The complete story

In late 2011, over 2 years ago, I set myself a challenge to complete 12 half marathons in 12 months and raise as much money for Cancer Research UK as I could in the process. I can't remember exactly how the idea came about but I don't regret it one bit!

Originally, I set a target of raising £1,000 which I thought for one person sounded about right. Little did I know I would end up with over £2,500 raised for a great cause. I can't thank my friends and family enough for donating their hard earned money to this cause, it has made it all worthwhile!

The challenge ended up lasting 24 months in total due to me suffering a broken foot coupled with ligament damage in July 2012 after 7 races. This was a major setback and after 2 operations and a steady recovery period to make sure nothing else went wrong, I was back running by April 2013 and by September 2013 I was back to near full fitness and I managed to finish the final 5 races by the end of the year. Was a tad emotional managing to complete it all!

The 12 races contained 2 in Europe, 3 PBs, a third placed finish, running around a motor racing track, an extra one being pushed round in a wheelchair, one with 1,700ft of climb and one dressed as Santa! A decent selection and I would like to thank all the race organisers for putting on some cracking races! Also thank you to all those who came and watched or ran the races with me, it was a huge help having you all there to support me :) I won't name everyone because the list would be too long!

I think that sums it up in a nutshell, I have thoroughly enjoyed it! I am now training for Brighton marathon in April with a view to work on my shorter speed in the rest of 2014. Keep an eye out for my next charity adventure though, it will be more bonkers than this one believe me!

James

The final hurrah! The 12th of 12 half marathons ...

And it's finished! On Sunday I ran half marathon number 12 to complete my challenge and I can't believe it has finished!

The Santa run in Wellingborough was more of a fun run and was hilarious seeing everyone dressed in their various Santa costumes! There were some others as well, like the Santa and reindeer combined! Not sure how they managed that ... There was a delay at the start as some annoying people stole some of the markers so the organisers had to put new ones out and stand out there themselves. A shame really.

Despite this, the atmosphere between the runners was fantastic with people encouraging each other. The winner wasn't wearing anything Christmassy so I think that's cheating! Overall in the race I came 4th which I am extremely happy with :) got a bit stuck at the start but caught a few up and finished well, I think knowing it was the last few miles of the challenge spurred me on.

The course was a bit short of the half marathon distance at 10.77 miles due to the signpost stealing but it didn't take away from the race. A great and fun end to an amazing 12 in 12 in 2012 challenge, extended due to my broken foot!

One more blog entry to come at the weekend ... A summary of the whole thing!

Bath half marathon video :)

Here is a video documentary of half marathon number 11 from Bath last weekend!

http://youtu.be/aVXh6TD9UH4

Thanks very much to Michael for editing this up for me :) to Becky for filming it all and Anna for starring in it!

Bath hilly half marathon - 11/12 complete!

Well that was tough! Hills, cold, mud, even steeper hills, even colder ... but I have conquered the Bath hilly half marathon and am 11 half marathons down out of 12, only one to go!

As part of the Trionium series of races, I had done the Midsummer Munro in 2011 and loved the race which is why I was keen to do another one of the series! At 1,700ft of climb and 85% being off-road it was due to be an extremely tough race and so it turned out to be! I had done some hill training but possibly lacked a bit of off-road training, the hills were incredibly steep and turned runs into very slow jogs but the training got me through. It was bitterly cold on the day which really got to your lungs and made life that bit more difficult.

Despite all of this, it was a cracking race and a great atmosphere. The Trionium series has a fantastic feel to it and all the runners encourage each other during the race which I think is brilliant and part of the reason I enjoy the running community! I managed to clock a time of 1:45 which I was very happy with :) along with a 24th place finish out of 205 runners.

