3 weeks to go

Hello all,

3 weeks and 2 days to go – 23 sleeps and most definitely counting - until the big day of 19th September. My legs are now pretty much numb, I can’t stop yawning and I am single handedly sending the share price of Deep-Heat soaring.

After being banned from the gym for my escapades earlier in my training (you can read these below), I have had to take to running the streets around North Park and Gosforth. I have a lovely regular route planned out now which takes in a few slight hills, 2 bacon-sandwich shops, 3 conveniently located shelters where I can have a lie-down and multiple bus-stops - just the sort of route I need!

On a serious note, my ‘training’ for the Great North Run is coming on very strong – I am comfortably up to 7 miles after this morning’s run and I even found energy for a final mile dash today. I didn’t have to use my bus fare once.

Today I was joined for the second time by my work colleague / running buddy Ian ‘Jurgen Klinsmann’ Burgess. A 6.50am meet outside the office – now that is dedication for you. Well, what a pair of plonkers we looked. It was about -5 degrees, everyone else was wrapped up warm in their coats and there’s me and Ian, dressed like a couple of good ‘uns fresh from the set of Brokeback Mountain.

We did a 6 mile run last week which was largely uneventful but today’s run took a turn for the funnier with Ian seemingly tripping over a red ant after about 5 miles and subsequently doing one of the longest ‘whole-body-weight-being-forced-forward-staggers’ that anyone has ever seen – there must have been at least 20 steps and 40 arm circles before he finally was able to stand upright again.

The sheer panic on his face was enough for me to lose all control and ‘accidentally’ throw my 1 litre bottle of water at him – oh, happy days.

Anyway, that’s enough nattering from me – my next post will (un)fortunately be my last, written a week before the big day so for nearly the final time, please remember that I am doing all of this to raise some money for a fantastic charity, Framework, in Nottingham. I would truly appreciate any sponsorship money that you could be kind enough to part with. You can read more about Framework and their fantastic work at www.frameworkha.org and you can kindly sponsor me at www.justgiving.com/james-sturman

Thank you for reading.