Multiple Sclerosis - MS Research Seeks Help

New Coast2coast bike ride for MS Research

2009-07-19T11:00:00.014+01:00

The team is very pleased that 3 adventurous and young men are going to do another Coast to Coast crossing for MS Research. This time it will be on a bike. Well, three bikes.

We received this message from David Graham:

Myself and two of my friends are going to be doing the coast to coast bike ride on August 26 for 7 days. I am 17 and my friends are 17 and 18, so this is our first event we are doing for charity. We are going from St Bee's to Robin Hoods Bay, which is 210 miles. We have decided to do this for MS research. We aim to raise at least £500.00 but we believe we can get more than that.

We start on the 26 August departing from Basingstoke railway station, arriving at St Bee's at 17.47 and that's where it all begins. We are going to be staying in youth hostels and camping a couple of nights. We are cycling around 20 miles on the first evening to reach the first youth hostel which is a barn.

David added this comment:

"So please dig deep and donate now."

MS Research welcomes this generous event full of youthful energy! This is how to create your own page!

Information event about MS Research charity

2009-06-15T11:57:00.002+01:00

Come and meet MS Research charity at The Mall shopping centre at Broadmead in Bristol THIS Saturday 20th June between 10am and 4pm.

I Want to Ride My Bike for MS Research

2009-05-10T09:44:00.004+01:00

MS Research charity is very pleased that Neel Shah has volunteered to ride from London to Paris to help the research.
We feel that it is fantastic that he is paying for the hidden costs of the journey: ferry, support and accommodation. This means that all the sponsoring he will get will go to help the research. Here is some of what he said on his justgiving page:

As some of you may know I've stupidly decided to ride from London to Paris on a bike!that's 500km within 4 days. Thinking it wouldn't be too dificult I agreed to this event with some friends but having fallen off my bike on the first training session and having had a few knocks since, I'm begining to think this may not be as easy as first thought.

Having recently spent time with my cousin who suffers greatly from Multiple Sclerosis, a condition which affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other, I have decided to raise money for MS Research, a dedicated MS charity committed to raising funds for research that will make a real difference for those who have MS and those who share their lives. Please give whatever you can because every donation really does make a difference.

The cost of travel for this trip is meant to come out of the donations I collect, however I have decided to cover this cost myself, so all contributions made by you will go to MS Research.

What a jolly good fellow! Less than a month to go, let's give him a push!

Coast2coastrun Made it to the Beach!

2009-04-17T12:01:00.011+01:00

The week passed, Phil Boardman and Ian Daniels completed their 7 marathons in 7 Days yesterday at about 5pm when they reached the beach at Robin Hood's Bay. These two intrepid fundraisers did it! I was crying. They also have smashed their minimum target on Justgiving for the charity MS Research.

I spoke the night before to Rosemary Howell the Fundraising Manager of the event. She had said:

They are both well but have some niggling pains. They are determined to finish the run!

It was a bit worrying as it had been close to the start that Ian twisted his ankle and Phil had blisters. So, I was worried and thinking of them all day!

I could not wait any longer and phoned Rosemary again just after 6pm to find out the news. We both were very emotional as she told me:

They reached the beach at 5pm! Their families were there to greet them with some champagne. They put a foot in the sea, all were absolutely delighted!

They have done a wonderful thing: they ran to help people with Multiple Sclerosis walk and have treatment!

Coast2coastrun Sends Update

2009-04-14T16:29:00.014+01:00

Rosemary Howell of MS Research charity sent an update on the coast2coastrun by Phil Boardman and Ian Daniels.

Day 1 St Bees Head to Stonethwaite

At the start of the day the weather was cloudy, with a cold wind off the sea. Phil and Ian got off to a good start at 9.0am watched by family and supporters. One lady from the village had heard Ian talking on BBC Radio Cumbria about the run in aid of MS Research, and had come along to wish them well. Her sister had Multiple Sclerosis, so she was keen to wish the runners good luck. Her visit gave them a tremendous boost. Rendezvous points had been arranged on route to check on their progress and ensure they had plenty of liquids and energy for the run. 30 miles later they arrived at Stonethwaite in good shape although tired.

