Anyone fancy sponsoring me for a marathon?

Thank you Hank Hill and Makybe Diva very kind and much appreciated.  Chitchat are beating friends, family and work hands down so far.

You're very welcome, Rob. It looks like a great cause

Ttt for those feeling generous after a friday night on the sauce.

Thank you Naydam.  Very kind of you sir.

Rubhahunish, thank you very much.  Are you allowed to tell us your forum name?

Ttt for any post saturday night pubbers who are feeling generous.

Up to £450 now, just need fifty more before I raise the target again.  Quite touched by the generosity of chit chatters to date.
Got a 22 miler tomorrow from Littlehampton to Brighton all into a 10mph headwind.

"Whoopsadaisy is a Sussex based charity for children with Physical Disabilities.  The company I work for has had close links with them for many years now.

All contributions, no matter how small, are greatly appreciated.  For instance just £5 provides a week's worth of snacks for their pre school groups."

£450, still a few weeks left, should easily meet your target and then some..

rubhahunish!!

Ha ha nice one rubhhunish

You could at least spell it right!! 

Oops.  Thank you Brendan.  Think we've had a few run ins in the past so proper fair play to you for sponsoring.

Did 17 miles this morning. Was hoping to do 22 but I poured boiling water on my foot last nigh(don't ask) and it started to really hinder my running.  A bit annoying as I was feeling not too bad and averaged about 8:30/mile all into a headwind and carrying about 5-6lb of camelbak on my back, was looking forward to the last few miles toward the pier.  So perhaps on the day could set off closer to 8:15 ish with any headwind having an equal and opposite tailwind for the equivalent amount of time and nothing on my back.  think quite a lot of slowing down in the last 6 miles is inevitable but if I can get to twenty at 8:30ish then sub 4 should still be doable. 
.
http://tinypic.com/r/2cenet/8

Picture of foot, perhaps avoid if you are just about to eat.

rubhahunish, named after a very game racehorse rob. Nearly up to a monkey already mate.

Yep, chit chat have done them selves proud and no mistake.

What sort of boiling water did you use to turn your foot into a bike Rob?

.
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2w227mh&s=8

Does that work?

It does, Rob.
Ouch!

- Even more so as it looks like you've had a tourniquet around your ankle?

Well that is another £51 from paris.  Thank you kindly sir.

ttt

Thank you Bongo and Anonymous.  Touched I am,  £642 now, prob nearer £800 with gift aid.

Blimey a second wind of donations suddenly.  Thank you Danno.

No worries.  I did a marathon PB myself last weekend, so I know exactly what goes into it.
GL

Daughter Gemma had a target of £250.00, and ended up with close to £1,200.00, thanks to the outstanding generousity of good people on here.

Last time I checked just over half the money was raised by people on here.  Punters truly are the salt of the earth.

I should have said she raised the same amount on two events, and with her employers giving her a cheque for the same amount.

One person on here put up £150.00 which is astonishing.

Yes Rob. Something like 65% of Gemma's was from the guys on here!

Thanks for the PM. Tried to reply but it seems to have gone AWOL.....

Yes have received your replies.  Thanks AP.

Over seven hundred quid now.

It's going well.....

it is thank you AP. 

A couple of weekend contributions from our world cup winning antipodean friends.  One family, one betfair.  what's not to like.

Need to give it another push, and up your target to £1k

Bump!!!!

ttt, it's a great cause rob is running for.

Bump.....

Ok £770 quid in the bank, I have upped the target to a grand.  I have also added a picture of me in this morning's running kit (the Luton Town hoodie is round the waist within the first mile, but i hate starting off cold) so you can see what the d1ckhead you are sponsoring looks like in real life.  One rule....No viewing without sponsoring.  You've all been most generous so far and it is very much appreciated.  one last push please.

https://www.justgiving.com/robert-bishop1/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=20150405_

Ttt

Good luck Rob. Be sure to let us know how you get on.

My race number is 16299.  If anyone is really that keen there is an app that means you can follow a runner as they go, well it gives splits every 5k.

