MISCELLANEOUS UPDATES

"RETURN OF THE MUZUNGO" - October 15th 2008

In January of this year I was due to head to Kenya for a 3 week stay in the town of Iten. It was to form a vital part of my training build up towards the London Marathon and a perfect opportunity to interview and train with some of the local runners. However politics played it's part and in the unrest following the elections which resulted in numerous tribal murders in the surrounding countryside the trip had to be cancelled and the rest is history. I had always wanted to head back to Kenya and after Bristol half marathon in which Mengsitu failed to produce the result his form in January suggested I headed back to Iten.

The week before I took part in my first Olympic Triathlon in Barcelona to mark and end to 10 months of being injured. Despite never having swum 1500 metres or cycled 40km I finished in a pretty respectable time of 2 hours and 25 minutes and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Ironically in Kenya I was able to run ever day and despite some early morning soreness the dreaded crepitis did not raise it's ugly head.

Driving from the airport there were still signs of the violence, with people still living in refuge camps. For this trip I was on my own - playing the part of cameraman, producer, director, interviewer and fixer, but what an experience it turned into. One the first day I headed down to the local track. Wondering through the bush with a £3000 camera I was confronted by two youths with Machetes. Heart rate pumping I thought that's it... they might find my body in a few weeks... however the two youth asked if I was lost, pointed me towards the track and wished me a good day, phew...

Down the track I was surprised that the first runner that I met was a "Muzungo" (Kenyan for White Man). Hugo also happened to be the number one Dutch runner and he was busily preparing for the Amsterdam Marathon. More runners turned up and soon 20 top runners were striding around the mud track under the fierce African sun.

In a trip that was full of incident I trained with a highly strung Bosnian 800 metre runner, interviewed one the fastest marathon runners of all time - had no idea who he was, met the world youth champion, tried to track down Solomon who was running in Amsterdam - his manager did not even know where he was, played football against the local children, visited a local school where I donated $40 toward pens and paper - never seen such happy smiling faces because of it, viewed the Great Rift Valley in all it's glory, watched over 100 world class runners training on a dirt track on the same morning and met a 2:21 marathon running, dual nationality Brit/American, who spend large parts of the year training in Kenya in between his Law Degree.

Exhausted - Roll on Sunday and the Amsterdam Marathon!

PROJECT ENTERS FINAL PHASE OF FILMING

The Road to Beijing Project has now entered the final month of filming before culminating at the ING Amsterdam Marathon in October. After what will have been almost 3 years of training/filming this is hugely exciting for all those involved in the project. It has been a rollercoaster ride with highs and lows going hand in hand but when I look back on all the footage  (besides feeling exhausted just watching it) it's been worth every second.

I will be heading off to Kenya at the start of next month after competing in my first Olympic distance triathlon in Barcelona. Despite being injured for such a long time I have been able to swim and get on the bike and feeling in pretty good shape and should still be able to run sub 40 minutes off the bike.

Ben is in great form and feeling fresh for his first marathon while Mengsitu has returned to Ethiopia and is working hard to learn from his experience of racing in the UK to break into the club system in Addis Ababa. Mengsitu will race in the Great Ethiopian run on the 23rd of November 2008 against the best runners in Ethiopia. For more information on taking part in a race which is unlike any you have ever run before click on the banner link.

Last Tuesday I headed down to the Nike store in Shoreditch to give a talk to the Rundem Crew after being asked by organiser Charlie Dark. It was a wonderful chance to give something back to the sport and have the opportunity to motivate and help other get as much out of running as I have. Click on the photo to follow the link to the Nike news and events website.
 

BRISTOL HALF MARATHON - A MIXED RESULT

After six months of hard work and endless letter writing, significant financial investment and support from 5 prominent British MP's to assist with Mengsitu's visa he waited patiently at the start line a few yards from Ben Moreau, both runners eagerly awaiting the gun that would signal the start of the Bristol half marathon. After such struggles throughout his life Mengsitu would finally have the chance to demonstrate his talent on an International stage.

And for the first two miles it looked like he would do just that, until almost inexplicably he started to slow. Ben eased passed him and for the rest of the race Mengsitu looked like a very ordinary runner.

Ben ran a very strong and confident race and finished in a very commendable 3rd place and in the process scooped £600 in prize money, due in part to the two Kenyan's down to run getting delayed on the train. Ben commented after the race "I'm still a little fatigued from the training in Ethiopia but this race has added zip into my legs which will be ideal for the full marathon in Amsterdam".

