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Reply | MarkTWTD Runs in 2025
at 17:35 19 May 2025
I tend to stick to the one charity. WIth my dad's history with the disease it just made sense. I wasn't counting on my mum getting cancer too.
Bowel Cancer is certainly one of those that younger people don't feel they can get and so ignore any symptoms, and probably so do many health professionals.
Good luck with the Great South Run. Fingers crossed it doesn't get cancelled due to the weather this year.
I've now worked out that I actually enjoy running - well, I enjoy running the big events. I don't enjoy ParkRun's. I do ParkRun's but I don't enjoy them. I usually have an internal battle going on in my head when I get to the half way point and have to force it to allow me to run the second lap. Occasionally, the head wins, but I usually complete the full 5K.
It just comes down to time, and other committments which mean I'm away quite a few weekends,
I'm looking for another 10K to do during the summer, ahead of the 7.5K in August and the GNR in September. |
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Reply | MarkTWTD Runs in 2025
at 14:32 18 May 2025
Well that's the Great Manchester Run 10k done.
I even met AJ Bell!
Some calf issues at around 4km so pleased to have finished.
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Reply | MarkTWTD Runs in 2025
at 09:39 18 May 2025
Well... I'm on the train, on my way into Manchester.
Expected to cross the start line shortly after 11.45am.
Bib number 1891 if anyone would like to track me on the Great Run app.
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Reply | MarkTWTD Runs in 2025
at 17:06 17 May 2025
Thanks now to Jim and Anonymous (who may well be from here)... joining Keno and SwanseaBlue in their support from TWTD. Every single donation is appreciated and is probably the only reason I put myself through these runs.
I HATE running. I really do. I am particularly dreading tomorrow's run. It's only a 10K but I feel so under prepared and don't really know what to expect. I'm there on my own (ok, there will be one or two other people running at the same time, apparently) but it is genuinely quite scary.
What I do enjoy is FINISHING. Particularly enjoy finishing when there's a nice shiny medal at the end, and the Great Manchester Run medal looks pretty nice.
It will certainly go well alongside my Great North Run medal which is proudly framed on my wall along with my running bib.
Two months ago my mum was diagnosed with small cell cancer, which has spread through her body. It is not curable. She is receiving chemotherapy and starts her fourth and final round on 29th May. The hope is that this will slow the progress of the cancer. So, whilst I am running in support of Bowel Cancer UK, as I did last year, following my dad's diagnosis a few years ago, my mum will be in my thoughts as I take to the streets of Manchester tomorrow.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-brierley-runs-in-2025
https://gnr2024.co.uk/
Thank you for reading, and thank you for any support you can give.
This post has been edited by an administrator |
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Reply | MarkTWTD Runs in 2025
at 16:38 17 May 2025
Well he's already shown his face in the thread... but yes Newcy is at sea, heading to dry dock, at the moment but he promises me he'll be back home in time to join me at the Great North Run in September. |
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Reply | MarkTWTD Runs in 2025
at 21:20 14 May 2025
Well, this years "adventures" include the upcoming Great Manchester 10K, Blackpool Night Run, and the Great North Run in September with NewcyBlue and Matty my Personal Trainer.
Last year the goal was to do the Great North Run. This year, the goal is to keep on training to hopefully compete in the London Marathon next year. Well, the marathon isn't really the goal. The body is still the goal, to be the fittest version of myself ever... and then become even fitter!
Thanks again, Swanners, for your donation. Much appreciated. |
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Reply | MarkTWTD Runs in 2025
at 08:30 14 May 2025
Thanks Keno, for your generous donation! Much appreciated! :-)
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-brierley-runs-in-2025
https://www.gnr2025.co.uk (I need to update the story as it continues, but the start is here, and how NewcyBlue played a huge part in getting me started with this love of fitness I now have. With my mindset, my motivation, my discipline. He was there through the downs and the ups. He helped put the setbacks into context. He sent me books to read. He told me to join a gym (and that's definitely one of the best things I've ever done). He was "by my side" throughout my "journey" and actually by my side at last years' incredible Great North Run. Truly an amazing day I will always remember! Loved it! Infact, he should be by my side at this years Great North Run in September, as well!
