We are family!

Not sure when I last blogged, was it a week ago, was it longer? Has been a bloody long week I Know that so have gazillions to report/ look back on so apologies in advance for my rambling. Didn’t get a great deal of miles in on two feet last week, not ideal preparation for the challenge but was way too busy with organising the ‘Born to Run’ ultra and teaching and stuff to fit many miles in. Did manage 100 miles on Veera between Friday evening and Saturday evening on the ultra course so not all bad. Two rest days has set me up nicely for 120 miles planned in the next 6 days, then 90 next week, 50-60 week after, 30 and then well is going to be time to go :-0 So the ultra was a resounding success, huge amounts of positive feedback, but let me tell you it was a bloody cold one. Friday night I started putting signs up on the course at 1530 and got to 25 miles at around 1815 when I realised that even with lights the path was getting too dark and I was getting too cold. Am so glad I decided to ride for home by then because I got back I was cold right through to the core, my eyes were, if this is possible?, actually frozen and I was starting to find it really hard to coordinate myself. I was pretty scared let me tell you, I think any longer out there and it could have got really hairy. Got home at 1900 and then went to the pub to carry out RD duties by 2015 and was still shivering. Wasn’t really until I got to bed that I felt I had warmed up. This made me a little wary about the event on Saturday because even though I had St Johns ambulance at key points around the course and very mobile I was aware that at least one competitor was going to be out for 9 hours or so and had to think about safety of the marshalls too. Thankfully there were some great performances, in conditions that remained cold and included snow showers, and everyone got through without major mishap bar one torn calf. I did have to pull one competitor who was at 34 miles had hurt his knee and been sick and was adamant he wanted to walk the rest of the way. He didn’t seem overly impressed at the time but soon came round to my way of thinking and I’m sure appreciated the decision I had to make. I gave him free entry to next year anyway. The key for me as always with my events was enjoyment, value for money and for competitors to go away feeling they had been treated as an individual rather than a number, it’s a family affair. Feedback suggest this is definitely the case and entries have already started to come in more than a year before next years event, 17 entrants so far in the four days since the event suggests to me that word is really getting out now and I will hit my maximum target of 100 competitors early this time round. That is the maximum I will allow to enable me to keep up the family ethos and offer the personal service. Overall it was just a great day, with a Nandos and a few liquid carbs with lovely friends new and old in the evening. I wont even start to say how wonderful my marshalls were either as I will never stop, wonderful wonderful people one and all. Despite enjoying it immensely I am bloody glad it is out of the way as with just over four weeks until ‘I am Premier League’ starts I really must concentrate on that now so am going to talk with my logistics manager (brother) tonight to identify any gaps in accommodation, routes planning and support so we can start pulling together the loose ends. Will probably be another begging for help blog on the way very soon, please have a read, you can’t even begin to imagine how the smallest contribution can help, and that is before even considering the fundraising. On that score though things are going very well and it has picked up over the last week but without wanting to get Bob Geldof on you I will never be able to raise enough for these fantastic causes so if you have considered donating please do, if you can’t afford to I fully appreciate it but maybe you could share the challenge with family and friends and ask them to do the same? Anyway better get my running shoes back on and get out of here! No rest for the wicked….. Sponsorship Page - http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=MattRogersonispremierleague Website - http://breathefitnessandevents.wordpress.com/i-am-premier-league/