Mengsitu rallied in the last few miles but finished a good few minutes behind Ben. So what happened? This was the question on the lips of the people that had helped him to this race. The guy had just fallen apart. Was it the nerves of his first ever race? Something he had eaten? The cultural shock of being in the UK? After much delving and with the assistant of the woman's race winner Birhan Dagne, a fellow Ethiopian,  Mengsitu explained all a few days later over a coffee.

To understand this poor result we need to head back to January 2008 when we first met Mengsitu Abebe. He had narrowly missed out on selection to one of the coveted running clubs and despite this was still in the shape of his life. He instantly impressed and demonstrated his talent with some impressive training runs, to the extent that George and myself thought that this would be the perfect character to illustrate the documentary with.

Two visa rejections later and with our imminent departure to the UK we said our good byes and promised that we would return. I remained in contact with the hotel who informed me that he was training hard and going about his duties in the hotel. In Mengsitu mind however he had already given up hope and even if I did return he did not believe that we would be successful with a visa.

Over the last six months his parents fell on hard times, with their grazing lands being taken by the government. Mengsitu, the only money earner in a family of 10 had to take on extra shifts at the hotel and a second job working in a shoe shop on his day off to provide enough income. Sleeping 3 hours a night his running  became a hobby, a way of escaping the life he found himself in. Running once a day and yet never training hard due to his accumulative fatigue. I should also have realised that something was not quite right as he had made no attempt to improve his English and even though his passport said he was 25 we only found out later that he is in fact only 19!

He trained with Ben over the two weeks and although he did not look as good or as sharp as before - he put this down to marathon training - he looked comfortable with the training that they did together. I can only imagine his delight/fear when he received his visa and found himself in the UK knowing full well that he was not in his best shape. He did remarkable well to disguise this until a track session on Thursday with Ben saw him drop off the back half way though the session. He put this down to a stomach problem, but the reality and with hindsight it was clear that he had not been doing the correct training. You simply can't cheat distance runner no matter how talented you are.

Ben will head to Amsterdam on his own to race against the best runners in the world. I will travel to Iten in Kenya where I had originally planed to go in January before the political unrest to document the way the top Kenyan's train in camps and life their lives and as for Mengsitu, he will head back to Ethiopia.

At the time I was furious, felt let down, embarrassed, I could not believe what an idiot he had been, this was a once in a life time opportunity and he had blown it. If he had of done the training he would have won the race, taken the £1000 prize money, fed his family for life and raised his status as a distance running back in Ethiopia. However, when you put yourself in his shoes and the choices of letting his parents starve or hoping against hope that some English guys might come back and make his dream come true and take him to the UK to race, the reality soon sinks in. The investors in the documentary were equally dismissive but after lots of deliberation I have decided to help him over the next four month with his training before flying him back to the UK to run a couple of half marathons in February.

I have given him enough money to cover all his cost over the next 4 months to eat, sleep and train as an Athlete, working 3 days a week - 10 till 4 and going to school to progress his education and give him a better future in later life. Maybe I should have just let this go but I have been given a second chance before and know how much it means. The filming of the documentary will end in October but with 3-4 months of postproduction Mengsitu story could turn from one of tragic missed opportunities to one with a happy ending which could be fitted on the end.

A big thank you to all those at The Run Bristol Half Marathon especially race director Georgette Von Hoff and Birhan Dagne for all here assistance and support towards Mengsitu.

LATEST NEWS - RUN UP TO THE BRISTOL HALF MARATHON - 9th September

On Friday Ben, myself and Mengsitu returned from Ethiopia after having the trip of a life time. The experience far exceeded expectations and more importantly we were successful in obtaining Mengsitu a UK Visa to race at the Bristol half-marathon on Sunday. His previous two applications were rejected and after 6 months of planning and preparation opening the application pack was some what nerve jangling. Mengsitu was overjoyed and had tears in his eyes - for him this is a once in a life time opportunity to show his potential on an International stage.

We met up with Richard Nerurkar at the Great Ethiopian Run, passed the Beijing Olympics men's and women's 5,000 and 10,000 meter's gold medallist Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba. We were also greeted by Marathon World Record Holder Haile Gebrselassie and had lunch with Mengsitu's parents in their mud hut near the northern town of Bahar Dar.

The weather was pretty awful with thunderstorms most days but it did not dampen the training. Ben was a big attraction and collected a number of local training partners all intent on gaining visa's to the UK. Little did they understand the complexity of the process almost to the point of thinking that Ben could hand them out to who ever he liked.

