I dare you to sprint up a hill and do ten push ups, and repeat, ten times. Why? because accepting a dare is one way of breaking out of the boring and mind numbing routine of life. You wake up early against your will, you go to work for twenty times less then your worth then go home, eat dinner, watch T.V, then go to bed. Find a Hill. If you do this tonight then let this be a turning point in your life. Every time you run up that hill I want you to imagine a barrier, a barrier that's stopping you obtain what you really want from life. Let the Hill Assault be a metaphor for tackling this barrier. Sprint. Sprint up that hill as though your life depends on it and when you reach the summit, drag what ever strength remains and complete ten push ups. In the morning face that barrier and tackle it, know that it wont be easy, know that you may not overcome it, but tackle that problem with the determination you tackled those hills. Never give up. Draw on the strength you found within yourself to complete the push ups, never surrender, on your death bed know, you gave this life all you had. Have no regrets. When you see deaths cold and unforgiving smile, smile back and laugh....Run up that hill. Sprint, Push, Go home and know you completed these hill assaults on an impulse, a dare, and from now on, tackle every hill with heart. Below is a video of my friend running 40k in 40cm of water with 40k of weight. Enjoy.
Monday, 19 December 2011
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Die Hard 4.0
Today I have decided to start writing my blog again since 'The Running'.I am going to start referring to the Run to Rome as 'The Running', to make it sound ten times more exciting, like a film Bruce Willis would star in, I watched Die Hard 4.0 last night, that guy is like, insane, when asked 'Why did you blow up that helicopter with a car' he replied,' 'Because I was out of bullets'. WHAT THE FUCK BRUCE!, that's what separates the men from the boys!. I believe they should set up a separate school in the Army to teach soldiers this art, because there's blowing stuff up and there's blowing stuff up with style. Witty remarks like that are whats lacking in today's society, I think all professions should take note of the living legend that is Bruce Willis. Judges when sentencing people could come up with all kinds of slick remarks, like, i dunno, 'looks like the only thing you'l be shooting now Mr Robber is smack in jail'. I think it would just help lighten the mood in all kinds of scenarios. The world just seems like a cold place at the moment, every time I look at the T.V i'm reminded we are all fucked and there's no money, so any hope of a job and a live you can kiss that goodbye. If politicians are going to lie to us daily, why don't they at least lie positively, all the country needs is some confidence, confidence in the banks, the public and private sector, people lie to me all the time to build up my confidence. I feel like doing something epic, going on a quest to like fucking Israel or something. check out the video of the 'The Running' below.
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Saturday, 22 October 2011
We ran to Rome.
Against all the odds and the opinions of many a wise cracking skeptic we completed what we set out to do in 59 days. Starting on the 17 June from Canterbury Cathedral we covered the width of France, the mountains of Switzerland and the plains of Italy. To be honest with you it was the hardest two months of my life but I believe it is a quest that can be completed by anyone who has the desire to do it. I have been approached by a number of people who have expressed an interest in doing this journey for themselves, some of which who instead of running to Rome are thinking of walking it in three months during the summer of 2012. If any one who stumbles on this page during their adventures on the internet wants to join these small band of brothers or would like some advice on the route add me on Face Book, my name is Zues Thunder (I wish that was my name so I make it so on Face Book.... I understand I am a retard... I know this and accept it), type me in and we can be friends and I can help you out. Its an amazing challenge and journey, I strongly recommend doing it!. I am considering organizing a official Run to Rome with a support team but only 10 people have shown an interest and I believe only 3 of them will do it, but if any one is serious about it add me on face book or drop me an email at maxwellhannah@live.com and perhaps if 20 people are serious and committed to do it we can organize something that resembles a professional and organized outfit. Below are a few snaps from the holiday.
