Wow, talk about a media whirlwind! The support from the press has been great but unfortunately sometimes when sub editors get hold of things they can make small changes that can have unintended changes in meaning. It seems that has happened, in at least one press report we saw yesterday it was reported that Jo will be the first person to run Malin to Mizen
This is not the case!
M2M run has been completed by many people, several of whom either run / walked or ran. Jo is hopefully going to be the first person to set a Guinness World Record. This is a very, very important distinction. There have been any number of talented people who's footsteps we are following in, the key difference with us is that we are documenting to the GWR verification standards, not least so that a consistent benchmark and measure can be laid down that others can compare and in time (but hopefully not too soon!) beat our marker.
Lastly it has been brought to my attention that a lady called Jane Porter has already run Malin to Mizen. This is information that didn't turn up in our research for this project. If anyone has further details on Janes run it would be great if you could get in touch so that we can update all the press releases and make sure we are clear and accurate going forward. In fact if Jane herself could give us a shout it would be brilliant as we can make sure we have all the info direct, so if anyone knows her please let her know we are looking for her.
Thanks
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
M2M - DAY 1!!
Oh my God that was a long day! We were up at 5am and left the hotel at 5:45 to be at Banbas crown for 6. There we met the worlds nicest press photographer and Jo did her now familiar model gig. (Apologies for the quality of our photos, we'll tidy them up later)Bang on the turn of 6am we fired the (imaginary) gun and off we went. Steff and I followed in the camper.
We quickly settled into a fairly steady routine, at 3 or 4 K I would grab the feed bag and jump out and run up to Jo and hand it over. I'd run with her until the feed was finished and then jump back in the van. As we were up in the
wilds going at 5 or 6mph wasn't an issue.We tipped along pretty handily until the City of Derry where a swap in the routine was forced and I jumped on the bike. There was a bit of a delay at one feed stop and Jo had to navigate herself across a roundabout but we were met by some briliant guys from the City of Derry Athletics club. Hopefully more details later but a stretch with Irelands fastest miler felt good! At this stage we were also being stalked by the TG4 camera crew, I hope you all saw it!
After that Charlie (Jo's brother) turned up and helped share the load, he and I taking turns running and biking beside Jo to keep the feed routine going.
There was a small glitch first thing - Google seems not to be too hot on the extremities of Ireland and our timetable was based on leaving from 15 - 20kms further south than we actually did. It's a shame but we were more or less bang on the revised schedule but it does mean we are going to be starting from around an hour north of Eniskillen. If anyone is thinking of joining us please phone or mail Steff for an accurate schedule. And you really have no idea how great it was to meet the Derry runners and Charlie, it lifted so much pressure off me and gave Jo a great boost.
Headline numbers 42.2 in 3:52ish, 84,4 in 8:13ish, 100kms in 9:59ish. Full details available when we do the Garmin upload, obviously that will be made public!
Jo is now ba
ck from the massage and feeling good (who feels good after 125kms?!)Keep up the texts and emails of support (they help to!) and a *vast* and *huge* thank you to everyone who has given so generously. You rock! (kind of like I did on that damn bike...)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
M2M - minus 1...
Well *that* was a long day. And we haven't even started running yet!
Up and out to Garveys SuperValu in Corbally, Limerick first thing today. They have been brilliant and handed over a four foot high stack of groceries. Then off to David in Vanderlust again for the Camper collection. Poor Steff had coniptions at first getting used to the size of it but soon settled into a rhythm.
We stopped in Bunratty for Tom of GocycleIreland.com who not only handed over a bike but entrusted one of his own cycles to me. I think it's an old one but I still feel honoured! Not so enamoured with the (very small) saddle which makes me think that running may be more comfortable... Tom is also a running coach so he had a lot of valuable advice for me on how I should manage the mileage I'll be doing and structure it into my training.
Down to Richardson Fresh Fruit for a huge box of apples, bananas and oranges and then we hit the road.
In truth the camper was a lot faster than we had expected. Was this down to Davids excellent camper van stock or Steff getting the hang of it so quickly?
Quick pit stop at my Parents in Donegal and off to Derry to collect Jo and a quick photo call with the press (she'll be a professional model by the time this is all over)
After that it was a short run to the excellent Seaview Tavern. The staff have been brilliant phoning us to make sure we knew where we were going and keeping the Restaurant open late so we could eat. And now Jo is in bed, Steff is setting up the camper and I am sleepy...
