A Woburn tale.

James Barker writes:

Ten days ago, I put the family in the car with their DS’s and travelled for two hours in glorious weather to Woburn Abbey for ‘The Fit for Hero’s Day’. With some trepidation, I wondered, after training for months on my own, how I would fair amongst the other runners, considering I have had to take a 3 week enforced break due to a near show stopper of an injury when training in the dark - I caught my foot/ ankle on the side of a pot hole!

Soon after arriving, some of the Project 65 runners started to find each other and it was good to put faces to names, i.e. Ed and Danny. I seemed to attract some female attention while preparing cups of water for the runners - was it the skin-tight running outfit?! Nope, it was for directions to the loos! Charming.

After a few minutes Spencer “Storm trooper” Rolls introduced himself and asked if he could run with me, I felt honored, then he said “give me 20 mins, I have to get my kit on!” The kit in question being the full storm trooper outfit! It was a warm day and he had turned up with a groin strain to contend with as well, but he still ran. This was beyond the call of duty. He needs a medal and possibly a brain scan!

When the 1pm bunch of runners started, Project65 “athletes” could easily be distinguished from the local highly strung club runners, running as a group, slowly, with much sociable banter, avoiding deer poo, and with stories of long training & injuries being the main topics of conversation. Soon we had Dutch and Steve joining our group with Dutch kitted out in full WW11 uniform, which he will be running in on the 4th June.

Inevitably the P65 group finished last after 10K‘s - saving the legs for the task which awaits us, of course. Some of us did another lap of honour later on, running with the lads from the Army Air Corp, who made running look effortless and us look old! From my understanding the oldest runner on the run to the Pegasus Bridge will be 74 and the youngest 19. The prize for looking the sexiest went to... Barry Tappenden in his skins! It was a brave man, who said that to him, weren’t you you Dutch? LOL!

The last week has been a busy one but managed a good sports massage (2 hours with a cracking blond), a good gym session and a 20 miler at the weekend, which hurt more than it should afterwards, all in the quads. However the calves & ankle held up well showing no stress, but managed to gain a nasty blister under the toe nail - ouch!

On Monday I slipped off with the Mrs in the afternoon to see ‘Star Trek’, highly recommended. Look out for the guy in the red jersey, they always came a cropper in the original series, and this one does some classic showing before being annihilated!

Well, 15 days to go, training done, insurance sorted, passport ready, “defib” on its way, sponsorship topping £700, just the Will to write now!

P.S. Children had a good day at Woburn Abbey too, but now want pet ferrets for some unknown reason, and my son has this fascination for hairy spiders! Cheers Danny!!

James Barker