Monday, 13 June 2011
Walls
There comes a time when a runner hits a wall, a mental block, a voice that temps us into taking the easy way out and quitting. If allowed it will stop us from achieving our goals and dreams. We all have different ways of overcoming these mental obstacles but for me I increasingly find my inspiration and motivation from Veteran war heroes and what they endured, in particular the POW’s held by the Japanese in World War Two. The Japanese had little regard for their own lives during the war so it’s no surprise the lives of the POW’s were worth less than a grain of rice. One incident stands above the rest in my opinion, the Bataan death march. Thousands of Allied and Pilipino troops were captured in the Philippines by the Japanese, the Japanese ordered that the POW’s would be transferred to Camp O'Donnell from the southern Bataan Peninsula were they were defeated and captured. 78,000 prisoners then began a march of 65 miles in the tropical heat from Bataan to Camp O’Donnell given no food or water, beaten and murdered on the way. I run ultra marathons and recently completed a 70 mile death march of my own, like any self respecting man I moaned and complained during the whole ordeal. I Later read about this story and similar stories like it and every time I hit a wall I think how easy I really have it and how men and women have and continue to endure far worst thinks then I, I am running to Rome in four days and the stories of the brave men and women in World War Two will be in my hearts.
Friday, 3 June 2011
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
The Website
Here is the link to our official website
http://www.run2rome.webs.com/
packed with news, updates and videos from the running team.
http://www.run2rome.webs.com/
packed with news, updates and videos from the running team.
Monday, 4 April 2011
The right equipment
From hours of training and experimenting with different running shoes I found that the right shoes really do make a difference. Thousands of us have had to stop training due to blisters, shin splints, chafing and I am convinced the right equipment can keep away any annoying and time consuming injuries. It’s important to note that everyone has different running styles, you have to ask yourself, Do you overpronate? Underpronate? or are you a neutral runner? It’s important to know because shoes can be designed to aid your posture, reducing the risk of injury and improving performance.
If your print looks like this.
You are an underpronator / supinator and have a high arched foot. This print will leave a very thin band on the lateral side (outside of the foot) or none at all, between the heel and forefoot. This is because most underpronators are forefoot runners, only using the heel down hill. This curved, highly arched foot does not pronate sufficiently and requires a lot of cushioning.
b: If your print looks like this.
You have a normal foot plant and are a mild overpronator. A normal foot usually leaves approximately half the footprint - the lateral (outside) part. The foot plant lands on the outside of the heel and rolls inward slightly to absorb shock while moving off the big toe.
You require a Stability shoe. A stability shoe has a good blend of cushioning, pronation control features and durability. Added support will not do you any harm and could be beneficial.
c: If your print looks like this.
You have a flatter foot and require a motion control shoe. This foot leaves a print of the whole of the foot. This is because the arch collapses through the foot motion. The foot strikes at the heel and rolls inwards excessively - this is more severe overpronation. If you are a serious overpronator and do not wear the correct shoes then you are much more likely to get injuries (especially knee and hip injuries) when running.
If you have a flat foot pattern then try shoes with Motion Control characteristics. Motion Control shoes are designed to strongly limit the inward rolling of the foot. They are rigid and generally heavier in weight. They are best for moderate to severe overpronators who need maximum support.
If you are unsure I recommend going to a specialist running shop. I got my shoes from the Running outlet in Canterbury city centre and noticed the difference straight away. Invest in the right shoes and you will be glad you did.
Food is your fuel.
The right diet is essential for any athlete, you could have a sports car that goes near the speed of light but if that car is running on chip fat oil its going nowhere fast. Food is your fuel , a runner needs strong and durable muscles, joints that can withstand hours of abuse, and a good circulation. I have started taking three food supplement products that have left me feeling like a brand new, well oiled, virgin. Here are three products I recommend to any serious athlete.
Number one: Glucosamine for joint care.
like many runners I run up to hours at a time and the effect this can have on your joints can be devastating. These allow your joints to cope providing flexibility and quicker recovery time. Glucosamine helps build joint cartilage , manufactured in a laboratory from chitin, a substance found in the shells of shrimp, crab, lobster, and other sea creatures.
From looking at the market for glucosamine products allot of companies use ingredients that are questionable, however the safest and most effective product out there is in my opinion the Sci-Mentor Joint Support Formula which can be found online at various websites such as www.bodyactive-online.co.uk.
Number two: Fish oils for circulation.
Fish oils not online aid in joint protection but they also help circulate the body so your body runs like a well oiled machine. Fish oil comes from fatty fish, such as tuna, cod liver, salmon and most fish that live in deep, cold water.
