WE'VE DONE IT!!!!!!!

We sprinted over the finish line at the Red Lion in Bispham at 4pm this afternoon. What a day! The support we received along the route kept us going and at points we were running with the agility of 30/40 year olds.

With 2 miles to go, the feeling of relief from learning that Fylde Coast Metals buy scrap metal was priceless. The sign above it was also pretty welcoming!

Welcome to Blackpool on Garstang Road

We'll do a full review tomorrow but for now, we'd just like to send out a massive thank you to all those who have pledged, donated and supported us over the last 7 days.

This is a chapter of our lives which will never be forgotten and we are grateful that you were able to join  us on our journey.

Our total fund for charity currently stands at around £8,000 which is a phenomenal achievement. Please, please, please help us get to £10,000 by reminding those who haven't contributed that their donations, no matter how small, will help Brian House and Cancer Research.

For those that can make it, we look forward to seeing you tonight at the Norbreck Bowling and Tennis Club and for those who wont be there, we look forward to thanking you in person for your support in the coming weeks.

Time for a well earned cold beer!!!!

A very tired Steve and Andy.

Day Six - Review

Apologies for not posting a Progress Update during today, internet access has been poor.

This morning started with the usual bedroom frolics as Steve and Andy took it in turns to apply support tape to each other;

Steve thoroughly enjoys this part of the day as you can see from the cheesy grin on his face in this next picture;

The good news is that Day 6 / Marathon 6 was completed successfully at 4.45pm this evening. It was the longest day yet at 6h40m, reflecting a difficult start this morning when it took an hour to do the first three miles. Here they are at the start in Kendal town centre;

It's not been all hard work on this challenge though, Steve and Andy found time to do some window shopping in Kendal;

The terrain was much kinder today and the weather wasn't too bad apart from one wet spell going through Carnforth and by close of play, the sun was shining!

The half way point (above) came between Milnthorpe and Carnforth and the lads took a longer than usual break to recover and re-apply dressings to blisters. Here's one of Andy's;

There's nothing more to say on the injury front other than the ankles / knees and blister situation is only getting worse as you might expect. Spirits were definetely better today, with the thought of getting back in to Lancashire and a night in their own beds providing much needed motivation.

Before moving off from the 13 mile mark, Steve was keen to express his appreciation of the snug fit of Andy's running shorts. This whole male bonding thing is really going too far.

Approaching Carnforth, Brian and Wayne arrived and jumped out of Langy's car to run the second part of the day with the lads. This really helped and undoubtedly got them through the rest of the run so a big thanks is due to the two half-marathoners!

The journey then wound through Lancaster before finishing just outside the Lancaster University campus. Due to the traffic situation, they ended up running 26.4 miles today so tomorrow's run will be cut short to a much more manageable 26.0 miles. They've got it too easy!

Steve and Andy arrived home at 5.45pm where the plan was to get straight into an ice bath and then out for a physio session.

Day 7 kicks off at 9am Saturday when we shall drive back to Lancaster to start the last marathon. If all goes to plan and they get running waddling by 10am, we should arrive at the Red Lion some time between 4pm and 5pm. Please try and come along to cheer them home and reinforce just how special this achievement is. 

Oh and good luck to the BJFF Under 8's tomorrow morning in their games against Foxhall and Blackpool Rangers. Come on you Whites!

Day Five - Review

That's 131 miles gone and 52.4 to go and there's no two ways about it, Steve and Andy are suffering badly. Don't let the smiles in the pictures fool you, they are in complete agony and the mere job of walking up three steps at the end of the run today had them in excruciating pain.

It's been said before on this blog but unless you see them in the flesh you cannot begin to imagine the physical and emotional stress these two are pushing themselves through. Both Steve and Andy have admitted wanting to give up at times and Steve felt at his lowest point yet tonight but sheer determination is driving them on.

Andy has a huge blood blister on his left foot, his toe nail is elevated as a result and his ankles are causing extreme pain. Steve's feet are just generally beaten up and his knees are about to give way.

Today brought the toughest challenge yet and the climb to Shap village and then onto Shap Fell has really taken it's toll. It was a four mile long ascent peaking at 1400 foot and the sign at the start of the climb had the warning bells ringing louder than a very loud thing.

1400 foot ascent ahead

The climbs today were relentless and the following pictures don't really do justice to the challenge the boys faced.

A daunting hill lies ahead on the A6 south of Penrith

The ascent of Shap begins

Some views from the tops which hopefully give you a flavour of the height the boys had to climb;

Top of Shap Fell looking South

Again, Shap Fell looking South

Shap Fell looking North

Whilst it doesn't convey the struggle all that well, the following picture shows how little Steve is able to lift his feet off the ground when moving. Both he and Andy are developing unique forward motion styles as their bodies try to compensate for the muscular and joint pain.