I would like to thank Rob who organises the series for letting me defer my place from last year and for putting on a brilliant race! Also for including my picture on his website!

http://www.trionium.com/bathhillyhalf/photos2013/index3.html

A big big thank you also goes to Becky and Anna for coming to support me during the race and cheering me on at various points, Anna even jogged up a hill with me! Was great to have you both there and taking some footage of the race which my flatmate Michael has kindly said he will edit for me (video to come soon)! Thanks to Anna's family too for the fantastic hospitality over the weekend!

So, nearly done! One half marathon left before the challenge is over! Can't believe it's almost done! Catch you again in 3 weeks time :)

James

Home sweet home for #10

Time for half marathon number 10 and a trip home to Leicester! 4 years after first running the Leicester half marathon, I returned to complete it again as part of my challenge. I was greeted with miserable weather for the weekend but had some company in my good friend Elliot to run with!

It was raining all of Saturday and Sunday morning but eased off into drizzle during the race. We were also treated to cold and windy conditions along with the wet underfoot conditions! Despite all of this, Elliot and I paced ourselves round in times of 1:25 with Elliot pulling away to beat me by around 20 secs! Well done mate :)

There was a slight problem at the end in that the chips didn't work, luckily all the gun times have been sorted so I do have an official time!

10 down and 2 to go :) not far away from completing my challenge! 6 weeks to wait until Bath Hilly Half, part of the trionium series of races, a great selection of trail races!

See you in 6 weeks! James

#9 Hanner Marathon Caerdydd

So October 2013 came by very quickly and so did my 9th and 10th half marathons! Number 9 was in the beautiful city of Cardiff where I could go and visit my wonderful sister, Becky, for the weekend too :) had a great weekend seeing her brand new office and going to a gig!

It was great weather on the day and the sunglasses had to make an appearance! An estimated 15,000 runners were on the start line and showed how much the Cardiff half marathon has grown recently. The course had changed from 2011 when I first ran it and took out the dual carriageway section, an excellent decision! I wanted to push the pace and see what I could do, even though training hadn't been great with a busy work month and exams!

The first 9 miles I felt great and was on for around 1:25 but then my legs basically said no! The bay is possibly one of the most picturesque parts of a half marathon I've done (this is my 20th in total in 4 and a half years!) and was feeling really good at this point. Still pleased with my time of 1:27:08 though as the injury comeback is still continuing! 

Well done to everyone who ran the Cardiff with me too :) especially Anna for running a 3 min PB of 1:33, a cracking performance and Tash for completing her first half marathon!

Run to the Beat take 2 - the comeback

So 14 months after completing my 7th half marathon of my challenge I have finally been able to do my 8th! In that time I have broken my foot and damaged the ligaments, had two operations and been training back up since April.

Yesterday I ran Run to the Beat half marathon in 1 hour 26 minutes which I am extremely happy with as I wasn't sure how my foot would hold up in a race, even though training has been going well! So pleased to be back and with 4 half marathons to go over the next 3 months, I'll be able to finish my challenge :)

I have already raised £2,110.55 for Cancer Research and thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored me so far. If you haven't and can possibly spare a few bob for a great cause then that would be fantastic as that's what this is all for!

Thanks very much and I'll let you all know how my next races go in Cardiff and Leicester at the beginning of October!

Cheers from a very happy James!

The final five

After the challenge being put on hold last year with a broken foot, I am now back running fully and have entered the final 5 half marathons in September through to December. It was gutting to put it on hold having raised a fantastic £2,000 from all my amazing friends and family and I want to push home for these final races to raise as much as possible for Cancer Research that helps so many people.

I will be running Run to the Beat in September (the one I did being pushed around in a wheelchair last year!), Cardiff and Leicester in October, Bath hilly half in November and the Santa run in December. It's going to be a hectic few months completing the races and I hope I can raise a lot money in the process.

Follow me on Twitter to see my progress at the races! https://twitter.com/JamesGardner22

Looking forward to more regular posts on here now :)

James

Back running and planning to complete my challenge :)

So for the last month or so I have been back running! Very exciting given I had 8-9 months without going for a run which was very frustrating. Every week that passes and with every run or gym session my foot feels stronger and stronger!