Visiting Mengsitu's parents was a pretty surreal experience. Half way up the escalator in the airport for out domestic flight to Bahar Dar I looked around to see Mengsitu floundering around at the bottom like a scene from the movie Borat. Once on the plane after Mengsitu had crossed himself numerous time, I later understood why after sitting next to the plane's mechanic. Mengsitu later informed me that this was his first flight ever.

His family who he had not seen for 4 years since they had sent him to the city of Addis Ababa to earn money could not have been more hospitable towards me. His dad of 80 years did not believe that he was coming back but after his younger brother ran to fetch him he was equally shocked and delighted to see me. Sitting in him family's mud hut eating the staple diet of indura bread and something that could maybe of passed as goat stew was a pretty surreal experience. After lots of pointing and giggling at the "white man" by the local children I headed back to "civilization"... more to come soon
 

LATEST NEWS - BACK TO ETHIOPIA - 11th August 2008

On the 23rd of August I will be returning to Addis Ababa to film the final part of the documentary. This time I will be being joined by top young British runner Ben Moreau.

Unfortunately I will not be being joined by my cameraman George Olver due to illness and budgetary restrictions. In George's absence my role will be moving from in front of the camera to behind the camera as I follow the journey's of Ben Moreau and Ethiopian bellboy Mengsitu Abebe from the foot hills of the Ararat Mountain to the Bristol half marathon and Amsterdam Marathon's.

Having been injured for over 7 months it is looking increasingly unlikely that I will be able to run in the Amsterdam marathon but my own transition to film-maker has in a round about way made this disappointment easier to stomach. I had originally wrote a pitch about two fictitious characters (which mirror Ben and Mengsitu's stories) in April 2007 shortly before the Paris Marathon where I hoped after a good result I would be able to expand the documentary. This never happened and the documentary had to continue on a shoe-string budget.

I arrived in Ethiopia in January of this years in the shape of my life ready to put the final touches to over 2 years of training for the London Marathon. However my own journey as a marathon runner effectively ended as a few days into the trip I picked up an injury. My own unfortunate twist of fate was strangely intertwined with the meeting of the hotel bellboy Mengsitu Abebe. This meeting had not been arranged prior to arrival as the plan had been to run on my own and meet some of the local runners and train with them.

It was clear that Mengsitu had a great talent but the question was how good could he be? but more importantly and why George and myself were so interested in his own story was that "could the first person we meet in Ethiopia, the guy that carried our bags up to our hotel bedroom really be better then the top British distance runners today?"

His story has far more depth to it then his humble background and like the contrast with Ben's I hope that this will come out in the final documentary which is now attracting considerable attention from a number of distribution companies.

To date the biggest issue hanging over the project has been that of gaining a successful Visa for Mengsitu to travel to the UK and Holland to race. I have been very fortunate to gain the support of 6 prominent British MP's, various sports stars and race organisers to support the visa application, for all those who have helped out I would like to thank you.

Over the next few weeks and months the website will be far more active so please do come back to follow the final developments in the project.
 

20th July 2008 - LATEST UPDATE

THE END OF THE LONG HARD ROAD... - RON HILL INTERVIEW

Seven months on from first picking up my achilles paratendon injury it's still not better. I visited the physio today who reluctantly informed me that there was no way that I would be able to complete the Amsterdam Marathon in October let alone train for it in any meaningful way. I suppose it was just a case of training too hard for too long in an attempt to run a fast time that in the end did for my own personal goal. I have tried every conceivable treatment; rest, ice, cortisone injections, massage, MRI scans, physio, acupuncture, eccentric and concentric work.

I have two options, either stop doing anything and hope that it sorts itself out in a several months time or go out with a bang at the Barcelona Triathlon on October 5th. I like the idea of going out with a bang! I did a sprint triathlon last night to see if it would be possible to complete one. I took it pretty steady and was rather slow on the bike and cautious on the run but posted a pretty respectable 1 hour 10 minutes. So that's the plan - train hard for 8 weeks finish on a high and then go and be pumped full of rat poison for 4 days (don't laugh apparently quite effective) and maybe surgery after this... dependent on how far I want to progress beyond the conclusion of the project.

At the other end of the spectrum regarding my lack on running over the last seven months I travelled up to Cheshire to interview marathon legend Dr Ron Hill CBE. Ron has run every single day and most of the time twice a day for over 47 years!!! He has run with a plaster cast, through airports and car crashes to make sure he continues this amazing feat, and when I met Ron this was no exception. 6 weeks ago Ron had a nasty fall while running on holiday and broke his arm. On a run with him where we discussed everything from breakfast diets of 2 raw eggs to the decline of British marathon running true to form, Ron was wearing a sling to protect his arm.