I'm on my own on Sunday in Manchester. I'm getting a lift to the train station, then heading to Manchester Oxford Road and then onto my starting area. I'll run 10km and then I'll "walk" back to catch the train home. It's going to be very different. It's also going to be hot! Apprehensive? Yep! Confident? Nope! But I'll try my best. It's the first big running event of the year for me. |
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Reply | MarkTWTD Runs in 2025
at 08:21 14 May 2025
Or look that says "TWTD is down? Sorry, I've got weights to lift!"    |
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Thread | MarkTWTD Runs in 2025
at 12:08 12 May 2025
Hey everybody!
Just 6 days until my first running event of 2025 - the Great Manchester 10k.
You may remember that I ran my first half marathon (21Km, 13.1miles) in September last year, for Bowel Cancer UK along side my mate Ken (and TWTDer) NewcyBlue and my personal trainer Matty Schmid.
If you feel the urge, you can track me on the day (Sunday 18th May) on the Great Run app by downloading it, selecting the Manchester 10K event and entering my bib number (1891). I'm scheduled to start in the Orange wave (first) at 11.45am. I dread to think what target time I put on my application last year in order to start in the Fast Pace/Orange wave!!!
I'm running the Great North Run again in September with more ambitious targets, along with other events throughout the summer. Rather than have individual fund raisers for each event, I've rolled my runs in 2025 into one single appeal. If you would like to and are able to, please donate to my JustGiving fund raiser and help them continue their work to save lives.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-brierley-runs-in-2025
I'm also waiting to hear if I have a place on #teambowelcanceruk for the London 2026 Marathon next April!
You can read all about my fitness and running journey on my website at https://www.gnr2025.co.uk
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Reply | Great North Run 2024...
at 15:01 12 Sep 2024
Well, the dust has settled. What an amazing day that was. The roller coaster of "will he or won't he" be there on the day even if he's not running it.
So pleased to have had you, Ken, and Matty alongside me at the start! It helped keep my nerves at bay and yes, I was very nervous and apprehensive going into the weekend.
So pleased you got your GNR PB and can't thank you enough for supporting me over the past 14 months or so as I embarked on this lifestyle reboot.
Let's do it all over again next year. I've got my place - so Sunday 7th September 2025 I know what I'll be doing!! |
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Reply | The Biggest Challenge of my Life
at 14:53 12 Sep 2024
The Great North Run 2024
Wow... what an incredible day that was. It's been quite an incredible 13+months, to be fair.
So I signed up to do the Great North Run 2024 on 8th September 2023. Exactly 12 months to prepare for "one of the biggest challenges of my life".
Anyone that knew me then would realise how big a challenge this was. I'd struggle to walk a mile without being out of breath. The Great North Run is 13.1 miles.
The goal was to complete it one way or another... even if I walk it, as many do. I knew I wanted to do more than "just walk it" though.
The diet and the work in the gym with Matty the PT was more than just training for the GNR. It was about rebuilding my body. Building muscle, defintiion, strength, endurance and stamina. Not all these objectives go hand in hand with training for a half marathon.
First Park 'Run'- October 2023
In October I started 5k ParkRuns - albeit walking them. By Christmas I was running about half the 5k runs, but on new years day suffered a knee injury - patellar tendonitis. This meant no running for a few months, but the rest of my training in the gym continued unhindered. I restarted ParkRun at the beginning of May with my first ever full 5km run with exactly four months to go until I was due to run 21km. Thirteen more ParkRun's, a Blackpool 7.5km Night Run, and some 8k road running and run/sprint treadmill sessions and I was ready. Well, as ready as I was going to be in the circumstances.