Apart from that it was a frantic round of phone calls and last minute organising. Thankfully there were no serious last minute glitches and it looks like we are all systems go. Tomorrow morning at 5:45 Jo sets out to attempt to establish a Guinness World Record for runing from Malin Head to Mizen Head. Updates as we go!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
M2M - 2 days
When we woke up this morning we had 48 hours before the while thing kicks off. A bit less actually because we are planning on starting at 5:45am and I don't wake up at that time normally - Steff has recently though, in a cold sweat and whimpering about needing more baskets of fruit or getting lost....!
I have far and away the e
asiest job (Jo keeps trying to give me graphic descriptions of what this could do to her insides and how as support I'll have to deal with it but I'm not listening). All I've had to do over the last day or so is listen to the (long) lists of stuff that needs to be packed and jobs and tasks being ticked off. Steff has been running around like a hyperactive bunny. You wouldn't believe the sheer amount of stuff that is needed but on the left there you can see the initial pile. This is the sports nutrition, water, some (not all!) of Jo's packing and sports kit, collection buckets and Hi-Vis vests. Not included is my running gear, the bike, my clothes, Steff's clothes, the food, the fruit... It all reminds me of that scene in Jaws where Brody says "I think we need a bigger boat"!
And Jo? Well apart from a couple of cycles to stretch her legs she is in taper mode; that means resting up and ensuring that all the little niggles have time to heal. At this stage it's all nerves and energy - worry if we have the right food strategy, the best route, concern about our ability to follow that route down country roads and through busy towns with camper van and runners intact. And a fear that we all share; that 5 days with Jo, Niall, myself and Steff (four fairly strong personalities, it must be said) all in close proximity and in testing conditions could lead to a fall out of nuclear proportions!
I keep telling Steff that what's done is done and nothing we do now will have a huge impact on how this all pans out. Now we relax and rest ready for Silly AM on Friday. And I'm saying, don't worry, it will be an adventure. Of course last time I told her that we got stranded in Holland and ended up sleeping in a hotel above a building she suspects may have been a brothel...
But this will be better than that!
Won't it???
I have far and away the e
asiest job (Jo keeps trying to give me graphic descriptions of what this could do to her insides and how as support I'll have to deal with it but I'm not listening). All I've had to do over the last day or so is listen to the (long) lists of stuff that needs to be packed and jobs and tasks being ticked off. Steff has been running around like a hyperactive bunny. You wouldn't believe the sheer amount of stuff that is needed but on the left there you can see the initial pile. This is the sports nutrition, water, some (not all!) of Jo's packing and sports kit, collection buckets and Hi-Vis vests. Not included is my running gear, the bike, my clothes, Steff's clothes, the food, the fruit... It all reminds me of that scene in Jaws where Brody says "I think we need a bigger boat"!And Jo? Well apart from a couple of cycles to stretch her legs she is in taper mode; that means resting up and ensuring that all the little niggles have time to heal. At this stage it's all nerves and energy - worry if we have the right food strategy, the best route, concern about our ability to follow that route down country roads and through busy towns with camper van and runners intact. And a fear that we all share; that 5 days with Jo, Niall, myself and Steff (four fairly strong personalities, it must be said) all in close proximity and in testing conditions could lead to a fall out of nuclear proportions!
I keep telling Steff that what's done is done and nothing we do now will have a huge impact on how this all pans out. Now we relax and rest ready for Silly AM on Friday. And I'm saying, don't worry, it will be an adventure. Of course last time I told her that we got stranded in Holland and ended up sleeping in a hotel above a building she suspects may have been a brothel...
But this will be better than that!
Won't it???
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Reality Check!
Last Thursday Jo and her husband Niall paid a visit to our offices in Limerick. We sat down to plan in detail the support that Jo will need, the route and generally the plans in fine detail it was, shall we say- sobering!
Jo will need to eat every 5k that she runs and each time she will have different requirements. On top of that there will be pills and potions all designed to legally (!) maximise Jo's performance and prevent injury over the long, hard 5 days.
Still, she won't be alone, she will be well supported. Andrew and I will be with her from start to finish, Niall will join us in Athlone and there will be numerous friends and runners joining at different stages of the route to support and encourage Jo.
So now there is only 4 days left. In the remaining time I am sure there will be many more media interviews for Jo, photo requests and general mental and physical preparation - lets not forget that whilst this is a physical challenge for her, she will also need to be prepared mentally and carry on in-spite of the voices in her head telling her to stop!