Ron was only the second man ever to break 2:10 for the marathon, held the world record for 25km and won gold at both the Commonwealth Games and European Championship. Next month he will of completed racing in 100 races in 100 different countries.

Ron was busily checking his split times at lamp posts along the way and grunted in approval as his watch bleeped back at him. Talking about why there were so few good runner in the UK today Ron replied that "Today you have to be mad to me a British marathon runner, you don't get paid anything, have no social standing, no respect, nothing. In my day you won the local 5km and you were front page news. It gave you a purpose, something to be proud of, today there are 5 pages of football, cricket, rugby and maybe if your lucky a few times a year they might mention the times of the British runners at some big championship. The press need to get behind the sport and only then will people be attracted back into training hard, driven by the incentive to make something from running.

It was fascinating to get Ron's view on what could be done to improve British distance running. The general vibe was that it can be done, take Ryan Hall (USA) taking on the Africans this year at the London Marathon. "There is the talent in the UK but not the will to nurture it".

For the final part of the run Ron's arm started to hurt and I suggested that we walk for a bit. The response was curt to say the least "I beg your pardon" I apologised profusely and Ron picked up the pace on the way back. Ron clicked his watch for the last time and looked at it with a satisfied expression. "That's a PB for that run... first for quite some time". I had spurred on one of the greatest marathon runners in history to a personal best time, it's a funny world.

I met up with Graham at Hilly Clothing at their offices in Hyde who gave us a fascinating insight into Ron's life and offered Ben and myself a sock sponsorship deal for the remainder of the project as well as a kit bag of clothing to give to the Ethiopian runners on the hill above the Ararat Hotel. I have used Hilly socks for over 7 years and the one time I did not use them I picked up the blister that set in motion the injury that I still suffer from.

Ron's 70th Birthday will be celebrated in September with a race in his honour. To find out more about it, Hilly socks and Ron's autobiography "The Long Hard Road" please visit http://www.hillyclothing.co.uk/index.php
 

17th July 2008 - LATEST UPDATE

At the end of last week I headed up to Birmingham to watch Ben in the AAA 5km championship. I have to confess it was the first athletics meeting that I had ever been to and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend it to others. The controversial drug cheat sprinter Dwain Chambers ran a fantastic time of 10 seconds dead for the 100 meters and some other fine performances were achieved throughout the day.

This was Ben's last track race before his focus shifted towards the Bristol half marathon and the Amsterdam marathon in October. By his own admission Ben was further down the field then he would have liked and struggled with the early pace but despite this came home in a respectable time of 14:30. The event was a last chance at Olympic qualification over the distance for the runners but unfortunately even the winner came a good 40 seconds off the required time. Speaking to a member of the crowd, and he might have been wrong, but only 2 distance runners from the 3000 metres to marathon distances have actually made the plane to Beijing?

Orabana healthy energy drinks which launches next month have provided Ben and myself with free samples of their new product. Having recently resumed a decent percentage of my training I need all the right nutrients and support to train at my best day in day out which Orbana provides. Importantly for me tastes great and is healthy.

Last week I met up with running ledged and top UK coach Bruce Tulloh who has helped me throughout the project. We discussed what I could do to get the best out of my training over the next 3 months before Amsterdam. I am running 3 times a weeks for up to an hour and although feeling pretty fit I am still not able to cope with the heavy work loads that I was used to prior to this injury. What I thought would be a week long injury has dragged on for just over 6 months now, frustrating would be an understatement but slowly but surely I am heading in the right direction. The reality is that running under 2 hours 30 minutes for the marathon in Amsterdam is going to be near on impossible unless things get better very quickly. That's the nature of running and anyone who has been though a persistent injury will know the feelings associate with it.

On a positive not I recently bought a new racing bike and have substituted my other runs with long hard sessions in Richmond Park. I have also been training hard in the pool and the gym which is now really paying off. Aerobically I might be in great shape and when it comes to taking part in a Triathlon I should be flying around but the you can't cheat a marathon, and so only time will tell if I can culminate the project with a respectable time.  

Finally George my cameraman nearly died a few weeks back with two blood clots in his lungs. The causes are still unknown but fortunately he is making a steady recovery and over the next few months should be returning to work. I have mentioned it before, but in a project where a lot has gone wrong at various times this is just another one to add to the list. There is no way that George will be able to come to Ethiopia with Ben and myself at the end of August and unfortunately the budget will not stretch any further, so instead of being in front of the camera my role will be directing the documentary from behind the lens.          
 

