I registered for Snowdonia and got down to training. I used a 'get me round' training program as I'd never been a great fan of running and the challenge was to complete the race.
Training was slow and laborious, mainly based of a pace of 10 minute miles. I think the longest training run was around 18 miles which got me from my home in Jarrow to Seaburn before coming back via South Shields.
The weekend of the race came and I had arranged to stay with a friend near Wrexham the night before the race. I went down with my youngest son who came along for the ride. On the day the weather was awful, this was the same day that the mountain marathon in the Lake District was called off due to floods. I bought a blue Ron Hill hat before the race and that was probably the best piece of kit I had on.
The second half of the course is particularly exposed and I remember the sideways wind and rain. I got to the finish soaked through in just under 5 hours. I was disappointed with how long it had taken but still glad to finish.
Early in 2009 I went  on a skiing expedition to Norway and met a top bloke called Graham. Graham is from Glasgow and had run the Marathon de Sable and was into hill racing and other such crazy activities.
That expedition and meeting Graham sent me down the road I am now on.

Me and the marathon...

The first marathon I ran was in October 1984. Our platoon Sergeant thought it wise to enter a group of us for the Snowdonia Marathon. At the time I was 17 yrs of age at the now long gone Army Apprentice College Chepstow.
I had never been a runner, in fact I was always at the back of the PT lesson during my time in green. I smoked, and was at the back of the class for most stuff physical.
The chance to run a marathon was new and exciting in the 80's, unlike now when there is one every weekend somewhere. As I remember there was around 9 of us that went up to Capel Curig in the Bedford for the event. I can't remember doing any special training for the marathon, but I do remember a few things about the race.
Out of the 9 of us, all of whom could beat me in the 1.5 mile fitness test, I came in 3rd. I remember picking most of them off in the later miles. There was a message for me there. Distance leveled the playing field. I also remember the killer hill after 21 miles. This is where I stopped and walked for the first time that day.

I finished the course in 4h 06m. I did the Cardiff marathon a couple of months later, but never beat this time.

In 2006 I eventually gave up smoking.. This was a turning point in my life. I put weight like so many other people do but leading a quite active job, decided that the extra stone had to go and out came the bike.
Cycling on my days off and sometimes the 14 miles to work soon shifted the weight. I enjoyed the cycling and could now see the point in getting fitter.

Soon it was 2008 and I was looking for a challenge - I found the Snowdonia Marathon was still running: could I go back at 41 and do it again?