sharp as they come. You underestimated Penny at your peril – she had an intellect that even Einstein would have been proud of.

I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Penny in the last hours of her life at a hospice in Hertfordshire. She was heroic to the end – and she is a hero of mine and will be for the rest of my life.

As for her children Jack (training to be an actuary) and the stunning Beccy (a budding marine biologist), they keep the Perkins flag flying proudly. If Jack makes it and becomes an actuary, he will be the first one to qualify with a sense of humour and a joie de vivre. As for Alan, he’s a man who is loyal to his friends (he’s suffered my moods for years and still comes back for more) and who is bereft at the loss of his princess.

As I ran today, struggling against all kinds of mind games and physical niggles (aching back, brick like quads, tight hamstrings) I know that Penny was watching. And as I stumbled/sprinted/hobbled over the finishing line in the disreputable time of 4.47, I smiled like a bright night star. Why? Because I know Penny would have wanted me to smile (she would have smiled herself).

More importantly, I know Penny Perkins would have been mighty proud of me for taking on such a crazy challenge and getting to the end of day six with most body parts working.

Penny, my darling, your spirit lives on. And if I get to finish the Brathay 10 in 10 on Sunday, I will do one thing. As I collapse over the finishing line, I will look upwards to the heavens and smile like crazy. FOR YOU.

Brathay 10 in 10: day six: a few thoughts ahead of the run

Day Six

I am blogging before my body is strapped up and mummified for the purposes of the Brathay10in10.

It is a beautiful day here in the Lakes. The sun is shining, there is not a cloud in the sky and the views towards the Langdales and Loughrigg are stunning and stupendous.

I feel privileged to be in God’s own country/county – Cumbria where the lambs roam free (until they are three months old) and the farmers drive their tractors as if they are latter day Nigel Mansells. And where the wild garlic teases you into grabbing the nearest frying pan and cooking a few cloves before conjuring up a scrambled egg feast.  I might well do that today if a) a farmer’s wife allows me to use her kitchen and b) I feel the urge. I will let you know.

Life is so precious. We have one chance on this God’s earth of ours. Seize it, use every moment of it and walk tall.

Thanks for supporting a tired old ginga (five foot eight and shrinking) along his journey to Sunday’s climax of the 262 mile Brathay 10in10 challenge. Everyone who has supported me along the way (donors, those who have sent messages of support), I say to you: THANK YOU.

If you fancy throwing a few pounds my way for Brathay I would be delighted: www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge.

If you fancy watching me explain my feelings about the Brathay 10in10, then visit www.cumbrialive.tv.brathay10in10. Hunt down the day five video.

If you fancy following me on tweeter (and sending me the odd tweet), please do.

To everyone, I love you. And if you have a spare weekend coming up, get your butt up to Windermere.

I dedicate this blog to Helen and Stanley Prestridge, my parents, and Joan Clarke, the only aunt I ever had (and who has stuck with me through thick and thin) To Helen, Stanley and Joan, I am running day six for you.

Day Five: Brathay 10 marathons in 10 10 days: a tribute to the late David Elms and John Dawson

‘Climbing up on Solsbury Hill

I could see the City lights

Wind was blowing, time stood still

Eagle flew out of the night

He was something to observe

Came in close, I heard a voice

Standing stretching every nerve

Had to listen had no choice

I did not believe the information

I just had to trust imagination

My heart going boom boom boom

Son he said grab your things

I’ve come to take you home’

(Peter Gabriel) – and dedicated to David Elms

This is an intentionally short blog after day five of the Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days challenge.

It’s short not because I am tired (I am) but because I have little to say. Yes, I ran my quickest time and I enjoyed the hailstones but I have other things on my mind.

I ran today for two special people – one past and one present. And not a moment passed on the course without me thinking of them.

