2008 UPDATES!

January:

I spent January in Atlanta and Cedartown....away from the bad weather in Scotland. I was training with Mike Sprouse and Kriger Shabort. I stayed with Mike Sprouse and his wife Debbie. She was a gracious host and took care of me immaculately. While I was there I went to the rodeo to watch bull riding and to a cage fighting event. I also went to the Atlanta Motorbike show, which was awesome.

February:

I flew off to South Africa. The first stop was Durban for the marathon. I had a flat tire at 8 miles. And, another one 3 miles from the finish. I came in 4th place. And, while I was in Durban, I was invited to the sight impaired school. At the school, I spoke and they did a song on the stage and I spent time with the kids. It was a very touching experience. Then, I flew off to George for the next marathon. In addition to the athletic marathon, there was a fun event as part of this marathon for different levels of disabilities. There were over 200 participants from all over South Africa. It is a wonderful yearly opportunity for the kids and their families. Then I spent another week training.....then home.

March:

.....busy hand cycling training and preparing for Land's End to John O' Groats.

April:

April 3rd, I was hand cycling down a cycle lane and a van came out of an opening and crashed into me and left me lying in the street. I sustained 2 broken toes, and damaged a nerve in my thumb. This left me with a splint on my thumb for 6 weeks. So, I could not get back into my racing chair until it had healed. I would like to thank Draft Wheelchairs (my sponsor) for giving me a replacement chair within 36 hours of my accident. Without them the event from Land's End to John O' Groats would not have happened.

May:

...back to Atlanta to train and prepare for Land's End to John O' Groats. However, because I had a replacement chair, I did not want to bring it with me in case in got damaged in transport. So, I trained with Mike Sprouse's old hand cycle....which was a sit up position and totally wrong for me. However, I cycled 650 miles in 15 days!!! In hindsight, it was great preparation in an old cycle.

June:

June 3rd to June 17th......1001 miles in 17 days!!!.....Land's End to John O' Groats......it's all on the website.....

On the 23rd I flew back to Cedartown, Georgia to participate in the 5k. I came in 2nd place in the masters division...which is one of the best races in the world. This race is organized by the most wonderful, incredible, fantastic people!!! And, that is why I am always in Cedartown.

July:

...Peachtree Road Race, 10k...came in 4th place in the masters...and great company and fireworks!!!

August:

...lots of training...and speaking engagements...

September:

....lots of more training...and more speaking engagements...

October:

Atlanta October 4th...back over here to train and again to get away from the weather in Scotland...and organize my next big challenge with the help of Penne English. I will be hand cycling from San Francisco to New York April 27th to June 7th, 2009 (6 weeks...42 days...80 to 85 miles a day....3,500 miles!!!)....all for charity...Cash for Kids in the Northeast of Scotland and Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (a charity for childhood cancer cure) in the United States. I will be hand cycling alone except for Penne English and the driver of the RV which will be riding with me and taking care of me. Penne English will be posting daily blogs with video and photos and the media will be involved in the 16 states that we traverse. Keep an eye out for links to the charities to donate to this amazing worthwhile event.

November:

....more training and speaking engagements.....and planning....and corresponding with contacts for both charities.

December:

I will be in Las Vegas on the 7th. This will be my first marathon on the hand cycle!....I will keep you posted.

Las Vegas Marathon Dec 2nd
Las Vegas is such an exciting place to be? Arrived Thursday night, Friday rained all day! Training Saturday getting ready for the race, started 6.00am weather was ok; the strip is closed for the race which is awesome. I was with a Canadian for 8 miles then on my own for the next 18 miles. 1st place, Las Vegas marathon.

Hawaii Honolulu marathon 9th Dec
Great weather for training, but rained at some point every day! The rain was the heaviest that I have ever raced in, flat tyre at 18 miles. Took a while to change with it being so wet, ended up in 5th place…

4th Jan to 31st training on hand cycle in Atlanta

Sorry for the long wait for the racing reports, problems with my computer!