Distance run: 30.5 miles
Ascent: 3400

Day 2 Stonethwaite to Bampton

The day dawned clear and bright after an overnight stay at Honister Youth Hostel. The weather continued to be unexpectedly sunny and warm as they ran up three big mountain ranges, including Helvelyn. This was always destined to be the most difficult and challenging day of the week in terms of climbs and mileage covered. The ascent and descent was punishing on ankles and feet, and as a consequence Ian turned an ankle which proved painful in the evening. Phil started to find niggling blisters and foot problems were developing.

Distance run: 29 miles
Ascent: 6,500 feet

Day 3 Bampton to Kirby Stephen

The runners awoke to warm spring sunshine which turned in to an extremely hot sunny day, almost as hot as a summer day. As Phil and Ian left the Lake District they still encountered some tough climbing through the hills. Feet and ankles continued to suffer with the punishing terrain. Sunburn was a feature, and Phil commented that on one side of his face he looked as though he had holidayed in the Mediterranean, whilst the other side had been on holiday to Iceland!

Distance run: 25.25 milesAscent:

Day 4 Kirby Stephen to Reeth

After watching the parrots flying around Kirby Stephen (we all saw them, and no one was hallucinating!) Phil and Ian also got off to a flying start. This was another day of fantastic weather, so Phil was able to top up his sunburn. Again the route and the running was not for the faint hearted with much climbing in to the Yorkshire Dales. A rendezvous point at Keld village celebrated the half way point of the run. Feet and ankles continued to be tormented and punished by the terrain, and were a cause for concern in the evening and following morning.

Distance: 23.5 miles
Ascent: 2,500 feet

Phil will have to run backwards as a donor, with incredible knowledge of these things, had suggested! :-)

News after Day 3 of coast2coastrun

2009-04-14T10:03:00.009+01:00

When Phil was resting after running the marathon on Day 3; the next stage was firmly in his mind. MS Research charity is very proud of his efforts. He has not got anytime to update his coast2coastrun page on Justgiving. I am very happy to relay this, which I gleaned from Phil's Facebook wall:

We have completed Day 3. Managed to do the whole of the Lakes in the first two days and are progressing well - covered approx. 90 Miles. Legs are sore but there's plenty left in the tank!

Then Matt a wellwisher who seems to know the route could not help add:

Keep it up Phil. It sounds like you are going well. I hope the swamp monster on Nine Standards Rigg stays asleep as you pass.
Enjoy Reeth, then its heads down across the boring bit to Ingleby Cross.
Good luck.

Is it really any easier at anytime? What about this swamp monster? We'll want to know all about that!

Coast2coastrun in Good Form on Easter

2009-04-12T12:17:00.011+01:00

I got news from the C2C Run for MS Research charity. I phoned Rosemary, our fundraiser, she gave me some news about how Phil and Ian were doing.
The first day was OK but the second day was the hardest. They sustained a few injuries but they are still running with great determination. They had to go across 3 mountain ranges in Cumbria.
Their Justgiving page was already over their minimum target when they started. Now it shows on the graph that it is 102%. That does not include the offline donations that they are collecting on the way.
I am so pleased to be able to let you know that our event "7 Marathons in 7 Days" is still going strong.

Coast2coastrun sends Message of Thanks

2009-04-09T09:05:00.007+01:00

On Wednesday Morning, I was very pleased to get this message from Phil Boardman, who is fundraising using Justgiving with the coast2coastrun. He wrote to let the donors know his news:

There's now only 2 days until Ian and I start running and I wanted to thank you all for sponsoring us. You've been incredibly generous and will be happy to know that we're getting very near to our target.

We set out to raise £5000 for MS Research and we have currently (as of 07:30 this morning) got to £4742. If we added Gift Aid to this we would have smashed it but we still hope to get the extra £258 outright by the time we finish running.

I have a Facebook page that I plan to update during the week we're away with photos and videos, as long as I can find a connection!

Thank you, thank you, thank you - I hope we give the mountains a good beating and make you all proud.