Now the pressure is on, everything is organised and we really need to step up our fundraising efforts and ask you to please dig deep, encourage Jo by sponsoring her and also show your support for the Carers Association. Remember, if you care for someone, who will care for you?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Here's one we prepared earlier...
Steff has asked me to outline what has been happening in the background in terms of organising and preparing for Jo's run.
If you ever watched Blue Peter as a kid you'll have seen the presenter faffing about with an empty toilet roll holder and some tape before pulling out an amazing knights castle from under the table and saying "Here's one we made earlier!"
And we're all hoping that this event will be a bit like that - we want Jo to turn up on the 21st and start running with seamless support all along the route, great media coverage and lots of money raised for a great cause.
But there is a huge amount of spade work that goes into simply getting into position to run those first few steps of the 350 miles. This all started out as a nagging idea with Jo that wouldn't go away. Several months ago she asked a few friends if they thought it was a totally ridiculous idea. She selected the friends carefully because instead of recommending a long lie down in a darkened room they took the idea seriously, made some suggestions and the idea slowly took root.
Next Jo sought advice on the route from the cycling guys on Boards, who have a lot of experience of Malin to Mizen and back again routing. So now it was starting to get a bit more real...
Next thing you know Steff, Jo, Niall (Jo's husband) and I are having a general conversation and Steff was talking about fund-raising and before you knew it provisional plans were made. Jo would run Malin to Mizen before the summer to raise money for the Carers Association.
And that is when Steff's organising brain went into overdrive. We brainstormed out the requirements for pre-event, during the event and post-event. We tried to visualise what Jo would be doing each day and what she would need to do it. From that we generated a list of support items, this was reviewed and added to by Jo.
Since the beginning of April, Steff has sent out almost 400 emails and made hundreds of phone calls. Transport (bikes and a camper van) had to be found. Hotels along the route had to be persuaded to let Jo stay for free. Massage therapists have been lined up for overnight stops. Sports nutrition companies had to be persuaded to hand over product for free, bottles of water had to be found and boxes of fresh fruit and pasta are still being looked for. Medical supplies and first aid equipment had to be sourced and a sponsors for the diesel are still being looked for. Permits for street collection had to applied for and a celebration night and fundraiser planned for Nenagh thanks to a Respite Worker called Anna. Magnetic signs to stick to the van to promote and thank the sponsors were needed. And media contacts had to be primed and pumped - local and national print and broadcast media have all been approached and we have been doing well on getting coverage so far. And of course blogs and charity donation webpages needed to be set up and maintained! Emma J (National Fundraising Manager) in the Carers Association HQ and Catherine (Steff's line manager) have been roped in, as have their PR company. The whole point of course being to ensure that as much as possible is provided to us for free so that every single penny raised can go towards helping provide much needed services for family Carers, like training and in-house respite.
And it's been a resounding success - socks have been worked off and all the indications are that this will be a really successful event, both from a fundraising point of view and in terms of raising the charity's profile.
Of course all that hard work is just a framework for Jo's efforts come the 21st (and all the training miles she's been logging up till now). And in a very real sense the work will only begin then - there is a vast amount of verification required for an official Guinness World Record. We need to photograph and videotape Jo at key points on the journey. We need to provide a GPS record and have independent witnesses signing off that she was in location X at day Y.
And that is where you might be able to help!
A huge number of people have stepped up and offered to run some of the route with Jo. For safety reasons we have to limit it to one or two at a time but it will be a great boost to her and their sign-off is vital for the record. Even if you can't run it with us your presence and sign off could well be useful. Or maybe you have something else you could help with? For example we have had an offer today from someone who will use the GPS data to update a map frequently through the day so that people can keep an eye on Jo's progress. Do you have a skill you think we could use? Or contacts who could help? Do you have any creative ideas on fundraising? Anything you can think of that will help please drop a note in the comments or email us directly on carerslimerick@carersireland.com. And if all else fails you know where the donation page is!
9 days to go, the countdown starts here...!
Andrew
If you ever watched Blue Peter as a kid you'll have seen the presenter faffing about with an empty toilet roll holder and some tape before pulling out an amazing knights castle from under the table and saying "Here's one we made earlier!"
And we're all hoping that this event will be a bit like that - we want Jo to turn up on the 21st and start running with seamless support all along the route, great media coverage and lots of money raised for a great cause.
But there is a huge amount of spade work that goes into simply getting into position to run those first few steps of the 350 miles. This all started out as a nagging idea with Jo that wouldn't go away. Several months ago she asked a few friends if they thought it was a totally ridiculous idea. She selected the friends carefully because instead of recommending a long lie down in a darkened room they took the idea seriously, made some suggestions and the idea slowly took root.
