2014 Virgin London Marathon

[TGBane]

Hey all, most of you know me as the fat ginger that gets lucky and takes most of your chips, I can live with that.
Others as Bane from Team Gotham!
I am hoping to change that and just be the ginger that gets lucky and takes most of your chips.
I have been giving a chance to fulfil a dream and run in the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon.
I have been given a place by www.action.org.uk please visit their website to see the incredible work that they do as my words will not do them justice.
Obviously this blog is primarily to raise money for Action, I truly believe that they are a worthy cause.
My just giving page is http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/DwayneStacey both I and Action would be extremely grateful for any donations.
I used to be reasonably fit but after finding poker things slowly deteriorated, this how I used to look below.
And what happened after finding poker again below.
I started out 7 weeks ago at 18st and had not exercised for 4 months what so ever, prior to that I played 5 aside football once a week for previous year.
After a few ups and downs I have lost 2st 2lbs and am below 16st for the first time in over 8 years.
I have gone from zero to 8km and on sunday I am aiming for 10km.
I have a facebook group with updates form day one https://www.facebook.com/groups/444570462329949/
I have been told that I have inspired some to also get of their arses and to try to get back the fitness that they once had, this is incredible to hear and I hope that I can inspire more.
By the time I play the worlds I would have ran the marathon in under 4 hrs and be under 14st.
I am hoping to play an APAT prior but with the amount of training ahead of me I am not sure.
I have only been able to play a small amount online, I have started playing the $30 18 mans, unlike the MTTs I have ran ridiculously good, wednesday night I play 2, won 1 and cashed in 4th for the other, last night I played 4, won 3 and finished 2nd in the other, tonight I ran awful, played 3 and only won 1
Thank you for your time in reading this, if you got this far.

[Waz1892]

The very best of luck with this.

[TGBane]

Before

After

[TGBane]

So as well as I have ran in sngs over the last few days tonight was 10x the opposite.
I am so glad I have all this training ahead of me to keep me from the pain of playing online.

[TGBane]

 Spent all day sunday nervous for my first 10k albeit a training run it is still 2k further than I have ran before and then that included warming up and cooling down.
The first 3 miles went pretty well and then a few slight niggles.
I had spent an hr on friday planning an exact route, yes I forgot so made it up as I went.
At 4.5m I was struggling after a long hill climb, and could have either taken the short route home or continued along the vaguely remembered route, (I am no quitter).
That is the problem of living at the top of town, I get to run down hill but it means that I also have to run back up it and at the end of my run when tired.
I really must look for a flatter course to run.
I managed to finish the 10k in just under an hr, I do not have an exact time as my watch says that it was 1.00.15 but I had ran 10,060m need to get this glitch sorted.
I have gone from zero to 10k in less than 2 months, for me it is an incredible achievement but it is not even a 1/4 of the marathon distance.
I know that I have so much hard work ahead of me but I know that I will do it, no matter how tough it gets.

[s4ooter]

Keep it up Good Sir

Shall we winging a donation in the new year

You best be wearing full Bane outfit for the Marathon however!!

[PHIL_TC]

The very best of luck with this.

+1. Having staggered round a few half marathons myself the thought of turning round at the end and doing it again?  :"( All the very best of luck Dwayne, sounds like you"re making excellent progress so far. Keep it going.

[Claw75]

Best of luck with this Dwayne.  I ran my first marathon last September, from a base of zero fitness 12 months beforehand.  At the time I lined up to start, I was really bricking it as I had got lazy on the training and the furthest I"d run up to that point was a half marathon, once, 4 months previously, and nothing further than sporadic 10ks in between.  I still got it finished though, faster than I thought I would, and I"m a firm believer that if you have the fitness to run 10k then everything else you need to get you round the marathon is in your mind.

Having said "never again", I applied for London next year and didn"t get in, but am now running the Paris Marathon the week before.  Training should be starting around now, and I"m entered into a 10k this Sunday, but haven"t run further than 5k since, I think, that last marathon.

Will be following with interest!

[Claw75]

Just spotted that you"re aiming for under 4 hours - you"ll need to be a bit more disciplined with your training than me then

[TGBane]

Dann, Im going to find it hard enough in lightweight running gear let alone a full blown Bane get up, I apologise for any disappointment caused.
Im sure I will find a way to make it up to you

Thank you Phil.
Half marathon distance is still 6 weeks away, currently dreading sundays 7.2miler but with the support that I have and am getting I know that I will get it done.

Thank you Claw.
Congratulations, thats an awesome achievement.
It is a shame about your training, at least you know this time exactly what is required.
Paris will be a beautiful course, they say that you need another challenge after the marathon you are running so was looking at Boston but Paris seems like a great choice.
Best of luck and please update here how your journey is going.