Therefore, I feel it's time to crack on and finish my challenge! I have signed up for Run to the Beat half marathon in September, the one I completed being pushed round in a wheelchair, which will be my first one back. A fitting comeback I feel!

I may have to change some of the races however. The August 'Cross the bay' half marathon I don't think will be a good idea to do as my first one back and Bristol is only a week after Run to the Beat so may give that one a miss. Thinking of swapping in Leicester and Cardiff in October, both of which I have done before and are fantastic races!

The training starts now :) and as I haven't posted this yet, here is a little x-ray of my foot with the bit of screw that has been left in! Won't affect me though so bring on the rest of my challenge!

Yours, the bionic man

The beginning of the road to recovery begins ...

I can finally start to build the strength up in my foot properly as the screws are out and everything is healed :) well, won't know for certain for another few months how the injury has healed but should be fine! Physio starts this week and doing exercises every day to get back to fitness.

Stitches came out last Monday and the scabs are healing up fast. Scars are there and still aches quite a bit when walking on it but it's getting better by the day! Swimming and cycling in the gym to come within the next week or so and hopefully running in 6 weeks!

Just over 6 months later from breaking my foot and I can get back to normal :)

The screws are out :)

So it has been a while since my last post due to the annoying injury but on Friday, pretty much 6 months since they went in, I have had my screws removed from my foot! Well, one had broken so half was left in a bone but that shouldn't affect me! 2 weeks of rest and then the stitches can come out and I can start building my foot back up again :)

Doctor says it should be about 6-8 weeks and I can start running again, in the mean time, the swimming pool and gym shall be in full use (after sitting with it propped up for 2 weeks after the op!) with cycling etc. as these will involve less pressure on my foot. Fitness will improve and then I can ease back into running!

Had an email form Just Giving yesterday to say my page runs out in 2 days! That is now extended until the end of 2013 so hopefully I can fit in my remaining 4 half marathons that I have left before then, will just play it  by ear. I literally can't wait to get back, so frustrated with my lack of sport in the past 6 months, not looking forward to what my fitness will be like!

Anyway, the road to recovery is on its way, although it starts by spending a lot of time sitting with my foot propped up above my waist which, when trying to study at my table, is quite uncomfortable!

Yours, Cripple x

Run to the Beat ... pushed in a wheelchair!

I may have a broken foot but I can still do a half marathon!

Yesterday I did Run to the Beat half marathon, the October race I was planning on running before I broke my foot but did it by being pushed in a wheelchair! It was a fantastic race and we got so much support and cheers from runners and people watching throughout the course. Everyone loved the idea and spurred us on!

Thanks so much to my 9 pushers: Tom, Emily, Max, Matt, Michael, Rob, Graeme, Alex and Christian; you were all fantastic to push me round in that chair for the 13 miles, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! Can't thank you all enough for giving up your time to do it. It was something a bit different and hopefully it can help raise awareness.

Check out the video Max took on his GoPro camera on the way round, it's brilliant!

https://vimeo.com/52343407

I have also raised over £2,000 now which is far more than I can ever have hoped for! Thanks so much to everyone who has donated. You can still donate to Cancer Research UK via my just giving page on the top of the page. I hope you can give what you can to this great cause and that events like this can help raise awareness.

Will probably be a while until I carry on with the challenge, will keep my blog updated with my recovery progress!

Thanks guys :) x

Not long to go!

9 and a half weeks down, 2 and a half to go! On Wednesday 17th October my boot will be coming off and I'll be able to start walking normally (probably in the loosest sense of the term to start with!) and I literally can't wait!

