Vote for Tony's onthebeach - Asicis Target 26.2

Please vote for me! . . . . .

. . . . because I will succeed and achieve my dream of being trained by Britain’s Top Coaches and running the Paris Marathon with RW and Asics support

My love Running is and has been everything from survival - escaping the school bullies, knee deep in mud on school Xcountry, being beaten by national hopefuls in the local fun run or to just running home from the pub because it's quicker!!

Entered my 1st race and joined Newquay Road Runners 1996 and within 2 years had PB's in every distance from a leg of the 4 x 400 m relay to marathon distance with a time in the London Marathon of 2 hours 37 min and 21 seconds plus to Mountain Marathons which took me to the top of the Pap’s of Jura!!!

Like all runners those who do it alone for fun or those who run with clubs at all levels, we all have that massive common denominator we love to run and for that all differences are forgotten . . . . .

Although having run for ever it came to a sudden stop when my wife was diagnosed with Cancer 2 weeks before our daughter was born, thankfully our daughter was born fine and life with a new born and 3 year and a wife going through treatment was testing, luckily family, friends within our community were fantastic and here we all are 5 years on!

Family life is a compromise; you have to sway like a tree in the breeze if you don't bend with it you break as with things that you go through in life.

I have even had the experience of training my wife, her best friend and my sister for the Race for Life which became hilarious as they suddenly went all competitive (in a nice way) not want to miss a run even with a cold!

Now 15 years on and the ripe old age of 46! I am as proud of being a member of Newquay Road Runners and Newquay Par Athletics as ever and would never have achieved all that I have achieved in running if it was not for all the fantastic runners there.

Cornwall is a most amazing place to run whether it is on our amazing coast path with the sun setting and the surf rolling in or upon Bodmin Moor in the mist or running down a beautiful country lane as long as I am running everything is good

Getting through being one of the 5 in the Asics Target 26.2 will be such an amazing opportunity and everyone around me has been offering their support for me and for that I thank them now no matter what the outcome of the completion is!

It will give me the opportunity of re-entering the London Marathon 2014 and a chance to see if I could get a AAA's qualifying time? who knows it is all in the click of a mouse!

I look forward to hearing from everyone and thanks for reading, Tony

 

 

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Comments

  • Opps . . .  the link the link to vote for me is here

    Vote for Tony's onthebeach

  • DS2DS2 ✭✭✭

    Tony - a great read and an inspiring story. I know we are in the same category but Good luck mate!

  • DS2 - thank you and yours too, yes as you said who ever does'nt get through they know anyone of use deserves it, can we all go?

    Yes good luck

  • Hi Tony....

    Been waiting for your thread..........why so long to join the party ??image

    Hi what are you recent race time like and your recent mileage  for you to go for a sub 3image

  • oh yes

     what do you hope to gain from the forums and what do you think you can give to the forums

  • Hi seren nos, late to the party mainly due to access to getting on the computer so post early mornning and night time

    Most recent race was 5m in 34min a couple of weeks ago or a Indian Queens Half marathon 2009 - 1hr 26min

    Recent mileage has been below 20m per week just ticking over?

    The question is how much I can use previous marathons to calculate my projected time?  Did I every reach my absolute top performance? All that I ever did was without a training schedule, how much difference would that make?

    I really view this as an amazing chance to get the level of help only professional athelets get which would be a dream come true for some one who has run for so long

    Reference what am I looking for . . . . . at first I didn't know but now jumping in at the deep end I have found it very motivating and having met everyone at bootcamp great to be in touch with them, I think goiung forward being able to ask a question, asked about the weather and got updates from several places which was great

     I had always been very nervous about posting anything in the past, but I think going forward I can offer advice on my experience in running, encouragement and certainly information on the running scene in and places to run in Cornwall and of course the weather conditions!!

    Does that make sense?

  • Loved reading your story Tony, and a pleasure to meet you at bootcamp.

    Only been to Cornwall once but I absolutely loved it! Would be great to visit again and try out those amazing coastal paths you were talking about...

    Best of luck!

  • Thanks, you must let me know when and where and can give lots of info, the Cornwall running clubs have details of all the races

    Cornwal Athletics Club, Carn Runners, East Cornwall Harriers, Falmouth Road Runners, Hayle Runners, Kernow, Launceston, Mounts Bay Harriers, Newquay Road Runners: www.newquayroadrunners.co.uk St Austell, Tamar Trotters, Truro Running Club

    Jus ta few to choose from! but must let me know if your coming down

    Cheers Tony

     

  • Hi Tony, how's your campaign going? You have a very inspirational story, it was lovely to read, you look like you have a lot of enthusiasm for running. Hope your wife is ok now.