Nevertheless and despite the pain, Andy still finds time to body-pop en route. A true performer.

Talking of performers, Andy has become infatuated with Steve's derriere, commenting (almost relentlessly) that running behind Steve is like running behind Beyonce. There will be a picture update on tomorrow's blog post for all the single ladies.

As they are getting closer to home, Andy's wife Mel, Steve's wife Natalie and a couple of Andy's friends joined them at the end of the day, providing the boys with a huge psychological and emotional boost. The Westmoreland Hotel had fantastic ice baths ready for them and were also kind enough to provide them with a free dinner to help them recover.

The beer isn't Andy's, just cruel temptation for comedy value!

So Day 6 lies ahead and the route should be a little less challenging than today, travelling south through Kendal, Milnthorpe, Carnforth and on toward Lancaster. If you are out and about on the A6 between 9am and 4pm, watch out for them and be sure to give them a toot on your horn.

Day Five - Progress

A later start this morning saw our intrepid runners set off at 10.15, accompanied by Steve's friend Steve and Andy's friend Dave.

Steve, Mark (aka Dave), Steve and Andy at the start of marathon 5

They have just hit the 10 mile mrk at 12.40 and as expected the going is hellish today. Significant hills to climb going up into the Howgills with dreadful rain and low lying cloud. It's not going to get any easier and today will undoubtedly bring the toughest conditions of the whole challenge. 

Andy is struggling with his ankles and Steve's leg has just gone into spasm, so its time to take a break and get some support on it.

Steve pulls on his control pants. One must always look one's best when running.

On a more positive note, thats 114 miles under their belt and 63% of the run complete so almost two thirds of the way home. 

Due to the fantastic faith in Steve and Andy through advance pledges, donations have dried up this week. If you are aware of anyone who would like to contribute please do ask them to get involved....every little helps!

Also, social media links, updates and comments are generating some good traffic back to the Blog so if you can post a link on Facebook, Linked-in or Twitter, please do so as it may just help unearth one extra donation.

Thanks for reading, end of day update later.

Day Four - Review

The boys finished today in a fantastic 5h48m, determination above and beyond!

Relief at the 26.2 mile mark

There are no further injuries apart from a couple of new blisters and some very tired legs and muscles.

Andy's turn to flash his feet today

Highlight of the day for them was crossing the border from Scotland to England closely followed by sprinting (!) through the three and a half marathon point. This huge milestone gave them a tremendous psychological and physical boost.

From the splendour of Dumfries and Galloway to the desolation of Cumbria

The final 6 miles today were again very difficult with some significant hills which have a real impact on the body whether you are climbing or descending. Unfortunately tomorrow and Friday will bring much more of the same.

Steve and Andy made their way to the luxury of the Travelodge at Southwaite Services on the M6 and promptly lowered themselves into a cold bath. Separate baths.

They then jumped in the car, well hobbled actually, and made their way to Carlisle for a special appointment with a sports masseuse and physiotherapist. So a big thank you to Emma Cooper Sports and Atlas Physio for helping the recovery process in advance of the last three marathons.

Andy points out the spot to aim for....

....then lies back and savours the moment

You probably heard Steve's screams in Blackpool and he wouldn't confirm whether the tears were driven by relief or pain! Bryan's tears as a sympathetic onlooker were driven 100% by laughter. (By the way, that's not Bryan in the picture with Steve).

Laughing or crying?

So its back on the road tomorrow for the jog from Southwaite to the general area of Shap, some 1100 feet above sea level. It's going to be a tough one, so keep them in your thoughts!

Day Four - Progress

Steve and Andy at the 8 mile mark on Day Four

Steve and Andy broke the half way point of the whole challenge around 12.40 today with three and a half marathons under their belt!!! Fantastic...

Steve and Andy still smiling at the half way point in Carlisle

They are in good spirits, the bad weather is holding off, albeit it's a bit windy. There will be much needed work on their feet tonight, work that only someone who loves them would be able to do. 

Until you see them in action, you don't fully appreciate the magnitude of what they are doing for the boys, for Brian House and for Cancer Research. It's unbelievable, and whilst most people would have given up by now, Steve and Andy are two very determined and very brave men.

2.30pm - The boys are starting to hurt as they approach the 20 mile mark. They are faced with the following long incline, that will test their resolve. It might not look that bad but imagine tackling this when you have just run 99.6 miles!!!!

Steve and Andy are both doing a brilliant job, and from his first hand experience today, Bryan cannot stress enough the challenge they face, both physically and mentally.

During the Carlisle town centre section, Bryan felt that he had left them stranded, as roadworks meant that he was stationery for some time with the boys several miles ahead. He was greatly relieved to finally catch up and ensure everything was ok!

A Message From The Squad

Click HERE to view a video message from the squad.....

And a picture or two.....

Butter wouldn't melt.....

Ollie shows his support!