Good luck Rob; you might be interested in the daily marathon tips that I've been putting on my company's facebook page & twitter feed
www.facebook.com/Xempo.uk
www.twitter.com/xempouk

One every day this month, though I expect you won't need to bother looking past this weekend.  I'll be out on the course so will look out for you to give you a cheer, although in reality that's nigh on impossible trying to spot a stranger in a sea of thousands.  Hope the weather stays good for you.

Nice one Danno.  I am actually gonna be wearing my firm’s bright fluorescent pink football shirt and probably a fluorescent orange cap – so reasonably noticeable.  I am pretty steady and should be very close to the 8:30 min/mile mark right up to the 18-20 mile mark – then it is no man’s land.   Could be carnage, we’ll see.

ttt

I went to the vets today rob for Muttley's swimming session, she is running the same marathon and has got nearly a grand in sponsorship as well. She is very fit and looks like a younger version of Christie Brinkley, she got a score from me as well. I was tempted to jump in the pool with her and Muttley

She is raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support by the way who looked after Dad.

Nice one Slippy.  Yeah it is the second biggest mara in the country now, but only been going about six years.  The lovely Jo Pavey is the official starter, quite looking forward to a cheeky Perv as I pass the starting line.

Cheers Gnarley

I need to stop reading so quickly....I was imagining a dog who looked like Chrisie Brinkley running in a marathon

Come on guys....get this to the magic £1k

Just donate £3.00 to adopt a "dylan", and get a certificate and photographs, and help this endangered species.

Joel, that was not exactly a well constructed sentence by me there.

£867 in the tank now.  Even got some money out of the Alan Partridge fan club on facebook.  Still well over a third of the money has come from betfair chit chat.  From people I have never met but have spent many happy hours chatting with and on occasions perhaps offending.  Over ten years I have been on here now, bloody hell.  Fair play to you all.

I have sold you short.  Just did a quick count and chitchat have provided very very nearly 50% of the overall donations.  I have mentioned at work to a few people (they all know I am interested in gambling) that a lot of the money has come from people off the betfair forum, punters who I don't even know in person.  More than one person has used the phrase "well they are happy go lucky people". that would not have been my description, I think most punters are very intense.  But that is by the by, "generous" is The word I would use.  And this thread proves it.  Thanks again all.

Rob, I do think overall punters are a generous bunch, but I also think there is something a bit wrong with us lol. I hope you reach the 1k mark.

Punters are good as gold.  I have said it before and I shall say it again.  Chitchat is miles better than anything on facebook(even the Alan Partridge fan club page, which is actually very good) and the best forum on the net for my money.

The £1000 mark has been breached.  Thank you all and particularly Mr Anonymous.  You know who you are you have provided about one third of the sponsorship.  There is always that little box you can tick that allows you to be anonymous but lets face it all of us want it to be known that we have donated, if nothing else because we want out little witty quote to be attributed to us.  Not Mr Anonymous, he is a chit chatter.  He has donated a lot of money.  He may or may not be rich, I don't know.  The physically disabled kids of Brighton will appreciate it.  Thank you very much.

26 hours to go.  I like to think one day I will be rich and when I am I hope I do things like you.

Well said, Rob. We are probably a motley crew (I know I am!) but its the inner person that counts. I raise my hat to Mr Anonymous. Respect to you, Sir. I hope your generosity brings you the pleasure that you deserve.
Well done, Rob, in taking on this marathon for the kids.
Well done to ChitChat in general...sometimes it makes me happy to be on here...BUT NOT OFTEN!

(That last bit was just in case you think I'm becoming overly agreeable!)   

Wishing you the very breast for tomorrow Rob.

I knew you would hit £1k for sure, and there's still time for plenty more. Just have to be cheeky and ask for it.....

You are both right.  Brendan UK sponsored me which highlights your point.  I think I am very politically opposite to him and have had a fair few disagreements with him in the past, but he still sponsored me.  I respect that, good lad.

Good luck again Rob; will give you a shout if I spot you.  One last bit of advice; get down to the start early.  Take a book or mag to pass the time.  With thousands of people, everything takes much longer than you'd think.  Transport, toilet queues, baggage queues, getting into the start area etc.  Get there early and just relax for a bit.

Good Luck!

£1,067.55, a brilliant effort to raise so much money for a truly wonderful cause. Well done rob.

