| 
 I
boarded the Tamar Trotters coach at 7am on the Saturday
morning to make the long journey from Saltash, Cornwall
to London. Tamar Trotters is the running club that I
belong to. We reached the Excel centre at approx 1.30pm
to register for the London Marathon.
The morning of the race was another early start, departing
from our hotel at Old Street at 7am for the journey
to the start of the marathon on Blackheath Common. The
weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky. I really
wanted to complete the marathon to raise money for the
National Association for the Relief of Paget's Disease.
My Dad has suffered from the disease for about 20 years
now and I have witnessed the pain and discomfort that
it causes and by having the Association for my chosen
charity I believe that I am not only raising money,
but also raising awareness of the disease.
I had ambitions of completing the marathon in 4hours
but after 8miles realised that that particular target
was unrealistic. After 18miles I consoled myself with
the idea that the London Marathon is not about times
and that it is about the taking part. At 23 miles with
the sun beating down and other competitors collapsing
around me I began to wonder whether I would make it
to the finish line. I eventually crossed the finish
line in a time of 4hours 27minutes and 46seconds, which
I am very proud of. I am also proud to have done it
all for the National Association for the Relief of Paget's
Disease.
I thoroughly enjoyed my London Marathon experience
and would like to thank the Tamar Trotters for the organised
trip, my customers at my Barber Shop in Callington,
friends and family for donating their money to the cause
and the National Association for the Relief of Paget's
disease for giving me the opportunity to run the London
Marathon for them. I have reached my target figure but
still hope to raise some more money before the end of
May.
As of 4th June 2009 Adam has raised
a total of £1,000
PAUL BROWN –
MARATHON MAN
Paul ran his first marathon in May 2009 in Belfast to
raise money for The Paget’s Association. Here
is his account of the run
Background
 Following
an unsuccessful, injury hindered attempt to run the
Dublin marathon in October 2008 in aid of the Paget’s
association I decided to aim for the Belfast marathon
in May 2009 instead. I’d always wanted to run
a marathon ever since I’d competed at amateur
athletics during my teen years. And with a new pair
of orthotics designed to fix my collapsed arches I thought
Belfast looked like the perfect option.
I decided to fundraise for the National Association
for the Relief of Paget’s Disease because of the
tremendous support that they have offered to my Dad
over the past number of years.
I began my training on a cold evening in January and
overall it went pretty well, apart from a few minor
injuries and a well-earned 10 day holiday in Canada.
My schedule involved going for a four to eight mile
jog three times during the week and then going for a
long run (between ten and 16 miles) on the weekends.
So on the 4th May at the starting line I felt like a
younger version of myself. I’d done the training,
had eaten all the right foods and hadn’t touched
alcohol in six weeks. Sure, I already felt like a winner!
The Race
The weather forecast for the day was wet and windy with
some sunny spells. Or as we say in Ireland, “the
usual”. Not exactly perfect marathon running conditions
but being the eternal optimist I thought that the wind
might cool me down (and always be at my back) and the
rain would quench my thirst. Neither turned out to be
true of course but the tremendous support from the people
of Belfast, and in particular that of own personal support
team of my sister and girlfriend, managed to counteract
both.
The race itself thankfully went really smoothly. Before
I knew it I was at the seven mile marker being shouted
encouragement from my support team. Going gently uphill
through the Falls Road and towards the half way point
was good fun thanks to the local support and bands that
played on that section of the route. I was at the half
way point in just under two hours and on course for
my goal of a sub four hour marathon. At the 16 mile
mark, I remember thinking, “This is as far as
I’ve ever ran before. From here on in, it’s
all new, just keep going”.
Thankfully, the route had started going downhill at
this point, back into Belfast City. There were also
some particularly steep downhill sections that allowed
me to stretch out my legs and get some of the tiredness
out of them which helped a lot. Miles 20 and 21 were
particularly tough as they led us along a narrow path
beside the motorway with the wind howling in your face.
But I had a pleasant surprise at the end of mile 21,
my friend and his children had unexpectedly turned up
to cheer me on. And they also brought presents in the
form of a pre-peeled Satsuma orange. Absolute heaven!The
next three miles passed in a bit of a blur to be honest,
I really couldn’t distinguish one of them from
the other. It was really just a case of delight at seeing
another mile marker and then ticking it off.
The final mile though, that I remember. Pain, agony,
tiredness. All those good words that you associate with
the word “marathon”. That and, “You
big eejit, what were you thinking?”
Thankfully all those feelings passed when I entered
the final straight and saw the large crowd at the finish
line. Suddenly I felt wonderful and it was great to
see my sister and girlfriend there at the finish. As
an added bonus I’d also broken the 4 hour mark.
I had run the 26.2 miles in 3:48:47 and I was ecstatic!
Since finishing the marathon I’ve often been asked
would I like to do another one. And I think that I might…but
I may have to consult with my psychiatrist first.
Finally, I’d like to say a massive thank you
to all my friends and family, and in particular to my
company Asidua Limited, who generously supported my
fundraising efforts.
Angela Canavan, Asidua Chief Operations
Officer said; “Since our inception in 2002, Asidua
employees have always stepped up to the mark and supported
numerous charitable causes. In spite of the current
financial climate, Paul’s overwhelming total of
£1,160.00 is again testament to our employees
continued generosity and support for local charities.
Angela continued; “I would like to personally
congratulate Paul on completing the demanding marathon
and also for his efforts in raising a truly remarkable
total for The Paget’s Association”
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