Welcome to Whitley Bay :)
Spending the weekend in Whitley Bay, meeting up with NewcyBlue aka Coach Ken for dinner (Italian) on Friday and cake and a drink on Saturday... I was quietly nervous on the big day.
The weather forcast for Sunday...
Wet, but actually quite good conditions for running!
Making my way on a packed Metro from Whitley Bay to Haymarket station at Newcastle, meeting up with Ken and Matty the PT.
Plus there was a last minute addition... we were also meeting up with jaseitfc2015...
Fog rolling in and rain coming down whilst we formed up in the holding area.
I bumped into these two...
... ok, not literally bumping into them (the fog wasn't quite that bad!). It's only Bill and Lesley from ParkRun Blackpool! Bill being the Trail Walker on my very first ParkRun when we chatted the entire time. On my second ParkRun it was Lesley's turn to keep me company at the back :-)
TIme for a quick pic with Ken...
... and then the calm, before the storm.
Maybe I look quite confident in this photo... inside, though, I had no idea how this was going to play out. I had trained, but not specifically for a half marathon. Remember, this was just supposed to be a "bit of fun". I had not run a full 21km!
Now time to walk the final route towards the starting line.
There's the start line - we've got about another 45 minutes before we get there! :-)
... and there it is...
Ok, it's quite a long way in the distance still. But we're on the same stretch of road now and it's getting closer. About 5 minutes away!
The walk to the start was very much like a rollercoaster. The first bit where you get into your seat, strap yourself in and then start the slow ascent to the summit. Once there, you pause briefly before picking up speed and riding the ups and downs of the track ahead. Once you start there's no stopping until you reach the end!
And at 12:27:37 we crossed the start line of the World's largest half marathon. The rollercoaster was running under its own power. 21km of open roads, hills and loads of amazing cheering spectators!!!
The perfect image for my 12 month journey to the Great North Run. Flanked on either side by the two most influencial people - on the left is Coach Ken aka @NewcyBlue and on the right is my Personal Trainer Matty Schmid (Active4You).
After a couple of miles, Ken ordered Matty and myself to run ahead. Ken had joked for many weeks ahead of the run that I would set off from the start and leave him in my dust, but that wasn't something I really wanted to do. It was an amazing feeling having these two inspirational people along side but after checking that Ken was ok we obeyed and picked up our pace a little bit.
Crossing the iconinc Tyne Bridge and approaching the first elevated section at the 5km mark climbing around 44m over the next 20 minutes. This hill was quite noticeable and I had been warned to take it easy from the start in order to be prepared.
Matty stayed with me and even started to enjoy himself. Particularly the spectators who came bearing gifts in the form of bowls of haribo, jelly babies, biscuits, and even ice pops! Incredible generosity from the thousands who lined every bit of the route, despite the weather!
It never got boring to hear cheers of "C'mon Matty!" C'mon Mark!" from total strangers. The first time hearing this is quite weird and Matty even said to me "How do they know my name?" It's actually quite easy to forget you're wearing a running bib with your name plastered all over it!
The field was crowded for the entire 13.1 miles which required quite a bit of weaving and dodging to navigate a path through the slower participants.
1 Mile - 00:11:00 (6:50/km pace)
2 Mile - 00:22:34 (7:12/km pace)
3 Mile - 00:33:47 (6:59/km pace)
4 Mile - 00:44:50 (6:59/km pace)
5 Mile - 00:56:23 (7:11/km pace)
6 Mile - 01:07:37 (6:59/km pace)
7 Mile - 01:18:30 (6:46/km pace)
8 Mile - 01:29:08 (6:37/km pace)
9 Mile - 01:39:37 (6:31/km pace)
10 Mile - 01:49:35 (6:15/km pace)
11 Mile - 02:01:13 (7:14/km pace)
12 Mile - 02:11:27 (6:22/km pace)
13 Mile - 02:21:25 (6:09/km pace)
Finish - 02:22:26 (5:50/km pace)
Not only spectators cheering us on, but bands, drum corps, music and charities all along the route to keep us moving along. At one point we were running along to "Grease Lightning". Unfortuately, with everything that was going on I actually managed to miss my own charity, Bowel Cancer UK, which were on a roundabout around Mile 8. I was working in kilometers on the day
At around the 9 mile mark, Matty decided we'd push a bit harder and increase our pace for the final 4 miles despite his calfs and ankles suffering from around the 6 mile point.
