Alastair Mavor

Hi everybody, It has been a really positive week, and all the press attention has given me some great momentum going into Sunday’s marathon. One final point on that, I am being interviewed by Jonathan Edwards on Sunday morning before the race starts. I believe the interview will be broadcast on BBC1 from 8.30am onwards, when the BBC’s coverage begins. The sooner Sunday comes, the better for me. The longer the wait goes on, the more the nerves build up, and I can’t wait until the race just starts! I have been eating loads of pasta, rice, porridge and lots of foods which will stack my muscles up with carbohydrates. Come 18 miles, I’m hoping my thorough preparation will help me get over the dreaded “wall”. I am also having to make sure I pay particular attention to getting enough salt into my system. People who suffer from CF are particularly vulnerable to loss of salt, and when combined with consuming a lot of water, that could be fatal when running a marathon. But don’t worry, I’m not planning to drop down dead just yet! I’m just making sure I have plenty of salt tablets, and will be making a b-line for Lucozade’s Isotonic drinks on the route.  A few final things I thought I’d mention, as this will almost certainly be my last blog before Sunday. Firstly, my running number on the day is “35453″ so keep an eye out for me! I will be wearing a yellow fluorescent CF vest. Secondly, if you are coming up to London on Sunday and are planning to watch, do give me a call/text and I will look at for you on the route (my mobile is 07771530950). Thirdly, just a few little thank you’s before the race. I am in danger of this becoming an oscar’s speech but hey - my family have been absolutely immense throughout my training. I am enormously grateful and I just hope I do you all proud on Sunday. Also, a massive thank you to Kay Hill - without your amazing help, assistance and generosity I would certainly not be arriving at Sunday’s race in the shape I am in, if at all. Finally, a massive thank you to everyone who has donated money to my run for the CF Trust. I am so very grateful and I am just stunned that 2 days before the marathon I am able to announce that THE £10,000 MARK HAS BEEN REACHED!!!!!! It is an enormous achievement, and every single one of you has contributed - be it £5 or £500. I have had well over 100 separate donations and the number of supportive messages I have received in the last week has given me a major boost. Thank you. I will be giving Sunday 110% and I hope I do you all proud! All the best, Alastair 

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/40639/Running-the-marathon-could-save-my-life

Do check out BBC SOUTH EAST TODAY tonight after the news on BBC1 for a possible feature on me.

Hi there,

Some exciting media updates here:

1) I am being featured in an article for “THE DAILY EXPRESS” tomorrow (Tuesday 8th April). It is on page 37. So, do buy a copy!

2) I am being interviewed by BBC RADIO KENT tomorrow (Tuesday 8th April) at 10.15am. The frequency is 96.7FM, 97.6FM and 104.2FM. Alternatively you can listen to it using “Real Player” on the BBC Radio Kent Website.

3) I am being interviewed by BBC SOUTHERN COUNTIES RADIO at 11.35am on Wednesday morning. The frequency is 104-104.8FM and 95-95.3FM.
Do feel free to buy a copy/tune in!

Thanks for all your support. If you are coming up to London to watch, let me know and I will look out for you!

Alastair (amavor7@hotmail.com)

Hit the massive £8000 mark today! Thank you to all those who have sponsored me. Over the next few days I am going to list the names of those who have been kind enough to donate under the “Sponsorship” section. Do check out the “Gallery” section this week - I hope to finally get some photos up as well. Just a reminder to you all to get the Daily Express on Tuesday - I think I’m being featured in an article in it! Alastair 