Newcastle Great North half marathon 30th Sept
Fantastic race, the best field of wheelchair athletes the race has
ever seen, which is great for the sport in the UK! Had a good race
48 min.

Oita Marathon Japan 28th Oct
Wheelchair only race, largest wheelchair marathon and half
marathon in the world! This is my 6th year in Oita and my second
fastest time on this course! 1hr 38 min 56 sec

Fly round the world in 11 days and take part in 2 marathons!

New York Marathon 4th Nov
Fantastic organization, the toughest marathon in the world for
wheelchairs! Steep steep bridges, rough road surfaces, pot holes,
sever cambers, Very cold and windy. Everybody found the race extra hard this year, but we love it! 1Hr 53 min.

Next race Las Vegas Marathon 2nd Dec & Honolulu Marathon
Hawaii 9th Dec

Up and coming events

30th Sept Great North Half Marathon Newcastle.
12th Oct Transistion Extreme, Community sports challenge 36 kids ages 13 to 16, seven
regeneration areas in Aberdeen, climbing comp prize giving. Motivational talk.
18th Oct Transistion Extreme, Young Chamber Connections, dramatic climbing and adventure
event, ages 18 to 30 Motivational talk.
23rd Oct Marcliff Hotel, Cash for Kids, motivational talk.
28th Oct Japan Oita marathon.
04th Nov New York Marathon plus, George Washington high school motivational talk.
09th Nov Glasgow Thistle hotel Spinal Injuries Scotland, motivational talk
20th Nov Hollister, Ireland Ballina, motivational talk.
02ndDec Las Vegas Marathon.
09thDec Honolulu Marathon.
2008
January Training in Atlanta, hand cycle
10th Feb ASA/Nedbank marathon South Africa
16th Feb George Marathon South Africa plus, Nelson Mandella University, motivational talk.

America Series 20th June 6th July

Went over to Long Island, New York. a few days early to train in the sun, it was fantastic! first race long Island 10K, up at 5.00am to get on the transport to take all the athletes to the start for 7.00am. Weather was lovely and warm, no wind, 1st place 23min in the Masters Division. After race some lunch and winners ceremony, packed and of to the airport, fly to Atlanta catch a bus to Cedartown, in bed for 1.30am. Next race Cedartown 5K start time 6.30pm slightly later! short fast course with one steep hill. 1st place 12min Masters. Few days later back on the bus to Atlantafor the Peachtree Road race the biggest 10K in the world with 104 Wheelchairs and 55000 runners (WOW) Up at 4.00am race started at 7.00am, straight course withonly 2 left hand turns, 3rd place 23min 25sec Masters. 4th july Fireworks at night, what a fantastic show. 5th July fly home to Aberdeen...

Switzerland Oensingen Marathon 9th June

Over an hour travel on a bus to and from the Marathon, race started at 4.30pm. Normal start times are early in the morning, weather was fantastic great road surfaces and well organised. Still a bit of the pace, have to up the training! time 1hr 47min, faster next time!!!

Aberdeen 10K 27th May

It was raining 1 hour before the race, stopped raining and dried up! As soon as i got into my chair to warm up the heavens opend up and rained until about 30min after the race, along with strong winds. 29min 05sec, a very slow time due to the weather, but a win is a win!

Next race Switzerland 9th June Marathon.

Italy & Korea , March

Padova Marathon, one of the fastest races of the year! the roads are completely closed and smooth apart from a short distance in the middle and at the end. The dreaded cobles! still not in my best condition, due to my time in hospital 2 mths no training. 1hr 41min.
Flew home on Monday, landing in Aberdeen airport. Expecting to pick up my wheels and chair?(no chair) I was flying to Birmingham to attend a disability Expo for Hollister, on the Tuesday morning. The airline still hadn't found my chair, so i had to take my old chair!
Flew to Seoul from Birmingham on the Thursday, landed on the Friday, raced on the Sunday, flew home on the Monday. Rather a busy eleven days!
Very hot for the race and windy, from year to year you tend to forget how hard these courses are. This was tough! 1hr 48min.
Landed in Aberdeen where they had recoverd my chair.