Could you run over 800 miles in a month and a day? That’s the ambitious challenge facing long distance runners Gerry Duffy and Ken Whitelaw next July and August as they aim to run 32 marathons in 32 consecutive days across the 32 counties of Ireland to raise money for autism charities Autism NI and Irish Autism Action. Here’s the first of Ken’s blog entries on the gruelling undertaking. Each week, we will add a new blog entry.

Hi folks,

Ken here just checking in to give you a quick update of the week’s training. Was a pretty good week training-wise. Gerry and I ran a 15-miler on Sunday around a woodland loop so nice underfoot conditions (despite a few sharp hills on each 3km lap!).

In the past I’d normally take a rest day on the day after my long run but given the challenge ahead of us I need to get the legs conditioned to running on a Monday after the Sunday long ‘un.

So I tried a slow 8-miler on Monday…and I won’t lie to you – I found it tough going. After a few hundred metres I felt a bit of a pain in the left glut’ but kept plodding along regardless – this was a mistake as by the end of the run I had a pretty serious knot in the cheek!

I figured I’d try to work at it myself so after the run I lay on the kitchen floor and tried to balance myself on a tennis ball…slowly squirming around and over the knot, trying to keep my balance and grimacing in pain each time I’d hit the spot. My poor house mate got quite a shock when she walked in to see me gesticulating on the floor, with a yellow tennis ball popping out from my behind! Hard to explain that one J.

I took the following day off but was ok by Wednesday to do a fartlek session during lunchtime in the local park.

Steady run last night and tonight and hopefully get a bit of mountain-biking in tomorrow in the Wicklow woods!

Take care and safe running.

Ken

Gerry Duffy, Arlene Cassidy, and Ken Whitelaw