The first is the late David Elms – a man who made a big mark on my life and an even bigger mark on others. He was a man hewn from the proverbial rocks of Gibraltar – a man of fierce independence who called a spade a spade but had a heart of gold. He is much missed by me, much missed by my dear friend and work colleague Helen Loveless and of course much missed by all in the financial services industry.

David, I hope you are looking down and smiling at the crazy thing – Brathay 10 in 10 – I am doing and enjoyed watching a fat ginga attempt to run up hills that tractors dare not take on.

The second is John Dawson who last year ran the Brathay10in10 at the age of 73 (he also completed it in 2007). John came to cheer us on today – and to just stand in his presence for a minute provided enough inspiration to get me through the day’s physical challenge. Not only did John complete the Brathay 10in10 challenge at the age of 73 but he did it while suffering from bowel cancer. Such feats of physical endurance put everything in life into perspective.

A few little bits and pieces before I go off to be stretched and share an ice bath with the thong wearing Jim Meta.

If you fancy donating to this splendid charity, please do so via www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge

If you want to watch video footage of the Brathay10in10, visit www.cumbrialive.tc/brathay10in10

And if you fancy following my progress on twitter please do so.

Love to all.

Day Four from the battlefront that is the Brathay 10marathons in 10 days challenge

I believe in miracles
Where you from
You sexy thing
I believe in miracles
Since you came along
You sexy thing

IF anyone would have told me two years ago that I would be able to run four marathons in four days, I would have quietly pushed them in the direction of the nearest psychiatrist.
If anyone would have told me six months ago that I would be able to run four marathons in four days, and run the quickest on the fourth day, I would have taken the empty whisky bottle from their clutches and had a quiet word with the landlord.
Today, I ran the fourth marathon of the 10 marathons in 10 days challenge set by Brathay Trust in a time (4.37) three minutes faster than on the first day (4.40) and 14 minutes quicker than the day before.
OK, faster than a hedgehog, slower than an ant, but who cares. I have defied the restrictions of an ageing body and proved to myself that I have the resolve (mental as well as physical) to complete this ridiculous challenge – 262 miles in 10 days up and down some of the nastiest road undulations that you will ever care to encounter in your life.
So, I’m 104.8 miles into the Brathay 10in10 and in a perverse kind of way I am thoroughly enjoying it. Not because of the pain of pounding my feet on the highways and byways that encircle Lake Windermere.
But because of everything/everyone else:

1.     The wildlife along the route (the deer and squirrels), the livestock (sheep, sheep and more sheep) and the farmers (moody most of the time) and the pungent smell of the wild garlic.

2.     The camaraderie of the runners. I know my dear colleague Adrian Shandley has referred to us as the Foreign Legion in his latest awarding winning blog and he is spot on. We are a bunch of misfits and miscreants who are bonded by one magical thing: madness. We come from all walks of life, we come in all sizes but we fit together like a jigsaw because we are all determined to complete the Brathay10in10 challenge and raise much needed money for Brathay Trust - www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge

3.     The miracle camerawork of Martin Campbell who follows us around like a leech and takes video footage of us in our moments of despair. Check out his splendid video footage of the challenge on www.cumbrialive.tv/brathay10in10.

4.     The miraculous hands and elbows that make up Staveley based BodyRehab. I know for a fact that if they were not there day and night for us at least four of us would be in no state to carry on. The runners owe them a huge huge thank you.

5.     The dedicated support of everyone at Brathay Trust. I cannot think of a better loving pair of individuals (welsh firebrand Alyson Knowles and solid Mac) to support the runners as they progress around the course, dishing out coffee, jaffa cakes and jelly babies with gay abandon. Aly and Mac should be knighted for the work they do to help us raise money for Brathay.

Love you all, you sexy things.
And yes, I believe in miracles.
Make my day. Make Brathay’s day. Make a child’s day. www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge

Brathay Day Three: Ready for the knacker's yard - until Sue comes to the rescue

Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust

TODAY, if I had been born a turkey, I would now be sitting on someone’s dinner table as a rather disappointing Sunday roast or have been summarily put in the freezer for another day.