At the 11 mile mark we had a quick pit stop - at the portaloos - which meant we were stationary for nearly 2 minutes ahead of the final 'hill'. Now then, this is the hill I had been warned about many times in the run up to the event but it was nothing like I imagined and actually proved less of a "hurdle" than the first one earlier on in the run. Going back down was significantly steeper and running down at speed and having to dodge the walkers and slower paced runners was interesting. The challenge was to avoid running into the back of people :)
We could see the sea, and as we turned left onto the sea front, for the final mile, the scale of the event (had it not already sunk in) was plain to see.
So many people. So many runners.
... and as we turn right off the road and onto grass the finish line is within touching distance.
... and Matty is still by my side as we cross the finish line together for an identical finish time!
2hrs 22mins 26secs
That's our personal best for a half marathon! Ok, it's also our first half marathon. A few people asked me over recent months what my target time was for the GNR and I always replied "I just want to finish it". Well, of course I had a goal time in mind.
That'll do!
Once we crossed the finish line it was like a conveyor belt. Pick up water. Collect medal. Collect goody bag and t-shirt. Have photo taken. Retrieve bags from the baggage buses. All when legs and knees are saying "Stop!!"
Matty made his way back to Durham, where he left his car, and then onward back to Lytham St. Annes.
I made my way to my charity tent to catch up with the Bowel Cancer UK team just as they were packing up for the day, and eventually back to my much-needed hotel room.
Thanks to everyone on TWTD for your support and for generously supporting my fundraiser for Bowel Cancer UK
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-brierley-great-north-run-2024
NewcyBlue
Tom C
USM
Blueasfook
GavTWTD
DarkHorse
Anonymous
PhilTWTD
Jim
Heavyweight
Brazil1982
Coastal Blue
Shadoof1016
FoD_Blue
The Family Slave
GuateBlue
Plums
Portwoman
Gernon
Swansea_Blue
little_boy_blue
Veg
TheBlueWizzard
Gordon_TWTD
Liam Bloxam
The fundraising page remains open. If anyone would like to and is able to support Bowel Cancer UK, it's an incredibly important charity.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-brierley-great-north-run-2024
And of course, you can still read about my journey to the Great North Run at
https://www.gnr2024.co.uk
Looking forward to doing it all over again next year - the Great North Run - 7th September 2025. Yes, I do already have my place with Bowel Cancer UK once again!
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Reply | The Biggest Challenge of my Life
at 18:42 3 Sep 2024
A 'good' start to the day at 6.30am with a leisurely 8.1km (5 miles) road run.
...and another thank you to... TheBlueWizzard and Gordon_TWTD
Supporter Roll Call:
NewcyBlue
Tom C
USM
Blueasfook
GavTWTD
DarkHorse
Anonymous
PhilTWTD
Jim
Heavyweight
Brazil1982
Coastal Blue
Shadoof1016
FoD_Blue
The Family Slave
GuateBlue
Plums
Portwoman
Gernon
Swansea_Blue
little_boy_blue
Veg
TheBlueWizzard
Gordon_TWTD
Every donation goes towards helping Bowel Cancer UK continue their vital work.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-brierley-great-north-run-2024
Follow my story at: https://gnr2024.co.uk/
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Reply | Great North Run 2024...
at 14:34 2 Sep 2024
Can't wait for it all to begin. Happy that you'll be there alongside me on the day as per the original plan.
