EN
40 Year old Lieutenant Commander Howard Clark, of the Royal Navy, is doing little to refute Noel Cowards observation that only ‘mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun'. The Portsmouth Joggers Club runner, currently based in Bahrain, is pushing himself to
Run Britain – News – The heat is marathON!
40 Year old Lieutenant Commander Howard Clark, of the Royal Navy, is doing little to refute Noel Cowards observation that only ‘mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun'.
The Portsmouth Joggers Club runner, currently based in Bahrain, is pushing himself to the very limit of physical endurance in his bid to be fit for this year's Brathay 10 in 10 marathon event, in Cumbria.
As the name of the run suggests Clark will be undertaking a gruelling 10 marathons, in 10 days, through the stunning landscape surrounding Lake Windermere, to raise much needed funds for Brathay Trust, the national charity that inspires young people to become successful, confident and responsible citizens.
And Clark is so committed to supporting the work that Brathay does, with some of the UK's most disadvantaged and vulnerable young people, that he's undertaking his fitness regime for the event, in the furnace like conditions of the desert landscape that surrounds his naval base, just off the western shores of the Persian Gulf.
"Sometimes it feels as though I'm slowly roasting", explained Clark, over an impressively clear phone line that belied the distance of his current posting. "I ran 24 miles around the base today with the temperature slowly rising. On a good day it can get to 30 degrees."
But if running outside the camp wasn't challenging enough the current security issues, allied to a need to run on inclines, has forced Clark to train on a treadmill in the steam-room environment of the gym.
"I've been running 8 miles of hill intervals, on the treadmill, in an attempt to get up to speed with the undulating nature of the Brathay Windermere Marathon course. However, a number of sandstorms have resulted in me having to run 21.6 miles on the treadmill for fear of losing my skin in the high winds."
With an anticipated marathon pace of 9.3mph Clark may yet benefit from his Herculean efforts in the dust-bowl atmosphere of Bahrain. "I've got the classic runner's tan on the back of my neck, forehead, arms and lower legs, not forgetting the panda eyes. However, if the weather is good for the Brathay 10 in 10 I'll certainly be prepared for it."
The Brathay 10 in 10 starts on Friday 13th May and concludes with the Brathay Windermere Marathon on Sunday 22nd May.
Whatever happens Clark is sure to receive a hero's welcome when he returns, on leave, to 'Blighty' specifically to complete the Brathay 10 in 10 and Windermere Marathon.
Run Britain – News