Today, if I had been born a cow, I would have been put in the farmer’s cattle truck and taken off to be made into steak pie.

Today, if I had been born a chicken, I would have been plucked good and proper and put on sale at Sainsbury’s for £1.99 (plus a free bag of frozen chips).

I should have bitten the dust.

Thankfully, I am a human being (I think) and I have been saved to fight another day. This is despite the fact that: I cannot walk, I cannot go down stairs without squealing like a dog; and I scream whenever I have to lift my foot to mount a pavement.

Old age? Maybe. But in my defence I have just done three marathons (78 miles) in three days – something I have never done before. And, yes I admit, my body is struggling with the fact that it’s had to do such a ridiculous thing. More ridiculously, it’s got another 184 miles to endure over the next seven days as I attempt to complete the Brathay 10in10 challenge.

So far, I have been Mr Consistency with times of 4 hours 41 minutes, 4 hours 42 minutes and 4 hours 50 minutes. Not bad for a 53 year old ginga who drinks too much and has lost the will in life to sleep.

How do I recover from three days of pounding the fair roads of Windermere? Step forward Sue Edgar of Staveley based BodyRehab, the meanest (and best) physiotherapist to walk the streets of Kendal since Wainwright was alive. Sue is a smiling assassin. She grins, laughs and then proceeds to make you scream and your hair turn curly as she unknots every muscle in your legs and bottom.

In an hour of torture, the brutality of which has not been witnessed since Guantanamo Bay, Sue loosened my hamstrings, calves and quads and a lot more besides. She turned a man ready for the knacker’s yard into something resembling a spring chicken – but only after taking him to the edge of his life.

Sue Edgar’s hands are a modern day miracle. I trust they are insured for £1 million a hand. And her elbows are worth a fortune too. I have not seen anyone use an elbow more effectively since Don Revie’s Leeds team were causing mayhem in the old Division One.

Hopefully, I will be running tomorrow – and hopefully another one will bite the dust - and if so I will pay homage to Sue Edgar.

In the meantime visit www.cumbrialive.tv/brathay10in10 if you want to see video footage of the Brathay 10.

If you want to keep up to date with how I am doing follow my tweets on www.twitter.com/jeff-prestridge.

And if you are feeling generous donate via www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge

One final comment.  Yesterday I described my room-mate Adrian Shandley as ‘little cock’. I would now like to take this opportunity to apologise to Adrian for calling him …. Little cock…. little cock.. little cock .. little cock… little cock.. little cock.. little cock .. little cock ……. Oh dear, it appears the keyboard is malfunctioning … little cock .. little cock!

Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days: Day 2: men of steel, card sharks and tartan pants

What a difference a day makes
Twenty-four little hours
Brought the sun and the flowers
Where there used to be rain

(with thanks to Louise Cuming)

TWENTY four hours ago I did not think that I would be able to complete the Brathay 10 in 10. Today, Saturday, a beautiful Saturday in the glorious Lake District, I jettisoned a few of my demons. Two marathons down, eight to go.

Although I didn’t exactly run like a gazelle (more like an old elephant) I felt stronger today than I did 24 hours earlier. And the result was a time just a minute or so slower than the day before. I now feel I have it within my soul – my core – to carry on and complete the Brathay 10 in 10 – 52 miles down, just 210 to go!

The last twenty four hours have been amazing. After a three month impasse my mother phoned me to tell me I was mad to do such a challenge (I knew that already but thank you mother dear). She made my day by sponsoring me on justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge although there was no accompanying note of support.

I have also been amused and humbled by some of my running colleagues. Adrian Shandley, my room partner for the duration of the 10 in 10, is a leading financial adviser but amazingly he’s amazingly hugely entertaining.