LATEST NEWS - 17th JUNE 2008

4 months to go before the Amsterdam Marathon and the project is really starting to take shape again. Ben Moreau recently won his first cap for England by running in the Marseille 10 km where he finished a solid 10th and 2nd out of the team of 4 English runners in a time of 30:25. After the AAA championships on the 12th of July Ben will be focusing his attentions towards the RBK Bristol half marathon and the ING Amsterdam Marathon. In August Ben will join myself and my cameraman on a trip to Ethiopia where he will meet and train with Ararat Hotel bellboy Mengsitu Abebe. Ben has also secured a sponsorship deal with shoe and clothing company Saucony.

I have been in touch with Mengsitu over the last few months who's training has been progressing well out in Ethiopia. He is very excited at the prospect of having the opportunity to prove himself by running in Bristol and then onto Amsterdam. At this time I have been able to gain the support of 3 prominent MP's regarding his visa application.

Finally I have been able to manage a few 30 minutes pain free runs in the last week and although still not 100% and feeling very slow and unfit I think that this could possibly mark the first steps to some kind of recovery. 3 cortisone injections, MRI scans, constant physio, visits to world leading tendon specialists and daily eccentric exercises seem to finally be paying off. If I do make a full recovery then the old saying "No Pain No Gain" will be particularly true as at times during the exercises the pain has been excruciating! I am also getting very bored of swimming now and can't wait to be able to train properly again.

I have interviews lined up with marathon legend Ron Hill and UK Athletics Chairman Ed Warner and have gained the support of Hilly Clothing and Orbana sports drinks. With the possibility of a shortened trip to Iten in Kenya during mid September the last few months of the project on paper appear to be well planned out... lots of hard work between now and then though!
 

21st April 2008 -  THE NEXT STEPS

Firstly well done to everyone that took part in the London Marathon on the 13th of April. Watching from the sidelines was really disappointing, but it was great to soak up the amazing atmosphere of what is a fantastic event. As you might notice there have been a few changes to the Road to Beijing Project over the last few months partly due to the fact that it was not possible to run at the London Marathon due to injury. The project will now conclude at the Amsterdam Marathon with the Bristol half marathon being a major stepping stone for all of the athletes involved. Filming rights to both races have been granted by the race organisers which is a major step forward regarding the documentary.

The Road to Beijing project has also teamed up with Full Potential coaches Nick and Keith Anderson who will be advising and assisting with documentary/training over the coming months. For the last 10 weeks the team at Pure Sport Medicine have provided excellent medical services in treating my achilles injury. In what has been an agonising period of time it looks like the worse is behind and hopefully in two weeks time after more strength exercise I should finally be able to get back into my training.

It has been an amazing journey to date and I can't thank all those people enough that have been hugely supportive of the project. The next 6 months should be equally exciting as the documentary continues to follow the journeys of Mengsitu Abebe and Ben Moreau as they build towards the Bristol half marathon and Amsterdam Marathon.
 

28th March 2008 - A strange twist of fate

Not being able to run in the London Marathon is hugely disappointing to say the least. When I was told the news that I would not be able to run again until after the London Marathon due to an achilles problem I was not to sure if I should laugh or cry. I was never going to run an Olympic qualification time at London even if I had of stayed injury free, the reality is that running 2:30 was about the best I could have squeezed out of my body. Although it would have looked good on paper it is still a very long way off an International standard.

The documentary (view original outline) will continue along the same lines but instead of culminating the project at The London Marathon with the aim of running 2:30 the project will now end at The ING Amsterdam Marathon where we have been granted permission to film the race. The documentary will continue to delve into the reasons behind the decline of British marathon running in comparison to the rise of the East African distance runner.

Part of my dream may have ended by not being able to run in London but along my journey I have met two hugely talented and contrasting runners from the UK and Ethiopia who's stories will add a unique human interest element to the documentary and with a little help and a lot of hard work could potentially line up together at London 2012.
 