Good luck Rob

Best of luck Rob. Looking forward to seeing your time.....

1.8 Mr Anonymous is Aunty Post.

He'll be approaching the bonk about now.

Yikes.

You don't look how I'd have thought you look Rob, would have guessed you were some kind of four eyed harry potter looking nerd but turns out it's more of a builder chewing on a wasp look

1k a good achievement

Rob Butler looks just like someone I know.

Won't spoil his moment, but looked up Rob's result.....very well played Sir. Superb result. Enjoy some downtime with some well earned beers.

Just thank you so much for your generous donations.  I managed about 8:20 for the first 20 before I struggled.  from 22 miles I was run walking but still averagin 10 min miles.  I did 3:46 something, don't really care what it was.  I went into the foetus position soon after the finish line, proper just ignoring people that were worried about my welfare.  legs just constantly hurting for the next 30 mins but then saw my sisters and their kids and wrestling them on the beach.  what's not to like.  The weather was a fkin delight.  Still time for people to feel generous

https://www.justgiving.com/robert-bishop1

Thank you Orioles too by the way.

Thanks Orioles.  I reckon that you sponsored me.

bongo 12 Apr 15 12:17 Joined: 12 May 01 | Topic/replies: 4,449 | Blogger: bongo's blog
He'll be approaching the bonk about now.

Does the bonk mean the wall, the hard yards?  12:17 = 21 miles.  You are right but 22 miles was when I started walk running, but still managed 10 minute miles or unders from that point on.

This pleases me :)

Donation by Anonymous on 11/04/15

Rob, absolutely long odds on that is Orioles.

Well done anyway, great time and you raised a very decent amount for a very worthy cause.

Well done Rob

Will you be doing any more marathons, or too soon to say?

Thanks Hank and Slippy.  Yes I am doing the Rigan marathon in Latvia in 5 weeks time.  wish I wasn't.

Yes that is what I am thinking Slippy.  I liked the yikes post.  I surprised a few people today, including myself.

So basically, this was a brisk Sunday afternoon walk?!!

It's no wonder we lost the Empire

Just noticed only half my post turned up ... this has happened a few times recently

Anyway, well done, Rob! I don't go that far by motor without a packed lunch and a thermos - never mind run the damned thing!

well done rob

Jolly well done sir, and what an excellent result for your charity.....

Very well done, Rob

I've just been looking at the Riga marathon site.

http://www.runningcrazy.co.uk/riga.html

Riga looks lovely. Somewhere I want to visit someday.

You must keep us up to date with your preparations.

Tes looking forward to a bit of sightseeing, the run will be a bit of a nuisance if anything.  Hank you talked of doing a mara, anything set in stone yet?  Thanks Orioles, that empire line really made me laugh i am going to use it and claim it as my own.

He'll be going through the phase of extreme stiffness going down the stairs in the morning about now.
Probably best to go down them backwards.

Use it with my blessing, Rob. Which is more than I got from the poor bugger I stole it from

Brighton Marathon 2015 was actually shown on channel 4 on Saturday morning.  (It is actually a rather elite event in this country, second only to London).  For instance the winners are always from Kenya or Ethiopia (not England or anywhere else in continental europe) so it is no mickey mouse event. But whoopsadaisy actually really got a good airing and if you can use channel 4 catchup it starts at 29:30 with a lovely three minute episode on Ferris and Cerys doing their mini mile and their strength of character is a lesson to us all and an example of where all your generous donations went. 

I am shown from 33:35 for a few seconds, fluorescent orange cap, fluorescent pink shirt, yellow vest on top of shirt, Not looking very good to be honest, but it is me.

Thanks again all for sponsorship and nothing to stop you donating more.

Saturday morning from 7:05am called triathlon and endurance events, just in case you were looking for a programme specifically called Brighton Marathon.  And anyone that has ever run any distance in any time will surely find the winner's time totally remarkable.

Did you win?

3:46 in the end.  Barely 1 and a half hours off the winner.  Have entered next year already and intend to challenge for a podium spot.  Thanks for the sponsorship rubhahunish.