From extensive research on my part into the market the best products out there come from Natures aid. A family company that pride themselves in natural and responsible sources. These can be found at www.healthstore.uk.com
Number three: branched-chain amino acids for Muscle protection.
A athlete needs reliable muscles that are going to keep up with you, amino acids are critical in muscle development combining this in your diet your body will be protected and resilient to injury.
From shopping around Multipower have come across as the best provider of this supplement. They specialise in sport products and this amino complex from my research has proved the most effective. These can be found at www.multipoweruk.com.
Inspiration
This 5 year old boy from India runs up to 30 miles a day. He knows no boundaries, he just runs. He is a inspiration to all of us. His mother sold him to a man for twenty pounds out of complete desperation, the man beat and abused him. He managed to escape however and was taken in by Biranchi Das, a judo coach and the secretary of the local judo association. The coach watched as this kid would run around the play ground for hours, he took the kid under his wing and has pushed him to the limits of what can be achieved. I ran my first marathon the other day, by myself. I ran it by myself through the woodlands of Canterbury, I got to 20 miles and my feet began to hurt, I was dehydrated and hungry, I could have turned back, and believe me it did cross my mind, but I thought of this guy and I went on until the job was done.
I have stated I am running to Rome! And Rome shall be reached! With men like this in the world I know it will be done! LIVE HARD, DIE HARD! ...............
Its Been A While
I haven't really posted in a while. I will make up for it in the next few weeks.
The last time I posted was around a month ago now. To be honest things have just gone mental. I did not expect to be doing half the things I would be doing by April, but this is the power of positive thinking and the will to succeed!
At the end of February me and max met up for our monthly dose of pain. This does of pain was a 24 mile run to Coulsdon back to Redhill and to the top of Box Hill. Here is a clip of our training. Due to our Camera man getting injured we stopped filming at the base of Box Hill, but you get the general picture.
The last time I posted was around a month ago now. To be honest things have just gone mental. I did not expect to be doing half the things I would be doing by April, but this is the power of positive thinking and the will to succeed!
At the end of February me and max met up for our monthly dose of pain. This does of pain was a 24 mile run to Coulsdon back to Redhill and to the top of Box Hill. Here is a clip of our training. Due to our Camera man getting injured we stopped filming at the base of Box Hill, but you get the general picture.
At the start of March I stepped up my training to two daily runs of varying distances. I also stepped up my HIIT training, adding a four mile sprint before I tackled 8 stair climbs and 200 press ups. As It stands im putting in 55-60 mile weeks and this total is only going to get higher. I have also ran out of text books to add to Bertha. I have added a fire extinguisher to my bag to bring Bertha up to 14kgs. My dietary needs are also getting silly. I worked out that in a three day period I eat 2kg of Meat three bags of salad and 400 grams of grapes. And that's just dinner!
I am still motivated to train but at times things do get hard. Sometimes I wake up in the early hours of the morning and look into the distance, hearing the howls of my fellow students coming back from another good night out. Thinking how much I would like to be joining them before realising I have to be up in a matter of hours to run 8 miles. And as more and more people show interest in the event I feel the pressure on my shoulders mounting. I will have to lead the team through some really difficult times and sometimes I forget that I am still only 20 years old.
On the 10th of March I ran up and down my halls 50 times to raise awareness of my cause and to show people that I am fit enough and have the mental strength to complete this quest. Two Spartans joined me , Dan and Will. I would like to thank them for sharing my pain, they made the day a whole lot more fun. I would also like to thank my housemates who helped me massively throughout the day and a host of other people.
As I am writing this I stand only 10 or so weeks out from the beginning of this run. As I said from day one this will not be a holiday walk through Europe but 8 weeks of pain, pain to get to Rome in under 60 days. This was my claim and I am a man of my word. The training, the mental game is all piecing together. Come June we will be ready for anything
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Evil being the root of mystery, pain is the root of knowledge.
