this is my happy place
A week ago today, I published this on Facebook –
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The Tough Mudder was epic. I’m still aching (slightly). But we’ve raised over £1200 for charity and, on top of that, one week later, I still can’t believe we did it.
The sense of achievement is palpable.
And I am happy.
“We came. We saw. We kicked its ass.”
Saturday, October 5th – my Ogilvy colleagues and I completed the Tough Mudder North West challenge. 12 miles. 25 obstacles. One amazing feat.
Back in May, I started working with Ogilvy & Mather London Advertising on the Expedia UK account. The team were awesome and welcomed me with open arms. However, as an official member, I was told that I would have to join them in their Tough Mudder.
Comedy moment in the office as the O&M bunch attempt to rope me into their Tough Mudder team for September. My response: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
— James Whatley (@Whatleydude) June 19, 2013
30mins later (after much heckling and also the clincher comment ‘James, it isn’t a race – it’s about TEAM BUILDING’ – I’m such a sucker for that stuff), this happened –
Comedy moment in the office as the O&M bunch manage to successfully coerce me into their Tough Mudder team for September. My response: ARGH!
— James Whatley (@Whatleydude) June 19, 2013
Turns out the best date we could all do it wasn’t in September after all. It was today. And guess what? We nailed it.
— Briony, me, Amelia, Harriet, Stephen and Joey —
There was blood. There was mud. There was euphoria. We climbed 12ft walls, we ran through electric cables, and we plunged ourselves into ice – and that is very much not even the half of it.
So far, we’ve raised just over £800 £1000(!) for Action on Bladder Cancer, the charity of choice of the Expedia UK marketing team, and there’s also (perhaps somewhat delirious) talk of making TM an annual Ogilvy event too – amazing.
If you’d like to sponsor me, or anyone else on my team, then you can do that on our dedicated sponsorship page (please do, even if it’s only a couple of quid it’d be appreciated).
I think I have a longer, more meandering post about how much of a personal achievement I feel this is (given that I only started running back in January), but that can wait for another day.
In the meantime, I’m headed home for a very long bath and while I do that, you’re going to sponsor me, right?
UPDATE: Photos now up on Flickr.
I did it!
Today I ran The British 10k.
It’s the first time in my life that I’d ran that far and it was awesome. Some of you will know that I only started running in January of this year. I don’t know where it came from, but it’s something I’m sticking with.
I’ve been through injury (twice) but a positive mental attitude, and a damn good physio, saw me through. Some of you may also know that this past week I have been horrendously under the weather. Having been knocked down by sunstroke this time last weekend, I picked up a virus soon after and have been flat out in bed and without training for five days. At one point, I very nearly had to pull out. So, yeah. There was that.
But then the day came, and I endured. Not only was it my first ever 10k today but it was also my first ‘proper’ run, as in organised like, y’know? 25,000 people ran The British 10k today, and I was just one of them. But wow wow wow wow WOW, what an amazing feeling it was! The atmosphere, the crowds, the camaraderie… all of it, just amazing. I ran the first 5k (my average running distance) in what seemed like no time at all. Truth is, I just ran it without even thinking. The energy of the people around me just kept me going.
Incredible.
[runkeeper url=”http://runkeeper.com/activity?userId=18548137&trip=208640332″]
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Around 8k, as we looped over Westminster Bridge, it hit me: the heat, the stamina (or lack thereof), and just knowing that I was so close too… I knew I needed to walk for a bit. But again, the cheers lift your up and, after a rejig of my playlist, I was running again.
My total time? 70mins 38secs. Not bad for my first time, I’d say. And, with a medal around my neck and over £500 raised for CALM, I’m a very happy Whatley indeed.
Next up? Tough Mudder in October.
Between now and then?
More.
Again.
As soon as.
I’ve got the bug and it feels amazing.
See you on the road.
Shape up, Whatters.
As some of you may know, I started running this year and, aside from an old injury rearing its ugly head, so far it’s going pretty well. Earlier this year, when I was bragging about healthy I was being to the team at CALM, they challenged me to do something worthwhile with my new found hunger for the road and raise money for charity.