    Good luck, was lovely to meet you last week.
  • Will do Tony image

    A few people on here are talking about meeting up to do the TR24 in Derby - are you and Sarah up for it? Could probably make a few teams between the lot of us...

  • Hi Sarah, getting there I think new to this forum stuff!  Thank you for your kind words

    I think the enthusiasm gets magnified when I spend time with or speaking to fellow runners.  Yes my wife is okay her main issue is her Lymphedema in her arm

    You have a cool story and the time spent with your Mom something that will stay with you for ever, I had the privilege of working with my grandfather for 8 years that will always stay with me

    Good luck for yourself and yes great to meet last week which having met so many great people makes the forum good funimage

  • Hi Steve

    Potentially I must admit it looks fantastic, just need to look at working out the logisitics?. . . .

  • Hey Tony.....what was it like training your wife? Is she a runner as well, or a running widow? image

  • Morning Shady_Ady . . . . . . it was fun to watch someone go from not interested to get unhappy when she got a cold and not able to run, then when I went out with her friends I had lots of questions how far did we go, who was fast, did you stop etc.

    Unfortunately her reduced immune system means running is very up and down, but not over

    How did you feel after your first marathon? . . . . I just felt I can do better and did one or 2 for the next 6 years!

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • I trained my wife too. But she had a bad experience in the only Half marathon she ran at Nottingham. She'd trained just to finish so was towards the back of the field and was abused by a group of students passing. They were shouting things like "aren't you embarrassed for being so bad.....you should just give up!" When I found her a couple if miles from the finish she was in tears. She's never ran again! I'm glad your wife caught the running bug though.



    My first marathon was London in 2004. I didn't run any practice races beforehand so found the whole experience overwhelming but thoroughly enjoyable. I found it strange towards the end when I just wanted to cry for no reason. It was amazing though and have been hooked ever since. What marathons have you raced? Do you have a favourite?
  • Hi Shady_Ady, that is a real shame and an act of idiots you spend that time encouraging and supporting someone to get that far and then that work is trashed, such a fantastic achievement to have done a half marathon she has my admiration for getting out their and doing it, I have run with people who have a mental block at running past 2 to 3 miles.  You know they can do it but in their mind they cannot patience encouragement and belief will win in the end.

    My experience with Newquay Road Runners a good one and why I love clubs we all encourage one another not matter what the level, just that we are all there and we all have different goals, I hope maybe one day she will run again

    My first was is 1997 I had been training with the club and they were all training hard for the London and then I got a charity place at the last minute and did 2:55 and that was it for me hooked

    Sep 97 did Nottingham 2:45 and 3 A's entry to London

     Apr 98  London 2:37:21 which was my PB a further 5 london's mixed results 2:38 closest I have ever got in the year I decided to hold back a little where as friend Chris went away in front and did 2:37 but you never know could have gone with him and slowed up?

    Have done Cardiff beautiful location you go through the castle and out on the breakwater and finish in the Millenium Stadium

    Amsterdam - again beautiful place start and finish in the Olympic stadium on the track, follow the Amstel river out of the city into flat country side with windmills!

    Duchy here in Cornwall 2 lap course lanes and coast road looking down to St Ives in the distance

    Cornish again stunning location but run in November weather can go either way one of hardest marathons the time I ran was due to needed it for the Cornish Grand Prix Series 14 races best 8 to count so no training and worst time in a Marathon!

    Favourite - difficult as each have something different London atmosphere Cornish landscape!

  • Amsterdam is on my list. I like to travel and run marathons so choosing a city I haven't been to to run a marathon is always something that's on my mind. Plus as my wife still doesn't fancy dipping her toes into the running life, she gets a free holiday out of it!



    For me, having a round number like 3hrs 30mins is an easy motivation to aim for. I presume after breaking 2:45 and going that fast, do you find it harder to motivate yourself if there's a chance of only knocking seconds off your pb rather than minutes?
  • I found it difficult to replicate the conditions I had with my PB which I think is I did more cross training before with Gym work, mountain biking and windsurfing then when I concentrated on running only my times got worse!