Running..... why run? Is there anything fun about running? In fact there is nothing fun about physical exercise, so why do millions of people put themselves in agonising pain day after day? I will tell you why! because humans are never satisfied and humans grave challenges, be it physical, for example running or boxing or be it sitting at home playing call of duty online. I ran 15 miles today, 15 miles the day before and 25 miles the day before that, I am training because in June I will be running to Rome for the British lung foundation, that is my dream, that is my goal, it’s been nearly three months of training and I can’t wait to embark on this quest. I will tell you a tale, a tale from the chronicles of two pilgrims who will be running to Rome, this is about one of many epic training weekends that me and James have endured.
I received word from James that we would be appearing on BBC radio Solaris on the 13th of march at 7:30 in the morning. BBC radio Solaris is a Christian radio show that is produced in Southampton, what appeared to be a simple task of showing up in Southampton at 7am to ramble on about this ridicules quest turned into the most epic weekend of training yet. The plan was to leave Friday morning, the day before the show, make my way up from Kent ( were I live) to Portsmouth ( were James lives) then get the train to Southampton from Portsmouth, Saturday morning after a good night’s sleep to have a nice talk about the run.
Evil being the root of mystery, pain is the root of knowledge. Simone Weil
I went to my lecture Friday morning when good fortune struck! My good friend Rowan was driving to Brighton Friday evening , from Brighton I could catch the train to Portsmouth. We drove to Brighton, we conversed about politics, sex and all the other things men discuss. We reached Brighton, I decided to treat Rowan to KFC as I was hungry and I hadn’t ate all day. We parked up in some dodgy area of Brighton (dodgy to the extent I didn’t know Brighton had such a big drug problem until I visited this place). We walked into KFC with some of Brightens most affluent smack heads and ordered a family Bucket. We sat down and began gorging on chicken when in the corner of my eye I sure some man stand out of his seat and attack one of the security guards, happily eating chicken we watched these men pop off and after wards left the shop and I walked to the train station to get the train to Portsmouth.
The train took one hour, I arrived at the station and was greeted by James Anderson, he took me to his Uni room, at this time it was about 12am. Before we began training for this run me and James enjoyed occasionally the smoking of the marijuana plant, by chance James found a Joint in his closet that he had lost since the beginning of the year, the temptation was too much, we smoked a finely crafted joint and we were both suitably high. We talked rubbish and theorised about life until what started out a joke spiralled into a whole lot of pain. James told me about a run he had organised in his Uni, he lives in a very tall building and if you add up all the flights of stairs it comes to 17. 17 flights of stairs.... James and one of his friends ran up and down these ungodly man made stairs to hell 50 times. I said we should run them, joking around thinking he wouldn’t think much of it. However once the words left my mouth his eyes lit up with a kind of sadistic pleasure, as I was running to Rome with James it was my turn to earn my place in the Portsmouth Uni hall of fame. I was high and all I had eaten all day was a kfc, we got changed and made our way to the ground floor. The next 6 hours were the most painful of my life, imagine if you can sprinting for 6 hours, sprinting for six hours up a flight of stairs at 1am and finishing at 7am, watching as drunken students stumble in from whatever club they have been spending the twilight hours fucking themselves up. Bare foot we ran and ran and ran. The whole time I dreamt of bed, I had visions of my girl friend and food, and sleeping, oh how I longed to sleep. When I was finished I crashed in bed. I woke up about 3pm and me and James looked like shit, we hobbled into town and ate some burger king. We checked the train times, another bomb shell struck, there were no trains running from Portsmouth to Southampton, we had no choice but to get the last train to Southampton and sleep rough outside.
We packed some layers of clothing and got on the train to Southampton. Spartans when in training were taught to steal to supplement their food rations, this showed cunning and wit. We bunked the train to Southampton as neither of us had any money, when we arrived we tried to seek refuge in some hotels but no one would give us shelter. Ironically under Dreams, the bed shop we slept, well we tried to sleep it was too cold for either of us to get any rest. We walked around through the night and at 7am BBC radio Solaris opened their doors to us. Cold, hungry and looking very rough we spoke for about 20 minutes about the run. We drank some coffee in the studio and headed back to the station were we went our separate ways. For me however the finish line was still not in sight.