Hi there, Apologies for the recent lack of posts - I have been insanely busy recently! It is a scary thought that the Marathon is just 9 days away now, although a part of me wants the race to just come - the waiting around is getting my nerves jangling already. I have eased off heavily on the training recently - although I did run in the Lewes 10km cross country race 10 days ago. It was in fact a rather dramatic morning for me - I arrived thinking that it would be a race through the streets of Lewes, and then found out to my horror that it was actually a cross country race. Having only brought my road running trainers this was not exactly ideal news! I ended up spending most of the race either slipping around (it was very muddy) or feeling completely legless (I’d had no breakfast - the last time I miss that one before a race)! I slightly surprised myself by finishing in about 46 minutes in 91st place, and although it was far from the best that I’d run it was a good test nonetheless.I am currently out in the Alps on our family skiing holiday. Thankfully I have avoided any leg breaks thus far! I only have one day to go, but I don’t want to tempt fate. I went for a run to Morzine on Sunday and it is amazing how the altitude affects one. It puts a lot more strain on your lungs, particularly when running up hills, and it’s something that I’d certainly like to do a more sustained spell of if I were to run it again in the future. Anyhow, my week skiing has been a great chance to take my mind off things and has served as a good stretch/work out for my legs, without overly depleting my glycogen sources. I am going to travel up to London to collect my number at the start of next week, as well as walking up the mall - just to get a feel of what it will be like come Sunday 13th. In the meantime, do buy a copy of The Daily Express on Tuesday (8th) - I am featured in an article in the Health section.Alastair

Hi there, ran in the Hastings half marathon today, so I thought I’d take you through it all mile by mile (with a few miles missing - I did actually run them by the way!):5.00 - Alarm goes off. Reject it and go back to sleep - can’t be bothered to get up and watch the Grand Prix!8.00 - Wake up. Get physio and nebuliser done and have a bowl of porridge (to bind the stomach together!).9.15 - After having got together running kit etc., leave for Hastings (with my dedicated fans - Mum, Dad and Frances).10.00 - Get thoroughly pissed off as we can only park about a mile away from the start, so have to walk!10.30 - Race begins! It’s packed with people and have to walk across the start line! It is also raining!Mile 3 - Start to feel my left ankle which has caused me so much discomfort - hoping the pain goes away! Mile 5 - It does! Mile 6 - Massive uphill climb. The first 6 miles have been pretty hilly, but feeling quite strong and starting to pass people. Heading for about a 1hr 38 time at this stage - or so my “techno” watch tells me! Mile 8 - Downhill! Really starting to push on here. Crowd support around the Conquest Hospital is amazing - all the patients appeared to have discharged themselves! Mile 9 - Picking up speed and still feeling good. Realisation though that London is three times this distance. Mile 10 - On course for a quick time - heading for 1hr 35 if I can keep my 7 minute/mile pace up. Mile 12 - Haven’t gone slower than 7minute/mile for about 3 miles now (or so my “techno” watch tells me!). Keep going, “you’re so strong” - I tell myself! Consume final energy drink and start to think about what’s for lunch! Mile 13 - Almost get blown into the sea (we run along the promenade). See the time above me, and (cheered to the line by my wet but supportive family!) I reach the finish in 1 hour 31.30 (or about that anyway). Can’t quite believe it. It certainly sets me up for London.I have to say, I was absolutely chuffed, and felt like I even had a little bit more in the bag at the end - obviously all those muscles were well rested, and the amazing crowd gives you a great kick. Was interviewed by ITV meridian afterwards - so keep an eye out! Then headed home and ate an insanely delicious shepherds pie - thanks Mum! I can’t decide whether the pain of the run, or the subsequent sports massage from “Special Kay” Hill (get it? Nope, another horrific joke) was worse!Do check out the gallery for some photos which will probably appear over the next few days, and if you haven’t read the other blogs, they are all below!Alastair 

Wow! I am actually completely astonished/stunned/surprised/inspired/unbelievably grateful etc. etc. etc. It could go on for ever really. But it’s not an Oscar speech, so I’d better not! It still hasn’t quite dawned on me that the £6000 mark is now up - a huge achievement. Whenever the post arrives, or I check my email, it seems like Christmas! You’ll die of boredom when I say this (for about the 100th time), but both the CF Trust and I are extremely grateful - it really does mean so much!