Mate of mine won the Manchester marathon on Sunday (in 2h17). For a laugh he's going to run the London marathon this Sunday & try to break the world record for fastest fancy dress (there is one incidentally). Will be in full Spiderman outfit. Record is 2h33; he's aiming for under 2h30 which would be top 50 overall probably. Could annoy some pretty serious club runners though

I've got a £100 bet that I can't break three hours dressed as Elvis.

What was your PB the other week Danno?  Didn't you say you did 2:36 once?  Pretty sure I can't do 1x6 minute mile - that is 26 of them.  I shall defo go for sub 3:30 next year, prob means setting off at 7:45 up to 20 miles then holding on.  One guy running for the same charity as me did 6:30 minute miles right up until about 20 miles and then it was just melt down, think he must have done 14 minute miles think he took about 3:35.  My splits were:

1    8:35
2    818
3    822
4    841
5    816
6    823
7    815
8    819
9    752
10    817
11    844
12    806
13    855 (to half marathon point, so 1.1 miles)
14    714(0.9 miles)
15    813
16    825
17    826
18    757
19    927(Ran into a lamppost)
20    852
21    842
22    901
23    924
24    953
25    957
26    1004
26.2    205

3:46.50

Which is pretty much exactly to plan, secretly wanted to beat my two work mates who both did 3:49.

Mile 19 needs some detail I think. Great effort for a first marathon Rob. My first was similar - 3:37

PB last month only 2:44 (6.17 per mile avg). Did a 76 min half in Feb (5.50 min avg) which was probably a bit better in comparison. Reckon I can get to about 2.38 but over 40 now and gets harder each year.

Did Riga in 3:42.  Just got back home now, couldnt use betfair in Latvia. and am knackered. I took a huge four minutes off my Brighton PB but I didnt expect to beat it at all as My longest run since Brighton was only six miles and it is five weeks since Brighton,

This was my first overseas run of any description.  Was a ball ache getting to the place where you picked up your number and your bag and all that expo stuff on the Saturday, but that aside it was brilliant,  Possibly the most enjoyable and best organised run I have done,  so any marathon runners out there I would heartily recommend the Riga one.  I need to sleep shall elaborate further if there is any interest.  Goodnight.

Well done, Rob!

I hadn't realised it was this weekend.

There certainly will be interest to hear more about it.

Have a good night's sleep

Yes please Rob - tell it all.

How do the local runners prepare ( I did a Paris 1/2 once - they really do drink wine at the start )
Do they have roadside lavvies or just designated sections of bush every few miles ( again in Paris, 20 years ago mind, you wee in the bushes )
Do you get a transponder to tie in your shoe-lace?
What do local runners look like when they are fooked, zombies or vampires?

And well done on going all the way.

I never had to use the toilet tbh, think I spotted the odd portaloo along the way.  There were defo these outdoor portable urinals near the start which were being used by the men in full view of everyone, don’t know what the women did.  Lol at your interest in the toilet facilities bongo.  Transponder is in the number now, which is sensible, one less thing to worry about. 

Well you asked for it, this is actually an abridged version of what I posted elsewhere, sounds a bit self indulgent on re reading.  There's loads about what happened out and about in Riga before and after the race but have left that out.