  • I read somewhere (probably Runners World) that Mo Farah has improved so much due to his gym sessions not his weekly mileage. What's your normal gym session like? Is it time constraints that stop you doing this now?
  • Thanks Tony. I'm glad that your wife is much better, although lymphoedema can be extremely troublesome. My mums like my best friend, so running and spending time with her was a lovely treat at the weekend which I do miss, but I get to drag her to races and to meadowhall now instead. My dad had to stop running just as I started so I've never had the chance to run with him unfortunatey.



    Steve, I'm up for the thunder run, I'm free that weekend, love a challenge and it would be great to meet up with everyone again.



    Shady, your poor wife, that's awful, some people are so horrible. Bet they couldn't have managed as far as your wife. I read that to, about Mo, might have been the jan issue that ive just read, it had loads on spring marathons.
  • jenfjenf ✭✭✭

    Hi Tony. Great story!.

    Yes it was RW this month said about Mo. I like lifting wts...so I was happy reading that. I think wts have def helped me build strengh n power that helps me up those hills!

  • Good luck and all success in Paris Tony!!

     

  • I agree with Jen, there's not many hills where I live but I never suffer on the hills in races or when I head back to Sheffield which I think is all down to the weights (and the occasional little hill training)!
  • Hi Tony,

    Glad to see you are back into your running again after all the issues you have had.Being a fellow NRR,i remember you bombing around the streets of newquay on weds nights during the winter.I'm sure you'll do well in Paris if selected and getting this far must have given you plenty of motivation.

  • Hi jenf . . . . that's it then more weights!

     Cheers Richard fingers crossed it's either Paris or the Duchy!!

    sarah . . . . . we have plenty of hills and just like DS2 does not matter which way I go it is either up or down.

     

    Althought a flatest run is the Camel Trail disused railway which follows the river camel that starts at Padstow with open estury views going to Wadebridge 5m then to Bodmin (Borough Arms Pub at Dunmere) with wooded valley 5.5m then to Pooleys Bridge 6.5m with step wooded valleys with trees arching completly over the trail http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/pdf/cway_leaflet_camel1%5B1%5D.pdf

    This is our optum 2 hour or 20 mile pre London training ground a mudt if visiting Cornwall

     

  • Hi kessman . . . thank you very much for the kind words and good to here from you,  yes excellent memories and I am sure I will be back to club night but when Lisa's Mom asked her to attend tap Dancing class at the age of 74! , I could not do anything but encorage to take the opportunity to spend that time with her Mom

    NNR club night will have to wait but in the mean time I will continue to listern to Sandstorm which linked with getting this far has got me back to an amazing level motivation I feel 30 again!!!imageimageimage

  • The camel Trail looks amazing...if im ever down that way i will have it in mind image

  • Hi Sarah, yes and there are more just not quite as flat, we have the Portreath to Devron trail which is practically a coast to coast trail.

    Please just ask if you need any infoimage

    Did I see you played netball? only was once asked to play for charity once with work collegues we turned up to find the other teams were made up by the actual netball team members needless to say we got whipped! but hard good fun nearly got sent off for running into the wrong zone ?

     

  • MalcsMalcs ✭✭✭

    Tony - what does it feel like to run a 2hr 37 minute marathon? That's what, 6 minute miles? I can't quite get that into my head. image 

    Do you finish the race a complete wreck like us mere mortals or is it like finishing a 10K, where you feel tired but after a quick breather you're fine? Sorry if this is a stupid question but I'd really like to know if those at the top of the tree find it any easier than the rest of us.

     

  • Hi Malcs - it does feeling amazing and for me it was very much down to the runners at Newquay Road Runners and them encouraging and pulling me on plus all the local races.

    The 37:21 part was a little miscalculation in that my target was to get to 10m in an hour and then20m in 2 hours which I did and then just telling my self just a 10k to go and at 20 I mis-calculated what needed to do so carried on at 6 minute miling although I could hve done 6:25 for a 2:40 which was my target

    I certainly could not have ran any further, stiff for  quite while but by the looks of it there is alink with alcohol and muscle soreness doh!

    It is not a stupid question and no it is hard it does hurt and getting back to anything like I used to run is going to be hard just got back from 10m coastpath took it steady but still very hard

    I think you have the potential I was told double your half marathon time and add 10 minutes so for me either I once did amazing in the marathon or my hald is not my true potential?

    Hills that is something we have in abundance down here so to race and training all winter on them flat course feel great!

    What is you Half PB?

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