So here I am: running the British London 10k for the Campaign Against Living Miserably. I’ve set a target of raising £500, reckon you can help me with that? I reckon you can.
Go on, give a tenner (or more!) and help save the male.
DONATE TODAY.
Yes, that’s right: RUNNING.
noun [mass noun]
– the action or movement of a runner: his running tore United to shreds
– the sport of racing on foot: marathon running
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I’m not a big one for resolutions. Hell, I haven’t even made any this year. But a strange thing happened on January 1st, something that I’m not sure has happened to me before; I woke up, around 8am, having only had only around 3-4hrs sleep (after much fun and shenanigans on NYE, of course) and I wanted to go on a run.
I hadn’t decided to
“I’m going for a run” I said.
And the following day I did it again, and the day after that I ran again, and then on the 4th? Well, then I took a break. It seems not running for years and then taking it up again suddenly and rather aggressively isn’t the way to do these things. There was limping, and a fair bit of pain, and all my running friends (turns out I have a few) came out of the woodwork to advise on all sorts.
So here we go: the complete 100% newbie and unscientific list of things to do if you’re going to start running:
1. Actually go for a run
Yeah, it seems an obvious one but getting out there and doing it is the easiest way forward. Get that out of the way and you’re halfway there. No, scratch that, you’re all of the way there. You have done some running. Well done.
2. Warm up (and then down again)
I didn’t do this at first and I suffered for it. I recommend you don’t make that mistake.
Warming up? Some stretching before you head out is definitely a good idea (thanks to the comments, only stretch AFTER your workout – see I am a newbie! However you should definitely) Consider ‘briskly’ walking for the first five minutes of the route you’re about to embark upon. Stupid really, you’d think people would know to do this. Even when I went for my first run I remember thinking ‘Yup, we definitely used to warm before any sports in PE at school… but I’m an adult now! I don’t need to deal with such tomfoolery!’ – I am a numpty, clearly. But that means you could be too. SO WARM UP, (then do some stretching when you’re done too).
And that’s it really. Straight up – that. is. it.
Warm up. Run. Warm down. Done.
Well, there’s a few more, but these next few are 100% optional.
3. Pick an app
There are a whole ton of sports-tracking apps available for your selection, each of them measuring all kinds of things from the route you take, through to your avg. speed; some can plug into other services and some you can integrate into your entire LIFE.
Endomondo, Run Keeper, Nike+, there’s loads. Me? I’ve gone for Sports Tracker. Why? It’s across the most platforms and, given that I swap phones every month, it’s the best one there is. Your choice might be different. Do some research.
4. Get the right kit
When I say ‘kit’, I mean – these are the things that I don’t run without –
First up, my hoodie. It’s bloody cold out there at the moment (and it won’t be getting warmer anytime soon) and I’ve got one of those Superdry hoodies which is pretty damn cosy, and good for running in. It’s not rained yet, so I don’t if it does actually keep me Superdry, but only time will tell (christ, rain. I hadn’t thought about that). Either way, it does the job. Winner.
Second, my mobile. Currently Up until yesterday* this is was a Nokia Lumia 920** and [while it’s not the most robust handset in the world] it has done a good job of not only tracking my runs to date, but also providing the tunes to said workouts too.
Finally, some decent shoes!
I got the above bad boy Asics from Runners Need on Great Portland Street. They cost me £70 and I got a free gait-analysis thrown in too. I’d never heard of that analysis part before but those running friends I told you about earlier? They all swear by it. Get tested, then get the trainers you need to mate.
Again, this isn’t gospel; you can run in plimsols if you so wish! However, I’m committing to this (hence the bloggage too I guess) and want the kit to see me through. And hey, if you find yourself on the streets of Maida Vale one morning (say around 7ish), look out for this knackered-looking guy –
– he may even fancy a race!
Maybe.
In time.
Like, in a month or three.
*Device at the moment is now the Motorola RAZR i, just while said uber-damaged Windows Phone is in for repair. Still using Sports-Tracker though, which rocks.
 **I know I moaned about it on The Voicemail, but since then it’s really grown on my and I’m actually sad to see it go.