I'm getting a bit fed up with hobbling around and using crutches but getting on with things and looking forward to lots of physio and gym work to build myself back up to fitness and hopefully my foot back to somewhere close to normal! As you can see in the picture below, my right calf muscle has declined in size significantly in the past 10 weeks, going to take a lot of work to get it back strong again but I'm sure I can do it!

It is also looking possible to be able to do the Run to the Beat half marathon on 28th October, doing it in a wheelchair and having people push me around! Currently in the middle of organising it so will keep you posted!

James x

Injury update!

So I've been in for my 2 week check up and the cast is off but the boot is on! 

It will be on for 10 weeks, 4 more weeks of non-weight bearing. Saw the x-ray of the 3 screws in my foot too which was very strange! Should be able to have them out after the 10 weeks though :) then I can aim to get my fitness back by getting the physio right and ease my way back. Doing plenty of exercises even now!

Hopefully I'll be back fully sometime next year. I'm hoping to do the remaining 5 races in 2013 rather than 2012 for the August to December races. However I may still do Run to the Beat in October, looking into organising for 13 people to push me around in a wheelchair for a mile each! Will be in touch when I find out if I can do it.

Cheers, Hop-a-long :) x

Challenge on hold!

Last week (Tuesday 24/7/2012), whilst playing football, as I went into a tackle the other guy stretched for the ball. He fell as he stretched and my foot got scissored between his legs and got twisted as he fell. After going to A and E the following morning and having x-rays and a CT scan, it turned out I had fractured 1-2 bones in my foot and damaged some ligaments. The damaged ligaments required an operation which I had on Friday (27/7/2012) and got back home on Saturday.

Doctor says potentially 3 months of non weight bearing on my foot which is a long time but I'll be doing everything correctly to make sure it is right and fully repaired for when I can train again! Will take a bit of patience to wait until I can walk on it again but I'll be doing as much as possible to get back to fitness!

So my challenge has to be put on hold for now, I will be waiting until I am fully fit again and able to run the distance properly before finishing it off. I will keep you posted on my progress!

Half marathon #7 - Bronze

July begins and I've already completed half marathon number 7. I went up to the Lakes to run the first Lakeland Trails half marathon in Coniston. The wet conditions, judging by the results, meant that there were a few non-runners but 382 still braved the rain and I managed to come 3rd :) the first time I have ever come in a position to win a prize! I was even leading for a couple of miles in the middle but a more experienced fell runner came past me! Extremely happy with it though! 

The race itself was fantastic despite the rain. There were lots of hills (steep up and down which were both tough!) and through trails in forests and it was a beautiful course. I think it might have been short given that I ran it in 1:27 and went through the 10k marker in 33 mins but that doesn't take away from the race! This probably makes up for the slightly longer Brighton half marathon! 

Thanks very much to Hannah for coming and supporting me and for a cracking weekend of strange occurances! Including a mosher to hippy music in a local pub and a fish on a windowsill ...

I have now raised £1,291.05 and this is rising fast! Thanks to everyone who has donated so far. Anyone who hasn't yet, you can donate by text by texting "JGHM62 £?" to 70070 or on my just giving page at:

https://www.justgiving.com/James-Gardner-2012

My next one is the Cross bay challenge up near Lancaster in August. This is definitely the point in the year when it is time for me to take a 2-3 week break from training fully to let my legs recover!

Over and out for 6 weeks x

Half way through!

So last week I completed my 6th half marathon of the year and it was the furthest one from home of my 12! It was the Wine Run in Lanzarote and it was a fantastic race! I came in 19th place out of around 2,000 runners so I'm extremely happy given I've never run in those conditions before. I also came 2nd in the 18-24 category, getting ever so close to winning something at a race for the first time! My time of 1:39:41 was my second slowest half of the 17 I've done but given the conditions, I'm not complaining! Still feeling pretty fit at the moment!