I reached Brighton about 11am due to some delays on the services, and I had to wait till 4 for my friend Rowan to give me a lift back to Kent. This was part of my plan however, having no money I was to sell some of my friends music that he makes himself, it’s a kind of trippy house music, that had been burnt onto blank cd’s, I only had 6 or 7 to sell but that would be enough, so sleep deprived and straight from sleeping rough on the street I hit Brightons main shopping centre. At first i wasn’t selling any but as the students started to arise from their sleep about 1pm I managed to sell all the units making 20 pounds, it was about 2 at this point so I went to water stones and drank some coffee. Sleep deprivation can really fuck with your head, I got some books, one of which was the complete works of the great philosopher Socrates, for the remainder of the time i learnt from this wise man, i reached a spiritual place, i heard how he was a rough man who barley bathed and although himself poor would hang around in rich circles living of favours in return for his wisdom. At around 70 years old he stood up in court and argued himself to death as he denied the existence of the gods, he refused to change his views knowing he would be killed, this my friends is a real man. Rowan finally came to pick me up, he took me to his for some food at around 5pm, my first meal of the day and he drove me home.
"All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine." Socrates
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Online begging part one
If you would like to support the run and the British lung foundation this is my just giving page http://www.justgiving.com/maxwell-hannah if you could give just two or three pounds it would be greatly appreciated.
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Operation First contact
This weekend was by far the most challenging weekend of training so far, my friend James has written a detailed account of the whole ordeal and is posted below, enjoy!
70 Pounds, 2 men and 1 Kamikaze: The Box Hill Run
On Saturday Me, Max and our good Friend Jack embarked on the first of 4 monthly weekend exercises designed to test our physical and mental strength. The culmination of our first months training would be a 16 mile run to the top of Box Hill and back to our home in Redhill.
I awoke at around 9.AM to the smell of bacon and eggs. Max was cooking his famous English breakfast. Jack had also arrived at the same time sporting his Kamikaze Headband. He was going to take some photos of our run and join in with the training as he begins RT training with the Engineers on March the 6th. After our meal we began warming up and preparing for the run. Me and Max brought down our backpacks and started loading them. At first we used books and towels. We both reached the 20 pound limit. But after consultation and a brain wave from Max we decided to increase the load by adding some of his free weights just to make the run more painfull! I added a 10kg weight (20 pounds) to Bertha who already weighed 20 pounds and Max placed 15kgs of weights in his bag. Making my load 40 pounds and Maxes 30 pounds. Meaning we would be taking 70 pounds to the top of Box Hill with us! The first time I placed Bertha on my back I could feel immediately the strain on my shoulders and back muscles. And as me and Max stepped out into the cold winter morning we knew this run was going to be painful.
We began running. Our route would take us through Reigate and on the road to Dorking before turning into Box Hill. Redhill is full of inclines, we ran into our first one within a few minutes of running. The training I had been doing on the stairs really came into play here. I felt the familiar burn in my legs as they pulled 195 pounds up the hill. At the first peak I smiled as the road flattened out. Within no time we had reached Reigate town centre. We were setting a great pace given the circumstances.
We continued our run past the Blue Anchor pub and onto a 2 mile flat stretch of road. I felt great and Max was looking good. I set a fast pace when running which means people often play catch up with me. Max did a great job of keeping on my tail. At the two mile mark we saw a roundabout junction approaching, over shadowing it was a series of peaks with white cliff faces. The highest one stuck out like a sore thumb, and that sore thumb was Box hill.
At the base of the road leading up to the beginning of the hill we rested up. All three of us knew what was coming. This is no exaggeration Box Hill single handily has the steepest 800 metre ascent I have ever experienced. Not only that it is followed by two miles of continuous incline. It is a treacherous piece of rock.
I wished Max and Jack good luck. We decided to tackle the next 2.5 miles ourselves, Jack was running without any weight so he shot off from the start. I set of second and began to prepare my body for the pain it was about to experience. Tackling this hill with 40 pounds on my back was going to push me to my limits.