Next Jo sought advice on the route from the cycling guys on Boards, who have a lot of experience of Malin to Mizen and back again routing. So now it was starting to get a bit more real...
Next thing you know Steff, Jo, Niall (Jo's husband) and I are having a general conversation and Steff was talking about fund-raising and before you knew it provisional plans were made. Jo would run Malin to Mizen before the summer to raise money for the Carers Association.
And that is when Steff's organising brain went into overdrive. We brainstormed out the requirements for pre-event, during the event and post-event. We tried to visualise what Jo would be doing each day and what she would need to do it. From that we generated a list of support items, this was reviewed and added to by Jo.
Since the beginning of April, Steff has sent out almost 400 emails and made hundreds of phone calls. Transport (bikes and a camper van) had to be found. Hotels along the route had to be persuaded to let Jo stay for free. Massage therapists have been lined up for overnight stops. Sports nutrition companies had to be persuaded to hand over product for free, bottles of water had to be found and boxes of fresh fruit and pasta are still being looked for. Medical supplies and first aid equipment had to be sourced and a sponsors for the diesel are still being looked for. Permits for street collection had to applied for and a celebration night and fundraiser planned for Nenagh thanks to a Respite Worker called Anna. Magnetic signs to stick to the van to promote and thank the sponsors were needed. And media contacts had to be primed and pumped - local and national print and broadcast media have all been approached and we have been doing well on getting coverage so far. And of course blogs and charity donation webpages needed to be set up and maintained! Emma J (National Fundraising Manager) in the Carers Association HQ and Catherine (Steff's line manager) have been roped in, as have their PR company. The whole point of course being to ensure that as much as possible is provided to us for free so that every single penny raised can go towards helping provide much needed services for family Carers, like training and in-house respite.
And it's been a resounding success - socks have been worked off and all the indications are that this will be a really successful event, both from a fundraising point of view and in terms of raising the charity's profile.
Of course all that hard work is just a framework for Jo's efforts come the 21st (and all the training miles she's been logging up till now). And in a very real sense the work will only begin then - there is a vast amount of verification required for an official Guinness World Record. We need to photograph and videotape Jo at key points on the journey. We need to provide a GPS record and have independent witnesses signing off that she was in location X at day Y.
And that is where you might be able to help!
A huge number of people have stepped up and offered to run some of the route with Jo. For safety reasons we have to limit it to one or two at a time but it will be a great boost to her and their sign-off is vital for the record. Even if you can't run it with us your presence and sign off could well be useful. Or maybe you have something else you could help with? For example we have had an offer today from someone who will use the GPS data to update a map frequently through the day so that people can keep an eye on Jo's progress. Do you have a skill you think we could use? Or contacts who could help? Do you have any creative ideas on fundraising? Anything you can think of that will help please drop a note in the comments or email us directly on carerslimerick@carersireland.com. And if all else fails you know where the donation page is!
9 days to go, the countdown starts here...!
Andrew
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Ker Ching!
Bridget Riordan is a formidable woman.
When I first met her I was a little bit in awe of the sheer force of her personality - she is very much someone who believes in saying what she thinks, and has no fear of who hears her. But she has an absolute heart of gold, would do anything for you and is totally front and centre when it comes to fund raising for the charity she works for.
So the Malin to Mizen run was always going to be an opportunity for her to show just how good she is!
Now one of the (many) things I have learned about Bridget is that it is very hard to say no to her. Mainly because she won't listen to no one but instead keeps going until you say yes! So it didn't surprise any of us when she landed into the Carers Offices on the Dock Road in Limerick with an idea to raise money...
At this stage we are fighting on two fronts - we want to create a bit of a "buzz" around a world record attempt but we also need to make sure that this is a financial success. Bridget - as usual - had a great idea. She had booked a slot packing shopping bags in a major local supermarket. It was a great opportunity to promote the charity and it's services as well as telling people all about Jo and what she was attempting to do.
"The response has been phenomenal" a volunteer reported afterwards. "We had staff from all around Limerick City & County volunteer to man the bag pack and everyone we spoke to about the run was totally behind it and just amazed at what Jo is attempting to do"
So good news on getting people talking, but how did the fund raising part go?
How does an extra €1,310 for the fund-raising pot sound?!
A huge thank you to Bridget and to all the people who helped and contributed, both financially and their time, it was really appreciated.
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