The course was incredible, running through the mountains on Lanzarote was spectacular. It was tough though, quite a few hills, a strong constant head wind and running on sand for a lot of the race! But it was a great race and the support was really good in the villages along the course. At the end there was a wine and food festival where you could try the island's wine and food dishes for 1 Euro a piece, it was brilliant! These should definitely happen in Britain too!

Thanks ever so much to Michael, Matt, Katie, Millie and Michael for coming out for the holiday to support me (and to go on holiday!) it was much appreciated and I had a fantastic time, couldn't have wished for better company!

So now I'm half way through my challenge now and I have raised £1,231.05 which is absolutely brilliant! Thanks so much to everyone who has donated, it is much appreciated! You can still donate at https://www.justgiving.com/James-Gardner-2012 and help me get to my target of £2,000, I still have 6 races to complete so plenty of time!

My next race is a week on Sunday in the Lakes, they do come round fast! Will be in touch after then :) over and out x

Half Marathon #5 - Home Sweet Home!

On Sunday I completed my 5th half marathon of year in what is now my home town of Leeds! I have run this race for the previous 3 years and know it really well. This meant, with the training I've put in, I was able to run my 3rd PB of the year of 1:21:19, knocking 9 seconds off from my time in Madrid! My legs are clearly getting used to running this pace now!

It was a great race and I manged to finish in 20th place, my best finish in a big race of my running career :) it was great to see so many from Doss running it, with Emily Bircahll winning the women's race and Freddy Slemeck coming 3rd in the men's race! It was great to have so much support around the course, it really spurred me on and is keeping me going in trying to raise as much money as possible.

Thanks to Michael for this and some of my other photos, his new photography skills are clearly showing through!  

I have now raised over £1,100 and and am hoping to get up to the £2,000 mark now! Please give anything that you can to the great cause of Cancer Research UK, I really appreciate everything that is raised, it makes the constant training really worth it.

My next half marathon is in Lanzarote :) going to be a very very hot one!

See you next month! James x

Hi!

I have hit the £1,000 mark :) extremely happy to have reached my target so early on, thanks to everyone who has donated so far! I would love to make it up to £2,000 and any you can give would be great to help me raise as much as possible for a great cause.

Cheers, James

Medio Maratón de Madrid - #4 of 12

Hello!

I hope you've all enjoyed the hot weather last week, it was very similar (well even hotter!) in Madrid, the location of my 4th half marathon of the year! We had 2 glorious days in Madrid before the race but luckily it wasn't as warm on race morning. In these, still warm, but good conditions, I ran a new PB time of 1:21:28, beating the adjusted PB I got in Brighton which I didn't really count! I felt the best I have done in a race for ages and actually ran a negative split (2nd half faster for those non-runners reading this!) so I'm extremely happy! Next stage, with a bit more speed work, is to go sub 80mins. I feel it's doable very soon!

It was a really nice course taking in the streets of Madrid, there were a few cheeky gradual hills and a couple of little steepish ones too but overall a pretty fast course. The city is incredible, amazing buildings and the Bernabeu was just immense! As was the bull fighting arena! Well worth the weekend away to my first half marathon of the 12 in a different country!

Many thanks to Jo and her parents for joining me for the weekend away and helping organise it all! Was a cracking weekend and well done Jo for doing the race with me! It was her 5th half marathon in her 4th different country in 3 years!

Since my last half marathon, I've had an amazing response on the donations front, with my total now standing at £900.31! So I'm now within £100 of my target after just a third of the challenge completed. Thanks to everyone who has sponsored me so far, it is all much appreciated. Anyone who hasn't donated yet, anything you can give would be great. It is dead easy, you can donate on my just giving site:

https://www.justgiving.com/James-Gardner-2012

Or get in contact with me to sort it out for you. Once I hit this £1,000 mark, I'm going to push my target up to the £2,000 mark which I think is very achievable, but only with your help!

I now have 6 weeks until #5 in Leeds in May, which will be 4th successive year at this half marathon! Thanks for your support so far, please keep it coming!

Adios, James x