Question is... do I sign up for GNR2025? |
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Reply | The Biggest Challenge of my Life
at 13:32 2 Sep 2024
On Sunday I take part in my very first Half Marathon. :-)
And I'll be lining up alongside NewcyBlue (Ken) and my personal trainer, Matty.
I don't feel quite as well prepared for this as I should. I had to take 4 months away from running following a knee injury which I picked up on the new years day ParkRun.
But I managed to get in quite a bit of running, from May onwards and smashed through various personal bests. Away from the running track I've kept up a reasonably intensive weight training routing in the gym.
It's been a busy couple of weeks with a increase in treadmill running sessions, mixing walking, running and sprinting.
I also took part in the Blackpool Night Run on Wednesday last week under the Blackpool Illuminations ahead of their big switch-on last Friday. A steady paced 7.5km in 46 mins alongside my personal trainer. 4000 runners and I finished in 1010th position. Happy with that.
Less than 3 days later, another 5k ParkRun at a quicker pace than the Night Run and just 28 seconds off my personal best.
Yesterday and another good treadmill session. This one was 90 minutes and covered a distance of around 14k with a combination of walking, running and sprints. My Garmin watch recommended a rest day and I originally intended to just do a walking treadmill, but my legs decided they want a bit more of a stretch.
More runs planned for tomorrow and Thursday before I drive up to the North East on Friday. Meeting up with NewcyBlue, walking the final couple of miles of the GNR course, doing a weights session at the gym and then dinner.
Those that are interested will be able to track our progress on the day via the Great North Run app which will also bring up photos of me snapped by the pro photographers dotted all around the course in almost real-time.
I'll also provide a link which will allow Live Tracking via my Garmin watch.
Thanks to every that has commented on my 'story' and/or donated to my fundraising campaign for Bowel Cancer UK.
And thanks to NewcyBlue - he inspired me and supported me to get started on this journey.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-brierley-great-north-run-2024
You can also read more about what I’ve been up to over the past 12 months at my website - https://www.gnr2024.co.uk
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Reply | Phil.
at 10:48 31 Aug 2024
I know I'm in training for next weekends 21k Great North Run but last night was just crazy!
BTW... you can support a great cause (Bowel Cancer UK) if you so wish. That will make my little legs go quicker on Sunday 8th September 😀
The Biggest Challenge of my Life by MarkTWTD 23 Jul 2024 10:12Hi TWTDer's... it’s your resident hamster here. Well, the person who tries to keep the wheels of TWTD turning.
As some of you may know, from some of my recent posts, I am currently preparing to take part in the Great North Run on Sunday 8 September - it’s the World’s largest half marathon - a mere 21km/13.1 miles. I have never done anything like this before and I'm certainly not getting any younger.
So why am I doing this?
It all started on Thursday 20 July 2023 - Day Zero - when I awoke with the realisation that I had to do things differently. I had to make some fundamental changes to my lifestyle. I had to reboot myself and learn a new way of life.
Earlier in the year I had a random meeting with someone called Ken at a Jaguar car event I had organised. Over dinner I discovered that he supported Ipswich Town and that he was a member of TWTD, and that was how I first met NewcyBlue. We became good friends and it was during many long WhatsApp chats that his love for everything fitness-related came to light and so on the 20 July, when I was looking for advice and support, there was only one person I was going to turn to. I had placed an order for some Huel products - meal replacement shakes - but he recommended Protein Works. So I placed a second order with them. It just happened that the Protein Works products arrived the very next day (Huel didn't turn up until 2 days later) and so at lunchtime on Friday 21 July 2023 my "Weight Loss Challenge" started.