[TGBane]

So monday was my rest day, kind of needed it after sundays run and the fact its a 4.20 leave for work.
Tuesday I hit the gym for what was supposed, according to my zero to marathon schedule a 35mins jog, I am aiming for a 4hr marathon (ambitious but) so I am trying to stay a little ahead, this also allows for injuries or with this marvellous weather coming man flu.
I completed my 45mins tallying up 7.2k, its just incredible how easy I can run 5k, you should see the smile on my face when it rolls over, must be like hey, look at the demented guy on the treadmill.
Wed was pretty much rinse and repeat except I pushed it a little harder for the last 10mins, I struggled but there is no give up in me and clocked up 7.5k.
Day of rest today but tomorrow is a planned 20 min fartlek, I am planning a 5k and aiming for big PB.......not sure what to say, 25mins would be awesome but seeing as it is currently 28.42 and only set 4 days ago I think that is too much although is was part of the 10k but I am looking at a flatter course so why not lets aim for 25mins.
Saturday is another day of rest before sundays long run, 7.2m (11.6k)
I got home from work and was nearly brought to tears, my daughter is just incredible and my pride for her is immeasurable.
In my wifes words.
Has the sweetest 2 year old sometimes! We were chatting about Daddy running a big race to raise pennies for poorly children when she turned and said to me "I have pennies in my purse to give Daddy for the poorly children" So when he got home she handed him a £5 note and said "for the poorly children" Love our girl! Xxxx http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/DwayneStacey

[dwh103]

Dann, Im going to find it hard enough in lightweight running gear let alone a full blown Bane get up, I apologise for any disappointment caused.
Im sure I will find a way to make it up to you

Thank you Phil.
Half marathon distance is still 6 weeks away, currently dreading sundays 7.2miler but with the support that I have and am getting I know that I will get it done.

Thank you Claw.
Congratulations, thats an awesome achievement.
It is a shame about your training, at least you know this time exactly what is required.
Paris will be a beautiful course, they say that you need another challenge after the marathon you are running so was looking at Boston but Paris seems like a great choice.
Best of luck and please update here how your journey is going.

WTF? You only need a ball gag.

[s4ooter]

Dann, Im going to find it hard enough in lightweight running gear let alone a full blown Bane get up, I apologise for any disappointment caused.
Im sure I will find a way to make it up to you

Thank you Phil.
Half marathon distance is still 6 weeks away, currently dreading sundays 7.2miler but with the support that I have and am getting I know that I will get it done.

Thank you Claw.
Congratulations, thats an awesome achievement.
It is a shame about your training, at least you know this time exactly what is required.
Paris will be a beautiful course, they say that you need another challenge after the marathon you are running so was looking at Boston but Paris seems like a great choice.
Best of luck and please update here how your journey is going.

WTF? You only need a ball gag.

And you"ve already got a collection of them!

[TGBane]

 

[TGBane]

Sunday, the long run.
Felt pretty poo all day and as the time got nearer the more nervous I got, after fridays semi fail I really did not want to fail again and 7.2m is a long way (right now).
Got my ankle supports out and my knee support as that has been playing up, dug out a trackie top as its ruddy cold out there, put my heart rate monitor on my running watch and then set my phone in my running belt with the music on.
I planned the route last night so knew exactly where I was going.
What I had not planned was the continuous rudy hills, yes I got to run down a few but I had the same amount to run up.
I managed to keep a reasonable pace between 9 and 10 min miles.
The run went really well and I even managed to inject some pace into the last mile and a half.
I managed to run the 7.2 miles in 1hr9mins4secs including a pb 10k of 59.42.
I felt great after the run and it was a great confidence booster and Im now really looking forward to next weeks 8miler, a little sadistic I guess.
I have a mixed week ahead with work, got a couple days off and then travelling for the rest of the week which will be a test to get to the gym but I will manage somehow.
Due to tomorrow off I though it a good time to grind a sunday evening and with the micro millions main event and special storm it would be a great night to make some money.
FAIL!
BIG $11, KK < AA.
Micro MIllions Main $22, 22 v JJ v Kd7d, flop 2dQdTs, turn , all allin and d river.
Micro Millions Storm $11, 77 v 99 all in on 79Q flop, came back to get it in with flush draw v KT on T high flop, I led they raised and I shipped 3x their bet, they snap it off lmao.
Hotter $55 QQ v JK.
Bigger $55 KQ v 44, they turned set.
Such a disappointing evening, flopped 6 sets, lost 4 and no action on other 2.
Hyper hu ko, 3rd round flop top pair v AA yawn.
Back to concentrating just on running and put this poker malarky on the back boiler until the teams.