Frankfurt Marathon - Sunday 29.Oct.2006

Hi everyone,

On October 29th i'll be entering this year's Messe Frankfurt Marathon and will be doing so with the aim of raising a substantial amount to donate to the Association for International Cancer Research.

I'm not gonna try and dress this up as anything that it's not. This is simply the holding out of a begging bowl, the rattling of a money tin, call it what you like... but put simply it's a no-holds-barred blatant request for you to part with some of yr cash!!

I'm well on my way towards my fund raising target for next month's race, and with just over four weeks to go i'm still hopeful of succeeding... so, well, i know you all work very hard for your cash and at first glance that spare fiver in yr wallet has probably already got the words 'beer token' subliminally printed on it.. but look up on it also as a donation voucher and a opportunity to contribute towards a really worthwhile cause. Please please please. If you can find it in your heart to donate a small amount... and...well... wish me luck, then I will be eternally grateful and you can look at yourself in the mirror with pride and happiness knowing that your looking at one of the world's good people.

I have a page set up on the Just Giving site: Just Giving: AlanRunsFrankfurt - which makes it very easy and secure for any kind souls that would like to sponsor me, so please please please help if you can.

Cheers... thanks for listening... and have a cool day.

Alan

well it certainly took you long enough to post it!

Another way to help (in addition to sponsoring!) -- in a very personal case -- if anyone has any personal recommendations for a cancer clinic in London?

Yeah I know it did to be honest i thought i'd done it a while back

You did... but not here!

Right, yeah, all soooooo confusing

All that training is getting to you.

COme out for curry tonight to get your mind off things

Now those are the words of the perfect personal nutritionalist !!

Did I tell you that as your nutritionalist I get to order for you? And more beers can only be ordered via me too

Note: I said ordered nothing about paying for them

Well seeing as my super-serious preparation starts as of tomorrow, then it's time for you to start proving yr worth. I'm expecting my first meals-plan to be compiled asap

Hi,

Well cheers all-round as I've hit my target

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone that reached into their purses and wallets !!

And...of course to those that haven't there's still time !!! Just cos i've hit target doesn't mean i wouldn't like to raise more eh!!!

Thanks again, it means a hell of a lot !!

Alan

so how's your preparation going? I remember something about cutting out beer except on the weekend, or maybe it was only the weekends that you'd have no beer...

Well i have to confess that friday and saturday nights are proving a tough task! And it would be rude of me not to allow myself to raise a glass with you on friday eh!! But in the main i'm doing pretty well on the eating and drinking side of things..

The training's going well too... ran 20 miles on sunday without too much pain so i'm pretty happy now !!!

I see they've started painting the green route lines on the road... i just wanna get on and do it now !!!

oh I think furtfranker told me that the grass is being replanted all along the Main for the marathon -- but I thought he was talking about an Ironman. Is there a link for the route you'll be on?

Marathon Route

It doesn't run right alongside the river in town so it probably is for the ironman maybe... although i thought that happened already ?!

"...I think furtfranker told me that the grass is being replanted all along the Main for the marathon..."

eh?

Close, but not quite a sausage What I said was that they re-surfaced the paths next to the river for the Ironman, which was a giant loop around the river four times (in Aug).

They have re-seeded the grass but that's nothing to do with running.

Wish I could go running right now .. moan, winge blubber! Blubber, yes, quite apt ... it's coming back faster than a very fast thing

I think the river bank seeding thing is just to replenish the ground after the pounding it took during WM maybe.

"to replenish the ground after the pounding it took during WM"
I think you're right.

Well either way... the days are ticking by, 17 days to go 'til my race for the finish! Can I count on some friendly faces for support ? Also, if anyone does come along and has a camera...it'd be cool if you could snap a few pics as i've asked to get plenty by the folks back in blighty...

Well I said I'll be there to cheer.

Oh and if you lend me your camera then I'll have one to bring along

Naturally

Well, balls !!!

I've just checked the early forecast for the big one, and guess what !!?

SODDING RAIN !!!

Look on the bright side at least your hair won't get wet

Running for 4 hours in piss-hard wetness is really gonna be a drag, jeeeeeeeeeeeze

What with that and the chafing

Ouch!!!

Thought about wearing an AA sports bra?

I did a marathon in Brisbane where there was a tropical downpour for 4 hours. Its not soo bad - you always remain fairly cool even if you are a bit soggy

Nah... it's all about the Vaseline

i would strongly recommend buying yourself a gay little pair of lycra running shorts which not only prevent any sort of chaffing but will also allow you to, in the words of David Coleman, "open your legs and show the world your class"

Will do

So,

it's race week !!!

And i'd just like to say that, well, if anyone is at a loose end on sunday and feels like coming and cheering me on then that'd be awesome !!

Race starts at 11am from the Messe and finishes there too, but obviously there are loads of other places you can watch from too.

I'd be grateful of any support at all as i think it's going to be a pretty hard slog !!

And also, if anyone does come down, and has a camera, it'd be grate if you could take a few pics of the day as obviously i wont be able to take any!! and my family back home would love to see pics of the event in full swing.

Also, i'm planning to have a bit of a post marathon relax with a self-congratulatory beer perhaps. There's a tentative plan to head to Shoneberger's in bornheim for drinks afterwards so again, if anyone would like to join me in lubricating my aching limbs then that's be really cool too !!!

Alan

How did you get on mate?

OWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Don't ask!!! Ouch Ouch Ouch !!

I got around that was the main thing... my time was piss poor, as i basically had to trot the last 6km after some serious knee problems at around 35-36km. I had to get some first aid attention at that point, they got me going again - gingerly - and i just trotted back..

I'm really disappointed cos, having prepared so long for it, I really wanted to see what time i could put in at my best.. but at the end of the day I can say i did it, and i've raised some charity cash in the process so the pain is worth it!!

You sure are leaving with a bang, not a whimper. Good work!

Yes, well done! You can be so proud of yourself!