Moving on to the actual running, things have not quite gone according to plan since my last blog. Unfortunately I have had a niggling ankle injury which put me off running for about a week, and am still struggling with the back end of it. I am optimistic that the worst is over however - thank you Kay Hill and Sue Rowland for all your help here. I’d be lying if I said lying on a couch (excuse arguably the worst pun ever), being clicked and “manipulated” (more like tortured) was pain free, but it does seem to have helped! I am expecting to run the Hastings half marathon on Sunday and am hoping to get a sub 1hr 40 time - so I’ll let you know how it goes.  In the meantime, let’s hope this windy weather clears up so I can take a break from the gym and head outside for once.

Before I “blog off”, there are a few press related pieces of news. I am going to be interviewed by BBC Southern Counties Radio in the week running up to the marathon, and I am also being interviewed by the Daily Express next week for a feature in their “Health” section! I think it’s due to be printed on Tuesday 8th April, so keep a look-out!

Alastair

Hi there,

I have been overwhelmed by the extraordinary generosity of all those who have donated money so far. This morning’s post brought up the £3000 mark - a major achievement. I know I keep saying it, but it really does mean an enormous amount to the CF Trust. It has also been so inspiring to read all your kind notes and letter wishing me luck - it is a wonderful form of encouragement for my final 3 weeks of full training.

Much of this week has actually been resting from last Sunday’s 20-miler, which really took it out of me. But I trained again yesterday, and am about to put another 7 miles in when I finish this blog! One of the biggest discoveries for me recently has been “Pilates”! I am indebted to Kay Hill here, who has encouraged me to come along and participate - I pitched up thinking it would be easy, but discovered how useless I was and how much work I needed to do on my core strength and my “TA muscle”! Kay has also been kind enough to rescue my calf muscles on several occasions recently (with some seriously painful massages!).

I received my “CF team” running vest in the post the other day - the marathon is starting to feel really close all of a sudden!

 Alastair

Hi there,

It has been an exhausting, but at the same time a very rewarding week. I have managed to put in 45 miles in total, including a 15 mile run on Tuesday and a 20 mile run today (Sunday). After a bad spell, things seem to have really started to come together recently - the good weather has certainly helped!

I don’t think I’ve ever had to battle as hard as I did today, during my 20 mile run, but it was a great feeling at the end. It was the furthest I have ever run, and I was right down to my very last reserves during the last 5 miles! In fact, I maybe only got through it thanks to some grit and a few new tracks on my ipod playlist - Sting and Christopher Cross (I’m quite proud of it actually, although I think all my contemporaries will be hooting at this!).

I am now really close to the big £2000 mark! Thank you so much to all those who have kindly made donations in the last week - I probably sound boring here, but it does really make an enormous difference to the CF trust. Off to hobble down the stairs now and ice my bulging ankles and vaseline my chafed underarms! It will be worth it! Do keep checking the website.

Alastair

Hi there,

Whenever I ask anyone what the toughest part of training is, they often say the winter months. I think I would have to agree - the last 4 weeks or so have stretched my motivation and drive right to the limit! I hope this isn’t me just being lazy, but I feel like I have definitely experienced a bit of difficulty “getting out of the door” recently, in particular with my running gear on! By no means have I stopped training, but a combination of cold weather, ankle soreness and a focus on other things has meant I have not done as much training as I would have liked.

I’m ready for the final run-in now though, and have a very specific timetable for the next month! London is in sight! Yesterday I managed to get through 15 miles in 1hr 52, which I was very pleased with and I reached the half marathon point in 1hr 38, which was also a good step forward I think (my last half marathon was 1hr 42). Perhaps a slightly lighter month might actually have helped me?! (that is rather youthfully optimistic). I am going to be aiming to run about 4 20-milers before the marathon, in addition to the Hastings half marathon in 3 weeks time.

Thank you so much to all those who have sponsored me so far - you’ll probably see your names pop up in the Sponsorship section (I know - how technologically minded of me - although I can’t actually claim to have designed or set up this site - thank you Matt Dickins!). All your donations mean so much to the CF Trust. Speaking of CF, it’s amazing how yesterday’s run has cleared my lungs! Unlike the end of last week, when I felt I might have been going down with something chesty, I feel 100% now. That is minus the various aches, pains and clicks whenever I walk, left over from yesterday!

Alastair