Mark will be running 3100 miles across the USA for charity!
Since my Mother lost her brave battle against Cancer in 1995, I have been doing sponsored runs to raise funds for a local Hospice. I have tried very hard to repay the debt of gratitude I feel towards the Hospice and, to date, over £50,000 has been raised. As each year has passed the events that I have done have grown longer and become more difficult, and with that, I have come to rely on a decent pair of running shoes. During the Summer of 2007 I ran 874 miles from John O’Groats to Lands End in Brooks trainers, raising £34,108 for St Benedict’s Hospice. Since then, I have clocked up almost 2800 miles wearing out 6 pairs of Brooks shoes. The thing I like most about my Brooks shoes are how comfortable they are. I remember when I first tried a pair on in Northern Runner in Newcastle. “Wow! They feel like slippers!” I remember thinking. I’ve tried a few different brands that, at the time I found very comfortable.
In my experience, Brooks have taken comfort to the next level. Saying that they are comfortable in the shop is one thing, however. I spent the next 2 months testing them out before deciding to use them to run from John O’Groats to Lands End. The experts tell me that I’m a neutral runner, so Brooks Glycerin are the model of shoe that I use. In fact, I’m currently running in the Brooks Glycerin 8 model which incorporates Brooks own DNA technology for the first time. Brooks DNA is “an innovative cushioning material that responds to the unique differences that make each of us who we are as runners.”. In laypersons terms, a special fluid is used in key parts of the shoe, which adapts, in the runner’s favour, to the different forces that are applied to it. I find this particularly useful as my training is made up of various speeds (7:30 – 11:00 minute miles), distances (5 – 37 miles) and terrains (Roads, cycle paths and the treadmill). I’ve also been known to lose and gain 2-3 stone between major events so I reckon Brooks DNA works overtime some days! On Sunday 19th September, miles 2750 – 2763.1 at the Great North Run were the usual comfortable, blister free experience. This was my first comeback race following an ankle break in May 2010, an ankle break which made the front page of the local newspaper incidentally. I was on a cycle ride along the C2C route with friends who call themselves “The Men Of Steel”. Unfortunately, 120 miles into the ride, I had a puncture in my front tyre on a bend and lost control. My inner ankle bone (Medial Malleolus) was the casualty of the resulting fall. I suspected straight away that it was broken. “Thankfully”, it was a nice clean break. Only 24 hours after the accident I had 2 pins inserted in my ankle at Newcastle General Hospital. Ironically, I’ve successfully ran the 140 mile route 3 times in the past (in 7, 5 and 4 days). It just wasn’t to be this time on the bike. I’ll stick to running from now on! The recovery from the ankle break meant 3 months of missed running time. So with only 2 weeks of training under my belt and going against my physio’s orders, I finished the Great North Run in a time of 02:22:48. The run provided a massive boost in confidence and served as the first stepping stone to the next major run I’ll be undertaking. For 100 days during the Summer of 2011, I will be continuing to put my faith in Brooks Glycerin shoes when I run 3100 miles across the USA from California to New York. That’s an average of 31 miles per day for 100 days and 3.5 times further than my John O’Groats to Lands End run in 2007. The trans USA run will be done under my new fundraising nickname, Run Geordie Run. In the USA, more than ever, I’ll be counting on the Brooks DNA technology, in my Glycerin shoes, to adapt to terrain of the Mojave Desert as well as the Rocky Mountains and beyond! I’ll be running through 15 states in total and I’m looking forward to the different challenges that each one will present. This article may read like a sales pitch and I make no apologies for that. It is in fact a plea for all readers to, at least, try a pair of Brooks shoes. I’ve had a lot of comfort and success in them over the last 3 years. It’s imperative that that continues and I get to New York in 1 piece in order to raise the target of £50,000 for 2 local charities; St Benedict’s Hospice (Charity No. 1019410) and The Children’s Foundation (Charity No. 1000013). Thanks to my Brooks Glycerin shoes I stand a very good chance of succeeding. If you would like to sponsor me and donate to the 2 Charities then please visit www.justgiving.com/rungeordierun1 (St Benedict’s Hospice) or www.justgiving.com/rungeordierun2 (The Children’s Foundation). Both Charities do some amazing work in the North East and I hope that thought combined with the difficulty of running 3100 miles in 100 days is deemed worthy of sponsorship.