I bet all were pleased to hear from this intrepid funraiser. I could not help myself chuckle! What if just £108 arrived? Would they get wings?

Last Fews Days before the Coast 2 Coast Run

2009-04-06T09:59:00.006+01:00

Phil Boardman is getting all details sorted before the Coast to Coast Run commences. He knows the needs that Ian and him will have. He thinks that they'll finish a marathon everyday at about 3pm. They will need accommodation for a bed and a cold bath as soon as they stop.

Youth Hostels make rooms available at 5pm! Quick let's get this sorted!

It is nearly upon us – this time in 4 days we will be running, well, Ian and I will anyway! The rest of you can cruise from town to town enjoying hot cups of Coffee and Toasted Tea Cakes… Not that I’m jealous…

I would like to thank Rosie, Rosemary and Laurence [of MS Research charity] for all the help and hard work. I’m sure that it will pay dividends and make the whole event far more enjoyable. I would also like to thank Maddy[Phil's wife] who’s been beavering away behind the scenes picking up all sorts of kit and food to support Ian and I during the run – she’s a star!

Although I still have the odd niggle and Ian is no doubt sore after his recent rowing heroics...I know that we’re both looking forward to cracking on and leaving the mountains in our wake!

Oh, and there is the budget to sort for the food and accommodation as Phil adds that they are not Richard Branson...Any help would be appreciated! They are proud to have raised 90% on their Justgiving coast2coastrun page. They want to give this to MS Research.

90% of Minimum Target on Justgiving Page!

2009-04-05T12:23:00.006+01:00

Our runners Phil Boardman and Ian Daniels were busy with the day job. The webmaster had a rare day off and did not login in any blog or twittered.

Oh joy, after all the donations offline have permitted this amazing delightful surprise. I'll share it with you. A week before embarking in their amazing challenge Phil and Ian have reached 90% of the minimum target they set on their justgiving page toraise funds for MS Research

Route Video of Coast 2 Coast Run

2009-03-31T12:41:00.003+01:00

To prepare all who want to cheer the marathon runner for MS Research.

Large Sum Pledged for the coast2coastrun

2009-03-31T12:27:00.005+01:00

Tension mounts, we are breathless in the office! We drink a lot of decaff coffee as we think of Mutiple Sclerosis (MS). We can hardly move our MS fingers.

We have been receiving some news that we are pleased to share with you:

Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham has pledged a significant donation and says, “I do so hope that this wonderful project and this amazingly brave plan will raise lots of money for such an important cause. Helping others is something we can all do and getting behind these guys is there for all of us to do”.

That will cheer up the marathon runners a lot!

Map and Route of Coast 2 Coast Ultra Run

2009-03-26T16:29:00.010Z

Preparations are keeping us all very busy. We are back from up North. We cheered the researchers in Bristol with our news. We are getting more prizes for some of the raffles that MS Research charity support team will be holding on Ian and Phil’s route for the Coast to Coast ultra run. Here is a map on the right to show the different stages of this fantastic challenge below based on the famous Alfred Wainwright Coast to Coast Walk:

Fri 10th April Day 1 – St Bees Head to Rosthwaite (23 miles, 3100 feet climbing)

Sat 11th April Day 2 – Rosthwaite to Bampton (27 miles, 7800 feet of climbing)

Sun 12th April Day 3 – Bampton to Kirkby Stephen (20 miles, 2000 feet of climbing)

Mon 13th April Day 4 - Kirkby Stephen to Reeth (23 miles, 4000 feet of climbing)

Tue 14th April Day 5 – Reeth to Ingleby Cross (33 miles, 2000 feet of climbing)

Wed 15th April Day 6 – Ingleby Cross to Glaisdale (27 miles, 4900 feet of climbing)

Thu 16th April Day 7 – Glaisdale to Robin Hoods Bay (16 miles, 1600 feet of climbing)

Runners Keep their Resolve!