I set off. To begin with the incline was very reasonable. I turned a corner then BANG. I hit the first piece of rock. I power through and notice immediately Bertha dragging me back. I strained as I reached the peak, I continued on to a footpath which went through some forestry. My legs started burning but I was more then used to this from my training. I then cursed as I saw the next leg of my journey. This incline was something out of a horror movie. Cars were speeding to a crawl and mopeds were howling. I told myself that this was what I signed up for and reminded myself that surrendering was just not an option. I began to ascend. My back began to arch under the immense pressure. My legs were beginning to set on fire. It was only sheer wil and fortitude getting me through this. I got to the 400 metre mark and a massive lactic wall hit me. I cried out and forged on. At this point I was arched forward like a hunchback. My pace had slowed to a crawl. 600 metres. I could see the peak. This gave me a much needed shot of adrenaline. My legs seemed to surge into action again and I smashed the last of the distance. I reached the top, un -clipped Bertha and grabbed my water. That was intense. I waited for Max and smiled at his face. He looked like he had been three rounds with Mike Tyson!
We chatted for a few minutes before we set off. Like I said I set an advanced pace running, even with weights on. Especially today, I just wanted this to be finished with. I saw a sign "Box Hill 2". I began jogging. the next stage was not as steep in comparison to the first. But it was just as tough due to the sheer distance of it. This was two miles of constant incline. After the first mile I bumped into Jack who had been waiting ahead for us. At this point I was really feeling the pain. It was my shoulders mainly. Jack shouted some encouragement and set off as pace maker. I could feel my whole body straining under the combined pressure of having to carry me up this hill with this weight. It seemed like an age before I reached the top of the hill. Once I got to the viewing point I felt an enormous amount of pride. We were so high up. And I got here from home with this weight just with my sheer body power.
I awoke at around 9.AM to the smell of bacon and eggs. Max was cooking his famous English breakfast. Jack had also arrived at the same time sporting his Kamikaze Headband. He was going to take some photos of our run and join in with the training as he begins RT training with the Engineers on March the 6th. After our meal we began warming up and preparing for the run. Me and Max brought down our backpacks and started loading them. At first we used books and towels. We both reached the 20 pound limit. But after consultation and a brain wave from Max we decided to increase the load by adding some of his free weights just to make the run more painfull! I added a 10kg weight (20 pounds) to Bertha who already weighed 20 pounds and Max placed 15kgs of weights in his bag. Making my load 40 pounds and Maxes 30 pounds. Meaning we would be taking 70 pounds to the top of Box Hill with us! The first time I placed Bertha on my back I could feel immediately the strain on my shoulders and back muscles. And as me and Max stepped out into the cold winter morning we knew this run was going to be painful.
We began running. Our route would take us through Reigate and on the road to Dorking before turning into Box Hill. Redhill is full of inclines, we ran into our first one within a few minutes of running. The training I had been doing on the stairs really came into play here. I felt the familiar burn in my legs as they pulled 195 pounds up the hill. At the first peak I smiled as the road flattened out. Within no time we had reached Reigate town centre. We were setting a great pace given the circumstances.
We continued our run past the Blue Anchor pub and onto a 2 mile flat stretch of road. I felt great and Max was looking good. I set a fast pace when running which means people often play catch up with me. Max did a great job of keeping on my tail. At the two mile mark we saw a roundabout junction approaching, over shadowing it was a series of peaks with white cliff faces. The highest one stuck out like a sore thumb, and that sore thumb was Box hill.
At the base of the road leading up to the beginning of the hill we rested up. All three of us knew what was coming. This is no exaggeration Box Hill single handily has the steepest 800 metre ascent I have ever experienced. Not only that it is followed by two miles of continuous incline. It is a treacherous piece of rock.
I wished Max and Jack good luck. We decided to tackle the next 2.5 miles ourselves, Jack was running without any weight so he shot off from the start. I set of second and began to prepare my body for the pain it was about to experience. Tackling this hill with 40 pounds on my back was going to push me to my limits.