Adrian (little cock to his friends) has a second career in the offing in the form of card tricks (he would give the late Tommy Cooper a run for his money) and he has taken to calling me Cuddles. It is also a fact that he has seen more of me than any other man on earth as a result of me swinging by his head in the middle of the night to go and read downstairs. His face (in his bunk) and my groin are on the same level. As he said to me this morning: ‘I thought it was a python slivering out of the room!’

Then there is Nick, a modest man of steel who thinks nothing of running up and down a few dozen Lakeland fells at a weekend. Like me, Nick is a grumpy sod who initially is a man of few words. But break through the protective skin and you find a man with a great wit and humility. And he is running 262 miles with a hole in his heart. He’s an understated legend.

Highlights of the day?

Smelling wild garlic from start to finish (I can’t cook anything without garlic).

Going 10 minutes with the legendary Jim Meta in the ice bath. He was wearing natty tartan pants today – so natty that some Brathay children went into simultaneous trauma when he went past them on his way to the ice bath. He’s a nutter, a fantastic human being who believes that life is for living.

Being given a red wine gum by Alyson Knowles at 23 miles and being told it was the closest thing she could find to champagne (Alyson thinks I am a champagne Charlie!)

And being revived by the wonderful BodyRehab team. They are miracle workers.

Thanks for all your support, good ladies and gentlemen. I want to do all I can to raise money for this super charity. If you feel in the mood, visit justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge.

For video footage, visit www.cumbrialive.tv/brathay10in10.

For tweets on life up in Brathay  – www.twitter.com/jeff-prestridge.

And for further details on the wonderful Brathay, visit www.brathay.org.uk

Eh, what a difference a day makes!

 .

Day One: Jim's pants, rain sun and wind and 26.2 miles of pain

‘Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away.
Now it looks as though they're here to stay.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly,
I'm not half the man I used to be,
There's a shadow hanging over me,
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.’

YESTERDAY, I was happy as Larry: the prospect of 10 days in the Lakes doing what I am quite good at - running.

Today I am half the man I thought I was because I’ve realised that I’ve got one hell of a shadow hanging over me: nine marathons in nine days around the shores of Windermere – and if my first one is anything to go by I’ve embarked upon a challenge that might be beyond me. My body is no longer the temple I thought it was.

I’ve just completed the first of my 10 (a grand total of 262 miles) and to put it mildly I didn’t shoot the lights out. I waddled my way around the undulating course like Mother Goose in her prime. Four hours and 41 minutes of mental tenacity and potential physical breakdown lurking round every corner. I survived only because I am bloody minded and a cussed old ginga!

The highlights of my first day?

1.        Watching the marvellous Jim Meta (a fellow 10in10er) emerge from the ice bath in the tightest pair of underpants I have seen in many a blue moon (movie). He reminded me of an aged rock star (Adam Ant) trying to prove to the world that he’s still got ‘it’. Jim’s pants were so tight that I proceeded to jump into the ice bath, last five minutes and then faint as soon as I got out. Although the wonderful assistants from BodyRehab said it was a result of my blood flowing from my brain to my feet I am convinced that Jim’s pants did for me.

2.       Enjoying the support of Alyson Knowles and ‘Mac’ from Brathay around the course. On many an occasion they saved me from total destruction with a cuddle (Mac does a wonderful ‘cuddle’), a banana or a cup of steaming coffee. A big big thank you to these two giants of Brathay Trust.

3.       Finishing the marathon in front of Brathay Hall to tumultuous support. I must admit I shed a tear or two - in fact I am going to shed a lot of tears over the next few days. I’m already an unstable emotional zone.

4.       Being stretched to an inch of my life by BodyRehab after my run. I never thought my legs could be bent back over my head like the guys from BodyRehab managed to do. It was more painful than being given a kick in the shins by Vinnie Jones but I feel better for it (I think!).

5.       Getting back and seeing so many emails and tweets of support for what I am doing.

Ladies and gentlemen, from the bottom of my running shorts, I cannot thank you enough for your tremendous support of Brathay Trust, especially in such difficult times. It is truly appreciated.