It wasn’t long before Ken suggested I should join a gym. My weight loss was off to a good start but a gym would allow me to achieve so much more. I’d never stepped foot inside a gym and so the idea was pretty terrifying so I gave myself a bit of time to get my head around the idea and to lose a bit more weight. Beginning of September, six weeks after starting the diet, I had lost 1.5st (9.5kg) and so I took the plunge and joined my local JD Gym, signed up a personal trainer and I’ve never looked back. One of the best decisions I have taken in my entire life.
https://gnr2024.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MarkTWTD-ParkRun.jpg
The same week I joined the gym I decided to add another challenge to my growing list of goals - the Great North Run. I’d floated the idea with Ken a few weeks earlier by asking the question “Would it be crazy for me to think about running a half marathon? Would the GNR next year be too soon for me?”. Only one way to find out and so on 8 September 2023 I signed up to run for Bowel Cancer UK. I had exactly 12 months to prepare for what will be one of the biggest challenges of my life.
So where was my starting point in July 2023?
I was 55 years old, 5ft 7in, weighing 17st 4lb (109.9kg) with a 46in waist.
I had set myself an ambitious target of losing nearly 6.5st (40kg) by the end of April - just 9 months. It was suggested that I should perhaps reconsider that goal and push the timeframe out a bit further but my weight loss was consistent at around 1st (6.5kg) per month for the first few months. It slowed down a little bit in December and January due to a couple of injuries I had picked up in training, but it was still going in the right direction.
Back in September I started out training twice a week in the gym with additional cardio sessions on the remaining days. I joined ParkRun last October and slowly built up the running side of things. In November I bumped training with Matty my personal trainer up to three days a week (PPL - Push Pull Legs) and then by February (as I turned 56 years old) I stepped it up even more to four training sessions per week, now including body building/strength training, visiting the gym six days a week, usually twice a day, to also include treadmill and rowing machine cardio sessions.
https://gnr2024.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MarkTWTD-1YearMontage-800px.jpg
I reached my target weight - (11st) 69.9kg - in the first week of April and have been maintaining my weight at around 70kg ever since. My waist line has shrunk to an unbelievable 30in.
Ken has been amazingly supportive and a massive part of my “journey”, as has my personal trainer Matty. The Great North Run is not the end of my journey, it’s just one stop along the way. I have so much more to achieve.
Last weekend was the first anniversary of starting this adventure and I managed to tick off another goal. I have always wanted a tattoo but never felt confident enough to think I could “pull it off”. Back in December I booked an appointment at a local tattoo studio for Saturday 20 July - 1 year to the day that this all started - to get my first tattoo. It took 3hrs 45mins, and I absolutely love the result. There was already the plan to have another in the future and that will hopefully follow early next year once I’ve put in a whole load more work at the gym!
So why am I running in aid of Bowel Cancer UK?
Back in November 2017 my dad was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer. He received amazing treatment at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary under the care of Thomas Raymond within four weeks of diagnosis and has made a full recovery. Nearly seven years on he remains cancer free.
https://gnr2024.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/bowel-cancer-uk-500px-white.jpg
Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer with over 16,000 people dying annually of a disease that is preventable, treatable and curable. I’m determined to help Bowel Cancer UK to change that. The money I raise will help to provide support and information to patients and their families, enable them to fund and support research into bowel cancer and to campaign for early diagnosis and the best treatment and care for all.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If you would like to, and are able to, it would be amazing if you could support the cause at the heart of all this - Bowel Cancer UK. They really do help to save peoples lives
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-brierley-great-north-run-2024
You can also read more about what I’ve been up to over the past 12 months at my website - https://www.gnr2024.co.uk
https://gnr2024.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/logo-400.png
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Reply | The Biggest Challenge of my Life
at 20:08 16 Aug 2024
Three weeks on Sunday, and this has just landed through my letterbox...
There it is, my official run number for the Great North Run!
Those that are interested will be able to track my progress on the day via the Great North Run app which will also bring up photos of me snapped by the pro photographers dotted all around the course in almost real-time.
I'll also provide a link which will allow Live Tracking via my Garmin watch.
Thanks to every that has commented on my 'story' and/or donated to my fundraising campaign for Bowel Cancer UK.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-brierley-great-north-run-2024
You can also read more about what I’ve been up to over the past 12 months at my website - https://www.gnr2024.co.uk
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