I set off. To begin with the incline was very reasonable. I turned a corner then BANG. I hit the first piece of rock. I power through and notice immediately Bertha dragging me back. I strained as I reached the peak, I continued on to a footpath which went through some forestry. My legs started burning but I was more then used to this from my training. I then cursed as I saw the next leg of my journey. This incline was something out of a horror movie. Cars were speeding to a crawl and mopeds were howling. I told myself that this was what I signed up for and reminded myself that surrendering was just not an option. I began to ascend. My back began to arch under the immense pressure. My legs were beginning to set on fire. It was only sheer wil and fortitude getting me through this. I got to the 400 metre mark and a massive lactic wall hit me. I cried out and forged on. At this point I was arched forward like a hunchback. My pace had slowed to a crawl. 600 metres. I could see the peak. This gave me a much needed shot of adrenaline. My legs seemed to surge into action again and I smashed the last of the distance. I reached the top, un -clipped Bertha and grabbed my water. That was intense. I waited for Max and smiled at his face. He looked like he had been three rounds with Mike Tyson!
We chatted for a few minutes before we set off. Like I said I set an advanced pace running, even with weights on. Especially today, I just wanted this to be finished with. I saw a sign "Box Hill 2". I began jogging. the next stage was not as steep in comparison to the first. But it was just as tough due to the sheer distance of it. This was two miles of constant incline. After the first mile I bumped into Jack who had been waiting ahead for us. At this point I was really feeling the pain. It was my shoulders mainly. Jack shouted some encouragement and set off as pace maker. I could feel my whole body straining under the combined pressure of having to carry me up this hill with this weight. It seemed like an age before I reached the top of the hill. Once I got to the viewing point I felt an enormous amount of pride. We were so high up. And I got here from home with this weight just with my sheer body power.
Max came a few minutes later and we loaded up on some carbs (cold pasta in a plastic lunch wallet with tuna..yuuuum). Before setting off back home. The descent was not physically hard. However it was much more of a mental battle. As we trudged back down the hill we were all freezing cold, tired and aching from the immense weight we were carrying. None of us were speaking, not a good sign. I was in my own little world thinking about how great it would be to be in a hut tub,smoking a blunt with three Latin supermodels. I decided to share this fantasy with the lads to give them something to put their minds away from the cold we all chriped up and before we knew it we were back at the base of the hill!
We arrived in Reigate grabbed some food and marched back to Redhill. All three of us were very very tired, but we were happy we completed the task. Covering 16 miles over such hard terrain with 30/40 pounds of weight was a great achievement for month one of training. On the run itself we would be running with less weight, less difficult terrain and have much more time (we clocked a time of roughly 4 hours )
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Helen
I have started running with a new running companion, her name is Helen and she is a gorgeous busty back pack weighing 15 pounds, I will have to get used to running with weight as we will be carrying with us supplies and equipment on the actual run. I plan to run 20 miles this week although I have a shin splint, I have read in many places over the web you can run through them if the injury is not too bad and I feel it will be okay. I put ice over the injury after wards and it feels fine. We are mapping a route through the alps at the moment and this run is becoming more epic as time passes on, however we have told too many people about this run and James has tried impressing too many girls with this quest to turn back now. I am boxing at the moment as well and have a fight in February, I will record the fight and put it on this blog, my girlfriend is coming to watch so it may be I slip the guy a fifty as not to lose both my dignity and my women in the same night. I have posted information about this run on many running forums and if anyone knows ‘Dave the ex-Spartan’ tell him he is a looser and if, I mean when we reach Rome I want a apology for his many insults on the Running world forum.
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Sam and Frodo
Okay, so this is my first week of real training, i ran 12 miles yesterday and 5 miles on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Me and James plan to run twenty miles a day, 10 miles in the morning and 10 miles in the evening. At the moment i am a long way of the level of fitness needed for this run but i am confident in 5 months i will be in shape. Thank you to everyone who has given me there advice online and thank you for showing an interest in this run, I have decided to run for the British lung disease charity and I have created a just giving page http://www.justgiving.com/maxwell-hannah please visit this page if you would like to help support people that as we speak are experiencing a physical and mental pain most of us can’t begin to imagine.
I have uploaded a video of me and James doing a bit of traveling after college, we went to Japan Australia and Morocco and this is the highlights of are trip put to a song made and created by James. If you would like to check out his music he has a face book page called Estadium. Enjoy!
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