For those who would like to learn a little about the fantastic work that Brathay Trust does, please visit www.brathay.org.uk.

For those who would like to know more about why I am doing this 10 marathons in 10 days challenge for Brathay, please take time out to watch the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R60UylkVK8M

For those of you who would like to follow my progress follow me on twitter at twitter.com/jeff-prestridge.

And finally, if you want to sponsor me, I would love you for life. Visit justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge.

Love you all.

Day before the Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days

blog One: 10 marathons in 10 days: Day before the Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days: ‘One day at a time is all we do One day at a time is good for you.’ (John Lennon) TOMORROW I embark upon the toughest physical...

Day before the Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days

‘One day at a time is all we do

One day at a time is good for you.’

(John Lennon)

TOMORROW I embark upon the toughest physical challenge of my life – tougher than the challenge I faced 14 years ago when I decided that 16 stones did not suit me and I took up running.

Tomorrow, May 11, along with 17 other self-confessed nutters, I will be running around the shores of the idyllic Windermere in the beautiful south Lakes. Not once but ten times – 26.2 miles per day for ten days. If I complete it – and it is a big if – it will be as big an achievement as I have ever accomplished in my squalid little life.

Bigger than winning the ABI Lifetime Achievement Award still in my 40’s; bigger than watching every WBA FC football match last season (home and away); and bigger than bringing up three wonderful sons to be true men of honour.

From my heart (or should it be hamstring), I thank every single person who has backed me to where I am now. Your support of my chosen charity, the splendid Brathay Trust, has been nothing short of magnificent. If I could kiss you all, I would. If I could go down on bended knee and stroke your feet I would (anyone interested should email jeff.prestridge@hotmail.co.uk).

For the next 10 days I am going to take my chubby little body to its limit. There will be tears along the way, blisters to pop and mental uncertainty to overcome. But I will give it my best shot. I might be old, decrepit (someone described me as a scumbag yesterday) and a ‘ginga’ but I am as tough as John Wayne’s old boots.

All I ask is that you follow my journey via blog – jeffprestridgeblogspot.com over the next week and a half. Also, look out for my tweets. And if you want to know what this all means to me sit down with a glass of bubbly and watch my video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R60UylkVK8M

And if you want to learn more about Brathay please visit www.brathay.org.uk

I love you all – more than a beggar cherishes the last coppers in his holed pocket (something I wrote in an English essay when I was at 13 and got castigated for). Thanks for supporting me.

Justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge

As John Lennon once said: ‘One day at a time is all we do, one day at a time is good for you.’

Love, running and marriage - Brathay 10 marathons ...

Love, running and marriage - Brathay 10 marathons ...: Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play. Now I need a place to hide away. Oh, I believe in yesterday. RUNNING is usually an ant...

love, running and marriage - Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days

Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play.
Now I need a place to hide away.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

RUNNING is usually an antidote for life’s travails. I run to get rid of stress. I run when work is not going according to plan. And I run to get rid of tiredness (strange that but hey it works). And of course I run for wonderful charities like Brathay Trust (justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge).

Unfortunately, for the past week I’ve found running beyond me. It’s unlike me and it’s unsettling. But then big things are going on in my life.  I’m moving home after 28 years of marriage – from a comfortable four bedroom house in Hertfordshire to a one bedroom flat in London’s Docklands.  And yes, before you ask, all my fault (mea culpa and all that).

All rather stressful, all rather emotional and that’s without mentioning the role of the residents’ association/managing agents/estate agents who have made my life hell. I was supposed to be moving in on Friday March 30 and had done everything asked of me – given loads of dosh as security, paid rent in advance, provided references, filled in standing orders for frightening amounts of money and signed my life away.