	HEAD TO HEAD
	Mengsitu Abebe Ethiopian Age 25 Bell Boy Education :- Goat Herding Half Marathon time:- 63:50   Ben Moreau British Age 26 Advertising Manager Education :- Oxford University Half Marathon time:- 65:23
	VIEW 3 MINUTE PILOT TRAILER

I met Mengsitu Abebe at the Ararat Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The manager of the hotel summoned over the smartly dressed bellboy then explained that "we have a boy who can show you places to make training". He acted as our guide for the duration of the trip but it was not until the 3rd day when he had dropped me and was running on his own that we recognised his huge natural talent. The plan had been to bring him over for the London Marathon but with visa complications, filming rights and my own injury we decided to postpone. We are hoping to bring Mengsitu over to race in the Bristol half marathon in what will be a fascinating first part of his dual with Ben before heading on to Amsterdam.

I met Ben Moreau at the dingy "Bunch of Grapes" pub, a run down old boozers pub in London. The irony of discussing a marathon running documentary in such an establishment was rather amusing. Ben is a hugely talented young runner and recently ran a 1:05 half marathon at Reading which was the 4th fastest half marathon time of the year in the UK. Despite this and his potential as one of the UK's most promising young distance runners for the future he does not even have a kit sponsor. Ben will be coming out to Ethiopia in the summer to train with Mengsitu and visa versa in September.

Both Mengsitu and Ben will be making their marathon debut at the ING Amsterdam Marathon which will hopefully mark their first steps on the Road to London 2012.
 

28th FEBRUARY 2008 - THE SPORTING MIND

I remembered some guy dressed as a clown telling his friend before the start of my first marathon that 80% of running a marathon is in your mind. Why is it thought that over the last 2 years have I spent 100% of my time on physically trying to improve my running when according to this one runner it only makes up 20% of the race.

I have always though that I had a pretty good attitude towards running and training, but if I am going to squeeze a few more seconds off my marathon time I need to be better mentally prepared.

During a visit to to top sports psychologist Andy Barton we discussed positive imagery and useful ideas for training motivation. It was a defiantly a worth while exercise and some really useful race day motivations came from the meeting.
 

28th JANUARY 2008 - SHEFFIELD ADVENTURE FILM FESTIVAL

A 12 minute edit of the "Road to Beijing" project has been accepted at the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival. The film will be a sneak preview of the project from the first steps in January 2006 till late February 2008 including never before seen footage. The film will be being shown as part of the Culture and Adventure 2 screenings on Saturday the 1 March @ 9.00pm and Sunday 2 March at 12:45pm. For more details & tickets visit SHAFF

3rd JANUARY 2007 - ERMMM... MIGHT HAVE TO RE THINK MY TRAVEL PLANS?

2 days before my trip to Kenya to film a key element of the project and an integral part of the training at altitude I have had to revise my plans due to the recent violence following the recent elections. Over 300 people have been killed since the disputed election results in the country and with over 1 million people descending to protest the result in the capital Nairobi the day we were supposed to arrive a postponement seems the sensible course of action.

20 miles from the training camp lies the provincial town of Eldoret where some of the worst rioting took place. 50 people including women and children were burnt to death in the Catholic church and a former Olympic runner was hacked to death by machete on his way home from his farm.

I have not been able to get in contact with the staff at the camp and my thoughts go out to them and those effected by the problems and I hope that a peaceful solution can negotiated. I hope that in the near future I will be able to return to the usually stable and tourism friendly country to train and explore why the Kenyans are some of the best runners in the world.

In the mean time I am putting together some contingency plans but will have to wait and see. Its terribly frustrating to be hit by another blow like this to the project as the majority of the very small production budget had already been spent on the trip.
 

28th MAY 2007 - THE ROAD TO BEIJING WEBSITE - 40,000 HITS!!! (14 AUG 2007 - 61,000 UNIQUE HITS)

Since starting the project in January 2006 "The Road to Beijing" website has now had a staggering 40,000 unique hits. This works out on average at just under 600 hits per day. These statistics started with only 200 hits in January 2006 and reached a massive peak of 11,789 in March 2007. This figure is set to rise even further for the month of May. A big thank you to all those who have supported the project. If you are a member of "FACEBOOK" you can join "The Road to Beijing" group to receive regular updates and the latest news on the project.

Click here for more...

27th MAY 2007 - CATCH 22 - DOCUMENTARY COMMISSIONING

Last week I heard back from the assistant commissioner at BBC one about the commissioning of “The Road to Beijing” documentary. Although the response was not overly negative, and they liked the concept and subject matter of the documentary, they assured me that BBC one were fully commissioned with other programmes of a similar genre and that it would  not be one for them at this stage. I also subsequently heard back from David Bedford at the London Marathon who was rather shorter in his response “not interested”.