I aimed to go out at 8 min miles and just go for as long as I could. My training suggested I should do this at Brighton but I didn’t have the bottle for it, too much riding on beating Cooky’s 3:49 to make the schoolboy error of going off too fast so I went at 8:20 pace there.  Less riding on this one so was willing to take the risk.  Everything in kms, so 5mins/km the target, this is 3:30 pace, they had 3:30 pacers running and (not seen this before but a great idea) they had helium balloons attached to their shirts so you could see them a mile off.  Much better than Brighton where they just wore a fluorescent shirt.  Splits, I am obsessed with splits as you know:
5:02, 5:02, 4:58, 4:58, 5:05 (5k/25:07), 4:55, 4:54, 4:58, 4:57, 4:56  (10k/49:49), 4:56, 4:55, 4:55, 4:56, 5:05 (15k/1:19:37) 5:05, 4:59, 5:00, 4:58, 4:59 (20k/1:39:39), 5:09, 5:09, 5:09, 5:06, 5:08 (25k/2:05:23) 5:08, 5:13, 5:13, 5:17, 5:18 (30k/2:31:32) 5:31, 5:32, 5:41, 5:41, 5:29 (35k/2:59:26) 5:54, 6:13, 5:54, 5:50, 6:59 (40k/3:30:05) 6:02, 6:43 (1.195km).  3:42:48 Total.
They had loads of stuff going on along the way people shouting stuff on microphones, centre of Riga was lovely.  Had this bit where the route is lined on either side by about 10 couples in traditional Latvian dress all smiling and stuff and you they will bend down and high five you.  I’m a bit of a tw@t for this, had to high five all of them every time and the route went through there 4 times I think.  There was loads of music playing along the way and some mad bloke who I can only describe as having some kind of Latvian shock-jock marilyn manson fusion thing going on - just shouting at the top of his voice.  The Latvians seemed to like it.  Loads and loads of water stops which I always took on board even when I didn’t want it.  Orange segments and bits of banana were at all these stops too – don’t really like Banana but took it on board a few times as was getting hungry.  Started forcing the gels down for the second half too, god they’re awful, they make me feel sick.  I was at 5:00/km (8:02/mile) pace right up to the 15 mile mark I reckon and I could still see the 3:30 pacers for quite a few miles after that.  At 20 miles I was only about 3 minutes slower than 8min pace overall and so 7 mins to play with over the last six –I  was almost convinced I would beat 3:40, which means a “Three thirty something” to my name which I quite like the sound of, but it didn’t happen alas, so just wanted to make sure I beat my Brighton time.  I actually think I didn’t grit my teeth those last 5 miles like I did at Brighton but I am still happy with it.  It started to rain about half way and it wasn’t very warm, I think this possibly makes you go quicker as if you walk (I was treating myself to 1min of walking per km for the last 8km) you get cold and you just want to get to the end to warm up.  Got to the end somehow managed to miss out on those thermal blankets that keep you warm, and my legs were too fked to go the 250metres to the bag collection are and get my hoodie on so I just sat under a tree shivering and wet, blood stains on my vest from bleeding nipples but still well happy with how it went.  According to Cooky if you lose 5lb in weight you lose 10s per mile.  So all I need to do is lose a stone and I will go sub 3:30 at Brighton next April.  Simples.

Cheers for the write-up Rob - I like what they did with having pacers for popular time targets.

One of the down sides for elite GB athletes at say London last time I checked is there is no pacemaker for people aspiring to run a steady 2:10 or 2:15, just for those aspiring to win.

It was a great experience.  I can see how some people get hooked on doing these foreign city break marathons.

Pacers are common in most big marathons now, Normally every 15 minutes from 3:00 upwards to about perhaps 4:30.  It was the helium balloons that I thought was a great idea.  Whenever I saw the pacer groups they seemed to be having a lot of fun and the actual pacers (who will be finding the pace easy) were geeing up the runners and shouting encouragement and that.  Trouble is I reckon if you wanna do 3:30 you don't wanna run with the 3:30 group you want to be quite a bit ahead of them as almost everyone slows up at the end. 

I think it was the best organised race I've been to, and at about £25 as cheap as you're gonna get.  Fair play to the Rigans they put on a really good race with a real good atmosphere/vibe about it.

well done rob good time

Great effort Rob; especially to get a PB so soon after Brighton.  You can buy a sub 3h45 t-shirt with your time printed on it.  Check this out > http://www.xempo.co.uk/discover-your-colour/

I've done about 30-40 races overseas over the past 15 years.  Barcelona marathon is the best by far, in March.  Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Nice, Florence are all well organised, flat, fast city marathons that I can recommend; as well as the obvious bigger ones like Paris and Berlin.

This triathlon group I'm in do an annual city break marathon trip to Amsterdam so might give that a whirl in October - says it is really flat.  Got to aim sub 3:30 for that.

Well my vast experience of overseas races (ie. 1 race on Sunday) I would defo recommend Latvia.  A bit of a pain getting to the expo for the number on Saturday but you got an actual proper rucksack to put your stuff in ready for collection after the race.  Organisation seemed great and high fiving those couples in traditional dress was a real highlight.  Some lonely bits in the second half with little support but that don't bother me too much.

Great write-up, Rob.

Riga sounds lovely.

The Amsterdam one would be good. I love Amsterdam