But no, the managing agents/residents’ association weren’t having any of it. Working at the speed of a snail they decided they wanted to double check my background (thanks Lord Leveson). The result? While they procrastinate, dither and Rome burns, I’ve been forced to spend a weekend in a hotel. My belongings – few and far between - remain in a car parked under a building in London W8 ready to be disgorged. No matter what threats I made (disembowelment, exposure in the press, legals), the residents’ association wasn’t for shifting (quite literally). I’m currently a ‘suspect’, a nasty journalist (all journalists are nasty) and a persona non grata.

All this has made my back seize up (they say stress attacks your weakest point and mine, unfortunately, is my lower back). So, rather than de-stressing by running around the wonderful Royal Parks of London (Hyde, St James and Green) I’ve been distressed and hobbling around the offices of Associated Newspapers as if I am Long John Silver.

Hopefully, it’s a temporary blip and that once the residents’ association deems me fit and proper (maybe they won’t) and allows me to take up the tenancy agreement I have signed, everything will return to normal.

It better do! The Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days is creeping up fast and I feel woefully underprepared. I’m still carrying winter fat (winters in Hertfordshire can be terribly cold!), I’ve done few races and I’m not clocking enough miles. In short (and yes, I am only five foot eight), I’m not fit for purpose.

Of course I’ll be there on the start line on May 9 raring to go like some lurcher that has just spotted a hare. But it could be one tough 10 days.

At least I’ll run at a pace that knocks spots off the resident’s association that has made my life and back hell. If I finish I will ensure every single one of those luddites that sit on that pompous committee are forced to watch a video of my Brathay 10 in 10 experiences (including cold baths and  toe nails dropping off).  And sponsor me (justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge).

Keep healthy. Keep stress out of your life. And if you see a ginger headed guy wandering around a hotel foyer in the next few days with a bad back and spitting venom, say hello. But don’t mention the residents’ association. It will tip me over the edge!

blog One: 10 marathons in 10 days: A beautiful Great Britain

A beautiful Great Britain: RAISING money for charity isn’t easy, especially against this difficult economic backdrop when the temptation is to tighten the purse stri...

A beautiful Great Britain

RAISING money for charity isn’t easy, especially against this difficult economic backdrop when the temptation is to tighten the purse strings and say no (albeit kindly).

So far, I’ve raised £42,000 and I thank every single contributor (individuals through to big financial services companies) for supporting me in my quest to generate much needed funds for the wonderful children’s charity Brathay Trust.

My target is £100,000 but it is only a target. Unless a Richard Branson, a Stephen Hester or Bob Diamond  decide to offload a little of their wealth (go on, I dare you!) I fear I will fall short. But I will have done my best. So, don’t be too hard on me!

In such hard times, I’ve tried to do things a little differently with regards to fund raising. The result is my website www.abeautifulgreatbritain.co.uk.

The website is based on my 192 mile Coast to Coast walk last June – a website that includes my personal diary as I trudged across Britain from St Bees on the west coast to Robin Hoods Bay. Of course, the walk will appear like a stroll in the park after running 10 marathons in 10 days this May around Windermere in the Lake District. But at the time it was tough, exhausting, and exhilarating,  all at the same time.

I took a lot of pictures while traversing the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors. Indeed, I took so many I turned them into a book, which is available via www.abeautifulgreatbritain.co.uk. All proceeds, of course, will go to Brathay Trust.

Anyway, when you get a chance, take a look at the website. It might tempt you to do the Coast to Coast (and if so, fantastic, you will love it). The website includes details of all the places I stayed at (most of them absolutely magical).

Alternatively, it might tempt you to support Brathay Trust via www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge.

Either way, let me know what you think of www.abeautifulgreatbritain.co.uk.

Forty odd miles of running in the last week. Of course it’s not enough but I’ll be there on the start line in May, come what …. May!

God bless.

Ps: if you know Branson, Hester and Diamond, give them a nudge!

blog One: 10 marathons in 10 days: Rosie and Jim: Latest thoughts: 10 marathons in 10...

blog One: 10 marathons in 10 days: Rosie and Jim: Latest thoughts: 10 marathons in 10...: "Rosie and...