2009-03-18T11:58:00.005Z

Well, after finding out about the local scenery and knowing the support these intrepid Coast2Coast ultra marathon runners where going to get. I mailed Phil Boardman at work. I wanted to know about their running in a Cornwall marathon on Sunday 8th March. He wrote me these extremely interesting news when he could manage some spare time:

I ran an extremely hard marathon. The weather was bloody awful – the course record was 2:31 and the winner could only manage a 2:55 (I think, maybe slower) which showed how tough it was. I managed a respectable 3:36 which I was proud of in the conditions. Ian also had a really good weekend, he ran back to back 15 milers so we’re both getting there now. We went to a lecture by an explorer/athlete last week too which has refreshed our enthusiasm. I’ve got a half marathon this weekend and Ian is pressing on getting used to running back to back days. After that, we plan to run together on Salisbury Plain next weekend – that will be the last chance for us to train together before the event. Less than a month to go!!!

It is wonderful news that so much energy is going to help the cause of Multiple Sclerosis. Their target is to reach £5,000 as their Justgiving page shows for MS Research. I like to say that they run to help PwMS walk!

MS Research Charity Workers Check the Route

2009-03-18T11:34:00.006Z

Some of MS Research charity team workers managed to check the route and meet some local volunteers. They came back very optimistic about this fantastic Coast2Coast Ultra Marathon that will be run in less than a month.
Rosemary Howell our Development officer wrote this last week on her return:

The road trip over the last two days was a great help in getting things organised, and for us to see what we can get going in each area. We met some really kind and friendly people who will help us raise some more money in each of the areas. I think we are all going to have a fantastic week, I am really looking forward to it. The food in the pub at Glaisdale is worth looking forward to!!! The scenery on the course of the run is breathtakingly magnificent! There was snow on the Cumbrian hills, just the tops, that you should be aware about. The weather closed in on us towards the end of Wednesday, so we ran in to foggy cloud outside Kirkby Stephen.

Running through a foggy cloud? Um, sounds like Multiple Sclerosis to me!

Phil and Ian Training News

2009-03-05T10:26:00.008Z

Here at MS Research, we are always delighted to receive some good news of fundraisers doing their utmost to reach a target of £5000.

For some of us this means 10 stimulators to work on the walking experiment that would be good news for many People with MS (PwMS). The expectation mounts at this stage and we worry about these two generous human beings who will be running an Ultra Marathon Coast to Coast this Spring.

Ian Daniels and Philip Boardman are feeling fit and ready to go – almost! Philip seems to be getting over his knee troubles and although not 100%, Ian’s foot is on the mend. They both expected to pick up niggles along the way so they are not surprised that their training has been interrupted a little. It is just a shame they have not been up in the mountains as much as they had hoped.

Philip is running in a Marathon Sunday 8th March down in Cornwall and Ian is going to be doing the half Marathon distance on both Saturday and Sunday so the miles are being crunched out at present. They are both in good spirits, what is the point in being anything else and it is beginning to dawn on them that it is only just over a month to go. They have their final planning session for the run at the end of March.

They are very pleased also to have reached 51% of their donation target on their Justgiving page. More than £600 is extra Gift Aid plus supplement, which helps when donors are UK taxpayers. We are all very grateful for these wonderful donations just before the event.

Phil & Ian - Coast 2 Coast Fundraising

2009-01-15T12:01:00.012Z

This is the most admirable challenge I have ever seen. Phil and Ian are going to run coast to coast over seven days in 2009. They chose to do this to raise funds for MS Research because Phil’s wife has multiple sclerosis. I hope it encourages you do do the same for MS Research.

Please visit Phil and Ian’s page on Justgiving. Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy, totally secure and also the most efficient way of getting your money to the charity more swiftly. If you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure that at least 25% in Gift Aid are added to your donation. Visit their page and sponsor them. Cheer them up loud; there will be so much wind!

They will follow a route that will be based on Alfred Wainwright’s famous walk that stretches 190 miles from St. Bees Head on the west coast to Robin Hood’s Bay on the east. It passes through the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors so it is going across some splendid rough ground! They plan to run (on average) 7 marathons in 7 days! They will be starting on the 10th April 2009 (Good Friday) and they cannot wait. I would like to be able to see them run.