It leaves me in a rather difficult situation with regards to the continuation of the project as the majority of the investment that I had in place to produce the documentary was subject to the condition that the documentary was produced in conjunction with the BBC. The problem is that the BBC has the filming rights to the London Marathon. Without the filming rights the documentary would be like a play without a final act. Therefore I can sympathise with David Bedford’s decision as without the BBC’s backing at this stage the project is all risk to him.

To make the documentary work on the scale that I had first intended each section would have had to fall into place at exactly the right time. Unfortunately I did not reach the designated target during the Palma Marathon and subsequently the investment to make the documentary and the opportunity to train full time as a marathon runners passed. I did everything in my power to rectify this in the build up to the Paris Marathon but injury scuppered my chances. The project has resulted in a series of catch 22’s and unfortunately but not surprisingly it has resulted in my backers being uncertain.

It would be very easy to give up on both the filming and running aspects of the project and from a business sense it might be the right decision to just “cut the losses.” However the struggles, ups and downs and everything else that I have been through to date is worth taking a personal risk for. I knew from the start that to get to an Olympic standard as a marathon runner in a two year period was a one in a million shot, but worth perusing to see where I ended up, regardless of the outcome. It has been a battle just as much as a filmmaker as a runner to produce a project in which I am so intertwined with, but one that I am more determined then ever to see through to its conclusion.

I have received a very small amount of funding to continue with the documentary but on the basis of a shoe string budget. Instead of working part time and dedicating myself to the training, I will be refocusing my time back to producing other documentaries and videos using part of the finances generated from this income to invest back into the documentary in order to get it produced. In turn I hope that I will be able to interest the BBC during the run up to the London Marathon to at least allow some access to the filming rights.

As far as my personal running involvement in the documentary on the decline of British Marathon running, I will certainly be continuing but realise that even if I trained full time from now till April 2008, and all went perfectly, I understand that it is now physically impossible to progress quickly enough to run a sub 2:15 marathon. I would be lucky to get to 2:25 but would probably spend most of the time with horrific "over use" injuries.

I will now be aiming for a very tough but certainly attainable target of 2:30 for the London Marathon in 2008. This would be a benchmark for any good marathon runner to achieve. Of course I would like to run faster, and although I will have targets in mind, I will run with what my body tells me it can do, not what my watch says. It is an all to easy mistake to make and at time I felt like "I was cashing cheques that my body could not pay". I have trained with such determination and ambition over the last 16 months and incredibly it did produce results quickly, but I think to replicate this level of training would be reckless, unsustainable and ultimately leading to severe over training and poor results.

My basic plan now with my own running training is to build a really good base, strengthen any muscular instabilities then progress to the track to generate some speed over 5km and 10km during the summer culminating with a quick half marathon under 1:15 during September and thereby an elite line up for the London Marathon. My aim then is to run cross country over the early winter before commencing on a sensible 18 week build up to the London Marathon in 2008 spending 4-6 weeks in Kenya or Ethiopia before tapering down for the London Marathon.

By doing this not only will it give a much needed boost to my own training but will enable the documentary to meet the primary outline of gaining a unique perspective on how the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners go about their training. Over the course of the next 10 months I hope to have the opportunity to train and interview some of the best runners, coaches and organisations involved in running from both countries to gain their philosophies on training, marathon running and ultimately what can be done to encourage more people back into top end marathon running.

If I reach my new target I hope that my own story will encourage others into the sport, increasing awareness and funding for it, and to show that with a little bit of talent and a lot of hard work and by not giving up you can go a very long way, but maybe to get to an International Standard the talent required, dedication and lifetime commitment to succeed is just on a different level.

1st April 2007 - BUILD UP TO PARIS MARATHON

With less then one week to go till the Paris Marathon I feel better then ever and am raring to go. The last 4 weeks have been the hardest of the project having suffered from fatigue and a flu bug that seemed to last forever. I have now set a tough but very attainable goal of 2:36 (1:19-1:17 splits - 3:42 per km) after consulting with both of my coaches who advised me to get a good marathon under my belt, have a break and then to really work on my speed over the summer.

What does this mean for the future of project and my own goals?

First lets see what happens in Paris, it will be a good indication as to how I can progress in the future. I have written an exciting pitch for the marathon running documentary which I will not go into detail at this stage but after Paris and talks with various groups I will certainly let you all know more.

As far as my goal as a runner I will certainly be carrying on and after a few weeks of much needed rest I will be concentrating on my speed over the summer with a 10km target in October. After that I will be training for London but will also be introducing some cross-country into the programme over the early stages.

For the time being I am getting very focused for Paris. I ran in the Asthma 10km on Saturday with my GPS watch set to 3:38 per km, I ran  36:18 and felt amazing, it was the first run that I have ever done when I wanted the finish line to be another 10km further on because I felt so good and relaxed. I will certainly be using my GPS watch to pace me for the first half of the marathon.

Finally best of luck to everyone else who is running in marathons over the next few weeks.

10th January 2006 - PROJECT OUTLINE

By combining the two areas in which I am capable and highly motivated - running and producing films/documentaries, I can turn my ambition into a realistic enterprise. A documentary publicising the challenge, creating interest and with the ability to reach a global audience, makes the whole project financially viable. The documentary provides a chance to inspire and educate others to achieve and show that with the right attitude and determination anything is possible.

The Documentary also will attempt to explain the decline in  British men's Marathon running after the glory years of the 60's through to the 90's where British runners like Ron Hill, Bill Adcocks, Mike Gratton, Steve Jones and Richard Nerurkar dominated the sport. Britain has the likes of Jon Brown (4th in the last two Olympics, but is his best behind him?) Dan Robinson and Peter Riley are top runners in their own right but not in the same class as the runners of prior generations or the African runners who now dominate the sport. I do not agree with the argument that you have to be born in the heart of Africa's rift valley to be a top runner today.

As the project will last more than two years I will take control of the documentary and will be the driving force behind it. This will be a personal account of an attempt to qualify to run for Great Britain in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. I will talk to the camera in the first \person and interviews will be directed by myself. Events will demand a camera operator for medical appointments, training sessions with my coach, interviews with former marathon runners, sponsors, charity events, race days and hopefully at the Olympic Games.
 

Stephen Evans (59) is a respected UK film producer of 14 feature films, which have between them received 11 Academy Award nominations including 2 Oscar wins. Stephen Evans began his career in the City of London and became a member of the London Stock Exchange in 1973. In 1989, he teamed up with Kenneth Branagh and founded Renaissance Films. The pair made the acclaimed movies - Henry V, Peter’s Friends and Much Ado About Nothing. From 1994 he has produced a number of critically and financially successful hits, including The Madness of King George and Wings of the Dove.
 

Bruce Tulloh (70) is one of the UK and world's greatest distance running coaches. What Bruce does not know about running is not worth knowing. Bruce won the gold medal at the 5000 metres in the 1962 European Games and was famously known for running barefoot. Bruce has been a real inspiration and a huge source of knowledge especially when I decide to try out new training methods. Bruce coached Britain Richard Nerurkar to a 2hr 8mins Marathon so if anyone knows what their talking about Bruce does.

Bruce has written numerous books on running. Please visit: - www.tullohbooks.com

George Olver recently produced a documentary about Trans Atlantic rower Oliver Hicks which was shown at the Royal Geographical Society in April 2006. After the showing I met up with George to discuss "The Road to Beijing" project and was impressed with his enthusiasm and creative flair for ideas. George along with a number of other cameramen will be filming for the duration of the project. George was instrumental in the idea of the promotional and was responsible for the filming . George runs his own production company Pendragon Productions.

Please visit George's website at:-   www.pendragonproductions.com
 

Annabel Thomas-Ferrand is a Cordon Bleu Chef who qualified from Tante Marie school of cookery in March 2005. Annabel is a freelance caterer in London and has a passion for sourcing the freshest produce from local markets. After dietary consultations with my dietitian she has combined her great understanding of food with what I need to consume in order to function as a top athlete. As well as being a superb chef Annabel is also my girlfriend, after a hard days training I can often be left exhausted and to have my meals prepared for me is a huge help.

Please contact Bella at:-   bellatf@hotmail.com
 

Jasyn Savage is a Certified Level 2 Coach specialising in endurance running and has been a fitness instructor for the past 10 years. Jasyn represented his South African province at cross-country running in 1991 and also coaches with the Serpentine Running Club at the Battersea Park Track sessions. I approached Jasyn after one of the sessions as I was attracted to his enthusiasm and passion towards his coaching. Jasyn attitude towards coaching fits in with my attitude that anything is possible. His desire is to advise and coach athletes to a level, which they thought were not possible.

Please visit Jasyn's website at: - www.bodiesinaction.co.uk
 

21st APRIL 2006 - DAVE BEDFORD ON THE DECLINE OF UK MARATHON RUNNING

London Marathon race director David Bedford has hit out at the current crop of young British distance runners.

Bedford said: "Most of the youngsters on the men's side aren't doing nearly enough training or distance work.

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